RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books Calling the Roll of DREAM CRIME PART 3... spoilers

spoiler
space

spoiler
space

spoiler
space

spoiler
space

spoiler
space

Calling the Roll is a character-by-character look at the latest issue of THE LEGION.

On with the roll...
SHIKARI: Love Batista's Shikari, though the wings aren't as... majestic as they should be, IMO. 'Kari's 'hearing' Universo's underlying telepathic monologue is unexpected. Following the 'path' of the voice to her truth-sensing scene on page 14 made perfect sense to me. But her initial hearing is, as yet, unexplained.

Latent telepathy? I hope not, since it's becoming way to common in female Legionnaires. Aren't there any young male 'paths around?

Or was Shikari and her 'alien' Kwai senses perceiving the electronic (?) communications machinary later revealed to be the mechanism by which Universo was broadcasting his 'dream crime'?

Page 15... 'Kari's growing distress also made sense, since she *is* still very much a stranger getting used to her new home. She was also always somewhat a stranger in her natural culture, wasn't she?

I'm sure appearance-sensitive Sensor just loved that "Aaaaaah! You!" greeting.

Shikari made the perfect choice for 'exposition recipient'.

She showed her bravery in making that 'leap of faith' despite the crushing, twisting 'star weights'.

Yet, I wanted to get inside her head in a more revealing way. It's not enought to see events from her perspective, along side her, so to speak. I'm waiting to actually see events *through* her 'eyes'. I think DNA have wisely held back a bit with 'Kari's characterization. We know her, but we don't. She's a bit of a tantalizing mystery.

SENSOR: Page eight... Is it Sensor or the narrator who calls Cham and Gates 'bleeding hearts'? And who else, I wonder, is referenced in panel one's narrative box? If supposedly Jeka's thought, it's ironic... since she would once surely have been included in that grouping.

Regal attitude combined with low self-image is *not* a pretty pairing. Jeka 'reads' like a completely new character, here. Perhaps that's intentional- to go along with her physical transformation and its attendant hormonal changes. Perhaps this will be a temporary function of her adjustment.

She certainly takes charge of 'Kari with royal prerogative. Notice the bottom of page 16-- where the tip of Jeka's tail is looped around Shikari's wrist. I'm surprised 'Kari didn't name Jeka 'pushy Legion', instead of 'coiled Legion'.

Page 19... The stregth... intriguing. Wonder if there are other power changes we haven't seen? Or is something else afoot?

KID QUANTUM: Page 12... Universo's illusion perhaps adapts to the surface thoughts/speech of its subjects. Kid Q says 'last shred of my power' and we immediately see the mysterious 'cub' scene. Has the dream convinced Jazmin that she's out of power, so that she stops using it... thus causing Cub to plop from the sphere? Or is Universo using the first event to fuel the second setting... thereby occupying Jo and Tinya, drawing them further into his illusion?

TRIAD and GEAR: Again, we see instant accomodation of Universo's dream. Gear says the words 'profile' and 'identify', followed by Triad's 'match' and then 'BOOOOOM'.

COSMIC BOY: "From one of my 21st century history classes..." Cos as professor. Imagine. Anyone else like to see a glimpse (or more) of one of these sessions?

Page 12... The illusion adapts to Cos' statements and/or fears... Or is Star Boy *really* turning into a black hole?

DREAMER: Reading background noise... or is she perhaps seeing further into the future than she's aware? Is there a Darkseid storyline coming in the wake of Dream Crime?

ULTRA BOY and APPARITION: Don't like the golden skin tones for Tinya-- or is she reflecting the energy cast from the quantum sphere?

Since Jo joins the attack/defense, it seems Cub's growth could well be a part of the illusion. Or is it?

I hope there's some sort of resolution to this marital drama soon. I miss the Tinya with a sense of humor and the Jo who isn't alway oblivious to everything around him.

BRAINIAC 5: Somehow, I hope he thinks his way 'free' all on his own.

STAR BOY: Charging into the fray, once again. Poor Thom. With his relationship with Nura and the destruction of Xanthu in mind, he must be as mentally scarred as Jeka. Maybe they could commiserate and bond a bit...

M'ONEL: Pages 19 and 22 seem to encapsulate M'on's use in THE LEGION thus far. Page 22...His casual use of heat vision shows the breadth and strength of his powers. Page 19... He's knocked casually aside like a ragdoll by a snake princess' tail.

I wonder... is Jeka actually using supersnaketail strength... or is she tapping into Universo's dream? Has she uncovered a way to insert her powers into the overarching dream-structure? Consciously or unconsciously? Will she have a minute, once on Steeple, to think things through?

WILDFIRE, SPARK, BIG VI-WITH-THE-UGLY-GREEN-STREAK, CHAMELEON, and INVISIBLE KID make good little soldiers-- even though they're actually standing stock still.

SUMMING UP: A whole lot of middle- which isn't a bad thing for the third of five parts. Darkseid, even an illusory Darkseid, made a powerful and fearful impact as presented.

The shifting between dream and reality is tricky- especially when presented as one thing, as here. We don't know yet just what's what, so it is hard to form an opinion.

More next time... as we'll probably see some resolution before the big finish.

Loved the color.

TN

i found Cham looking like the super skrull on page 14 a nice touch

Ok, so Shikari's "pathfinding" ability allows her to navigate thresholds, track down people, see through Jecka's illusions, anticipate a foe's movements and resist super-hynosis. I hope they define her power a bit more or else it's starting to border on cosmic awareness.

Can she also tell when someone's lying?
Does she have "x-ray" vision?
Can she find my car keys?? Guess my weight??

Next thing you know, we'll find out she can spot Invisible Lad too...

Invisible Lad?
Well, MAYBE she can see him, just so long as she can't see Lyle!


Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Everything sounds intriging, I hope I can get it today!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB]
The wings seem to retract now, and they look like energy fields. There's a lot about Kari that hasn't been explained (yet). Maybe they should leave it unexplained or unexplainable. Just to bug Brainiac 5.[QUOTE]

And me :) . I think the wings have always retracted-- I like your description of energy fields. But I think they should still have more of the colorful, almost fairy-like look (though *not* fairy wings in 'reality').

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB]
She was considered something of a throwback, with her warrier personality and body-armour. One got the sense that she was somewhat marginalized. And she doesn't seem that eager to go back, no sign of homesickness.[QUOTE]

Agreed. In fact, I'd say she's thriving (when not in constant bodily peril).

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB]
"Coiled" - referring to the tail or the personality, like a coiled spring ready to explode. I'm still uncertain to what extent Shikari sees the truth of someone's personality or soul - sometimes this seems to come out in the names she gives people.
[QUOTE]

LOVE this insight... 'coiled' applied to her character, as well as her physicality. I like 'Kari as a 'truthseer'... along with Lyle and Nura.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB]
Could this strength be appropriate to a snake her size? If large Earth snakes can squeeze people to death, maybe she just has extra strength with bigger size. However, we didn't see this until she whacked that Robotican tank, so I expect it might be the result of recent changes. [QUOTE]

It'd have to be-- she didn't use such prodigious strength when captured by Pernisius... or any one of several battles.

I think it's entirely possible that the strength is an illusion, along with all the rest-- though this one inserted by Jekka herself.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB]
Does Universo plant ideas or find and magnify fears? I hope Cub is not an instant adult. If the sphere really collapsed (which is likely, since Kid Q is immobilized or mesmerized and probably can't have renewed the field), wouldn't Cub just resume his previous rate of growth?[QUOTE]

The nature of Universo's illusions is one of the central questions of this storyline. I hope DNA tell us fully.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB]
Cosmic Boy really hasn't had much character development lately. I could see him, if he's still being leader-like, being something of a teacher although I never associated the magno-ball champ with academics.[QUOTE]

Ah- but remember his visit to the museum that contained all the 'robots of history' exhibits? He hinted that he'd made several consulting visits there. I think that's enough of a foundation to carry forward the preboot history interest into the reboot. Just my opinion, though.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB]
Could Star Boy's powers be going haywire even while he is, mentally, under Universo's control?[QUOTE]

Well, if U. is tapping into 'deeper' layers to 'feed' his illusion, he might be making 'real' whatever is buried within the dreamers.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB]
Yes, yes!! Resolve, resolve!! I know marriage problems can continue for years, decades even - but let's exercise some comic book fantasy here and end the strife.[QUOTE]

Or at least twist it in different directions (Winema?).


[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB]
Darkseid was well done here. Too bad he wasn't real. Or maybe...? [QUOTE]

#25's solicit seems to hint at something along these lines. I though that Dreamer might be forecasting this... just further ahead in the future than she thought. Universo made use of Nura's dreams-- perhaps 'fooling' her 'whensense' as well.

Great replies, FC!
TN