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Mild Mannered Reviews - Classic Post-Crisis Superman Comics

Legends #3 (of 6)

Cover date: January 1987

Plot: John Ostrander
Script: Len Wein
Pencils: John Byrne
Inks: Karl Kesel

"Send for... the Suicide Squad!"

An angry mob protests outside Titan's Tower, hurling stones and waving clenched fists and makeshift clubs. Inside, Sarge Steel has been sent to keep the Titans confined to their tower. Arguing that they have the same rights as anybody else, they leave, effectively daring him to shoot them down if he must. The Sarge watches them go, wondering how he's going to explain this to his superiors.

In a hidden bunker Captain Boomerang waits impatiently with Blockbuster and the Enchantress, bickering with Amanda Waller. Colonel Rick Flag arrives with Deadshot and The Bronze Tiger; Task Force X now stands complete. Waller reiterates the deal; accept a mission, survive it, and the five will have all current criminal charges against them dropped. All five have been fitted with explosive bracelets as 'insurance'. Tired of the small-talk, Deadshot asks what the mission is going to be. A screen comes to life behind Waller, showing Brimstone towering over Mount Rushmore. The mission's simple. Eliminate Brimstone.

Billy Batson still sits in an alley, torn between wanting to help stop the madness around him and guilt over thinking that he killed Macro-Man. A girl, (who we saw last issue ridiculing G. Gordon Godfrey during a conversation with her parents) approaches him, introducing herself as Lisa.

Mount Rushmore. Colonel Flag leads Task Force X into position. Deadshot has been armed with an experimental one-shot laser rifle that should penetrate the magnetic fields giving shape to Brimstone's hydrogen plasma form. The giant notices their approach and greets the 'sinners' with plasma blasts. The group scatters, Blockbuster lifting up a huge chunk of rock under Brimstone's feet, as Captain Boomerang distracts him with a 'bafflerang' and the Enchantress struggles to change the oddly sentient plasma being fired at them into something less dangerous. Despite his efforts, Blockbuster is scooped up by the fiery giant and 'cleansed', crushed in Brimstone's hand and dropped, lifeless, to the ground. As Captain Boomerang recoils in horror, Deadshot takes careful aim and opens fire. The laser blast strikes true and screaming out that he has been forsaken, Brimstone comes apart at the seams, exploding into a huge fireball. Now that the plasma is no longer sentient, the Enchantress succeeds in turning it into snow. Drunk with the use of her powers, she starts to rant about world domination and turns to deal with her team members first. Bronze Tiger fells her with a nerve pinch and the Task Force regroups. Although successful, the team are far from happy. Captain Boomerang accuses Flag of using them all as cannon fodder - a 'suicide squad'. Flag shuts Boomerang up by telling them that everyone on the mission was considered expendable - himself included.

Gotham City. Bruce Wayne glares out of a window in the private hospital where Jason (Robin) Todd recovers from his beating, angry at having to do nothing (due to the Presidential edict in issue 2) whilst fires rage in the streets outside. Jason tries to apologise for failing him as the new Robin, but Bruce softens, refusing to hear any of it. They discuss the actions of the mob that almost killed Jason. Bruce posits that they didn't know what they were doing - goaded by G. Gordon Godfrey. Jason disagrees, arguing that deep down; people fear and hate heroes more than the criminals do. Bruce tells Jason he's wrong, that the president's wrong, and that it's time he proved it to the both of them.

Lisa has taken Billy Batson home with her and has been taken in by her parents. Whilst dining with her family, the television starts to show another of G. Gordon Godfrey's speeches. Lisa's younger sibling plays with a Superman action figure and as Lisa ridicules Godfrey, her father grabs the action figure and angrily throws it onto the log fire, saying that he agrees with Godfrey - it's time somebody did something about the super-powered 'menaces'. The melting action figure reminds Billy of the death of Macro-Man and he flees outside. Lisa joins him, asking what's wrong and if he believes in heroes. A tearful Billy replies that he doesn't know any more.

Apokolips. Darkseid and the Phantom stranger debate the Lord of Apokolip's plan. The Stranger tells Darkseid that it is doomed to failure. Darkseid merely scoffs, but the Stranger uses Lisa as an example of why Operation: Humiliation will fail - Darkseid can never triumph over the hearts and minds of children. They will always believe in heroes. Darkseid shrugs off the Strangers' argument as a giant robotic beast steps forward from the shadows. There will be no heroes left to believe in, after Darkseid commences phase 3 of his operation and unleashes his Warhounds...

Story - 4: Again, we've got a lot packed into this issue, and it's all good. So why a 4 and not a full 5? Well, the reason is that a single panel at the bottom of each page is used up to summarise what happened in the last 2 issues, as Darkseid banters with the Phantom Stranger and Desaad crows on in front of his retro screen. Did we really need so detailed a reminder this early on in the series? Okay, granted; the panel on the bottom of page 21 begins to move the story forward, with the Stranger telling Darkseid exactly why his plan will fail, but the previous 20 pages of bottom panels are all recap! *sigh* So, that's why this one's a 4 folks. Without the unnecessary recap, it would've been a 5 - as there's a lot to like here.

For instance, we get more of the groovy looking Brimstone and his pseudo-biblical ranting (fire & brimstone, geddit?). Like I've said before, this character looks great and he proves to be a tough nut to crack. The death of Blockbuster is sudden and quite shocking (for the record, the Blockbuster who makes a deal with Neron in Underworld Unleashed and becomes crime lord of Bludhaven is the brother of the character who dies here) and Task Force X work well together on their first mission. I've got to admit, I was wondering why the heck they'd bothered to take along the Bronze Tiger, as all he seemed to do was hide behind the Enchantress going "look out!". I was glad to see it was all part of the plan when he took down the Enchantress (June Moon, whatta good name) with a Spock-stylee nerve pinch. Nice way of getting Task Force X their nickname by Boomerang referring to them as being a 'suicide squad'. Each member of the team has a little moment to shine (some more brightly than others, in Blockbuster's case *heh*) and show us their character. I've got to wonder how the Enchantress manages to stay in that low cut top of hers though...

Aaanyway, moving on, the discussion between Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd was handled well. Bruce goes from being all grim and scary to warm and reassuring, as Jason expresses his self-doubts, then back to grim and scary again, going from comforting Jason to flat-out telling him he's wrong about people and their intentions. Nice to see him calling Jason 'Jay', too. The conversation flows well and showcases what an unflinching person Bruce can be.

Got to admit, I'm getting a little weary by now of seeing Billy Batson blat on about being upset over what happened to Macro-Man. I know it's all in character and the discussion with Lisa's parents serves to highlight the potential flaw in Darkseid's plan, as well as its short-term success, but *yawn* we get it. Billy's horrified and full of self doubt. So, what will he do next? If there's no movement on the Billy Batson/Captain Marvel front in the next issue, I think I might just scream.

Interesting to clearly see Ronald Reagan as the President of the U.S of A again. Admittedly, 20 years on, this dates things terribly, but I still like the touch. W'ooohhh, the Warhounds look cool! Looks like we're due some good super-heroic fisticuffs next issue!

An entertaining and packed read, let down only by an overlong recap and a touch too much Billy Batson self doubting.

(My favourite sound effect this issue was the 'VWOOPVWOOPVWOOP!' of Captain Boomerang's 'bafflerang' as it nipped around Brimstone's fiery bonce!)

Art - 4: Okay, here's where I sound contradictory. Although the above mentioned recap grated on my nerves a little, it has some great artwork. Darkseid throwing back his head and laughing in full on 'bwa-ha-ha' villain mode on page 7 (if he had a moustache, he'd have been twirling it here), Desaad doing the same on page 18 and the very characterful shot of Billy 'shazaming' into Captain Marvel on page 11 all jumped out and caught my attention. And I don't think I've seen a better depiction of Bruce Wayne outside of 'The Dark Knight Returns' than the top of page 11, where he's glaring out of a hospital window, flames reflecting in the glass and the top part of his face covered in shadow so his slitted eyes glare out. Ver-ry good! Superman looks mighty heroic in the 2 panels he appears and the final splash page of Darkseid introducing his Warhounds makes you look forward to seeing 'em in action, hopefully in the next issue. 4 out of 5 again for the lack of attention to backgrounds, but still classic Byrne.

Cover Art - 4: It happens in the issue, everyone's instantly recognisable, Mount Rushmore looks good, but the colours used for the background and the shapes of Supes, Beast Boy, Flash and Bats are a bit of a wash-out. A good cover, but not quite good enough for me to give one of my 'reserved for the best of the best' fives out of five.