Legion of Super-Heroes #5: The Children’s Crusade

Legion of Super-Heroes finally starts to find some focus with its fifth issue. By dovetailing the Legion’s origin with current events, writer Brian Michael Bendis is finally hitting his narrative flow, despite the surplus of talking heads that has made up this comic’s cast. The Legion is, of course, no stranger to a multitude of characters; but past writers have tried a bit more diligently than Bendis to at least differentiate between their many voices. But then, readers familiar with Bendis’ writing style shouldn’t be too surprised with the current results.

And as the narrative finally starts to come into focus (it certainly wasn’t helped by issue three’s diversion into a Robin guest-appearance), so too does the general trajectory Bendis is taking with this book. Brainiac-5’s sprawling monologue about how time is broken, and the “watchmen” involved in it is an awfully interesting choice of words; it may be coincidence but it may also signal Bendis’ intention to begin addressing the many, many continuity threads at play in the current DCU, beginning with Doomsday Clock. That’s purely speculative at this point, but it’s intriguing to say the least.

The art team continues to be the biggest highlight of this series. Ryan Sook, embellished by inkers Scott Godlewski and Wade von Grawbadger, is turning in some of the finest work of his career. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s being colored by current coloring MVP Jordie Bellaire. Every page, every panel absolutely jumps off the page – and what’s more, looks independently unique from any other book currently being published. Legion maybe isn’t DC’s best book, but it may just be it’s prettiest.