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

Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #4
Scheduled to arrive in stores: July 18, 2007Cover date: September 2007
Writer: Christine Boylan
Penciller: Steve Uy
Inker: Steve Uy
Cover Art: Steve Uy
"Higher Education"
Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel
Brainiac 5 has cracked the Fatal Five computer system and arranges for the Legion to intercept an attack on a recycling planet. Collating data he has deduced their plan.
Curiously, however, the Fatal Five pound the Legion knocking Saturn Girl into a coma-esque sleep and then... leave.
This enrages Brainy - he couldn't be wrong. He's NEVER wrong... or perhaps he really isn't a 12th level intellectual...
After a heart to heart with Clark, Brainy decides to return to Colu to retake his aptitude test. The core members join him on a field trip to meet his old tutor Dr. Mod. The Legion are surprised that the planet isn't like post-crisis Krypton. Everyone is happy, full of life and vigour as apposed to cold, emotionless and detached.
Phantom Girl tries to be supportive of her friend however only succeeds in interrupting his studies and frustrating him into relinquishing his flight ring. Despite this, Phantom Girl still waits outside study hall for her friend to finish.
Elsewhere as she awakens, Saturn Girl offers up the information that Tharok had deliberately fed them Legion dummy information to sow the seeds of a bigger plan via a psychic link. Clark contacts Brainy with information that the Coluan Manufactory was the real intended target and they had only wanted to create doubt and distrust in the Legion.
They are quickly ambushed soon after realizing the truth. The team isn't whole yet, it needs Brainy to rejoin them and Phantom Girl bestows him with a flight ring. The battle is fought to a standstill, finally ending with Tharok ordering the Fatal Five to retreat - secretly a psychic nudge from Saturn Girl.
Tharok appears and confronts Brainiac 5.
He smirks that genius isn't something that can be downloaded. Brainiac admits he's learnt from Tharok's plan and bettered himself in the process. He can learn to be more of a person from his friends and team mates and for that, he's now grateful.
Brainiac also points out that Tharok is a cyborg - part robot, prone to system crashes.
Brainy uploads a shutdown program into Tharok and the authorities arrive to detain the Fatal Five.
Phantom Girl and Brainy share a quiet heart to heart.
The topic of Brainy's test score arises and he smiles wryly that he didn't want to know it.
After all what would he learn from that?
Story - 5: The device of self-doubt/angst in the story was very slight even to the scale of being much like the current run of Justice League of America. But here it's a done-in-one and really works. It offers an insight into Brainiac 5's life and his character.
Similarly Phantom Girl is given the same chance offering her heart and personality, her interaction with Brainy in the story shows the team as a cohesive family unit rather than a gang that fights crime and hangs out in a giant trophy cabinet as its only reason for being.
The worry for his friend makes Superman's involvement both touching and deeply humanising of him.
Bravo!
Art - 5: Steve Uy's artwork on the covers has been a varied bag of 2-5's very hit and miss however to see it in action in sequential panelling is amazing. The pastel coloring gives the art that extra edge and the art looks exquisitely like an episode truly in print.
The composition and detail is almost breath taking.
More please!
Cover Art - 2: The cover really doesn't sell the book as well as it could have and it's almost heartbreaking as the interior is absolutely fantastic. It DOES depict the story and Brainiac 5's deep depression but there are so many levels to the story that could have been explored here.
Mild Mannered Reviews
2007
Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.January 2007
- Action Comics #845
- Superman #658
- Superman/Batman #31
- Superman Confidential #1
- Supergirl #12
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #24
- 52: Week 26
- 52: Week 27
- 52: Week 28
- 52: Week 29
- 52: Week 30
- Justice League of America #4
- JLA Classified #29
- Justice League Unlimited #27
- Krypto The Superdog #3
- Action Comics #846
- Superman #659
- Superman/Batman #32
- Superman Confidential #2
- Supergirl #13
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #25
- 52: Week 31
- 52: Week 32
- 52: Week 33
- 52: Week 34
- Justice League of America #5
- JLA Classified #30
- Infinite Holiday Special #1
- Justice #9
- Justice Society of America #1
- Justice League Unlimited #28
- Krypto The Superdog #4
- Superman #660
- Superman/Batman #33
- Superman Confidential #3
- All Star Superman #6
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #26
- 52: Week 35
- 52: Week 36
- 52: Week 37
- 52: Week 38
- 52: Week 39
- Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predators #1
- JLA Classified #31
- JLA Classified #32
- JLA Classified #33
- Justice Society of America #2
- Justice League Unlimited #29
- Krypto The Superdog #5
- Action Comics #847
- Superman #661
- Action Comics Annual #10
- Superman Confidential #4
- Supergirl #14
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #27
- 52: Week 40
- 52: Week 41
- 52: Week 42
- 52: Week 43
- Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predators #2
- Justice League of America #6
- JLA Classified #34
- JLA Classified #35
- Justice #10
- Justice Society of America #3
- Justice League Unlimited #30
- Krypto The Superdog #6
- Action Comics #848
- Superman #662
- Superman/Batman #34
- Supergirl #15
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #28
- 52: Week 44
- 52: Week 45
- 52: Week 46
- 52: Week 47
- Justice League of America #7
- JLA Classified #36
- Justice Society of America #4
- Justice League Unlimited #31
- Superman Confidential #5
- All Star Superman #7
- Supergirl #16
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #29
- 52: Week 48
- 52: Week 49
- 52: Week 50
- 52: Week 51
- World War III - Book One: A Call to Arms
- World War III - Book Two: The Valiant
- World War III - Book Three: Hell is for Heroes
- World War III - Book Four: United We Stand
- Justice League of America #8
- JLA Classified #37
- Justice #11
- Justice Society of America #5
- Justice League Unlimited #32
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #1
- Action Comics #849
- Action Comics #850
- Superman #663
- Superman/Batman #35
- Supergirl #17
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #30
- 52: Week 52
- Countdown 51
- Countdown 50
- Countdown 49
- Countdown 48
- Justice League of America #9
- JLA Classified #38
- Justice Society of America #6
- Justice League Unlimited #33
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #2
- Action Comics #851
- Superman #664
- Superman/Batman #36
- Superman/Batman #37
- All Star Superman #8
- Supergirl #18
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #31
- Countdown 47
- Countdown 46
- Countdown 45
- Countdown 44
- Justice League of America #10
- JLA Classified #39
- Justice #12
- Justice League Unlimited #34
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #3
- Action Comics #852
- Superman #665
- Superman/Batman #38
- Supergirl #19
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #32
- Countdown 43
- Countdown 42
- Countdown 41
- Countdown 40
- Justice League of America #11
- JLA Classified #40
- Justice Society of America #7
- Justice League Unlimited #35
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #4
- Action Comics #853
- Action Comics #854
- Action Comics #855
- Superman #666
- Superman/Batman #39
- Supergirl #20
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #33
- Countdown 39
- Countdown 38
- Countdown 37
- Countdown 36
- Countdown 35
- 52 Aftermath: Four Horsemen #1
- Justice League of America #12
- JLA Classified #41
- Justice Society of America #8
- Justice League Unlimited #36
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #5
- Action Comics #856
- Superman #667
- Superman/Batman #40
- Superman Confidential #6
- Supergirl #21
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #34
- Countdown 34
- Countdown 33
- Countdown 32
- Countdown 31
- 52 Aftermath: Four Horsemen #2
- JLA Wedding Special #1
- Justice League of America #13
- JLA Classified #42
- JLA Classified #43
- JLA/Hitman #1
- Infinity Inc. #1
- Justice Society of America #9
- Justice League Unlimited #37
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #6
- Action Comics #857
- Action Comics #858
- Superman #668
- Superman #669
- Superman/Batman #41
- Superman Confidential #7
- Superman Confidential #8
- All Star Superman #9
- Supergirl #22
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #35
- Teen Titans #52
- Countdown 30
- Countdown 29
- Countdown 28
- Countdown 27
- Countdown 26
- 52 Aftermath: Four Horsemen #3
- Justice League of America #14
- JLA Classified #44
- JLA Classified #45
- JLA/Hitman #2
- Infinity Inc. #2
- Justice Society of America #10
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps Presents: Cyborg Superman #1
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps Presents: Superman Prime #1
- Infinite Halloween Special #1
- Justice League Unlimited #38
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #7
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Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2007.