Legion of 3 Worlds #4 (of 5)

DC Comics
Legion of 3 Worlds #4 (of 5)
By Nathan Madison
May 3, 2009 - 16:11

DC Comics
Writer(s): Geoff Johns
Penciller(s): George Perez
Inker(s): Scott Koblish
Colourist(s): Hi-Fi
Letterer(s): Nick Napolitano
Cover Artist(s): George Perez and Tom Smith
$3.99 US

While the central Final Crisis story has been over for several months now, Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds is still going strong in this penultimate issue.

Starting immediately after the end of the previous issue, Legion of Three Worlds #4 (of 5) begins with a youthful (and very much alive) Bart Allen, Kid Flash, attacking the understandably distraught and terrified Superboy-Prime. While Superman and the three founders of the Legion are taken by the Time Trapper to do battle with him in his own realm, the last Green Lantern, Sodam Yat, and various Legionnaires from various Earths battle Superboy-Prime and his Legion of Evil. After having successfully resurrected Bart Allen, the three Brainiac 5's and several companions travel to the North Pole, to Superman's Fortress of Solitude, where a millennia earlier (and in the pages of Justice Society of America), the time-lost Legionnaire Starman left an item of utmost importance. Being alerted to the Legion's chances of victory if the Three Brainiacs are successful in their endeavor, Superboy-Prime races to the North Pole to thwart their actions. The wayward Kryptonian is too late, as the Braniacs' experiment is a success; Conner Kent, who Prime had killed years earlier in Infinite Crisis, returns to settle the score, just as the surprising identity of the Time Trapper is revealed to an astonished Superman.

One does not need to be the most die-hard of Legion fans to appreciate this work; in this reviewer's case, it was the creative team of Geoff Johns and George Perez that was the automatic lure, more so than any previous love of the Legion. Johns and Perez are able to tell a story, with both familiar and unfamiliar characters (to some), that instantly draws in the most skeptical of readers, and even piques the interest in a new (perhaps Johns-helmed) Legion series in the newly-announced Adventure Comics series.

Johns' abilities as a writer are clear, as he brings to fruition stories that were begun years earlier. The events found in Legion of Three Worlds (especially in this fourth issue) can be traced back to the earliest issues of the current Justice League of America and later Justice Society of America stories (The Lightning Saga and One World Under Gog, respectively). The dialogue, as well as the suspense, Johns is able to bring to this book are qualities that make it an excellent read. George Perez's art is also up to its usual outstanding level of quality, displaying quite clearly that he is the artist to approach if a character-heavy, universe-shaking Crisis needs to be told. Scott Koblish's inks also add a level of thickness to Perez's pencils, adding to the matter and sense of substance of the work.

The most important part of this book, and perhaps the most controversial, is the return of Conner Kent, the current Superboy. What this means as far as the well-known legal cases surrounding the name is unclear; what is clear, however, is that Johns and Perez have returned a much-beloved character to the DC Universe, and this reviewer, for one, is not complaining in the least.

Legion of Three Worlds #4 is a fantastic story told by two masters of their mediums. While it may be somewhat confusing for those not familiar with all incarnations of the Legion of Super-Heroes, such a familiarity is ultimately not required to enjoy the work; excellent writing, superb art, and the welcome return of several DC Universe favorites all combine to make an outstanding narrative.

Note: The image in this article is not the one released to stores. At least, it is not the only one, as the issue reviewed here has the image of Kid Flash in place of the other two Brainiac 5's. An attempt to keep news of Kid Flash's return out of the solicitations, no doubt.

Rating: 9/10

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