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Co-Writer: Tom Peyer
Co-Writer/Colorist: Tom McCraw
Penciller: Lee Moder
Inker: Ron Boyd
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Asst. Ed.: Mike McAvennie
Head Honcho: KC Carlson

I thought it was about time they started numbering Legion books with that L symbol - great.

And Chuck Taine is back! I'm sure they could hear my husband cheering in the next county.

Now, unlike my beloved Steve, I am a relative newcomer to the Legion books. And I often read comics in my secret identity of Non-Retention Lass. So I tend to require a lot more exposition than many of you. The trouble is, sometimes exposition is revelatory and sometimes it's dense and sometimes it's clunky. And sometimes it's a bit of all three. I felt like I was reading things a little out of order here, in media res and all that. I didn't remember LSH #66 wherein Starboy was introduced, but on page 7 he does go back over his powers and what happened to his arms (although I still don't know, or have forgotten, his given name). I'm pretty sure I've come in with all the rest on Gates (whom I adore), so for the most part I'm following this book - although I will admit to having to flip back and forth a lot to pick up things I've missed the first time, and I'm not so sure that's not my fault.

I loved the juxtaposition of Chuck's face with this issue's title - at least we hear an echo of his former sobriquet.

As Chuck, who in this reboot is an architectural student, surveys the damaged Legion HQ with Marla what's-his-name, Valor saves them from falling rubble and we get a bit more foreshadowing of his intention to strike out on his own. Then our newest character, Gates, saves them again from falling Leviathan (and we learn Gates' teleportation power has a weight limitation), amidst some very funny patter. (I really like this character.) The older Legionnaires snipe at each other and ignore Chuck, but Starboy is, at least, polite enough to allow for expositional conversation.

Meanwhile, a nasty-looking robot type practices frying dummy Legionnaires, guided by a voice belonging to a silhouetted woman holding what appears to be a cat-o-nine-tails. Yowsa.

As Chuck gets to work on the HQ, Spark returns from being AWOL. Uh oh, busted! Icky monitor duty. That Cos is such a hardass. Chuck continues his work in view of Vi (who promptly shrinks away to check up on leads regarding Kinetix), Norg, Lu and Reep, as the Legion Espionage Squad shoos him away and discusses Cos being a hardass (not to mention a UP suckup). Meanwhile, we cut abruptly to Ambassador Wazzo chewing out Jo Nah for allowing Tinya to die, which conversation is cut short by the UP president's directive to crack down on the Time Institute. To which we then cut, of course, as Rond Vidar finishes checking Hockey Gir-- uh, Lori, who is indeed chronologically ten-but-not-ten. As Rond scurries to save his research, Lori feels ignored, then patronized by Imra, and runs out of the building in a huff.

Meanwhile back at the ranch (=huff huff= boy, reading this comic is exhausting sometimes!), Vi sulks at the monitor, Spark tries to cheer her up, Tenzil and Lyle flirt with Spark, and the Secret Admirer has struck Spark's quarters again. Vi doesn't look terribly thrilled.

Still making his rounds, Chuck bangs on Valor's door but is denied entrance by Cos. Inside, Valor's packing, and Lu is no longer trying to stop him. These three panels are, for me, the most effective ones of the book art-wise. Just beautiful, Moder and Boyd.

We then get a page of Vi and Leviathan working out. I'm not sure how much this scene really adds to an already-crowded book, but it does serve as a cutaway to where Kinetix has wound up - on Sorcerers' World, saved by a White(-Haired) Witch named Mysa, who offers her Power. Uh oh.

Back at HQ, Vi is miserable and angst-ing out in her room. Leviathan's doing the same in the cafeteria (great bit showing how Reep eats!). Even Gates is sniping self-righteously. Chuck, like many readers, has had about enough of this Legionnaire moping, and gives 'em what fer. Go Chuck! Terrific scene.

Still in search of Lori, Saturn Girl happens upon the Page 22 Villain. Yipes. See you in two weeks!

Moder's art continues to grow on me. There's much more softness to the faces than in past issues, and he does have a knack of capturing the right expressions at the correct times. Boyd's inking is wonderful, and he didn't even pay me to say that. :) McCraw's colors are as vibrant as ever. The story was pretty breakneck but, like I say, I get the feeling this is more my fault as a reader, as everything makes much more sense on my second perusal. I just always seem to need a few minutes to catch my breath after every Legion issue recently. :)

THE SANDMAN #73
"Sunday Morning"
An Epilogue to "The Wake" storyline

Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artist: Michael Zulli
Letterer: Todd Klein
Colorist: Daniel Vozzo
Associate Editor: Shelly Roeberg
Head Honcho: Karen Berger

This has been such a complicated series for me, filled with so many characters to keep track of all the time (which often get lost inside my brain amidst all the other comics I read monthly), that it's a pleasant breather for me when an issue concentrates on just one character and how Events have affected him or her. Even more so when that character is actually someone I remember.

This issue catches us up with Robert "Hob" Gadling, the long-lived friend of Dream's who used to meet and have a pint with him once every century. Robbie, as he's now dubbed by his latest love Guinevere (pretty much a plot device to get us to know Gadling better - I mean, she's an attractive and intelligent cipher but a cipher nonetheless, this isn't her story), is taking in the local Renaissance Festival with her. She's enthusiastic, he's understandably skeptical and verging on boredom.

Rob hints at confirming, over and over, for the readers' benefit, that he's The Rob Gadling, who used to be a bookmaker and then a shipbuilder/ slaver. Of course, Nobody Believes Him, not even otherwise-smart Gwen - if she (and they) did, the story might lose some of its air of magical realism, and we can't have that, can we? I would really have liked Gwen to believe Gadling, to say "Look, yes, you were a slaver, but that was a long time ago - centuries ago! - you have to get beyond that, not allow this guilt to keep consuming you," rather than what Gaiman has her saying, "Don't start that crazy stuff again, Robbie."

Anyway, what we get instead of a woman who's In On It is someone stuck in the century in which she was born, just like the rest, while Gadling forever goes on alone, reminiscing about the bad old days. And, while Zulli's art is downright gorgeous and extremely evocative, I'm not so sure SANDMAN's readers are that ignorant of the old slave trade, the presence of Moors in old Spain, the olden days being shit-heavy (not to mention smell-heavy), etc. as to warrant, in effect, a history lecture. If the purpose of the text-heavy background was to advance Hob's character more, to show us how his thinking has changed over the centuries, I think it could have been accomplished a lot more succinctly. But who I am to talk? I tend toward the longwinded myself.

As Gwen goes off to enjoy herself, Hob decides to ignore the incongruities of his surroundings - the books without content in the bookmaker's shop, the absence of authentic Renaissance-era filth and pestilence, the whole notion that the place is, in essence, a "vegetable lamb" (a cotton bush masquerading, to many eyes, as wool growing out of the ground) - by drowning himself in drink for most of the morning. 'Round noontime, he spies an old (okay, maybe 20-year-old) abandoned cottage no longer used in the festival and, lighting a candle he finds on the floor, slips inside to enjoy his too-cold beer in peace and silence.

There he meets Death, come to tell him the Dream he knew is indeed no more. A lovely scene. She also offers him release, which he refuses for reasons he never quite explains adequately (at least to me).

Rob meets up with Gwen again, come to pick him up after her work day as a Renaissance lady is done. She goes off again (see, plot device, what'd I tell you?) to drink with her friends, whilst he stretches out under a tree and dreams. It's not clear, when he recounts the tableau later on for Gwen (and us), whether this is a True Dream, but it's a necessary, comforting one for him. Dressed and looking as we can imagine the old Gadling did, he sees the Dream he knew, as well as Destruction (although he doesn't recognize "the other bloke" as such - "He was a bit like a pavement artist I met, ages ago... nice chap. Bloody useless artist, though."), chats with them and all three walk off into the sunset. Gwen awakens him, he tells her the dream and they drive off into the sunset. A very nice sense of double-closure.

This quiet issue certainly didn't have the revelatory substance of previous SANDMANs, but I mostly enjoyed it anyway. I thought it would have worked just as well were it fewer than 24 pages, but it was worth it to be treated to that much of Zulli's lovely art. Boy, I miss seeing his stuff regularly.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK #437
"Head Cases"
"Ghosts of the Future" storyline, Part 2 of 5

Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Angel Medina
Inker: Robin Riggs
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Lettering by computer (Starkings/Comicraft)
Head Honcho: Bobbie Chase

We open with a whole bunch of scenes of explosions not caused by the Hulk, but by a terrorist group calling itself "The Alliance." In contrast, our President on Tee-Vee expresses relief that the Hulk is finally behind bars, as Betty throws her drink at the tube in disgust. Guess it makes sense she's a Republican, given her strict military background. She's itching to get out of confinement, and Chief Largo obliges - he and his associates are going to get the Hulk out of his Army HQ prison.

Puny Hulk, meanwhile, is overtired and fading fast. But if he rests, he becomes Intelligent Banner again, and Talbot will have none of that, so he and his Senator buddy keep the Hulk impotent and awake by pumping loud noise into his cell. Didn't they do that to Noriega in Panama?...

Meanwhile, Betty meets Largo's associates - they call themselves the Head Shop. Can't have a head shop without at least one Deadhead, natch. Also introduced are Headgear, Headmistress and Thunderhead. Betty has the same reaction as me (although, admittedly, as the Firehead Head I have scant reason to mock this myself) - she just 'bout laughs her head off. Hmm, probably a poor choice of words. Y'see, everyone in the Head Shop had been dying of gamma radiation exposure (unlike Bruce, and this is a nice way for Peter to bring up the absurdity of gamma radiation mutating someone instead of killing them in the first place), and the Leader took them to his base, decapitated them and grafted their heads (their consciousnesses remarkably intact) onto android bodies, which certainly explains Headmistress's headlights (not to mention why each of her thighs is bigger than her waist). In gratitude for him saving their lives, they want to kill the Leader, and they need the Hulk to do it, provided Betty can effect the transformation.

Meanwhile, a soldier named Dallas who is under someone-or-other's (the Leader's?) control asks for some time off. And Talbot is in demand to help stop the Alliance. Apparently their vehicles pass each other. This part confused me; I'm sure someone out there will straighten it out.

Puny Hulk's still raging away, well-guarded. Doesn't stop Thunderhead's blasts and Headgear's ball bearings. Headmistress stops a naughty tank (happens every day) that's strayed indoors to waylay intruders (happens every day), and Deadhead blasts away with Kewl Weapons the nature of which are of little interest to me. Headgear fiddles with the cell's controls and lets out Puny Hulk, who kicks his head off. "Again?..." :) The Head Shop convinces PH to hang with them if he wants to be sprung, but he's not exactly calmed down yet.

Meanwhile, the funniest scene in the book. Army HQ strategy room. Some folks I don't recognize, a few in costume (names?), sit at a round table and try to suss out the Alliance. A cel phone rings. Simultaneously, everyone whips out their cel phone and says, "Hello?" Snicker.

'Course, it's for Talbot, and it's not good news. Meanwhile, PH has decided he's going to Smash rather than Run - and of course since he's a PH of very little brain he doesn't realize a grenade thrown at him (by a downed soldier trying to carry out orders during his last few minutes of life) will probably have a deleterious affect on him. Big bang on last page, echoing the big bang on page one. What will happen?

I still don't care for the art that much. It's like people have the wrong expressions on their faces half the time. And the shapes of the faces and bodies change so often you have to really work to keep track of who's who half the time. PH has muscles; PH has no muscles. Betty is way too angular for me, and looks winsome when she's supposed to be smirking. I don't want to have trouble telling the players without a scorecard, especially the military ones. And I won't get into the anatomical absurdity of Headmistress, because I already did. The story nominally interests me, but all in all I'd give more to know what became of the Sixth Android Head. I hope this storyline doesn't have much longer to go, but we're less than halfway through. Sigh.

Writer: Warren Ellis
Penciller: Casey Jones (he'd better watch his speed)
Inker: Tom Simmons
Colorist: Len Schoek
Lettering by computer (Starkings/Comicraft)
Editor: Suzanne Gaffney
Head Honcho: Bob Harras

I think Pete Wisdom does a better Jean-Luc Picard than he does Professor Xavier. :) Cute opening scene, Warren.

I've just started reading this title, so I can't yet remember the name of the chick who's falling out of her green costume. Warren, something to bear in mind - I think we should be introduced to main characters via a mention of at least their first names within the opening pages... Ah, here it is, page 7. We see Meggan's powers this issue long before we learn her name. I tend to prefer it the other way around, but perhaps that's just me. Still, it's worth remembering that every issue may be someone's first, and identify your players accordingly. Doesn't have to be more elaborate than a mention of the person's name in conversation, but do mention it earlier than page 7.

Turns out Meggan can, in addition to being an empathic shapeshifter, "see" psychic communications, which apparently work electromagnetically. I wouldn't have guessed that. Nicely done scene with her "reaching out" - good parallel to the way her powers are expanding (or changing, as Warren hints). Hope she doesn't expand too much farther out of that costume. Honestly, it's fine on the cover but it's a tad ridiculous within the book itself, especially when Rahne and Kitty beside her look so sensible by comparison (okay, Rahne's outfit might use a bit more give in the crotch area, it looks like it cuts rather, er, uncomfortably...).

Anyway, Meggan senses psychic emanations, and the three gals go off to investigate, Kitty responsibly mentioning that they could always call for help if needed via her commlink. Smart girl. Once at their destination, Meggan uses her powers to subdue the psychic fire that's been created which drew them there in the first place. Very nicely done.

The fire calms down, to reveal a young girl inside. Rahne asks to handle things this time - "She's likely a local girl like me. If I shift tae human and go and talk tae her, it'll be less of a shock than either o' you two." Again, nice. All three women are being portrayed as very bright, very capable, very sensible. Well done characterization, and goodness knows we don't get nearly enough of that, especially where women with power are concerned, in modern comics.

The girl, Bridgit Shane from Edinburgh, hits Rahne with a blast from her past - Reverend Craig back in Kinross. Hisssssssss. Craig was the bastard who had Rahne hunted when she was 14 years old. The things done in the name of intolerant religion. (Apologies to my religious friends who are not this way, and they are out there, but it seems the extremists always get the airtime. And, of course, make more effective villains.) She decides to return to Kinross and confront him.

Meggan and Kitty come along for moral support, but Rahne asks them to wait whilst she confronts the Rev on his home turf. Brave gal - I didn't even grow up Christian, and churches still spook the bejesus out of me. Warren makes effective use of this oppressiveness ("The silence within is a massive, crushing thing. The windows filter out the day into a perpetual twilight..."), and Jones mostly succeeds in showing us Craig's insecurities hidden behind his bully pulpit, from which he refuses to budge while attempting to degrade Rahne once more.

The condemnation of religion is a bit heavy-handed, and I can see where it might raise a few hackles here and there, but since I don't essentially disagree with any conclusions drawn here I can't actively protest them. It serves more or less as a device to show us how much Rahne has grown beyond Craig's ability to affect her (this is foreshadowed by the line, "Her heart is in her mouth, but her anger shines brighter than the candles").

And once she's said her piece, found and latched onto her calm center, she hits the good Reverend with some information of her own - that he, unlike she, is not the person he presents himself to be to the outside world. He has a few dirty secrets - and among them, it is hinted, is the possibility that he in fact sired Rahne. And perhaps Bridgit as well. "Why do you hate me so much? Why do you hate that little girl, too, who also has red hair like my mother and I, I noticed?" Well, sure, it's friggin' Scotland, a lot of folks have red hair. But I don't think this revelation, coupled with Jones' depiction of Craig in moral pain, hunched over the side of the altar (no longer hiding behind his pulpit, but still maintaining the wooden barrier between him and Rahne), is meant as anything but the Truth. The Reverend kneels before it, before "the woman, Rahne Sinclair," morally beaten, while she stands and walks away with dignity. God won't strike Rahne down, because Rahne hasn't offended Him. But as "the candles burn down," Craig is the one left in the darkness of his own hatred and intolerant fervor, the one whose pride and secrets and arrogance won't allow him to save himself or be saved by Another.

Quite lovely. As I said above, a bit heavy-handed at times when it generalizes, but very effective when it hones in specifically on this bastard of a man who, one hopes, will never again terrorize the lives of those souls born different.

[These reviews are copyright 1995 Elayne Wechsler-Chaput, just back from the Mid-Ohio Con and ready to catch up on her life, which seems, especially on the eve of her 38th birthday, to have been taking off without her a lot lately. Hey, yo, taxi! Follow that life!]