Legion of Super-Heroes #9 - DC (2005)

This issue is better than it has any right to be, following, as it does, the events of a rather bad issue. The aftermath of Brainaic 5's coup is being handled well, so far and I have no problems with any of the characterizations unlike Issue #8 where no one was adhering to their earlier, established personalities. Some of the characters do jerko-teenager stuff but that's because they're jerko-teenagers. Funny how that works.

The big story arc gets a few shoves towards its conclusion and the bad guys get a tiny bit of character development. A satisfying read. This is pleasantly surprising because I expected I'd want to drop this from my hold list after this issue. For now, it remains.

Georges Jeanty did the pencils and I don't like the way he draws faces. It's not as bad as the "everyone looks the same" work of Kevin Sharpe and Prentis Rollins from issue #8 but it's still nowhere near the bar Barry Kitson set in the first seven issues. Inks by Art Thibert (which look good) and Sno Cone did the colors.

ASIDE: Sno Cone? What the hell is up with colorists these days? (Hi-Fi design is another example. I realize that there are multiple artists working there but if Brian Miller did the colors on an issue why can't he put his name in the credits?) Back to Sno Cone: Are colorists like DJs now? Everyone's gotta have a cool handle. From now on you can call me "MC Comicraft".

Anyway...

This issue is nearly worth picking up for the letter column alone. It depicts Light Lass and Star Boy sitting among huge stacks of letters and attempting to answer them. It's hilarious. It was also drawn by Barry Kitson. Putting Kitson's work opposite a page full of weird-nosed mannequin people makes me miss Barry more. I hope he's back on board soon.