Legion of Super-Heroes #1 Is a Near-Perfect New Beginning (Review)

The Legion of Super-Heroes is one of DC’s most important teams. They are a group of young, plucky superheroes from the 31st Century who are inspired by the actions of Clark Kent when he was Superboy, and strive to emmulate him. Just as he brought peace and understanding to Earth despite being an alien, they wanted to use their innate abilities to do the same to the United Planets, making it a safe, just place for people of all species. More than being a great example of Superman’s impact, they are a symbol of how heroism survives long into the future. The Legion are living proof that the better tomorrow everyone fights for actually exists, and that is genuinely inspiring.

Despite that, the Legion itself has been undergoing constant turmoil and restarts for years. Frankly, it never knew how to progress after Crisis on Infinite Earths. What was once one of DC’s biggest teams fell into obscurity, but thankfully, the long drought might finally be over. There’s a brand-new series with a brand-new Legion of Super-Heroes in town, and it reinvents the team while staying true to everything that made them so great in the first place. Legion of Super-Heroes (2026) #1 takes us right into the days leading up to the Legion’s formation, giving us a look at so many of our young heroes without once seeming over-bloated. It’s a genuine treat for every Legion fan, new and old.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Pros	Cons
Introductions to a wide cast that all get their chance to shine	World-building and dialogue are over-explainy and on the nose at times
Great balance of world-building and character-building
The most charming art I’ve seen in a comic this year
Genuine fun and care that screams in every page, building to a grand mystery

The Start of Something New and Familiar

The issue is all about setting up the individuals who will one day become the Legion of Super-Heroes. It kicks everything off with a great encapsulation of what Superboy means to the history of heroism, and then throws us into the seedy, complex world of the United Planets. This issue focused on five characters who we know as classic Legionaires, though they’re here in ways we’ve never seen before. Brainiac 5 is now Braniac 1 of 5, and he works alongside Matter-Eater Lad, his bodyguard, as private eyes investigating the recent death of the wealthiest man in the universe, R.J. Brande. We also meet Lightning Lad playing at being a superhero, Saturn Girl as an isolated princess, and Cosmic Boy giving up the chance of a lifetime.

This comic covers a lot of ground with a lot of characters, and the ones taking center stage are definitely the mystery-solving duo and Lightning Lad, but everyone gets their spotlight without feeling overbloated or overshadowed. The issue has very strong thematic and plot-relevant threads that tie every section together, clearly all building a picture of a grander world and cast that are going to connect beautifully. The most interesting part of this murder mystery is that the Legion we know these characters will form isn’t the first. There was another Legion before them, and its impacts are directly destroying everything the future one will come to stand for.

This is a genuinely great entry point for this new Legion. It’s open to fans new and old, providing a seamless jumping-on point for people who haven’t read a Legion book before, and so many details for longtime fans to chew on. The only complaint I have with this issue is that the dialogue occasionally feels far more geared towards the audience than the characters. Brainiac 1 of 5 and Matter-Eater Lad explaining that the United Planets is on the verge of collapse as they did, for instance, didn’t sound natural at all. These are only minor complaints, however, but they just hold this issue back from perfection.

An Endlessly Charming New Beginning

Hayden Sherman is the artist on call for the dawn of this Legion, and I could not think of a better artist for the story being told. Their style is the perfect mix of stylized, incredibly detailed, fluid, and endlessly charming that captures the youthful, hopeful energy of the Legion of Super-Heroes in their starting days. Reading this comic feels like watching a cartoon, combining lively movement and explosive action with subtle, intricate details where it counts, especially in the background. For instance, everything about Lightning Lad screams who he is, but one of the best little details is the Absolute Wonder Woman #300 on his floor, which harkens both to Sherman’s other best-known title and Lightning Lad’s love for superheroes.

Of course, no great artist is complete without an awesome colorist, and Sherman and Tamra Bonvillain are a match made in heaven. Every character and view of nature is so vibrant, while every shot of the hard-boiled, cynical cities inspires all the trepidation they should. Bonvillain’s colors bring out all the life and care in each of Sherman’s panels, elevating them from great to some of the best work either has done in recent memory. The lightning effects, Brainiac’s skin, the tapestry of the cosmos, all of these things are colored so beautifully it’s insane to me. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou deserves a special shout-out as the letterer for the Saturn Girl sections, which are just the right amount of comprehensible.

Overall, I fell in love with this book, and I cannot wait to pull the rest of the series as it dives into what makes the Legion tick, and how they bring hope back to a universe that has forgotten it. I cannot recommend this series enough.

Legion of Super-Heroes #1 is on sale now!

10 Most Powerful Legion of Superheroes Members