From: khale@camilla.Eng.Sun.COM (Abhijit Khale)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: LEGION 92 #46
Date: 4 Oct 1992 18:37:13 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: camilla-50

In article <1992Oct2.212552.13279@netcom.com> dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig) writes:
>Nine pages of fight scene in a twenty-two page story.  With Lobo
>appearing prominently in seven of them.  Not a bad comic, given
>that they seem to be trying to Out-Marvel Marvel -- it's being done
>skillfully enough -- but trying to Out-Marvel Marvel doesn't leave
>that much room to be a good comic, either.  The creators seem to
>have decided that Lobo fans represent the important core of their
>readership.

Is that why Lobo has had a relatively minor role in almost all of the past 8 
or so issues ? Is that why he's appeared on only 2 or so covers and (then
only in a minor role) since # 38 ? 

Even in this issue, it was Tinya who got the solo cover and Hal Jordan who
got the double page centerspread. Lobo did get in on some of the action
pages, but I would still say his role in this story is relatively minor
compared to Vril Dox, Lady Q, and the possessed Captain Comet. He appeared
for maybe one panel in #45, 2 pages in # 44, and < 2 pages in 43 and 41 and
and didnt appear at all in # 40 and #42. I think he's had far more minor roles
than Vril, Tinya or lady Q since Kitson took over. Even before that, in the
Iceman saga, I'd say Vril and Phase had more important roles. 

Lobo's frequent occurences in other books notwithstanding, he's actually been
underused in this book in the past 6 months or so. I believe the projected
spotlight in the next issue in the fight with Hal is actually overdue as
far as THIS book is concerned (forget his appearances in everything from
Demon to Ambush Bug). 

One notable thing about LEGION is that heros are actually used in situations
where their power makes sense : Phase for stealth, Lady Q for sheer power,
Lobo for brutality and initimidation, Green Lantern to evacuate a planet,
Dox where brainpower is required. { This is actually a novel idea in the
comic book world : witness the old JL to see how often heroes would be sent
into situations where their powers didnt make sense }. I dont feel that
Lobo has been  unncessarily forced into storylines. 

As for LEGION out-marveling marvel, the only Marvel team book I get is
Excalibur. LEGION isnt up to that standard in story or art, but it certainly
seems to be better than most other Marvel books that I occasionally flip
through. The art is consistently good, the plotting is fairly tight and 
intelligent. There is very little angst and some good characterization,
particularly of Vril. [ There is no attempt to give Lobo any character,
because that would spoil the joke]. And for ever (hilarious) issue of Lobo 
trying to frag Captain Marvel, we have an issue like Stealth giving birth
or the story dealing with the fate of the Durlan. 

I dont deny that there have been cases of blatant Lobo exploitation : issue
#38 with Lobo and the Ice Man on the cover or even this years annual, but 
overall, I think Grant and Kitson have done a pretty good job of maintaining
a balance between people who buy the book just for Lobo and those who hate
Lobo intensely. As for me, I fall in the middle. I think LEGION is a good
solid comic :  I also think Lobo is handled reasonably well in the book and
provides some good lowbrow humor. 

Abhijit





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