Written by Len Wein
Lead Feature Art by Jesus Saiz; Tom Derenick; Robin Riggs; Scott Kolins; Karl Story; Mike Atiyeh; Tom Chu; & Rob Leigh. Back-Up Feature Art by Gary Frank; Brad Anderson; & Jon Sibal.
Cover Art by Jesus Saiz & Brad Anderson
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for May 2011 for this twelve-issue series, the lead feature is entitled “Truth and Consequences!” Claiming to be a retired Metropolis cop, elderly Paul Lincoln recalls how, with one notable exception, he has collected super-hero press clippings for decades. A flashback explains how he and his terminally ill wife, Peg, cope with her cancer prognosis.
At that same time, Elongated Man (Ralph Dibny) suffers the tragic homicide of his spouse, Sue. Paul describes the Justice League’s fiery reaction during the Identity Crisis saga. Paul and their daughter, Diana, are at Peg’s bedside at the time of her cancer-related death. In mourning, Paul describes his subsequent encounter with a deadly OMAC robot at S.T.A.R. Labs. during Infinite Crisis. At the retirement home, it’s ambiguous if Paul’s reminiscences are figments of his own senile imagination.
Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) has the eight-page back-up tale entitled, “Snapshot: Redemption!” Per Ted’s narrative blog, he describes how his friendship with the original Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett, led him to become Dan’s driven successor. Ted’s triumphs and travails are recounted prior to his homicide leading into Infinite Crisis.
Note: The alternate cover art team is Gary Frank & Brad Anderson, though their variant image isn’t provided in this comic.
REVIEW:
The misleading cover art is a non-existent scene with Zatanna; Green Lantern (Hal Jordan); Black Canary (Dinah Lance); Flash (Wally West); and the Spectre (Crispus Allen) together. Still, writer Len Wein’s poignant feature nicely interweaves Paul’s seemingly ordinary life (and its inevitable tragedies) with those of his beloved super-heroes. Considering the number of artists involved, the feature’s imagery is mostly excellent.
Backed by artist Gary Frank’s impressive penciling, Wein admirably hits two in a row with a stellar homage to Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle. Hence, DC Universe: Legacies # 10 is a solid read for long-time DC Comics fans.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Ian Sattler’s single-page “DC Nation” column hypes the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
