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Comic lore states that once a super-villain has been apprehended and arrested it’s only a
matter of time until they break out and strike back at our heroes. So what’s the difference with this lore in the 31 century? The prisons are bigger, the break-outs are larger and the villains more deadly. So what’s to expected when the 31 century’s most dangerous super-team resurfaces for their newest incarnation since final crisis? To find out, let’s take a look-see at the pages of the Legion of Super-Villains one-shot issue.
We open to the warden of Takron-Galtos as he walks down a corridor against his will, monologue about how “she” keeps on calling him. He then reaches the door that his key-card opens only to be the cell containing Saturn Queen. Meanwhile, outside of the prison planet a prison ship requests permission to land when it’s suddenly shot down and crashes on the prison. The hull of the ship is then ripped open and Kodam, aka Sun Killer (see Adventure comics #522) is pulled out of the wreckage on the telepathic command of Saturn Queen. He’s then revived by Mekt Ranzz, aka Lightning Lord, who’s been released by Saturn Queen along with the rest of the prisoners to cause a full scale riot as well as weed out the week from the strong for Saturn Queens new Legion. Saturn Queen, Lightning Lord and the coluan Questor, along with several other prisoners escape on a science police cruiser and set out on their new mission as the Legion of Super-Villains, and vowing it in the Blue flame of Immortal truth and power. What is this new mission of Saturn Queens and how will it affect the 31 century? Pick up the Legion of Super-Villains one-shot to find out.
Wow, and I mean wow, Paul Levitz sure doesn’t know how to disappoint and this new one-shot story which revives the Legion of Super-Villains in the current series is no exception. Levitz knows the legion and its universe better than anyone, and that includes it’s villains who are cold hearted and ruthless. Saturn Queen is cold and ruthless, even to Mekt who helped form the original Legion of Super-heroes along with her many years ago, thinking of the other members of the team as her pawns, to be used and disposed of as she wishes, though it seems that she herself might be a pawn for another being. The story is interesting and full of suspense as small threads hinted at before in adventure comics and Legion of super-heroes start to come together here and shape the next events that are to come in the next legion stories. Francis Portela’s artwork is stunning and is able to display the emotional characteristics of the Legion through
their facial expressions and physical mannerisms such as Mekt’s inability to stand up against Saturn Queen despite his physical prowess. This is only emphasized by Javier Mena’s colouring that adds depth to the art (and the two put together can even make mekt’s Silver age styled costume seem threatening to a modern age reader). If there’s only one complaint that I have it’s that despite being called the Legion of super-villains it only has two of the three founding members, with Cosmic King being absent in this incarnation of the legion.
In conclusion I awards the Legion of Super-Villains one shot a 4.5/5. The Issue is great reviving the team for the first time since final crisis, as well as leading up to and explaining aspects of the next story to hit the pages of the legion of super-heroes. Legion fans would be required to pick this up to understand the goings on for the next few issues to come. As far as new readers are concerned I’d say that this is a perfect jumping on point if you’re curious about the world of the Legion of super-heroes. So my final verdict is, Legion of Super-Villains One-shot:-
4.5/5
