Did Mekt Ranzz Really Kill RJ Brande? ‘Legion Of Super-Heroes’ #2 Reviewed

Mekt Ranzz is in the frame for the death of RJ Brande in Legion of Super-Heroes #2, but surely it’s not that simple a case? In all previous iterations of the Legion, Mekt Rannz is better known as Lightning Lord and makes up part of the Legion of Super-Villains. So who’s to say today he won’t be the murderer after all? Or, as I suspect, it could be someone in disguise as Mekt Ranzz. A shapeshifting Durlan could easily pass as Ranzz. And it’s not like Brande isn’t familiar with that race of aliens, being one himself in the original series.

Whatever the endgame to this murder mystery, this central plot line allows writer Joshua Williamson and artist Hayden Sherman to build their own version of the 30th century, with a very different look to anything that has come before. As I mentioned in my review of the first issue, this 30th century is filtered through the lens of Metal Hurlant and, in particular, the curvaceous, highly textured surreal style of Jen Giraud, aka Moebius. It’s a fresh take on an old favourite, with Sherman’s imaginative page composition adding to an overall aesthetic that matches nothing else on the shelves. It all creates a strange new world ripe for exploring. 

Upon this imaginative, futuristic backdrop, we get to know other characters introduced last issue as well as new faces. The Persuaders, for example, were established as an interplanetary, heavy-handed police force last issue; in this, we are introduced to a new, winged Persuader, whose identity remains a mystery for now. But those wings could well point to another familiar face from the past. Some are less opaque, such as Grimbor, an enemy to the Legion, who is cast as a fellow miner working with Cosmic Boy. Or rather, who Rokk Krinn will eventually become. Two issues in and we already have a fair few familiar faces populating the galaxy. 

This issue is another home run, and whether you’re an old-school fan like myself — in which case prior knowledge of the LSH helps peek and retain your interest — or new to the series, Williamson and Sherman’s entertaining and tense sci-fi murder mystery will have you hooked. The pairing of Braniac and Matter-Eater Lad as a pair of gumshoes works exceptionally well and ties the murder mystery to the larger tapestry being created by Williamson and Hayden. They’re another example of how refreshingly new this take on the LSH feels.

Two issues in and I’m already finding this title a comic not to be missed.

Legion of Super-Heroes #2 is out now from DC Comics.