DC Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes #2
Scheduled to arrive in stores: February 23, 2021
Cover date: April 2021
“Legion of Super-Heroes: Future State” – Part Two
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller: Riley Rossmo
Inker: Riley Rossmo
Cover: Riley Rossmo
Variant Cover: Ian MacDonald
Reviewed by: James Lantz
After Element Lad’s apparent betrayal and subsequent invasion of the United Planets, Ultra Boy has brought the Legion of Super-Heroes back together. Saturn Girl learns that Element Lad was framed. Cosmic Boy is needed to find the true terrorist who split the United Planets and the Legion asunder. Yet, his hatred of both Saturn Girl and Element Lad may make that task difficult. If he doesn’t lead the Legion of Super-Heroes once more, the universe could face utter destruction.
The inhabitants of Saturn Girl’s home planet of Titan took control of Element Lad and his people to incite the insurrection of the United Planets and the Legion of Super-Heroes. They used Saturn Girl to gather information without her knowledge, and they made her believe it was her choice to join the Legion. It wasn’t, those on Titan felt she was too emotional for their collective. They also believe that other beings are impure of thought. Saturn Girl wants to make things right. She confronts her mother and the rest of the Titanian collective mind while the Legion and the universe bears witness. In the meantime, Brainiac has imprisoned the Titan Collective in a protective sphere that prevents them from ever committing such mental atrocities ever again. As a result Titan is no longer part of the United Planets, and the Legion of Super-Heroes along with a newly returned Jon Kent have returned to bring justice to the universe. Long Live The Legion!
Story – 3: I had hoped this series and the main Legion comic would answer questions I had after reading the extremely convoluted “Millennium” mini-series. However, I’m left with more questions than answers. The story itself is okay, but I feel like Bendis left a lot out, and thus, he was forced to wrap things up quickly. Unfortunately, this brings down my overall enjoyment of the Legion comics. I have the impression we were intended to go on a journey with Bendis and the Legion. Instead, we hit a wall like the Coyote after he chases the Road Runner. Bendis is one of my favorite writers. It’s really a pity that his Legion of Super-Heroes couldn’t reach a satisfying conclusion.
Art – 1: Of all the Future State books, this and the previous issue contain the absolute worst art I’ve seen in my more than four decades of reading comics. It befuddles me how DC approved such awful images. Once again, these terrible visuals distract too much from the story.Cover Art – 1: This image makes me want to look at Jackson Pollock paintings. (Sorry, I just can’t get into Pollock’s work). It’s a cover that is, quite frankly, a chaotic mess.
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“Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes” #2 was sadly such a let down. Why the heck not make both the first issue as well as this second both double sized in length to properly wrap *this* specific possible Earth-0 future tale for the Legion up? The whole miniseries went by too quick — and without a real sense of pay off, especially I’m imagining for those who were fans of this Legion since it’s first Millennium introductory miniseries. That “the end” bit in the final page left over either say a “the end?” or “to be continued” now leads me to… Read more »