Legends: The Collection

Sarjakuvalehti #2/1987

by John Ostrander, Len Wein, John Byrne (Illustrator)

Collects Legends (1986 DC) #1-6. Written by by John Ostrander and Len Wein. Art by John Byrne & Karl Kesel. The villainous Darkseid has a scheme. With his vast resources, he will cause the people of Earth to despise and rebel against their heroes. Then he will be able to conquer the planet. That is unless the heroes of Earth can reunite into the greatest incarnation of the Justice League ever seen. This storyline helped relaunch the DC Universe in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earhts and leads directly into Justice League America (1987-96) #1, Suicide Squad (1987-1992 1st Series) #1, Flash (1987- 2nd Series) #1, and Shazam The New Beginning (1987) #1. Softcover, 160 pages, full color.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Superheroes, Fiction, Superman

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1987

About the author

John Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.

Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).

Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.

Reviews

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the focus on Billy Batson in the main comics. He’s not a character I’ve read much of so far and to see his emotional turmoil throughout this event was really great. Seeing as, emotional moments are generally pretty quickly moved on from.
Though, how Cap Marvel knew he didn’t kill Macro-Man, I have no idea…

As I’ve said, the way I read Crisis on Infinite Earths influenced how I decided to read this event.
The tie-ins for this event, I think, are more significant than the ones for Crisis would have been. Simply because the tie-ins were mostly about how the public grew more and more hostile towards the heroes. Which was the whole point!
I suppose there was that moment in the 2nd ish (of the main series) where Robin was beaten by an angry mob…

Anyway, while I do think some of the tie-ins were worth reading, there were others I felt I could’ve skipped altogether *cough* Cosmic Boy and Warlord *cough* *cough*

The inclusion of the new Task Force X was an interesting concept.
I know that decision was probably made to garner interest for the new series but they did actually move the plot when they took down Brimstone. And let’s not forget that little bit with Capt. Boomerang at the end.

Speaking of inclusions, the last main issue includes the first appearance of Post-Crisis Wonder Woman!
The interaction she had between Guy Gardner made me instantly like her. I cannot wait to start her new series.

Overall, I think this told a good story about heroes and though some may hate them, they are needed.
Also, I really enjoyed seeing Darkseid and the whole plot within the Superman mags.

Side note: Forgot to say that throughout this event, The Phantom Stranger was just chilling out with Darkseid, observing and making comments about his ‘great’ plan. Which PS knew would never work!
Not sure it leads to anything but thought it was worth a mention.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent 80s post-Crisis DC, successful enough for what it was: which is an introduction to the new universe and letting John Byrne draw lovely pictures of the characters. A little tour of the world, a few interesting new ideas (like the Suicide Squad!), but ultimately not a solid story.

DC crossovers of the 80s still hadn't got solid storytelling down, and were about big editorial mandates. It's fine that this was a little low stakes compared to Crisis, and the familiar villainy of Darkseid worked, but there's no actual central protagonist.

Unfortunately, just could have been better. Captain Marvel wasn't utilized enough, Superman only talked to the president while Batman was far from the hypercompetent hero we now all love. At least the legacy was pretty good, with the aforementioned Suicide Squad and excellent Justice League International era which came next.

[Tom Ewing · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having made the decision to gut 50 years of continuity with Crisis On Infinite Earths and start over, DC's next step was an obvious one: follow the event series ending the old universe with an event series celebrating the new one. DC's 1987 crossover event Legends is the comics universe equivalent of a recruitment fair stall - everything kept deliberately simple, friendly and anodyne in the hope of winning newcomers over.

You know what, it worked! Legends was my first mainstream DC Comic. Even then, new to most of the characters, I could tell it wasn't a particularly good or heartfelt comic book. But I appreciated DC making the effort, and after seeing the series out, I dutifully picked up all the #1s trailed in the final issue: Suicide Squad #1, The Flash #1, Wonder Woman #1, Justice League #1.

And that is the weird thing about Legends. Those are four of the best, most idiosyncratic DC debut issues of the 1980s, leading into four classic runs. This is an astonishing, miraculous strike rate for comics launching out of an event series, which are on the whole reliable stinkers. The aftermath of Legends made me a DC fan. But basically none of that is visible in the series itself.

Legends is celebrating the post-Crisis DC Universe. But the post-Crisis DC Universe doesn't exist yet, and while Legends moves the pieces for it into place, there's none of its invention, cynicism or wit in place. The actual story - Darkseid sends Glorious Godfrey to earth to turn its people against superheroes - is a flimsy frame for the cast to react to, and the comic feels like a catalogue, a series of brief spotlights. At the end, of course, Godfrey loses, the children (one of whom is 2 years off being beaten to death in a reader vote) remain our future, and the world still needs heroes.

Except - and here's the great missed opportunity of Legends - the heroes they get aren't actually the heroes this story promises. The actual, excellent series which spin out of this one showcase a selfish hero (Flash), an aloof ambassador who rejects the concept (Wonder Woman), a bunch of bickering goofballs (Justice League) and a team of criminals being used for Black Ops missions (Suicide Squad). Glorious Godfrey could have been forgiven for popping up a year or two later saying "I fuckin' told you bro". Legends is out to reassure readers after Crisis that nothing's really changed, when in fact everything actually did for a wonderful while. A series that caught some of that destabilising, impatient energy would have been a lot better.

There's a reason for that, of course - Crisis as an editorial event was famously half-finished, the grand plans for a full reboot failing to survive contact with the frenemy of actual DC writer and editors. Nobody could agree which characters knew which or what had even happened, which spilled over into Legends too and required it to pull punches. The big series moment, for instance, is obviously meant to be the reintroduction of Wonder Woman, but schedule shifts and changed plans meant she was off-limits until issue 6, where she gets a couple of pages to fight a robot dog and tell Guy Gardner to stop leching at her. Hers is the most underwhelming role, but there's plenty of competition.

Legends looks fine - it's John Byrne only just off his mid-80s peak, though he kept his best for his own Superman chapters of the wider story. It is now, as it was then, a very quick and unobjectionable read. But it's so overshadowed by what came next, and was so poor a predictor of the post-Crisis tone, that it barely has even a nostalgic kick now.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Legends: The Collection collects issues #1-6 of Legends.

Okay, before they started doing big events every 6-9 months, DC handled them sparingly after Crisis. This was the first one. G. Gordon Godrey stirs up negative feelings about super heroes until President Reagan issues an executive order making their activities illegal. Meanwhile, Darkseid's forces slowly gather on earth.

This is basically a long setup to shit can the Detroit League and put the next iteration of the Justice League together. It also introduces the version of the Suicide Squad we've come to know and love. I wonder how much it changed between the idea and the execution, though. It sure seemed like The Flash and The Changeling were going to wind up in the new Justice League during the first few issues.

The writing isn't Alan Moore by any means but it's a perfectly serviceable super hero story by John Ostrander and Len Wein. John Byrne and Karl Kessel handle the art chores. Byrne does a great job with all the characters, as usual, but the lack of variety in his faces is emphasized here due to him juggling so many characters. It's not as noticeable in other titles but Superman and Captain Marvel have identical faces apart from their hair style and there are dozens of other examples.

Still a fun book, though. Not a bad event at all. Three means I liked it. Call off the war hounds.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first company crossover after Crisis on Infinite Earths, and it remains quite strong today. The core story of Darkseid trying to manipulate Earth into destroying its Legends is OK, but somewhat shallow in actual use. What's impressive is that Ostrander simultaneously makes this the heart of a tightly linked crossover while still making this core book stand alone. Though I'd love to read all the crossovers, these six issues read fine without them.

It's also impressive how successful this book was as a launch pad. This is the first appearance of the Suicide Squad, the last appearance of the JLA, the first appearance of the new Justice League, and even the lead-in to the Wally West Flash series. Those series all went on for years, and some of them were wildly successful. It's great to see their origins here.

Overall, a nice piece of '80s nostalgia that still holds up as a readable and enjoyable series.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a letdown after Crisis but it does set up the post Crisis DC Universe. Features a good assortment of characters and I love the fact that it’s basically a bet between Darkseid and the Phantom Stranger.

[Richard Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please, don't call them heroes. They're something else. They're legends.

In the wake of the Crisis on Infinite Earths the year before, DC Comics found themselves at a bit of a crossroads. This six-issue miniseries – the backbone of a larger event – was the first major crossover of the “new” era, although it comes at a weird time. The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen were already reinventing heroes throughout 1986 and 1987 – and then there’s this.

Editor Mike Gold, already starting to pull the pieces together for Mike Grell’s magnificent reinvention of the (noticeably absent) Green Arrow, was charged with coming up with a sequel of sorts to Crisis. Ostensibly, John Ostrander and Len Wein’s LEGENDS serves that function, in that it’s a line-wide crossover facing a global threat, although in practice it falls shy of that promise.

What’s immediately striking about the book is just how traditional – one might even say old fashioned – the loose plotting is. Darkseid makes a wager with the mysterious Phantom Stranger that he can turn humanity against Earth’s heroes, using his minion Glorious Godfrey to use the power of speech to incite violence and riots. It’s a mischievous plot that would sit just as happily in the Golden and Silver Ages and seems surprisingly light in the otherwise dark late 80s.

There’s some of the socio-political stuff that Miller and Moore were injecting into their books. A large part of the book is a discussion on the merits of superheroes in the modern world. President Reagan declares martial law and bans all costumed hero activities in America, a gentle parallel to the Keene Act in Watchmen. Similarly, Superman acts on behalf of Reagan while Batman openly states his opposition to the decision in a faint echo of The Dark Knight Returns. The strongest line-through is the Billy Batson arc, a small boy who struggles with his identity after accidentally killing a foe while in the guise of the superpowered Captain Marvel/Shazam. (The character spun off into Shazam!: The New Beginning under Dann Thomas, Roy Thomas, and Tom Mandrake from here).

Behind the scenes, several factors kept this from being an entirely cohesive affair. In an afterword, Gold laments that they have to basically keep Wonder Woman out of it until the end due to an editorial edict, one that coincided with George Perez’s reinvention of the character in her own book. Harking back to that idea of a crossroads, so many characters were still establishing their new identities in the post-Crisis world. LEGENDS is a solid idea just slightly out of its own time.

No complaints about the art though. John Byrne, who was almost single-handedly reinventing the Man of Steel around this time, delivers a terrific balance between fast-paced action and splashy hero shots. Mixing things up with the layout, one issue runs a Darkseid/Phantom Stranger conversation in the bottom third of the page while continuing the main action across the top portions. It a language that only comics can replicate.

It should also be reiterated that this is but a small part of a 22 chapters story. As was the fashion at the time, and even more so now, the saga incorporated spin-offs and crossovers through Secret Origins, The Fury of Firestorm, Blue Beetle, the Superman and Batman family of titles and more. It also provides the launching pad for the Suicide Squad, featuring them in their first appearance, plus introductions to the Wally West Flash era, and Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis’ comedic Justice League.

Over thirty years later, this may not be spoken about in the same reverent tones as Crisis, TDKR or Man of Steel. Yet LEGENDS remains the sometimes messy, occasionally understated but always fast-paced backdoor pilot to so many of the modern icons of DC Comics. As for a proper Crisis sequel? Well that wouldn’t officially happen for another 30 years in 2005’s Infinite Crisis. By then the landscape looked very different.

NB: Read as part of my DC Crisis and Beyond Journey: #6

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time read. Shoe horned this into my John Byrne Superman re-read.

I’m really impressed with this. Byrne’s art is great, of course. The story by Ostrander and Wein is pretty bold in what it wants to do. It doesn’t have a direct antagonist. It seems we have Phantom Stranger and Darkseid playing out a bet like the Duke Brothers in “Trading Places”. Darkseid wants to shatter the heroic ideal for Earth and make people turn against their own heroes. So Glorious Godfrey becomes essentially a cult leader sowing discontent amongst people towards super heroes.

The story shows the power of manipulation on a grand scale. And how when people no longer trust heroes it puts everything in a delicate tinderbox that could blow at any second. This is super close to things we’ve seen over the years with cult leaders and even certain political leaders.

Interesting tack to take but I like it’s not “heroes vs a giant global threat”.

[Javier Muñoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es el primer crossover tras crisis en tierras infinitas, la primera aparición del escuadrón suicida moderno. Además de eso y de que dibuja John Byrne... poco más de interés, la historia es muy poco original y además la forma de llevarse el rechazo de la población a los superheroes es muy forzada y poco creible. El dibujo de Byrne y el hecho de que es entretenida hacen que le ponga un 3.

[Nate]

Legends was the first crossover after Crisis wrapped up in 1986. It’s historically significant for introducing the new Suicide Squad that would lead to John Ostrander’s great run, as well as setting up what would become the Justice League International. Even the new Flash run spins out of this. The story is okay: Darkseid using Glorious Godfrey and others to manipulate humanity into turning against Earth’s heroes. There are some good moments here and there, but it’s predictable and kind of repetitive. John Byrne’s art is very good, however. In the end, this is probably more useful as a historical document than anything else, though it’s an entertaining enough piece of 80s DC.

[Mike Fowler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A more focused story than the Crisis on Infinite Earths that precedes it with less characters and fewer locations. Guy Gardner is still a jerk, but in an entertaining way. Some repetition with catch-up pages at the start of each composite issue. Darkseid and The Stranger's monologues became rather tiresome. Perhaps a fault of this publication, there seems to be something missing as there are several references to a scene that is absent.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fine little mini-event featuring Darkseid vs. The Phantom Stranger with Earth going to the winner! Great Johnny Byrne art. Really enjoyed this mini-event / crossover. Kicks off the modern Suicide Squad and the Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire Justice League (International).

[Supratim Dhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darkseid making a master plan takes all the heroes one by one. But Heroes stand to fight. Justice League got disbanded and new league comes to the picture.

[Lightwhisper · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the classics, a great story about being a hero and what still matters. The art is fenomenal, great artists!!

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Alan Duran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkseid makes his first appearance in the new post-COIE DC Universe and he's all out of chewing gum and ready to take on the entire pantheon of the DC Legends. Nice clean artwork from the master John Byrne with inks by Karl Kesel. The story introduces many elements like Suicide Squad and the formation of the justice League and other threads that would be elements of the new DC universe moving forward as one cohesive universe.

[Brian Poole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Legends, one of DC’s major event series from the mid-80s, is back in a new 30th Anniversary Edition.

Coming on the heels of the landmark Crisis on Infinite Earths, Legends was a key step in establishing the post-Crisis order for the DC Universe. The plot had Darkseid attempt to take over Earth by destroying its faith in its superheroes. He staged a couple of high profile incidents to put costumed adventurers in a bad light. Then he dispatched Glorious Godfrey to pose as an anti-hero crusader and use his powers to stir up violent sentiment against them. A group of heroes gathered in Washington, DC for a climactic showdown that featured the Warhounds and Parademons of Apokolips.

Legends came from a tandem of well-known writers: John Ostrander plotted it, while Len Wein handled the dialogue. The story had some interesting beats. Ostrander zeroed in on the then-new phenomenon of multimedia pundit celebrities. He also incorporated the eternal human impulse to tear down heroes. It was a solid psychological grounding that added some interest to the superhero beats.

But the action was almost secondary to Legends. The primary purpose was to unify the post-Crisis DC Universe and really kickstart it as a relaunched shared world. That meant dramatizing how characters like Doctor Fate, Blue Beetle and Captain Marvel, previously separated into their own worlds, had been integrated into the main DCU. It also showcased the new status quos for major characters like Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash. During the course of the story, new versions of the Justice League and Suicide Squad debuted, including the first appearance of Amanda Waller. Legends gave spotlights to fan favorites like Superman, Batman, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter and Changeling to help anchor all the new elements. And while he was in more of a “background general” mode, the series was another high visibility step in the ascension of Darkseid to the top of DC’s villains list.

Legends bears all the storytelling hallmarks of its era. Its pages were strewn with bombastic narrative boxes that spelled out every detail. Characters were quite wordy, pushing exposition-laden dialogue that narrated all their actions and personal data. The story had lots of recaps of the action from earlier issues, at least several pages devoted to what had already been shown. Scene transitions weren’t always smooth and some really ham-fisted dialogue was used to move action forward at points. The sentimental climax can come off as cloying. Those elements are part of the era. A modern reader needs to meet them on their own terms to be able to appreciate the story.

The high profile team of John Byrne and Karl Kesel handled the art for Legends. Byrne was at his mid-80s peak. His style was evolving into the more mannered approach he’d emphasize in the ‘90s, but still maintained the essence of his late ‘70s/early ‘80s work that made him a fan favorite. The layouts were fairly conventional, but they worked for the story and kept the action humming along. Byrne was especially adept at drawing some of the more dramatic characters. His Superman remains an iconic take on the hero and he gave strong renderings of the likes of Captain Marvel, Darkseid and Doctor Fate. Fans can only cringe at the terrible ‘80s costume of Black Canary, but that was hardly Byrne’s fault. Kesel was a good collaborator, his inks meshing well with Byrne’s line work to produce a clean, crisp presentation.

Legends is an interesting artifact of its time. It’s been overshadowed by other series over the years, but it’s a crucial moment from DC’s post-Crisis direction with elements still relevant to DC’s line.

A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com

[Arturo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iv read this a couple times over the years, it was a disappointing read the 1st time but it's still pretty memorable. Basically the plot is the worst (seed doubt and turn the people against its heroes), of all the things Darkseid could of done, this is his big idea. It coulda been orchestrated by a d-list villain. Not an event, just Darkseid with the littlest effort possible being an annoyance. I just hate plots with 'it was all big misunderstanding'. Once the people come to their senses, the big fight in the end is just against robot dogs. Ugh.
I started reading comics with Ordway and Jurgans on Superman, so Byrne was just another average artist to me. Looking back, Iv learned to appreciate his art, and here we have beautiful renditions of DCs top heroes.
Overall it was the execution that in my opinion makes this a DC essential. Even if it was melodrama, it was interesting to see the heroes humanized, facing challenges of a different sort. It was disappointing at first because it wasn't like it was setting up the big 7 JLA, but at the time this grouping was a big deal and different. To see the beginnings of the Suicide Squad was very memorable. Also the crossover tie-ins (not included) were great, from Superman in Apocalypse to the end of the JLA and even the Cosmic Boy mini.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ver, la intención era buena, el resultado no tanto. Según dice Mike Gold -el editor- en su prólogo, la idea con esta serie era hacer algún tipo de continuación de Crisis en Tierras Infinitas, la macrosaga con la que resetearon el Universo DC. Mi pregunta entonces es ¿por qué hacer una historia que huele a anticuada (aun para los 80s) si la idea era ir para adelante? Todo el tomo apesta a vejestorio, desde el tratamiendo de los personajes hasta las peleas y la resolución. Esto no necesariamente es algo malo, pero sí en el caso específico de una serie que quiere funcionar como un punto de partida para un universo casi nuevo y, supuestamente, posmoderno. En ciertos aspectos lo logra: el proto-escuadrón suicida resulta muy llamativo (quizás lo que más me gustó de todo), la formación de una nueva JLA es creíble, y la idea de los superhéroes como ídolos (en todos los sentidos) están bien tratados. Pero con los diálogos, los villanos, las dudas de los héroes y todo el planteo general, avejentan Legends más de lo que envejeció por sí sola. No sé si el guión original de Ostrander era tan naif o si ese efecto es producto de los diálogos acartonados del viejo Wein, pero lo único que le da un respiro a tanto bastonazo son los dibujos de Byrne, que de todos modos no se luce como sí lo hacía en las series de Superman que realizaba por entonces. Menos mal que de todos los autores leí otras cosas mejores y puedo hacerme una idea más cabal de sus trabajos, porque si hubiera probado con esto de una, seguro que les iba a tener desconfianza (salvo que lo hubiera leído de muy chico). ¿Por qué, entonces, le pongo 3 estrellitas si le tiro más palos que otra cosa? Porque el conjunto es mejor que la suma de sus partes. No la pasé mal leyendo este tomo, aunque en varias partes lo apartara incrédulo. Es una historieta entretenida y supongo que a los chicos de entonces, a los que claramente está apuntada, les habrá gustado más que a este veintipicañero que cada vez está más fanboy... Y ya que estoy... ¡Qué molesto eso de poner a uno de los personajes a narrar qué pasó en el número anterior!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Legends was the first crossover event for the Post Crisis DCU. It was significant for setting the stage and was responsible for reintroducing Wonder Woman (ahead of George Perez's legendary run), the Justice League (ahead of the acclaimed Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire run), and Task Force X/the Suicide Squad (ahead of Ostrander's legendary run). The story is basic enough in the sense that once again Darkseid is trying to take over the Earth by taking the world's heroes off the board through the machinations of Glorious Godfrey, but the true legacy of this series was what came after.

My only complaint is that this a pretty bare bones release with only the main Legends book, I'd really enjoy an omnibus release that collected the tie in issues as well and arranged everything in the intended reading order.

[Karl Stark di Grande Inverno · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Qual’è il suono della fine del mondo?”

Spettacolare miniserie.
All’epoca della prima uscita italiana, nel 1990, mi fece scoprire la DC e i suoi eroi, io che ero cresciuto con Topolino e la Marvel.
Buonissima lettura anche adesso, a quasi trent’anni da quella prima uscita. Un atto d’amore per il concetto di eroismo, un fumetto “americano” nel senso più classico del termine. Per me, sicuramente anche a causa dei bellissimi ricordi che ne serbo, è un paio di gradini sopra alla tanto osannata “Crisi sulle terre infinite”.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only post-Crisis on Infinite Earths mini-series that actually manages to take the new, single DC universe and set up something interesting AND exciting, without crawling up its own conceptual behind. Another epic that uses DC's most iconic characters with confidence, though I find John Byrne's artwork less to my taste than the great George Perez.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

El preludio a la renovación propuesta por DC Comics a mediados de los 80. Una miniserie instrumental bastante bien escrita, donde los autores presentan a la plana central de los personajes cuyas tramas desarrollarán en los siguientes años sin lastres históricos y con la suficiente frescura para enganchar a los nuevos lectores de entonces. Bonita de revisar.

[Dony Grayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clásicos DC. Edición española en tapa dura.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many dangling storylines that are apparently resolved in other places but overall an entertaining (and gloriously dated) read.

[Contra Inercia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leyendas parte de un punto bastante cómodo dentro de lo que es la cronología complicada y farragosa de DC. El evento Crisis en tierras infinitas, que algún día os traeré a este espacio, sirvió para poner orden en el multiverso: debido a las diferentes líneas alternativas, universos que coexistían y, sobre todo, a causa de problemas de continuidad narrativa de años de desorden, la editorial decidió cortar por lo sano y crear un crossover en el que solo sobreviviese lo mejor de cada universo para fusionarlo en uno solo, provocando la muerte de personajes como Flash o Supergirl. De ese nuevo cosmos que se compuso de lo mejor de cada mundo destruido se levantó una nueva continuidad en la que se ubica este evento, Leyendas.

Además, DC puso toda la carne en el asador para las series regulares de sus personajes. Es el caso de Batman, que quedó a cargo de Mark Millar; de Superman, que pasó a manos de John Byrneo de este evento, que cayó bajo el manto de John Ostrander, conocido por ser el guionista principal del Escuadrón suicida (y posteriormente de Batman, el Detective Marciano o Aquaman). A su lado colocaron a nadie más ni nadie menos que Len Wein, creador de La cosa del pantano y, ojo, Lobezno, Tormenta y Coloso para Marvel. Por si fuera poco, John Byrne fue colocado como dibujante, el cual ya llevaba la serie de Superman y que ha trabajado en las series de los Vengadores, JLA o Hellboy. Casi nada.

El evento en sí filosofa sobre el propio concepto del superhéroe, algo muy habitual en la actualidad, pero que fue rompedor en su momento. Sin embargo, al contrario que en estos días, en este caso se dedica a mitificarlo, lo cual puede ser conservador para el momento en el que salió la saga, en 1986, con una sociedad inmersa en la era Reagan y desencantada del American way of life. Puede parecer una tontería comentar esto, pero es precisamente aquí donde vienen la mayoría de las críticas, por presentar héroes inmaculados e intachables frente a villanos que son la representación del mal. Es decir: Darkseid, uno de los enemigos más notables de la Liga de la justicia. Este se pone como objetivo que la humanidad olvide el mismo concepto del héroe, borrando todo su legado. Y lo hace de forma sutil, en vez de confrontar directamente a sus rivales: contacta con políticos que siembran la duda y la desconfianza en la población. Esto pone a la JLA y el resto de compañeros en la tesitura de hacer frente a aquellas personas que juraron proteger. En este tomo veremos el nacimiento del Escuadrón Suicida, compuesto de villanos que, coaccionados o no, optan por hacer el bien. Por si fuera poco, nos coloca la primera semillita de un joven Billy Batson, ese joven que se convertiría en el Capitán Marvel o, actualmente, Shazam.

Como en todos los eventos de esta índole, Leyendas no acapara toda la trama, sino que se apoya en las series regulares de los héroes para completarla. Personalmente, no he leído estos anexos, pero creo que el cómic se entiende solo sin ayuda ni necesidad de estos complementos. No obstante, si por completar o por coleccionismo quieres leerlo todo, adelante. A mi parecer, hay dos problemas principales en esta saga. El primero de ellos, es que al comienzo de cada capítulo te explican el plan de Darkseid para acabar con sus enemigos. En la tirada regular entiendo que lo hagan, para recordar al lector de qué va la historia. Pero, al leerlo de golpe, me parece reiterativo, y corta el ritmo de lectura. El segundo de los problemas es la época en la que sale: los años 80. La solución a la trama es un Deus ex machina de manual, y la inocencia propia del cómic no ayuda a que nos podamos meter de lleno en la historia. Para variar, no hablaré demasiado del apartado gráfico porque no tengo ni tan siquiera unas nociones básicas de estilo ni de entintado.

A mí, en lo personal, me ha gustado mucho. Es un cómic de su época, pero ello no significa que no sea disfrutable. Plantea diatribas y conflictos que antes no habían sido concebidos, y presenta personajes y equipos nuevos. Además, planta la semilla de una nueva JLA, que no es poco.

[Leonard Diggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was originally intrigued by this story hearing that it was inspired by the Biblical book of Job. The book of Job is one of the most interesting book of the Bible. It recounts the story of one of God’s most righteous servant Job. One day the Devil comes to God and says Job will reject God if everything is taken from him. Similarly, DC Legends starts with the villain Darkseid looking over all the worlds he rules when a one of his servants points out Earth and how its people are free. His servant says earth doesn’t fear him because of their superheroes. Darkseid says when he breaks the spirits of its Legends, earth’s superheroes, then the people of earth will fall.

This comic is the sequel to the mega hit DC Comics crossover Crisis on Infinite Earth. Writers John Ostrander and Len Wein do a great job of making the event feel different from Crisis. They wanted to tell a standard superhero story and bring the genre back to its basics. The story differs from Crisis (and most of its events going forward) in that DC events are usually about worlds colliding. Whereas, this story simply involves Superheroes, villains, and the citizens of earth.

This is a criminally underrated event. In terms of the story, the story resembles in broad strokes Marvel’s Civil War (but 20 years earlier). Neither of these are the first to explore the subject of the public turning on its heroes but I believe from start to finish it’s a better, more enjoyable tale. I enjoy the use of the narrator which gives the story a Biblical, mythical feel to it. Though, in the first issue it can add to the wordiness of the issue which modern comic fans might not be used to. The comic does a great job of not just showcasing superheroes but also showing the inhabitants of its world. The comic features all the major heroes of the time. The book does a good job of setting up its heroes well and very little prior knowledge of DC’s heroes are needed to understand its story.

Something I wanted to point out was that, many times in comics, the writer shows superheroes interacting only with other heroes or similarly powered people. Comics that do this miss an important part of the world and suffer from it. This comic features everyday citizens young and old and does a great job of using the setting of America in the 80’s using familiar facing (such as the President) to make the world feel familiar and alive.

There’s not too much this comic does wrong. I believe the wordiness of the comic not only in the narration but also in the wordiness of the dialogue can get in the way sometimes. I found this most frequent in the first issue. Also, in modern terms, in the comic’s dialogue (and some situations) can come off as corny to readers today. The apparent corniness undercuts the serious (and great) plot sometimes.

In conclusion, there’s some definite age to this story but don’t let the occasional corny bits stop you from enjoying this underrated gem from DC Comics.
(PS: I didn’t even mention the beautiful, classic art from comic book legend John Byrne! It’s a lovely comic to look at.)

[Chandler Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Most Honest Comic Book Event:"

In my excitement for James Gunn's upcoming DCU, I've decided to become more involved in my reading of DC Comics. And what a better place to start than the original jumping on point, Post-Crisis?

Legends is the first DC Comics event after Crisis on Infinite Earths, even starting on the same year the prior cross-over ended. Where Crisis tore down the existing status quo, Legends sought to establish a new one. Here, characters that DC had newly acquired or newly decided to integrate into their primary Earth (such as Blue Beetle and Captain Marvel) and newer/less popular characters (Wally West and Guy Gardner) are established alongside old classics who were also being redefined in the Post-Crisis world (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc.).

What strikes me first is how basic the event is. The two-syllable title is far less of a strain on the tongue than Crisis-On-Infinite-Earths. And while the conflict is pushed into motion by DC's resident Big Bad Darkseid, the stakes are fairly minor. Rather than threatening the integrity of the multiverse, this is a war for humanity's perception of superheroes. Pardon me, I meant "legends."

Like most events, Legends came with a number of tie-ins. While I did read these, they are blessedly optional and the book can be enjoyed on its own. Either way though, Legends isn't much of a story. Its more of a character showcase plus rare material that other books can borrow from. Legends biggest contribution to DC was kicking off a number of other early Post-Crisis titles. In this book you can find the seeds for Ostrander's Suicide Squad, George Perez's Wonder Woman, the second volume of The Flash, DC's Captain Marvel miniseries, and the Justice League title that would become Justice League International. Many of these books would swiftly become legends in their own right.

I can't strongly recommend Legends for its own sake, but for DC fans seeking a wholistic understanding of this period in publication history it is a must-have and an enjoyable read.

[Daniel Kovacs Rezsuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reluctant 3/5 stars. I have become a fan of both John Ostrander and John Byrne in the last few years as I've been reading my way through modern (post-Crisis on Infinite Earths) DC classics. While they delivered a decent story, it is hindered by awkward and outdated editorial decisions, such as making every issue a standalone by including extensive expository sections re-esteblasing previous events. In the third issue this approach reaches critical mass as the last third of every page is dedicated to retelling every plot detail of the previous two issues. Suffice to say, this results in narrative that simultaneously feels thin on plot, repetitive, but also incomplete, due to the fact that the series also had tie-ins which are not collected in this or any other volume for that matter. DC needed to reestablish its main line of comic books after Crisis on Infinite Earths, which makes this series a direct antithesis to Watchmen which came out the same time (1986-87). It works as an iconic piece of reconstructive piece of superhero media (many elements were adapted to later cartoons and there are parallels even with the Zack Snyder-continuity of DC films), but it fades in comparison not only to Watchmen, but all the other series it has ties to: Byrne's Man of Steel, Giffen and DeMatteis' Justice League International or Ostrander's Suicide Squad. I read through all of these series early years without realizing Legends was a thing. I went back reading it out of completionist obligation and I wouldn't have missed much if I skipped the series instead. Byrne's art makes up for it but even the 30th anniversary edition that I read had coloring errors, which again, spoiled the reading experience.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 2 out of 5]

Después del éxito obtenido con Crisis en Tierras Infinitas, DC decidió continuar con los crossovers, y el siguiente llegaría de manos de John Ostrander, Len Wein y John Byrne. En lugar de hacer una colección tan dispersa y con tantos intervinientes como Crisis, Ostrander decidió centrarse en un grupo más reducido de héroes (también tenía la mitad de números), y utilizaría la miniserie principal para llevar a esta Nueva Tierra post-Crisis a héroes que antes habían pertenecido a otros mundos (Blue Beetle o el Capitán Marvel, por ejemplo), y cumplir la amenaza de las páginas finales de Crisis, en la que tras ayudar a los héroes a derrotar al Anti-Monitor, Darkseid afirmaba que no tardaría mucho en enfrentarse a los héroes.

En Legends, a través de Glorious Godfrey, Darkseid atacaría a los héroes, volviendo la opinión popular contra ellos, consiguiendo incluso una orden presidencial que les prohibiría actuar, pero en este entorno, se reuniría una nueva Liga de la Justicia (la anterior, la Liga de la Justicia de Detroit se disolvería durante Legends) y se presentaría al Escuadrón Suicida tal y como lo conocemos ahora, formado por villanos utilizados por el Gobierno de EE.UU para misiones suicidas. El Capitán Marvel, Blue Beetle, Flash y Changeling, Canario Negro, Batman, Guy Gardner y el Doctor Destino serían los héroes que contarían con más protagonismo (especialmente el primero).

Y no, Legends no llega, ni de lejos, a ser como Crisis. No es malo, solo ver los dibujos de Byrne ya merece la pena, pero no es brillante, se repite en muchas ocasiones, no termina de profundizar prácticamente en nada... La verdad es que bien pensado, lo mejor de Legends es lo que vino después.