As the history of a universe expands, reflections on past events naturally occur. At the time of writing, DC’s Universe is over eight decades old. There have been hundreds and thousands of characters, titles, and stories which have all contributed to the forever-growing pile of DC continuity. It was twelve years ago that DC, nearing the end of its post-Crisis on Infinite Earths era months before heading into the uncharted and dark territory of the New 52, explored their own past from a new perspective. Although I myself am a far greater DC enthusiast than Marvel, certainly one of the latter’s greatest and flawless tales is Marvels. Written in 1994 by Kurt Busiek with painted artwork by Alex Ross, Marvels conveyed the timeline of the Marvel universe from the emergence of the Human Torch in 1939 to the death of Gwen Stacy in 1973, but from the perspective of a photojournalist living a relatively normal life. This inclusion of reality and personal involvement mixed to create a
memorable and excellent story. In 2010, it was time for DC to do the same…
DC Universe: Legacies 1-10 was released from July 2010 to April 2011. Although written only by Len Wein, this maxiseries featured art from talent such as Scott Kollins, Andy Kubert, Joe Kubert, J.G. Jones, J.H. Williams III, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Dave Gibbons, George Perez, Scott Koblish, Walt Simonson, Jerry Ordway, Keith Giffen, Al Milgrom, Dan Jurgens, Brian Bolland, Frank Quitely, Jesus Saiz, Karl Story, Robin Riggs, Bill Sienkiewicz, Tom Dorenick, Gary Frank, and Jon Sibal. It was written to celebrate eight decades since DC Comics first began publishing. I’ve read the story in the DC Universe: Legacies hardcover.
Len Wein was always the perfect man for the job. He has been around since the silver age and knows the history and events of the DC Universe like the back of his hands. Not only that, but Wein understands the importance of character in a comic book. Legacies is about both stories and people, and the star of the show isn’t Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman, but an old man named Paul Lincoln. Born during the Great Depression, Paul is now in his eighties and possesses a large collection of newspapers from decades past, with headlines conveying the triumphs and woes of a world inhabited by superheroes and supervillains. In effect, it’s the same as Marvels as one normal person is witness to decades of history, specifically, in Paul’s case, from DC’s golden age to Infinite Crisis. For the first issue, we go back to the late thirties. Paul is a child living in Metropolis’s Suicide Slum, where crime is rife and he is forced, with his friend Jimmy Maloney, to work for the local mob. Already, Wein paints a perfect picture of pre-war golden age. The atmosphere is bleak and dark. Yet, there is a glimmer of hope. Paul and Jimmy work specifically for a crime boss named Moran, who has organised a protection racket and is responsible for the death of uncompliant shopkeepers. Paul, as the protagonist, dislikes this life he lives as he begins to realise that criminals are simply using him and his friend in their schemes. On the other hand, Jimmy falls deeper into the network of crime and sees little wrong with Moran’s way of doing things. This relationship between the two characters is a crucial element throughout and it only becomes more important and interesting with time. Anyway, Wein sets up the personal element nicely, but now it is time for the heroes to fight back. When readers and even some fans think about who DC’s first superhero was, they are naturally surprised. Superman may have debuted in 1938, but that same year, a new and now forgotten force first appeared. Enter the Crimson Avenger, a vigilante fuelled by vengeance. Wein writes the Crimson Avenger as not just the first superhero who Paul is aware of, but the first to ever grace DC’s modern universe (I say modern as others such as Anthro and Jonah Hex were long before). Either way, the Crimson Avenger busts Moran’s operation and Paul begins his excessive interest in superheroes by collecting newspapers. As time passes, other heroes appear, and Paul and Jimmy become directly involved when The Sandman and the Atom confront yet another mob boss. However, Paul saves the Atom from near-death, and it becomes clear that he and Jimmy face a crossroads from good to evil. It is now down to them. In this aspect, I think that Legacies achieves something which Marvels does not. In Marvels, the main character was fairly distant. He only became involved in the story when he met Gwen Stacy and hid an alien in his basement. Here, I like how Paul is involved, but not in a too direct way. He may be the centre of this story, but he should never be the centre of the universe, only a witness. The first issue ends not with the focus on Paul, but on the formation of the Justice Society of America. A new chapter begins, and Wein writes a great prelude.
With issue two, the golden age of superheroes truly begins. Each episode starts with Paul, back in the present, presenting another part of his collection to us (this time, a cover from the Gotham Radio Times featuring the JSA). His reflections add something even more personal to the story; he is an old man still with the energy of a child. Anyway, back in the forties, the superhero phenomenon continues as new heroes and teams such as the Seven Soldiers of Victory and the Freedom Fighters emerge to help America in the war effort against Nazi Germany. But on the streets, Paul sells newspapers while Jimmy’s life in crime continues; he joins a gang assembled by the immortal Vandal Savage. I’m not sure what Vandal Savage would need a group of children for, but I guess all villains had pretty basic stories back in the golden age. Paul’s life hasn’t much improved since turning away from crime as he is attacked by a gang for selling papers that were on the side of the JSA. However, Paul is saved by the Newsboy Legion and their trusted friend the Guardian, who tries so hard to disguise himself as police officer Jim Harper, but to little avail. With Paul saved, the Newsboy Legion simply wander off to save the next helpless victim. Again, Paul is in direct contact with the heroes, but not for very long or in any way of importance that will change the universe. Although Paul is definitely Newsboy Legion-material, I’m really glad he doesn’t join because that would ruin the whole point of the story. Paul’s outside narrative and perspective is what makes this story unique, but as the tale progresses, it often raises questions. For example, much of issue two focuses on the doings of the JSA fighting against the Injustice Gang, featuring the Gambler, Brain Wave, Vandal Savage, The Wizard, Per Degaton, and the Thinker. Paul speaks about the events in great detail as if he was there, but he wasn’t. Sure, some explanations for Paul’s details are explicitly stated later in the story, but it still leaves questions. Either way, life continues. But Jimmy ends up in some trouble as Vandal Savage has been defeated by the JSA and he has been forced out onto the streets. Peggy, Jimmy’s sister, tries to convince her brother to turn himself in, as does Paul. However, Jimmy doesn’t listen, and his dark path continues, but some good comes out of it as Peggy ends up marrying Paul. But all good things must come to an end. In Wein’s history, the golden age ends when the Justice Society of America are investigated by the government for apparent treason. To protect their identities and cause, the JSA heroes decline to aid the judges in their search, and they vanish into thin air. The age of superheroes was over.
Until the end, issue three is much more character orientated. With many of the superheroes gone, a new age of heroes featuring Pow-Wow Smith, Tomahawk, the Blackhawks, and the Challengers of the Unknown begins. This represents the 1950s, a period after the war where comic book sales were low, and readers were interested more in realistic cowboys and war heroes. The superhero fantasy genre seemed to die. In theory, it is a very tricky period to write about because of that and because, on the whole, the characters just aren’t as interesting. Paul is the main focus primarily here as he joins the police force and works alongside the mysterious Detective John Jones. Of course, his exploits as Martian Manhunter are barely discussed here, but his inclusion is really nice. It adds something to the human drama of this issue, as Paul runs into Jimmy once again. The relationship between friends is now almost completely gone, as Jimmy’s descent has led him to organised crime. But as a police officer, Paul has little choice but to arrest him. That and because John Jones appears mysteriously out of the wall to arrest Jimmy before Paul has the chance. Issue three has a bit of a depressing story because of Jimmy’s failure to return to the light, but Wein handles it well by including some of the entertaining and unique aspects which DC was home to during the fifties. Hilariously, this includes the man who had the planet Saturn stuck to his head. But as the third part concludes, John Jones leaves the police force. But meanwhile, a new age of silver begins. In Metropolis, the superpowered alien known as Superman debuts, while in Gotham, the mysterious Dark Knight known as Batman stalks the street. As Wein’s story pretty much ignores the Multiverse because of the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, it makes much more sense for Batman and Superman to appear in the late fifties at the same time as Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Flash, and Aquaman. Otherwise, the World’s Finest duo would be several decades older than the others and that wouldn’t make any sense at all. Either way, with Paul’s astonishingly accurate storytelling to fill in the blanks by recounting the events of Justice League of America (vol 1) 9, the JLA are formed.
Wein begins issue four with a gimmick that defined comics during much of the silver age: the sidekick. As Batman debuts with Robin, other kid superheroes appear, and the Teen Titans is formed. It’s a nice selection of history that Wein picks and he makes it relevant to Paul and his family. By this point in history, Paul has a young daughter, Diana, and there is an energetic and positive feeling about the new age of superheroes. It’s a prime example of how Wein not just tells the story of history through Legacies, but also conveys a mood similar to the ones experienced in the real world. For instance, the sixties perception of comics is bright and happy while, as it is soon shown, the seventies are darker. Although the 1960s may be bright for superheroes, their multiplying numbers only results in the same for their opposites. Enter the supervillains, presented beautifully by a splash page by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez featuring several dozens of enemies. However, the superhero community continues to grow; Green Arrow and the Atom join the JLA, while new teams such as the… sigh… Metal Men emerge. Nothing is perfect. However, we do get to revisit that pivotal moment from The Flash 123 all those years ago, as Barry Allen’s Flash finally meets Jay Garrick’s Flash for the very first time. Honestly, I’m not sure that this moment is as powerful or important as it was back in the silver age. The Flash 123, you must remember, begun DC’s Multiverse and established Earth-1 and Earth-2 as separate entities that, on occasions, crossover. Here, there is no Multiverse. This is just two heroes meeting; the elder Flash has just come out of retirement. The Multiverse has always been part of DC’s canon, and while ignoring it can often be convenient and simple for readers, it creates story paradoxes and makes some events non-sensical. But before that becomes obvious, the superhero boom continues. The JSA fully return, and Paul recites the events of their comeback in great detail. At the same time, Paul’s life gets better as Jimmy begins to turn his life around in prison and hopes that one day, he will be free and lead an innocent life. However, all good things must come to an end. Doom Patrol (vol 1) 121 heralded what appeared to be the final story to ever feature The Chief, Robotman, Negative Man, and Elasti-Girl. The heroes sacrifice themselves to save a small village from the terror of General Zahl. Wein uses a moment that many general readers would have ignored, forgotten about, or not known about, and makes it into an era-changing event. It works because the world of comics only grows darker in the years that follow, and the death of a group of social outcasts to save innocents proves to Paul and the rest of the world that super heroism isn’t at all glamourous or fun.
If it wasn’t for the twenty-page limits, issues five and six of Legacies would be one. They both focus on DC’s history from the early seventies to the late eighties, with Crisis on Infinite Earths naturally digesting much space during both issues. Beforehand however, the world grows darker. The Joker, once a clown with a love of bad jokes and gags, uses his new laughing gas to kill dozens in a building. Batman confronts him and finds the Joker’s logic to be random and therefore even more dangerous. Meanwhile, the Spectre appears and unleashes his wrath by bloodily murdering criminals across the county. Although Paul believes that heroism is still alive and well, he finds it difficult to think that the change is anything but bad. Soon afterwards, the New Teen Titans fight against alien invaders known as the Gordanians, and Batman leaves the JLA to form The Outsiders. But on the family side of events, the tone becomes brighter. Jimmy is finally released from prison, and he becomes a security guard, helping people escape from the wreckage and being thanked by Superman after his fight with Chemo. However, within a matter of moments, the whole world grows darker. The sky goes red and the reunion between Paul and Jimmy’s new family is paused as, in short, the world begins to end. It is Paul’s duty to go out there as a police officer to help those in need. He heads to Metropolis’s centre, where dozens of heroes fight to rescue civilians from the oncoming apocalypse. The whole scene is worthwhile as Paul’s life is saved by none other than Ultra the Multi-Alien! Definitely a highlight of the story.
As the events of Crisis continue, that point I mentioned earlier just makes everything more confusing. The fact is that, during the version of events in Legacies, there is no Multiverse. Therefore, all heroes are from one Earth and as a result, there shouldn’t be another Monitor or Anti-Monitor. The point of Crisis was to simplify things, but it only made things worse in the grand scheme of things. Either way, issue six carries on from where the previous issue left off. Paul witnesses the Flash disappearing in and out of time seconds before he is saved by his childhood hero, the Guardian. This is a really nice moment which of course references Paul’s first meeting with the Newsboy Legion ally during issue two. The Guardian had died years before and Paul had attended his funeral. But the Guardian no longer recognises him, although Paul tells him that he is one of his heroes. As Paul leaves to help more of the wounded, the Guardian watches and remembers Paul proudly. It’s a very touching moment. But (continues)
suddenly, the Crisis is over, and the sky returns to normal. However, life does not. Jimmy is crippled as a result of the Crisis as he becomes trapped by rubble. He wishes that, one day, he can regain his mobility. The world enters a new era and Paul becomes less directly involved. Although still a policeman and superhero enthusiast, he is no fan of the Justice League’s move to Detroit. However, he still keeps his faith with them during the Legends storyline, where Glorious Godfrey mind tricks the world into hating superheroes. It’s never quite clear why both he and Jimmy aren’t affected by Godfrey’s rhetoric, but it’s great watching these two characters grow old as the world around them advances. Marvels obviously did the same, but the gap between the start and finish in Legacies feels and is much larger. Therefore, there is more time to explore the transitions in characters and how they change. Anyway, hope returns to the world when the JLA reform as Justice League International. But that hope doesn’t last forever.
For many older fans, DC’s modern age, or dark age, is a period of misery and bad storytelling. That belief is very overgeneralised and while I can understand why many golden, silver, and bronze age fans dislike this new period, it does produce some of the most influential and greatest comic stories ever. Wein brilliantly writes here what are my favourite issues of Legacies; it’s the era of comics I grew up reading. Like the death of the Doom Patrol which began the bronze age, Wein signifies the start of the dark age with the events of The Killing Joke. The 1990s unleashes a dark world, and Wein uses this grim period as a metaphor for life in general. While Batman is crippled by Bane and the villainous Doomsday is unleashed on Earth, Paul’s wife Peggy is diagnosed with cancer. It brings about a period of uncertainty and stress in the family. At the same time, Paul’s interest in superheroes continues, but less so in his old age. One of Wein’s great strengths with this story is that he captures a balance between the good and bad in life. There are happy moments, and then there are sad moments; the nineties just so happen to be a grim period for the whole DC Universe. Wein also makes Paul a witness during the Death of Superman event. He watches as Superman saves Metropolis from Doomsday. With the Man of Steel dead and a new, changed, and violent Dark Knight in Gotham, things surely can’t get any worse, right?
Paul looks back at the start of issue eight, remembering when he attended Superman’s funeral service as one of Metropolis’s finest. How will the world cope after the Man of Steel’s death, Paul asks himself. Fortunately, things take a good turn as the original Batman returns and reclaims his mantle from Azrael, while Superman soon returns after four heroes claiming to be the Man of Steel reincarnate are proven wrong.
Peggy’s cancer also enters remission and soon clears away. Again, Wein is a master of connecting the moods of the personal and heroic events to make this issue brighter and more hopeful. As the story progresses, everything grows more interconnected, as does the world. However, it’s at this point where Wein’s background story comes to light more. At the very beginning, Jimmy was clearly more perceptible to crime. Although he grows out of that and eventually leads a normal life, there is something suspicious about him. He works at S.T.A.R Labs, but he remains crippled and often dreams of taking advantage of a exo-skeleton suit which will regain him his mobility. Wein writes Jimmy quite sympathetically, especially in these later issues. He is still seen as something of an outsider to his own family; this plot thread is picked up again later, but it shows how effectively Wein can construct a character and continually make them interesting. Meanwhile however, things get dark again as Coast City is destroyed by one of the four fake Supermen, and Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern goes power-mad and effectively destroys the Green Lantern Corps and absorbs the full power of Oa, becoming Parallax. Somehow, Paul retells this intergalactic event with perfect accuracy…
Issue nine pretty much continues the same themes of the previous one. The world may have a new Green Lantern in Kyle Rayner, but it doesn’t stop the villain known as the Sun-Eater from coming to Earth. Wein writes a brilliant scene with Paul’s family as death appears near during the events of Final Night. Unlike Crisis, this event is far more subdued and quieter, but the tension remains as Paul, Peggy, and Diana all confront the possibility of death. However, Wein takes us straight away from that as we’re back into the in-depth dialogue of JLA members as Parallax returns to help. Hal Jordan sacrifices himself to save Earth. At moments like this, perhaps it would be better for Paul and his family to be a constant inclusion. Sure, you’ve got to explain the events around them, but I think more of their reactions and dialogue would have been better for a story like this. Either way, we do get some of that as Jimmy goes through therapy to regain his mobility (I don’t know why he waited a decade to try it), but the DC Universe is so busy and dangerous that another event comes in and takes the spotlight. Wein selects the Spectre’s possession by the demon Azmodel as main scene of the penultimate issue as Paul watches the Sentinels of Magic as they try to defeat the devil. This all links through because it completes Hal Jordan’s story, even though I’m not too sure why that is really needed here. From an outside perspective, somethings you are bound not to know, and this should be one of them. However, Paul has to know everything for some reason.
The final issue takes readers to a point which, at the same, seemed very recent. Sue Dibny is suddenly and brutally killed, leaving Elongated Man devasted. And in the real world, everyone seems to have cancer. Not only does Diana, now a doctor herself, diagnoses some old Superman character with cancer, but Peggy’s has returned; this time it’s fatal. Okay, so two people get it. Still, slightly odd that a forgettable S.T.A.R Labs associate of Superman gets it, but I guess it makes everything full circle as Diana has become her own character. However, Peggy’s cancer diagnosis marks the end of a chapter for Paul. He decides not to buy the Daily Planet edition about Sue Dibny. While the events of Identity Crisis continue, Peggy dies in hospital in a very powerful and emotional scene. Because Wein has weaved the stories of these individual characters for so long and so successfully, the death works beautifully. Honestly, I saw it coming the first time she was diagnosed , but the predictability doesn’t make it less sad. With Peggy gone, Paul’s final years in the police force aren’t much fun. During Infinite Crisis, the final event of the story, Paul goes to S.T.A.R Labs to visit Diana and Jimmy, but one of the deadly OMACs appears. Jimmy ends up sacrificing himself to save his best friend. It’s a poignant place to end. However, it’s the last two pages of the series, which is a source, to me anyway, of much conjecture. Remember how at the start of every issue Paul is present talking to us about history? Well, it turns out that he is speaking to his carer as he lives in an old people’s home. She listens to his stories every night but doesn’t believe them. It appears that Paul really is in the DC Universe and superheroes exist, but his carer questions how he knows the details of most events. For starters, I really like the idea of this ending as it is emotional, but also satisfying because his long life is effectively complete. And at first, it appeared to solve my original problem with this story.
I thought that, unlike in Marvels, the protagonist knew too much about events going on and at times it felt like the outside view which Wein conveyed was often distorted. Paul knew too much, but the ending reveals that it was essentially all guesswork. But that raises more questions. For instance, how did Paul guess correctly every time? Also, why do only some moments merit a deeper look? For example, Paul doesn’t seem to notice that Dick Grayson is both Robin and then Nightwing, but he is all-too aware of the deep psychology of the Spectre and how Azmodel has possessed him. It’s just inconsistent, even if it does make some sense. That’s really my main problem with Legacies. I think the ending could have cleared some things up if there was more time, and I think throughout, Paul should have been more limited in his perception of the world and events around him. Marvels achieved that brilliantly.
That said, I probably prefer Legacies marginally. It’s not just because of my answer to the fundamental question of do I prefer DC or Marvel, but because the former has far more history and characters that I feel more deeply connected with. Legacies covers eight decades in ten issues, and the pacing of Legacies is super. Wein’s writing ensures that there isn’t a dull moment, and while I may find the inclusion of some Universe-centric events irrelevant to Legacies’s prime purpose, there is a real sense of character which makes it a worthwhile read. It’s probably the best document of the history of the DC Universe, more enjoyable and far more accessible and personal than Marv Wolfman and George Perez’s The History of the DC Universe in the eighties. Wein captures character perfectly here as most of the original ones here are unique and interesting characters to follow with enjoyable personal stories.
A story of this magnitude would naturally require the talents of several different artists who all bring something different to the table. Legacies exemplifies just this. For instance, Andy and Joe Kubert depict the golden age brilliantly with their usual knack for capturing an era’s tone, while Jurgens and Ordway faithfully restore the nineties. Of course, one man who must be mentioned is George Perez. Issues five and six convey some of the most detailed and attractive art in the book. He doesn’t just retell the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths with clear passion and energy, but his take on events featuring the Teen Titans, the Spectre, and the Justice League International is excellent. Undeniably, he was a huge talent who defined how superheroes are visually defined by a modern audience. Anybody who goes to the cinema to watch an Avengers film featuring crowd scenes full of heroes in cities of destruction are watching the genius of Perez. His talents were infinite. Naturally, a reader will prefer some styles and artists over others, but I think all of them convey their respective era brilliantly. They are faithful, but they also add another dimension to the golden, silver, bronze, dark, and modern eras.
DC Universe: Legacies – The Back Ups
Following the conclusions of each of the ten issues, a short bonus story separate from the main plot was included. The focuses of these ten stories varied, but they all explored underappreciated and overlooked characters from the past. They don’t really have much to add to the main story but act as nice little additions. I’ll only cover them briefly mainly because some are more interesting than others.
First up is Reflections. Two detectives investigate some strange events occurring at an old aristocratic house involving the Spectre and Dr Fate. The former takes much of the spotlight as it features the vengeful spirit at his most cunning and creepy. The detectives dismiss the whole thing as a magic trick as you’d expect, but it’s a decent read.
Reaction is a very old-fashioned story. The Seven Soldiers of Victory all split up into groups to prevent robberies. That’s it. I have no doubt that the plot is virtually the same as most Seven Soldiers of Victory stories from the golden age, with the heroes splitting up (it certainly resembles many JLA stories from the 1960s). However, because it is only about eight pages, it’s an energetic and retro tale which is very enjoyable.
Like Reaction, Resurgence is another which takes the trappings of a past era. It features the Challengers of the Unknown as they work together with the Sea Devils and Cave Carson to take out the Octopus Man and Volcano Man (I’m sure you can guess correctly what their gimmicks were). It’s a brilliant call back to the adventurous mood of the early silver age and Dave Gibbons provides some stunning artwork. A favourite!
Remembrance is perhaps the most personal back-up of them all. On 4th July 1976, two centuries on from the foundation of the United States of America, the war platoon known as the Losers throw a reunion party. If you are, like me, a reader of Jack Kirby’s stint on the Losers in the seventies, you can obtain far more from this story. It’s good to see the old faces again, like Gunner and Sarge. However, one of the missing faces from the reunion is Sergeant Rock, perhaps DC’s most famous soldier. He died in battle all those years ago, but the story ends sweetly as it becomes clear that he survived, and he is watching over his friends. Like I said, it means a lot more if you have read The Losers or any Sgt Rock stories, but Wein’s dialogue and Joe Kubert’s visuals just work so well to make this story as personal and deep as possible.
Put plainly, Resistance is a science fiction romp. Adam Strange is abducted along with Tommy Tomorrow, Captain Comet, Space Ranger, and his friend Cryll. Some aliens have taken all of these space heroes from their worlds and times to compete in an intergalactic war. However, Adam Strange discovers that the war is a game being controlled by far greater powers. Together, the master plan is thwarted, and everyone returns home. Wein creates an interesting team of heroes to engage in a fairly predictable story, but a good ,fun tale.
Without a doubt, Revision is the most humorous story in Legacies. Working with Pa Kent on the farm, Superboy is one day visited by Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl of the Legion of Superheroes. As they try to convince the young Clark Kent to come with them to continue his path to ultimately become Superman, more and more alternate versions of the Legion appear and multiply. They begin to argue with
themselves and Clark Kent wanders away from the whole situation. It’s a great metaphor for how confusing the Legion’s timeline often is and how the Multiverse can, only sometimes, be used for humour. World’s Funnest did it perfectly, as does this. Of course, the Multiverse shouldn’t exist because Wein’s core story doesn’t really feature it, but overall, it’s a funny story featuring a Clark Kent indecisive about his future.
Reunion looks beautiful. Brian Bolland will always stand out as one of my favourite artists of all time and his work here is flawless. That’s why it is strange that he is given a fantasy story featuring the Time Pool, literally a small bowl of liquid time which Professor Hyatt uses to build his historical collection. Essentially, he throws a fishing rod-like magnet into the portal and picks up artifacts from the past. As the Atom, Ray Palmer heads into the portal and ends up in Medieval times, meeting the Demon before coming out with a rare treasure. Bolland’s artwork actually makes this story even better as its great to see him explore sci-fi concepts. As for the Time Pool itself, of course it is a silly idea, but I love it because of that. It has lots of potential to be used in a story and Wein incorporates it surprisingly well here.
There’s always going to be one. Revelations is certainly my least favourite story here, mainly for the fact that it is dull and nonsensical. Orion, along with Diana Lincoln and several other civilians, are captured by Parademons and Darkseid for no particular reason. Orion saves everyone and enlists Diana and the others as Earth’s protectors from the New Gods. This really isn’t one of Wein’s classics. The plot doesn’t make any sense, most of the characters aren’t any good, and the only reason its included is because it features the daughter of the protagonist.
Resurrection is another I don’t particularly like, but for different reasons. I’ve never been a huge fan of Captain Marvel, especially his foe Black Adam. I find the whole godly Shazam concept to be dull and unexciting. Wein’s telling of the plot about Black Adam’s dominion of Ancient Egypt is a fine enough plot I suppose but one that doesn’t intrigue me much. Certainly, part of my disapproval comes from Bill Sienkiewicz, who continues to prove here just how dreadful and lazy an artist he is.
Finally, there is Redemption. Blue Beetle is the focus as Wein documents the life of Ted Kord, the accidental hero who became the second Blue Beetle. It’s a very personal story about his life and how he went from rich superhero to a poor has-been. It works effectively because Wein ends the tale seconds before Ted Kord’s death before the events of Infinite Crisis. He is killed by Maxwell Lord, who is in turn killed by Wonder Woman later. Wein writes a very good tragic story, but it does sometimes feel too biographical and not emotional enough. Still, it leaves Legacies on a strong note.
VERDICT
Overall, several thousands of words later, DC Universe: Legacies is more than a flawless history of DC’s universe. Wein creates a great core cast of characters, and their responses, judgements, and lives are what makes this story unique. Sure, I question Paul’s perception of events and how surprisingly accurate they are given the circumstances, but Wein’s writing is definitive and emotional. Unlike Wolfman’s documented history of the DC Universe, this has many levels of storytelling. If you’re a hardcore DC fan, you’re reading a brilliant history of the DC Universe that is continually interesting. But if you’re a general reader, you are in the same spot as Paul and his family, watching the action and all of these great events unfold. Both rotes are infinitely exciting.
Story: 9.5/10
Art: 9/10
Next Week: Justice League International: Born Again (Justice League 1-6, Annual 1). Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, Terry Austin, Al Gordon, Bill Willingham, Robert Campanella, Dick Giordano, Dennis Janke, Bruce D. Patterson, P. Craig Russell, and Bill Wray.
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