I normally enjoy the Legion of Super-Heroes for its fast paced qualities. The book is normally packed so tightly unto itself that I find myself reading quickly and moving through its contents with a sense near urgency. All of this comes with an almost automatic comprehension. Never do I have to pause, flip back a few pages, read once again in order to get what's happening.

The last several issues have all been enjoyable for the most part. There has, however, been so much going on that it would probably take me nearly 20 minutes just to catch you up on all of the details from the last three issues alone. This one's no different. Issue #43 picks up on Ultra Boy's home planet as the small group of Legionnaires battles their way back home. Another group is caught in a three way battle as they make some tough choices regarding the life and death fate of a rival group. And, on the home front, Lightning Lad is shown a warrant as the Science Police inspect his house.

By the end of this exposition packed issue, something heavy happens, something that could possibly shape the dynamic of the large Legion for some time to come. They go completely on the foul side of the law, more so than before, and it may mean a lot to the book in the near future. For those Legion fans who have yet to read the issue, I'm going to leave my description at that.

The only hitch I have here is that Jim Shooter throws all of this at the readers so fast that they'll hardly have a chance to catch their breath. I know that this was the first time that I found myself wishing that a Legion book would slow down. The issue that opened this arc of running from the law had a sense of quiet before the storm. It has gotten to the point where I wish that quiet would actually return. That's right; so much is happening within these pages that I actually could stand some filler time. Something that isn't so plot intensive should be happening soon, and I can't wait.

The speed of the book has also come, largely, at the expense of the team dynamics that many are so used to. The characters don't interact as well as they have before, and the emotions and drama have been checked at the door. Don't expect to be treated to a rumble of personalities here; it's just people throwing fists at one another as they dodge bullets.

I will end this review, however, on a good note. I really like the direction Shooter has taken with Lightning Lad. Charged with the duty of leading the Legion, Lightning Lad is in way over his head and the manner that Shooter pours the stress on him is more than effective. I actually felt bad for Lightning Lad at the end of this issue, and it will be a treat to see how he copes with the team and his responsibilities in the next several issues.

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