SUPERMAN: MON-EL VOL. 1 TP Written by JAMES ROBINSON, RICHARD DONNER and GEOFF JOHNS Art by RENATO GUEDES, JAVIER PINA, PABLO RAIMONDI, JESUS MERINO, ERIC WIGHT and JOSE WILSON MAGALHAES Cover by ANDREW ROBINSON Superman has left Earth. Luckily, Metropolis still has heroes like Mon-El. But after years of knowing nothing but the solitude of the Phantom Zone, how will Mon-El acclimate to society? And Guardian has his hands full with his new position in the Science Police. Collecting SUPERMAN #684-690, ACTION COMICS #874 and elements from ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #10! On sale FEBRUARY 9 • 224 pg, FC, $17.99 US
. . why DC would put this kind of build-up and development into the character of Lar Gand, this is only one example in the past couple of years, only to have your write him out of the Legion?
I really don't get what you're doing, if the scuttlebutt around here has been correct and that was your original plan before the fans voted for the new Legion leader.
I hated the way that you broke him up with Shady. Not that you had them break-up really, just the way you did it and who you hooked her up with. She must have hated Lar big time to go with EM after what he did to Lar. And most of it doesn't work or ring true.
But, you were going to make him a GL and then WRITE HIM OUT OF THE LEGION?!
Did you run that by TPTB?
edited to add a Spoiler Warning by request
[ December 22, 2010, 08:28 AM: Message edited by: MLLASH ]
Posted by cleome on :
I'm betting that the decision to make a Legionnaire a GL was editorial directive, but I wouldn't expect a writer or artist to say so to us. Probably wouldn't be considered a smart professional move.
If Lar actually gets elected Legion leader, though, it's going to throw at least a temporary monkey wrench in whatever long-term plans the creative staff has in mind for him. That could actually be interesting.
My first choice if we had to have GL's suddenly all over the place, however, would've been a previously non-powered supporting character like GiGi or Shvaughn.
Posted by He Who LSHes on :
During one of his interviews before Legion # 1 hit the stands, Levitz said something to the effect that he was dreaming up new ways to make the Legionnaires' lives difficult.
Apparently, he's true to his word. Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
quote:Originally posted by cleome: My first choice if we had to have GL's suddenly all over the place, however, would've been a previously non-powered supporting character like GiGi or Shvaughn.
Elza Perkins!
Posted by Power Boy on :
do I smell the return of Celeste McCauley ....
Posted by jimgallagher on :
Wow, Mon looks kind of like my brother in this picture, which is kind of weirding me out.
Posted by Candlelight on :
I don't expect him to actually reply to this thread's questions. It's just confusing to me, and antiproductive for DC, I would think, to build him up for a couple of years in the A-Team, or rather, S-Team books just to bench him.
Franchises don't pay $23,000,000 buying, training and publicising a major player only to make him sit out all of the games (assuming there are no injuries or law suits involved.)
But, I WAS looking for comments like yours to try to figure out what's going on.
Posted by MLLASH on :
I would also make a smiliar argument for Matter-Eater Lad who was all over the Super-titles during all that Krypton/20th century Espionage Squad/hijinks-mess-- exposing him to more comicbook readers than had seen him in probably since the TMK era... and then he promptly and uncerimoniously disappeared once Mr. Levitz launched # 1.
Posted by future king on :
I think that any writer out there (including Paul) who is thinking about taking Monel out of the Legion comic equation should really think twice. Obviously, based on the results of the fan election, we the fans want to see more of Lar Gand. And yes for some new readers out there it is probably as a result of the New Krypton/Brainiac storyline from a year ago. Why else bother to invest in a character if not to gain support and popularity, right?
We all want to see more of Monel, but interacting WITH the Legion, at least I do anyway.
Maybe Paul wanted Lar to leave the Legion in order to start up another new comic featuring the latest 31st century Green Lantern. That would therefor be yet another Legion tie-in and also another book that the Legion could logically appear in from time to time.
If that's the case then that is fine by me! But only if that were the case.
Posted by Mr. Kayak on :
Mon-El may have left the Legion as a team, but who says he has left the book? As a matter of fact, din't last issue of Aventure Comics announce that the next one will be focused on Mon-El as a GL?
Posted by Candlelight on :
Yes, someone said he's supposed to appear in Adventure for that story, but they also said that Levitz would just write Lar out of the Legion, after that. At least, that's how I took what was said.
And LASH is right about MEL, too. Actions like that seem very fiscally irresponsible.
And I really only want a GL book if we can see, at least a few of the Legion support characters and those with talents that make them not really very usable for writers in today's world of uber violence. A bunch of new GL characters in this era just leaves me cold with so many unused and wonderful characters on ice.
Posted by lil'rhino on :
Perhaps the original plan was to give Mon-El a solo title as a GL wandering the universe rebuilding the corps??
Posted by Matthew E on :
I'm surprised anybody really thinks Mon-El's being written out of the Legion. You know he'll be back, right? Mon-El himself said almost as much.
Posted by doublechinner on :
I find it all a little mystifying, too, especially since I haven't read any of these latest issues. I can only guess that Mon-El, with such strong ties to the "golden age" of Earth Heroes and the GLC, was the choice for that reason. Or it's to compare and contrast So-Damn Yat, or both. And I don't think the move is necessarily contradictory with the intent of the previous stories. First, Mon-El replaces Superman in the 21C. Now, he gets to restart the GLC in the 31C. That's pretty high-profile, you ask me. And given how fans seem to always clamor for other heroes to get a ring (even if I think it's silly), this might be a smart marketing move.
Having said ALL that, Levitz SURE has a track record for mostly disposing of Mon-El. He was comatose for most of the Great Darkness, killed by the Time Trapper, always off with Shady somewhere, now moping with Polar Boy on Daxam. So I'm not sure I TRUST Levitz with Mon-El, and I'm kinda glad he's leader, now, too, so Levitz has to do something with him.
It's interesting to think WHY Mon-El was even picked. I would have gone for any of the founders BEFORE Mon-El: Cos has leadership, Imra has will, Garth is the tactician and warrior who never gives up. All 3 have suffered big losses and have had to overcome fear and doubt as a result. By traditional GL standards, the Founders, plus probably Projectra and Dawnstar, would be superior Green Lanterns to Mon-El. Take that, Levitz!
Posted by Set on :
quote:Originally posted by doublechinner: By traditional GL standards, the Founders, plus probably Projectra and Dawnstar, would be superior Green Lanterns to Mon-El. Take that, Levitz!
I'd add Dreamy, Cham and Brainy to that list. Pretty much everyone Universo was afraid that he couldn't mind control for long...
Possibly Shady or Val (if he wasn't dead again), as well. Most of the above are supremely willful people.
Brainy, who is already a gear-dependent Legionnaire (needing his force shield belt to survive the average Legion encounter), would make a *terrifying* Green Lantern, able to create any sort of machinery he can envision (and he can envision stuff like time machines!) with a thought.
Dawnstar would make a neat Green Lantern, but if crossovers with Marvel were allowed, I think she'd be even more perfect as a Herald of Galactus...
Posted by future king on :
Wow.... I never even thought of Dawnstar as a potential herald of Galactus but that would make so much sense! Plus if chosen she would get a power ampage (probably incredible strength and added invulnerability for space).
Nice call Set! Posted by Candlelight on :
quote:Originally posted by MLLASH: I would also make a smiliar argument for Matter-Eater Lad who was all over the Super-titles during all that Krypton/20th century Espionage Squad/hijinks-mess-- exposing him to more comicbook readers than had seen him in probably since the TMK era... and then he promptly and uncerimoniously disappeared once Mr. Levitz launched # 1.
I think Paul does it because Tenzil and Lar are hard to write for because they're on the opposite end of the power spectrum. But BOTH of them have been shown to be effective players if handled right. Tenzil as a HQ support staff, lawyer or teacher have all been done well and he's a great personality, majorly superior to some of the more powerful and scenic legionnaires.
quote:Originally posted by lil'rhino: Perhaps the original plan was to give Mon-El a solo title as a GL wandering the universe rebuilding the corps??
I'd be for that, IF, a BIG if, that's what was planned. But like Double Chinner said, Paul's history with Lar, and Tenzil, is very bad.
quote:Originally posted by Matthew E: I'm surprised anybody really thinks Mon-El's being written out of the Legion. You know he'll be back, right? Mon-El himself said almost as much.
Yeah, like he was 'back' in the other pre-boot stories. Seeing him in a panel or two every few years isn't a very good 'back' to me.
And THIS Lar wasn't supposed to be the weaker, angst ridden hero he was in the original boot. Cham told him before he went into the Zone, that he would have friends waiting for him when he got out, friends and a good life.
Just because a writer wasn't part of a development doesn't mean it's okay to just trash everything. And Levitz has gone out of his way to undo John's and Robinson's work. I've found that to be very frustrating, much more so than Nura's hair.
Posted by Lucifer07 on :
quote:Originally posted by doublechinner Brainy, who is already a gear-dependent Legionnaire (needing his force shield belt to survive the average Legion encounter), would make a *terrifying* Green Lantern, able to create any sort of machinery he can envision (and he can envision stuff like time machines!) with a thought.
Do power rings have time travel capabilities? I seem to recall they did but I wouldn't put money on it.
[ December 25, 2010, 04:35 PM: Message edited by: Lucifer07 ]
Posted by Set on :
quote:Originally posted by Lucifer07: Do power rings have time travel capabilities? I seem to recall they did but I wouldn't put money on it.
Generally, they seem to have 'do whatever the wielder can imagine' capabilities, up until they slam into plot restrictions. And Brainy can imagine more than most...
Posted by cleome on :
I love that in the cartoon, Time Bubble tech seems to be something that every Legionnaire just carries around with them. Y'know, like a wallet or a set of car keys. In the Season Two opener, you can see Phantom Girl lending her tech to Brainy. It looks sort of like an air freshener with B5's head-markings on it.
You'd also have to hope that kids in the future get really rigorous psych profiling and hours of training before they're allowed to carry that kind of thing around. Oh, and since Legionnaires don't seem to have pockets or tote bags, you can only assume that the tech flattens out immediately once it's tucked neatly between your skin surface and your costume. Sort of like Cap's shield did when he strapped it to his back under his civilian clothes.
Posted by Set on :
quote:Originally posted by cleome: It looks sort of like an air freshener with B5's head-markings on it.
"Loan me your time machine." "No, that was a a Pez dispenser..."
quote: You'd also have to hope that kids in the future get really rigorous psych profiling and hours of training before they're allowed to carry that kind of thing around.
Oops, Matter-Eater Lad just accidentally destroyed the time-space continuum again!
Gosh, no wonder there's a Time Trapper, and an Iron Curtain of Time! Those darn Legionnaires keep breaking the world!
quote: Oh, and since Legionnaires don't seem to have pockets or tote bags, you can only assume that the tech flattens out immediately once it's tucked neatly between your skin surface and your costume.
Still wanting to know what the Legionnaires with pouches keep in those pouches. Handcuffs, to bind prisoners? Expandable survival shelters, in case they get caught in a hostile environment with civilians to protect? Snacks? Spare change? Galactic Express Inerton Card, don't leave home without it? Spell components? Multi-purpose lotion? Tsotches? Sprockets?
quote: Sort of like Cap's shield did when he strapped it to his back under his civilian clothes.
Ditto Iron Man's armor or Angel's wings. (Ouchie! Doesn't that hurt?)
And we still don't know where Connor McLeod kept that katana hidden away when he was wearing on a short jacket... o.O
Posted by cleome on :
[snip]
quote:Originally posted by Set: ...Still wanting to know what the Legionnaires with pouches keep in those pouches. Handcuffs, to bind prisoners? Expandable survival shelters, in case they get caught in a hostile environment with civilians to protect? Snacks? Spare change? Galactic Express Inerton Card, don't leave home without it? Spell components? Multi-purpose lotion? Tsotches? Sprockets?...
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