I was introduced to the Legion during its "Three-boot," when Jim Shooter held the writing reins. I admired that Legion for its youth and energy, and for how its conflicts covered the gamut of messy inter-Legion relationships, bureaucratic tensions with the United Planets, and cosmic threats. All of these elements have parallels in the Levitz Legion. The present Legion has its own share of romantic entanglements and government intrigue, but ultimately I'm less impressed with the execution of these storylines than I was during the Three-boot Legion, especially considering the lack of a credible threat to a galactic force of justice.

Cornell has proven his writing chops, but has yet to demonstrate his ability to keep his creativity in line with a structured plot. So far, even with no specific knowledge of the endgame to come, it's clear that each issue is taking baby-steps there. Including last month's tte--tte with Death, this makes two dialogue-heavy issues in a row, meaning some action is sorely needed to keep the pace lively. However, Spencer's energetic back-up makes this issue a great value for its content.