REVIEW: Legion #1 Review

The anxiously awaited Legion series is upon us. And for fans of Marvel“s X-world, that anxiety stems from at least two factors. 1) Legion is quite possibly the most interesting mutant ever created and 2) FX“s Legion TV program is easily one of Marvel“s most compelling adaptations. Can the new comic book series treat our psychological angst?

Over the last couple of years Marvel has released a slew of superhero television properties ”“ Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders on Netflix; The Inhumans and Gifted on network TV; The Runaways on Hulu; and Legion on FX. Debates will go on for sometime about which shows and/or which networks are the most potent platforms for presenting Marvel“s finest, but critics and fans agree that FX“s Legion captures the spirit of Marvel“s most enigmatic (and most dangerous) mutant.

Successfully depicting Legion, ne“ David Haller, isn“t an easy thing to do onscreen or on the comic book page. The “illegitimate”“ son of Professor Charles Xavier, Legion is a schizophrenic and sometimes psychotic telepath with a fractured mind that houses hundreds of distinct personas ”“ each with their own mutant abilities. In order for this to work, the story-world and the visual depiction of it have to in some ways mirror the psychologically frenetic pacing of the inner workings of David Haller“s mind.

Peter Milligan (story) and Wilfredo Torres (art) are measuring up to this challenge in the series“ first issue. Even if you haven“t watched the show on FX or you don“t understand the complex back story of David Haller, Legion #1 quickly and efficiently brings readers up to speed. Racing from Amish country in Lancaster, PA to New York City, we find David engaged in his usual struggle to contain and control his legion of personalities. In this arc, Lord Trauma, a super-powerful persona, is vying for total control of Legion“s multi-faceted mind.

Enter Dr. Hannah Jones, psycho-therapist to the stars, who is emerging as a media star in her own right ”“ doing tv interviews and featured in Ebony and New Yorker magazine profiles. She is the perfect ally for Legion but he has to get to her before Lord Trauma does. Milligan and Torres have accomplished a near perfect set-up for the series in their opening salvo. The story line moves like Legion“s mind and the kinetic rendering of the visuals is an appropriate extension of Legion“s artistic origins. Readers will want to stick around for what looks to be a wild psychological trip through Legion“s mind. 4/5

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(W) Peter Milligan (A) Wilfredo Torres (CA) Javier Rodriguez