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Mild Mannered Reviews - Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century

Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #19

Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #19

Scheduled to arrive in stores: October 8, 2008

Cover date: December 2008

"Booster"

Writer: J. Torres
Penciller: Alex Serra
Inker: John Stansisci
Cover: Alex Serra

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

Click to enlarge


Roll Call: Superman, Lighting Lad, Dawnstar, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Triplicate Girl, Karate Kid, Chameleon Boy.

We begin with Booster Gold and his robotic aide Skeets finding a stash of Legion flight rings and retrieving one. Nearby a team of thieves known as Scavengers have a robbery thwarted by the Legion! They take the villains down with ease except for one who promptly feels the brunt of Booster Gold's uppercut. The time displaced hero not only steals their thunder but their press too. This causes unrest with the Legionnaires but all the while Brainiac 5 monitors broadcasts intently.

Days later, Booster is making a name for himself as a super personality and though they are almost rendered useless, the Legion spring to attention when the Scavengers are revealed to have escaped custody. Dawnstar the resident tracker hunts them down with the Legion following closely.

Skeets and Booster are already there battling the enemy but welcome the help of the Legion. Booster is almost killed when a Mother Box he was using malfunctions and dies. During the confusion and Brainiac 5's arrival Booster escapes with some tech.

At Booster's hideout we see he's working hard to build a time bubble - even worse he's in league with the Scavengers! Booster has been paying his father's gambling debts with thefts of 'antique' pieces in time. The Scavengers are angry that he's been secretly building a time bubble when he should be paying them off but Booster angrily calls their 'partnership' null and void.

Before kill-shots can be exchanged the Legion arrive and battle the enemy. Booster quickly arms himself with Lex Luthor's blaster gauntlets while Chameleon Boy, Dawnstar and the others fight the good fight. Superman whispers to Booster his disappointment in the hero for not finding another way to clear his debts, but before they can talk further Dawnstar sees the stolen flight ring and demands to know where it came from.

The leader of the Scavenger laughs as he steals Booster's time bubble... Brainy stops Superman from giving chase but Booster decides to restore his noble reputation donning a museum grade Green Lantern ring. Before flying directly into the time stream Booster asks the Legion to pass a message to his sister and in a flash he is gone.

As he flies through time we see glimpses of the Legion's past and future before he's wiped from the 30th century. Using the Green Lantern ring Booster catches up to the bubble and enters the hatch. The ring, out of power, dies and the Scavenger uses the chance to grab some ancient arrows from the distant past... green ones.

Booster heeds Superman's words an realizes he doesn't need the weapons and powers of others to make him become a true hero... that comes from within.

Booster uses his force shield to deflect the arrows and with a powerful blow he knocks the Scavenger cold. About to bask in glory, Booster suddenly sees something Skeets is worried about - the arrow has smashed the time controls... where will he end up?

Oh boy!

Back at Legion headquarters the team are bewildered by Booster's arrival, his thefts, heroics and sudden departure - is he lost forever?

Brainy smiles, he tells his team mates that he allowed the theft of the flight ring. Before they can ponder time paradoxes and suchlike, Superman realizes Brainiac had helped Booster along. The heroes are shocked to see that Booster's destiny with Superman, the Justice League and our present day was 'preordained' and in fact their actions today had directly helped shape their future!

(OK your head can spin now, lol)

5Story - 5: J. Torres is one amazing writer, he's constantly delivered some of the best Legion stories the series has published. It's so refreshing when children aren't patronized. Books that can be enjoyed on several levels by adults and their families are a rarity these days and I am so crushed this title is coming to an end soon.

5Art - 5: Nice to see some of the characters pop up that didn't really have the chance to be featured before. Karate Kid and Dawnstar look awesome... sad that Kel was featured only in a faint illustration but perhaps the PTB will allow the book to continue in some fashion someday. Great to see renditions of the characters we missed out on. Alex Serra has been with the book since issue one and again he delivers some great art to compliment the story. Some of the panels almost leap out at you like an animated episode.

4Cover Art - 4: It's always good to see Booster in action and Superman on a cover is always a doubly good thing. This is a REALLY nice cover that I think really leaps out at you - just one drawback... Its knocked down a point because it gives almost everything inside away!

Mild Mannered Reviews

2008

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2008

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