REVIEW: ‘DC’s Legion of Bloom,’ Issue #1

Plant life can take many forms and hold special meaning to many of the denizens of the DC Universe. DC’s Legion of Bloom #1 takes a look at the good and the bad of these connections thanks to the work of (takes a deep breath) writers Ashley Allen, Kenny Porter, Zac Thompson, Calvin Kalsulke, Julio Ante, Travis Moore, Calvin Scott, and Dave Wielgosz, artists Isaac Goodhart, Brian Level, Hayden Sherman, Victor Cafaggi, Jacoby Salcedo, Travis Moore, Atagun Ilham, and Riley Rossmo, inks by Jay Leisten and Mark Morales, colorists Cris Peter, Jordan Boyd, Patricio Delpeche, Victor Cafaggi, Allen Passalaqua, Eren Enrica Angolini, Hi-Fi, and Ivan Plascencia, with letterers Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Steve Wands, Becca Carey, Dave Sharpe, Carlos M. Mangual, and Tom Napolitano.

With spring fast approaching in parts of the world and with it a return of much of the green in our lives, and DC sporting several characters like Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing with deep connections to plants, DC’s Legion of Bloom #1’s release this week makes a lot of surface-level sense. However, these themes prove to be a weak connective tissue for this anthology book, as a few truly shining stars mostly ignore the core themes to focus on other concepts.

Of the eight tales in this oversized book, the first worth noting is “Monsters.” This tale focuses on The Flash and Swamp Thing as they search for a family that has gone missing during a camping trip. When the duo manages to find the missing child, writer Porter takes an interesting look at the world of superheroes through the eyes of this child. How she sees both Swamp Thing and The Flash is interesting and unique. Surrounding this creative exploration of heroes is an excellent artistic presentation by the team of Level, Leister, and Boyd, who capture the monstrous threat the heroes face brilliantly. It serves to keep the danger of the book present at all times, even as it focuses on more emotional themes. This threat is further built up thanks to some great lettering by Wands, whose designs help amplify the villain’s voice wonderfully.

The best offering DC’s Legion of Bloom #1 delivers is in “We Just Have to Make it to Spring.” This tale focuses on Superman as he strives to help the people of Metropolis make their way through the long dark days of late winter in hopes of seeing the bright days of spring. Weilgosz writes a fantastic story that gets to the heart of what makes Clark the best of heroes while also serving as his greatest weakness. While Supes’ physical capabilities may be nearly limitless, his mental and emotional stamina is not so unending. As the story goes on, Clark is reminded of just how much he can take on, and how even he sometimes has to trust others to help carry the load. The combination of Rossmo’s lines and Plascencia’s colors give the heartfelt tale a wonderfully complimentary artistic appeal. Clark’s strength and struggles are both captured wonderfully throughout the story.

Beyond these two standouts, DC’s Legion of Bloom #1 has remaining stories that never manage to truly shine, but none of them are bad either. With fan favorites like Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman, and Blue Beetle getting into various styles of adventure, the rest of the book provides a good amount of variety through its stories, art, and lettering, even if none of them ever truly stand out.

DC’s Legion of Bloom #1 is available now wherever comics are sold.