It’s
so hard to be a former-criminal-turned-super-hero. There’s a steep learning
curve, and trust issues certainly don’t help much. But Eel O’Brian seems
determined to make a go of it, even if doing the right thing – like taking
a child off the streets and placing her in the hands of DFACS – seems like the
wrong thing.
But
despite his shortcomings, Plastic Man is the one they call when faced with an
evil cabal of B-list super-villains. Especially ones with a secret weapon on
hand – a Durlan. What’s a Durlan, you ask? It’s an extraterrestrial
shape-shifter, an entire planet. A thousand years in the future, a Durlan will
be a key member of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Funny.
It seems in recent months, bits and pieces of the Legion have shown up
elsewhere. There have been references in other titles, and on the CW shows. DC
Comics seems to be mining Legion lore for story elements, but it seems to me
that if the Legion is so rich in context, maybe the thing to do is publish a
Legion title. I’m sure there are a lot of fans that would agree with the idea.
Plastic
Man has never been a character that has taken himself very seriously. There’s a
lot of that going around lately, with self-aware characters who recognize the
absurdity of their comic book lives. Marvel’s Deadpool has set the bar higher
than ever, and Gail Simone seems to be attempting to beat him at his own game.
I can appreciate the notion of, “Steal from the best, forget the rest,” but
rather than copy what the competition is doing (something DC has done a LOT
lately), I’d rather see the company do its own thing. If I wanted to read something
like Deadpool, I’d read Deadpool.
Rating:
6/10