Legends of the DC Universe #1

  So I started a new series. It’s new for me, this series actually started in 1998 and ran for 3 years. The premise is kinda cool. It’s based on Legends of the Dark Knight in which artists and scripters who have teamed previously for classic runs or the newly formed combination of ‘dream teams’ create never before explored stories of Batman’s early career. Now for DC Universe, just substitute the Dark Knight for just about any possible character or team that has graced a DC comic since 1938!

Speaking of 1938, the first issue and the first story arc star the very first superhero, Superman. In this story, Superman takes on a slightly different Ultra-Humanite than we’re used to. In the classic comics, the Humanite might be Lex Luthor, having placed his brain in a younger body. Later, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti will portray the Humanite as a scientist with a dread disease whose brain gets trapped in an albino gorilla and he goes nuts and turns evil due to the horror of his new predicament.  But this story takes place almost a decade before the Conner/ Palmiotti tale will, so most of the backstory is taken from the Pre-Crisis comics.

 Though the Humanite doesn’t appear in this issue, his origin is set up. A scientist on the verge of a major medical discovery that will lengthen the life of the average person is approached by associates of Lex Luthor to buy his technology. The scientist refuses and so Luthor handles it in the way he knows rejection best- kill and steal.

You might notice a green ring on Luthor’s finger in a couple of panels and later it’s gone. That’s because during the John Byrne run of Superman in the 80s, Luthor kept a ring made with Kryptonite on him to keep Superman at bay. The ring’s radiation later gives Luthor cancer and he loses his arm to the kryptonite. So, I’m assuming that Luthor is interested in this life extending tech thanks to his cancer. It’s a pretty cool Easter egg.

I liked this premier issue. It starts a little slow, but it shows Luthor as his worse and Superman at his very best saving the citizens of Metropolis from calamities caused by a Toyman knock-off. The art is super clean and styled very similar to Byrne’s stuff. I thought it was a visual stunner. True, the main ‘villain’ that the story arc is titled after is nowhere to be found. But let’s be honest, the real crook is Luthor.

Great stuff that’s Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.