La Légende des Super-Héros

Legion of Super Heroes has never been all that interesting of a concept to me, and this is coming from a long time hard core DC fan. It always seemed like a bunch of random superheroes that didn't have any character behind them so I was never begging to see a show about them. But in my quest to watch everything DC has made, this show was on my list, and I'm glad to say that after I watched it, I like the Legion of Super Heroes now.

I want to start by saying that adding Superman to the cast here was a genius move, both for this show and the lore of the Legion. The Legion cast here are all teenagers, and the Legion historically looks to the memory of Superman to guide their morals and beliefs as heroes. It makes all the sense to add Superman to the main cast with the Legion before he even becomes Superman, because now they can each learn from each other and that makes for a compelling watch. For the viewers, adding Superman to a cast of nobodies immediately grants a foothold into this show and allows casual DC fans a place to get started.

The tone of this show is very similar to Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. This show feels more aimed towards kids, but it isn't written in a dumbed down way. As an adult I had no issues with the tone, and was even surprised by some more mature things that take place, especially with some characters. The characters are a mixed bag, mostly due to a handful getting more time and characterization than others. Overall I was satisfied with the ones I really cared about, but characters like Cosmic Boy end up disappointing. My favorite by far was Brainiac 5, as I could tell there was a lot to that character and it was all fascinating to me.

Something that was strange to me was the pacing of the 2 seasons as they relate to one another. Without spoiling specifics, season 1 has all the characters as teenagers. Season 2 has a slight time jump a few years and now everyone looks like they're a young adult. I thought this was a fine change, as I thought they really had a good story to tell with these characters and wanted to get to that before they got cancelled. But then season 2 ends with a sort of cliffhanger, teasing what is coming next. I thought that was a very odd choice, as there was no way they assumed they were getting a season 3. This reminded me a lot of Young Justice, as they would constantly do the same thing. I wish shows would stop doing this, and just treat each season as if it were their last.

Overall Legion of Super Heroes was a pleasant surprise and I ultimately enjoyed it. I would recommend it to DC fans to check out, but it isn't the easiest thing to find at the moment. Even still it is a welcome addition to the roster of DC animated shows.

I don't know what times this show airs (I've watched episodes online), but man, it feels like the older Saturday-Morning Cartoons. Right from the flashy, Incredibles-ish theme music, to the often times corny Superhero dialogue.

And I love every second of it!

After Teen Titans went off, I'd hoped to find another really good superhero show. This is it! If you are expecting Teen Titans, though, this is not it. A different animation style, different feel, basically everything is different. But different is not a bad thing. Whereas Teen Titans had both its very dark story lines (at times) and its uber-comedic moments, Legion sticks to a straight-forward classic superhero feel. Save the world (or rather, the galaxy).

Throw into this whole scenario of nostalgia, a bunch of easter eggs/homages for fans of all things DC (especially Superman). Very rich girl named A-LEX-is, who has a special interest in Superman, and later gets her whole head of hair burnt off (not permanently, mind). Hmm...wonder who that could be. On an episode where a being called Drax gets out of the Phantom Zone, he pulls out some unexplained weakness of Clark's (a green rock of some kind) and answers to some supreme being that appears to want out of the Phantom Zone. Could it be...nah....

I had my doubts at the first episode, I will admit, although I stuck through. First episodes usually leave me in doubt. I don't think I've met a cartoon yet that I've loved since Episode I. But most cartoons that I've actually wanted to check out, I've been happy after the first episode. Legion is no exception. LONG LIVE THE LEGION!

(Oh, by the way, the first season finale was AWESOME, and season 2 looks like it could be just as much a winner.)

I am a big fan of the Legion of Superheroes TV series and I watched ever episode that they aired on Saturday morning. I like the first 2 seasons and I was expecting more of the conclusion of season 2, since it ended completely with a cliffhanger. I was really disappointed with that. There was suppose to be a season 3 where it would deal with newer characters such as Ferro lad's twin brother would appear, An older Superman, new legionaries such as Blok, Dawnstar, Wildfire, Shadowlass etc, would have active roles in the third season of the show. It would also deal the new reformed Braniac 5.1 who is now organic and how he would be convinced to rejoin the legion again. Another thing was also the appearance of the new evil braniac where he said "evil does not die, it evolves" was also suppose to battle with the reformed braniac and the legion. I was actually expecting those stories to appear for the 3rd season, but it got canceled abruptly.

Being a long time Legion fan I was truly "worried" about how this would pan out. Well after viewing the first season I can say that ALL my fears were baseless. The producers have taken great care to portrait the Legion properly. I was worried about the team mix as well (Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Braniac 5, Timber Wolf, Phantom Girl and Bouncing Boy ) but it worked and it was mixed enough with other Legion standards that there only seemed to be a static team in press releases only. The producers have done an amazing job at mixing and blending different era's of Legion lore into an extremely cohesive bond and there is enough small touches that long time legion fans can truly appreciate (such as the use of Interlac on display screens). My only real gripe is with Braniac 5 and his robot-like body....It's more suited towards Gears of the DnA era of the Legions history. But in the series it works. And with the season finale of Sundown and seeing all the members of the Legion I can't wait until next season.

With the cancellation of the "Teen Titans" and issuance of the hideously awful "Superman: Brainiac Attacks" simultaneously in 2006, I was sure I was witnessing the final end of the glorious reign of the intelligently-written and superbly-drawn and -scored sequence of DC superhero cartoons beginning in 1991 with Bruce Timm's Batman, and continuing on through the 1990s and 2000s with Superman, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, The Zeta Project, Justice League, and the "high anime" Titans. But just as I was about to curl up in a fetal position shaking from withdrawal, along comes the thoroughly delightful "Leagion of Super-Heroes" which pushes all the right buttons. From the look of especially the second episode, plots are going to be quite adventurous compared to the usually Earth-bound shows of the other series.

Animation style: I would describe the designs of the various characters as being between those of "New Batman" or Superman and those of the "Teen Titans", but closer to the former (and young Clark Kent wouldn't look at all out of place if he were appearing in a time-traveling episode of Justice League). ***There is NO "high anime" "mugging the camera" -- so "purists" and "fanboys" can take heart.*** The show appears to have a decent budget at least on par with Justice League (or a lesser one more frugally spent) to permit a good score and higher frame-rate polished-up animation which avoids any "only the lips are moving" or "clunky CGI" feelings. There's a noticeable amount of cheap "bouncing cut-outs" in the first episode (I'm guessing Ep1 is partly cobbled from recycled in-house promotional materials) -- but the second episode is a knock-out.

Target audience is children, but the writing isn't forcibly "dumbed-down" or insulting to the intelligence. If you're hoping to see blood or evil malevolences like Darkseid laying waste to the countryside with omega-beams, you can forget it -- but if you can put your "TV-14+ rating" preferences aside, you'll find you can have a good time on the couch alongside a grade-school kid. Rest-assured: Clark will get blasted, fried, squished, stomped into the concrete, you name it -- all in the very first episode. In short, whole lotta butt-whoopin' just the way there should be in a DC cartoon. The second episode demonstrates that, while red ink won't be overflowing the bathtubs, the series will be capable of creepy and mysterious scripts that'll definitely have little tykes freaked and cartoon-buff adults glued.

In my opinion, "Legion" is going to be a huge winner -- the creators have obviously done their homework.

Geek stuff: Care has been taken to not disrupt the "continuity" of the Bruce Timm/Paul Dini "universe" by having the Legion "borrow" Clark Kent as a young man (big teenager?) prior to his even thinking of becoming Superman, and literally promise to bring him right back to the moment after they've left (hopefully after at least fifty episodes!) -- so nothing is "screwed up" by the basic premise. Nifty treat: The reason why Superman's cape is so indestructible may be finally answered. A continuity non-carryover I'm willing to put up with: Superman doesn't need a suit to survive in space.