Legion of Super-Heroes… It’s hard to review this title objectively. The fandom who enjoys it probably have for a long time, and the sheer immensity of the cast makes it a seemingly difficult to jump on. Coupled with that, the current series not only takes up the reins of what Geoff Johns has done with the characters in the Super-titles, it also picks up on 20-year-old continuity threads. That being said, how does the new series first annual fare? Is it an insurmountable mess, or can the casual reader enjoy it? The simple answer is yes, but let’s get a little more in-depth.

First off, the big selling point of the annual for long-time fans of the Legion is that Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen have re-teamed up to tell the tale. Both men are well-respected for their work in the past, and their work is just as fine here. As an aside, I will admit it’s not for everybody. The dialog is definitely of the old school and the art… takes some getting used to. This isn’t a story you’ll be done with in five minutes, which in my mind is a good thing. And the art is good. Backgrounds are especially great, I personally am not a huge fan of Giffen’s faces/characters however.

Onto the story proper. This issue is a done-in-one that tells the tale of a new Emerald Empress, mainly seen with Legion villains, the Fatal Five, but known to be scary and evil on her own as well. The fact that this is a new character with an old name help immensely if you’re not deep into Legion lore, but if you are, there are many nods to you as well. The cast is kept to a manageable size, and never overwhelms. There are lasting repercussions in the story as well. While the ending is “happy”, we probably won’t be seeing one Legionnaire for a while. This is one thing that make the Legion great to me. Unlike say, the JLA, who always have to end up back at the status quo, The Legion’s actions have consequences, sometimes dire ones. I would say that if you’ve never read a Legion book, this isn’t a bad one to try out, you get a taste of what the Legion is, if you like it, by all means start getting the regular series, if not, you’re only out $4.99.

$4.99. That may seem a little steep to you, but unlike some annuals, this is worth it. Not only are there 40 pages of story, but there are supplemental extras in the back, like a Legion board game drawn by Brian Douglas Ahern which is a lot of fun, just to read, let alone play. There’s also an Interlac A to Z guide. The purpose this serves is twofold. First, it shows off Interlac, which is the specialized alphabet used in the Legion’s 31st century. If you pick this book up, and they use it in the series, you can decode it! Also, each letter describes something in the Legion’s world. It’s a nice primer for those of you just getting started on the book. So the bottom line is, if you’re already a Legion fan, this book is a no-brainer, but if you’re not but are Legion-curious, this book could be your gateway to the wild and sometimes wacky* world of the 30th century.

*Seriously, they have a member who got his powers of super-bouncing by mistaking an experimental formula for soda, and another guy who has the power to eat any form of matter!

Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 is on sale for $4.99 right now at your local comic shop!