Legion Of Super-Heroes: The Choice by Paul Levitz, Yildray Cinar and Francis Portela (graphic novel review).
I thought I had caught up on all the Legion books and then found this one, ‘Legion of Superheroes: The Choice, by Paul Levitz, Yildray Cinar, and Francis Portela— the credits are far more in the indicia. Following ‘Superman And The Legion Of Super-Heroes’, this book reprints Legion Of Super-Heroes # 1-6 from 2010. I truly wish DC Comics would include a proper timeline and which of the 52 realities these books are in.
Paul Levitz’s writing style clearly indicates that these books are a continuation of his run. As it turns out, this edition is the first of three volumes; the second is ‘Consequences’, and the third is ‘When Evil Calls’, which I read a while back. I hadn’t anticipated that I would ever find the earlier books.
A lot is going on. The Legion is being forced by Earth government to enrol a former villain and racist Earth-Man into their ranks while he’s undergoing treatment to reduce his power duplicating ability. Brainiac 5 creates a flight ring to prevent Earth-Man from attacking them again. The thing is that Earth-Man also finds himself the recipient of a Green Lantern ring and is ordered off to another section to rescue another world. Members of the LSH follow, and although he saves it, he discovers that the sentients are insectoids and gives up the ring in disgust.
While all of this is going on, the recently moved Time Institute to the Titan moon uses itss scanner rather than visitingng the start of the universe and devastates the place. The Legion saves as many inhabitants as possible. While this is going on,, Saturn Girl, who called them in, is collecting her two boys, Graym and Garridan, while on holiday on her homeworld and sees them teleported away. She takes the only Time Bubble left on Titan in pursuit and is is later joined by her husband, Lightning Lad, and his sister, Lighting Lass, in pursuit. The rest of the story contains spoilers.
Given that a few of the legionnaires sustained injuries, one might assume that 21st-century medical care would heal them more quickly. Then again, the United Planets has been going for a long time,, and many of the other planets were colonised by humans,, so why would racism happen in that century? That’s not to say that there aren’t true aliens out there. We have the Durlans, Coluans, Maltusians, Dyads, Hykraians and Khunds among them, not to mention the many human colony worlds where divergence gave them various superpowers.
The successive two volumes of this storyline are expensive, so be prepared to wait for a decent price. You can read the opening volume almost as a standalone. Oh, the art is great, by the way, and there are art samples at the back of the book.
GF Willmetts
March 2025
(pub: DC Comics, 2011. Pages graphic novel hardback. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-0-85768-221-5)
check out website: www.dc.com
