posted
Wow, now I feel all guilty and stuff for bringing up those character sketches! I second what Vee said. After all, Wildfire was the "Marvel" character, and Shooter went on to have a fantastic run at Marvel.
-------------------- ...but you don't have a moment where you're sitting there staring at a table full of twenty-five characters with little name signs that say, "Hi, my superpower is confusing you!"
From: Chicago, IL | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
This is absolutely HISTORIC NEWS! I guarantee you'll remember everything about the day you read Shooter's first LSH book!
quote:Originally posted by Superboy:
quote:will the rest of the comics buying public care
Jim Shooter's Valiant creations sold anywhere from 240 thousand to 90 thousand copies per issue, in 1991, and they seriously challenged DC and Marvel as the top publisher right out of the gate.
His Valiant Titles dominate the lists of the most important comics of the 90's.
Magnus started out selling 90k copies, and then the readership went up. The Legion readership hasn't gone up, just because of the writing, since the Great Darkness Saga...probably the only truly classic Legion arc not written by Shooter.
Jim Shooter was run out of Valiant and replaced by guys like...oh, Mark Waid and Keith Giffen, they didn't sell 90 thousand copies per issue...
That was from a brand new indy publisher featuring extremely obscure and brand new characters.
When Shooter was the EIC at Marvel, they brought fans back to comics, and flat out dominated DC, the most one sided the contest has ever been in Marvel's favor.
When Jim Shooter wrote the Legion, he inspired guys like Paul Levitz and Mark Waid to get into the industry. His Legion was the birthmother of organized fandom.
Something not talked about often dealing with the Shooter Swan era...
Jim Shooter wasn't just writing those stories, he was doing the layouts too, Swan just penciled over them. That was arguably the most critically acclaimed work of Swan's legendary career.
The last time Jim Shooter wrote the Legion, it bcame DC's top selling title(probably due to Grell).
Shooter creates iconic characters and I think most of the people that aren't excited about his return to this book, just don't realize how many elements of all the Legions he created, as a child.
His additions to the Legion, have fared better than the Legion itself. Mordru, all his alien races...these guys are doing well..it's the Legion that's not.
-------------------- I tried to rip their soul out.I tried to make them forget Superman. But they won't.
From: Kentucky | Registered: Oct 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Superboy: One thing about Valiant...he was Valiant Comics. When he left, they became standard independent fare.
Absolutely agree with this!!! He was the captain and the rudder, and was basically the reason Valiant was being sold off (the owners had a big cash cow and figured for the right price they could take the money and run). From what I heard, it was during a meeting with the new owners that Jim put his foot down and told them basically "you can own the company, but don't get in my way..." since the comics being told were his vision (and making the company all that $$$$). What's the phrase??? "If it ain't broke...don't fix it."
Naturally his attitude soured the prospective buyers, who then told the current owners, "We'll take the company, but only if he's not part of the package". That was, my friends, the day Valiant died.
He has an attitude, but he loves comics!
-------------------- Craig C.
- Time travel stories are told in chronillogical order.
From: Santa Ana, CA | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
While on the one hand I am unreasonably excited about Shooter returning to write LSH, this is the start of the football season and I am fan of the Washington Redskins. Here's hoping that Shooter has more success in his return than the great Joe Gibbs has had.
-------------------- So what.
From: Harrisburg, PA | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
This is a truly unprecedented event. The child prodigy returns forty years after his debut. Yes, Shooter has had his trials and tribulations in the industry, but he seems to have learned and persevered. He comes across as thoughtful, mature, and gracious in the interview. I think that bodes well. Good for DC for marking the Legion's 50th anniversary in such an auspicious way.
-------------------- No regrets, Coyote.
From: Missouri | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
I predict the arrival of the FATAL FIVE coming soon! i'd love it if we also got Chemical King, Pulsar Stargrave, and some of the other Shooter creations, but i'll be very happy with just some solid stories and characterization. Also, he's great at creating new adversaries which the LSH desparately needs. Manapul's got the artist chops, both exotic and attractive, but how's his history at monthly deadlines? anybody got any idea?
-------------------- Gorilla Nebula
From: san francisco | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
The only work of Shooter's that I like is his run on the Adventure-Era Legion. That's why I'll give his upcoming LSH run a chance, but I'm not expecting much.
quote:Originally posted by Reboot: Not read the summary of his almost-happened Korvac sequel a couple of years back? [that got nixed when people actually threatened to quit over him going back to Marvel]
I haven't read it, but I've got a morbid curiosity about it (I think Shooter's original Korvac story is one of the biggest wastes of trees ever published. And don't anyone try the George Perez defense, because Perez only worked on the first half.) Could you please PM me a link?
posted
When I think of the shear number of wonderful bad-guys created by Shooter, I'm really excited he's commited to writing a new one instead of relying only on what was left by Waid.
Still, I'm going to give myself every opportunity to enjoy the current run.
From: East Toledo | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Shooter has always been a hit-or-miss writer to me ...
... brilliant on Adventure-era Legion, for whom he created teen personalities and their most important villains.
... so-so on '70s, Legion, where he substituted mysogeny (Cos slapping Ayla) for character developlment.
... below so-so on the Korvac War. "Waste of trees" is an apt description, Stealth. The story would have been salvageable if it had been half the length and featured a third of the cast.
... abyssmal on his post # 200 Avengers stories. This run featured some ground-breaking ideas (YJ suffering a nervous breakdown), but they were poorly executed and bland -- as if EIC Shooter was writing the plots on his lunch break.
... abyssmal on Secret Wars. Gimmickry wins over story development.
... brilliant with Valiant. See above comments.
... so-so with Defiant. I loved the innocent charm of Good Guys, but the rest was forgettable.
... I never read his Broadway Comics output.
Now, as for his return to the Legion, I'd be more excited if he were taking over the "Lightning Saga" Legion instead of the threeboot. I would also be more excited if he weren't talking about a year-long story arc (my, how original). On the other hand, Shooter is the only writer who can make me care enough to pick up another issue of the threeboot. At his best, his work is surprising, controversial, thought-provoking, and exciting. At his most average, his stories are more original than those of most other comics writers.
Here's hoping it's time for him to be brilliant again.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Jeepers! I just have to say it again...
YAY! JIM SHOOTER IS WRITING THE LEGION AGAIN!
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
I share your excitement, Eryk, though it's tempered with the knowledge that few "reunions" ever produce worthwhile results (Jefferson Airplane or "The New WKRP In Cincinnati" come to mind). Also, it's not strictly a reunion since this Legion isn't exactly the same one Shooter wrote the last time, so he might as well be coming onto a completely different project.
Still, it is worth looking forward to.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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