Legion of Super-Heroes #10 – Brian Michael Bendis, Writer; Ryan Sook, Penciller; Wade Von Grawbadger, Inker; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 7/10
Ray: The Legion is one of the most fascinating concepts in comics and Bendis is a highly talented writer, but I’m not sure the stew works together. There are a lot of big ideas here, but what’s missing is the sense of old-school Silver Age adventure that makes the Legion tick. This issue takes place in the aftermath of the Legion’s trial, as people figure out their next move. Ultra-Boy returns to his planet and tries to calm tensions in the aftermath of his father’s arrest. Lightning Lass gets closer to joining the Legion in a meeting with Brainiac 5. Gold Lantern briefs the Guardians on the escape of Mordru, as the Legion gears up for their next big challenge. And the team investigates Mon-El’s sudden retreat as Jon’s presence in the future complicates things. But the big twist in the last page is going to be divisive to put it lightly as Bendis brings in one of the less-popular elements of his Superman run. If this run continues beyond that run, it might wind up essentially being an extension instead of a true Legion book.
The Last God: Songs of Lost Children #1 – Dan Watters, writer; Steve Beach, Artist; Dave Stewart, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10</h3
Ray: As The Last God enters its last act next issue, we flash back to the beginning for this one-shot by guest creative team Dan Watters and Steve Beach. It’s a bit odd to see a guest team on a creator-owned book, but this flashback story focusing on Queen Cyanthe is as bleak and horrific as the main series. Set ten years into the age of Tyroglad, it follows the Queen and her handmaiden as they journey into the surrounding villages to see if the King’s reign has carried over. Along the way, they find a village haunted by a mysterious creature that keeps hunting children. Like some sort of high fantasy take on Stephen King’s IT, it features one of the most disturbing creatures to appear in the series so far, but the most powerful material is the raw emotions the two women are bringing to the story, with each holding a horrible secret. I’m not sure how it fits into the main story, but it’s a strong additional piece that fleshes out this horror-filled kingdom.
John Constantine: Hellblazer #11 – Simon Spurrier, Writer; Aaron Campbell, Artist; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: For the penultimate issue of Simon Spurrier’s John Constantine saga, he descends into the depths – literally. This is easily the bleakest issue of the series, and it comes back to the same theme he’s been exploring since the start. Britain is sick and only getting sicker. It all starts with Constantine getting a phone call from an unknown source, revealed to be a far-right fringe British politician who is harboring an ancient demon with a blood grudge against Constantine. A lot of this issue is just this creature ranting at John about how long he’s been waiting for his revenge, but mixed in there is some intriguing commentary about the cult of nationalism and how it curdles into something even sicker. The end of this issue has some incredibly dark and disturbing visuals, to the point that they almost veer into parody. It’s hard to see how this can all be tied up in one issue after this final cliffhanger.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
