While writing something else, I stumbled across something I'd never realized:

The real reason I could never get into The Legion of Super-Heroes.

Despite its having the name, "super-heroes" in its title, The Legion of Super-Heroes is anything but a superhero title.

It is a science fiction comic, first and foremost.

Sure, the things that make for good super-heroics can be found in the Legion's pages: alliterative names, costumes, but what it lacks is that one basic theme that makes a super-hero a super-hero.

By The Legion's very design, they are denied that one thing that makes a Superman, a Superman. A Batman, a Batman: pathos.

The Legion is all about "group-mind." Shared ideals that benefit all, a very social, very "Star Trek-ian" way of doing and thinking about things.

They lack the individual motivations needed in order to make the world a better place. There are no Joe Chills in their worlds, no mantles to pick up.

The Legion's motivation for doing what they do seemed to come more from lack of anything better to do than make the universe over into what they thought The Justice League would have wanted.

The Justice League, to me, seems more about helping mankind rise when, and only when,it falls. The best way of going about this is by allowing for a place where Batman, while working within a team dynamic, can still be be Batman, rough edges and all.

Sure, characters like Timber Wolf come in all growly and angry but what soon happens with these characters is that after an adventure or two, they start to have their rough edges smoothed over. The things that made them "them" are soon removed, revealing their personalities to be nothing more than affectation and/or loud cries for attention. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this also how you man a Federation starship?

Look, I'm not a sci-fi fan and never will be. I can appreciate sci-fi themes but most are lost upon me. Which I think is why I can't find the appreciation for The Legion most super-hero fans have.

Please, tell me, am totally wrong about The Legion?

Labels: Legion of Super-Heroes