While the Legion was busy with the snoozefest of the Omen storyline, we have a nice little story on the side.
Legion of Super-Heroes #308 (1984)
written & plotted by Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen
pencils by George Tuska
“Guess what’s coming to dinner?”
This is a Colossal Boy solo story, which begins with him playing basketball. Which in the 30th century apparently means shooting the ball into the ceiling?
It’s been a while since his mother being President of Earth was an important plot point.
We’ve already seen in the past how Metropolis has grown so large in the 30th century that it has incorporated Gotham City. Now we learn that it extends as far as Boston.
Despite the fact that the main story of the issue included a political plot… not a very good one, but still, it’s there… this second story is going to deal with family matters.
Specifically, the fact that their son has married a Durlan.
The two got married while Yera was pretending to be Shrinking Violet, so it’s nice to see that she was the one to propose an annulment.
C.B.’s mother being President is a bit of a challenge, since her son marrying a Durlan could be politically damaging.
This is Yera’s first real story, so this is the make-or-break moment to have readers like her.
Fortunately, I think she pulls it off nicely.
Having the President bring up legitimate concerns with Durlans without making her racist against them is a balancing act that could’ve gone wrong very easily. I think Levitz does find the perfect balance, because both characters come off as reasonable.
Things seem to turn for the worst with the President calling the Science Police…
…but it’s actually a present for her daughter-in-law.
Turns out the President is smarter than she lets on, because she knew about the marriage even before the rest of the Legion.
And now I want to see a story with a half-Durlan having a Bar Mitzvah.
Legion significance: 6/10
On a purely technical note, this has no direct impact. But it’s still kind of important for making us like Yera, because this could’ve gone wrong so very easily.
Silver Age-ness: 0/10
Nope.
Does it stand the test of time? 10/10
While I’m not the biggest fan of Tuska’s artwork in general, he’s better than usual here.
And the fact that the artwork is not spectacular but only fine is the only potential complain, because this is a nice little story that does exactly what it sets out to do: getting us accustomed to Colossal Boy’s new status quo. Could easily be done today as it is.
We are legion
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When you brought up George Tuska’s art, it brought up so many memories of Legion stories. His art work is always “toothy”. I wonder if that has something to do with his last name. Most artists draw people closed mouthed, but not George! I wonder how his people in his drawings did not have bugs fly in thier mouths!