Rich Johnston on Waid and Kitson's Legion #2

I just read Rich Johnston's new column at HeroRealm, where he will review one comic a week. He starts with Mark Waid and Barry Kitson's Legion of Superheroes #2.

Somewhere in between, while talking about the Legion's motives, Johnston comes up with an interesting point. He says that civilization, where comfort is taken for granted, produces brats. While that is entirely possible, he further argues that civilization produces --only-- brats, and nothing else. And since in the Legion's time, it's been a thousand years of peace, "these kids should be the vilest snotrags in the galaxy".

In an otherwise well written critique, that was one point I didn't agree with, because I'm not quite sure whether war and peace have anything to do with producing brats. The chances of meeting a savage ruffian during times of war are just as much as meeting one when the white flag is flying. I would rather say the case for juvenile delinquency begins closer to home. Snobbish and arrogant parents will inevitably produce bratty kids, just as parents who are pushovers will probably have either very meek, or very rebellious angry-at-the-world kids. It's pretty close to type-slotting, but I choose to believe that the influence of an upbringing on the psyche of a child is more powerful than that of a society that is engulfed in war or blanketed by blissful peace.

Nevertheless, I am glad to have another column that I can look forward to reading every week. I's have been happier if it wasn't restricted to just one comic per week, but you know what they say, better one than none...