Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Visionaries of Tomorrow Newarama interviews LSH creators

Part one is here . Some highlights:

Geoff Johns:
"My favorite superhero stories are the ones that on the surface appear to be a fun, big superhero story, but underneath are really about us," the writer said. "Our struggles with faith, loss, finding inspiration, overcoming our fears, striving to be the best we can be – that's really what Legion of 3 Worlds is about, among many other things.

"And in Smallville, we've got an element of embracing your destiny, or questioning those that tell you who you're supposed to be. There's many more in the episode I'm working on," Johns said of his upcoming television work with the Legion.

Mark Waid:
"I think the size of the group has everything to do with it. The cast is so huge and so sprawling that there's somebody there for everybody," Waid said. "And you get that great sort of feeling of, I'm a fan of this one character that nobody else likes, but that's OK. That's my special attachment to Shrinking Violet or Timberwolf or whatever. It's like when you find this band that nobody else knows is cool yet. You get that sense that I know something that nobody else gets. And I think that's a big part of the Legion's appeal."

Keith Giffen:
Giffen said it was also fairly unique in that it focused on teens in the future at a time when the audience was made up of mostly kids. "The primary audience back then was young people, and here you had a future through the eyes of young people," he said. "If you're a kid, what's cooler than a club of superhero kids? They had their own clubhouse and everything.

"That was before you started seeing more mature storylines and comics taking themselves way too seriously, and I admit I had a hand in perhaps making the Legion more Dystopian during my run on the series. But when it started, comics were kiddie fare. You were trying to grab the pre-pubescent teens in there. I guess flying around in the future had a certain appeal -- I know it had an appeal for me when I was a kid. When I was reading them, growing up, there was this sort of a wow factor in there. It may not have been the best science fiction book or the most well-thought-out in terms of science fiction and logic, but it resonated," Giffen said.

Dan Abnett:
"The Legion has survived because it's a thoroughly appealing future," he said, "and it's deeply tied to the very core of the DC Universe. Let's remember, it's been made over several times, but even the most extreme makeovers have retained the basic essence of the Legion. It's a future that pulses with nostalgia for all of us: this is a feature we've all grown up with, whichever version of it we're nostalgic about."

Newsarama also announced they will have an interview with Shooter and another one with Levitz. Can't wait!

PS: I particularly don't think Johns is on the mark on Legion's endurance. That's why he is more of a Superman & LSH writer than a Legion writer so far.

I find a certain irony here given that Abnett's vision of the future was among the least appealing visions ever offered in a Legion book. The Blight? Legion Lost? The Legion? Who would ever want to live in that world?

I think we has talking about Legions that survived. Not his own vision, which died...

Part two with Shooter is here .

Highlights:
I also discovered how really wonderful the idea of the Legion is. It’s set in a non-dystopian future, which is refreshing these days, with limitless possibilities. The heroes are young men and women who are ordinary on their own worlds who become heroes because they want to be. They’re off on a magnificently noble, naïve quest to make a difference in the universe. Throw in the raging hormones that come along with their ages and it’s a writer’s dream.

He also shares my feelings that one of the key points of LSH difference was aging:

Also, I would say that during the 1960s, the Legionnaires "aged" a bit — moved from seeming very young-teen to near-adult-teen. So did a lot of the older fans. So did I. We all grew up together! Nothing comparable has ever happened in comics. I doubt that anything like that has ever happened in serialized entertainment of any kind. Therefore, there is a hard core of people, like me, who love the LSH, who have been indoctrinating newbies ever since.

There are more info on his current run and lots of appraisal for all currently involved with the book (even the letterer). He also says he is in the book for as long as DC wants him. And there are some spoilers to what's coming next. Pity that nobody asked about L3W messing up with the current team or the gossips on his leave of absence.

Has Rich Johnston confirmed this? I'll believe it then and not a second sooner.

Again, this sentence says nothing, Superboy. If the title is gone, he is gone too. And the new round of rumors are saying about an avalanche of trimmed titles at DCU. We can sense that by the sheer amount of "specials" from main titles trying to milk some extra money regular titles aren't getting.

I'll be real surprised if the W&K is coming out monthly with no changes after LO3W...especially if they have a better selling version on the shelf.


But where I disagree with the rumors is the claim that this would have caught Shooter off guard, or that he would be offended by DC going with a hotter version. That would be extremely hypocritical on Shooter's part. Plus he knew about the Action Legion before coming back...plus it's actually his Legion he would be losing out to...plus he's too much the company man, not too much the tortured artist....that's his negative rep.


And I don't fault DC for going with a better selling version if they get chance...I don't see how anyone can.


Like I said...no matter what happens, I'll be interested in seeing what happens to Shooter down the road...if he's blackballed again, we'll know he probably was a malcontent...if he's working we'll know he did his job and all the negative speculation was just rumors capitalizing on his negative rep.


Personally, I've never heard anyone accuse Jim Shooter of refusing to do his job...not even from his harshest critics. Just the opposite in fact, he's usually criticized for overdoing his job. Only Rich Johnston has made the speculation that Jim Shooter refused to do his job. And if fits with no other criticism of Shooter in his entire career.

It doesn't change the fact that he seemed to be bypassed by DC, that his books is being overrun by some other "version" who is NOT Legion of Super-Heroes centric and that he is being sidelined at every opportunity. That's how I feel.

Levitz interviewed here . Nice nods to Shooter and Giffen and his usual politeness and grace. No spoilers whatsoever.

I believe this is the wrap-up with a Top 10 Legion stories compilation, as chosen by Johns, Giffen, Waid, Levitz, Shooter and Dan Abnett.

I've compiled it in here, along with who chose it:

10 - Legion #0 (Johns)
9- 5 Year Gap (Abnett)
8 - Death of Karate Kid (Giffen)
7 - Earthwar (Giffen)
6 - Origin Story (Shooter)
5 - The First Mordru Story (Waid)
4 - Legion Lost (Johns)
3- Ferro Lad's Sacrifice (Adventure Comics #353) (Levitz)
2- Adventure Comics #247 (Shooter, but also mentioned by Levitz and Johns)
1- The Great Darkness Saga (Giffen, Johns)

If Johns thinks Archie Legion had 2 top tier stories, we're f&%^% up.

Well, Legion Lost wasn't very Archie. It took the book into darker territory than the preceding reboot - maybe that's what he liked about it.

This is getting old. Yeah, we know giffen hates Karate Kid and will kill him whenever he gets a chance. I find it rather insulting that he feels the need to slap us in the face with this every chance he gets.

I'm glad to see that Legion Lost made the top 10 as it deserves. It was a well written story with major shocks and twists.

The so-called Archie Legion (hate that term) had some great stories, introduced great characters (XS, Gates, Kinetix) and really brought the Legion back from the despair of the 5YG.

Death of Karate Kid: he pointed out how good the story was, not that he died. So, it was not a slap in the face whatsoever. It was a great story anyway.

Legion Lost: For me, it is still Archie Legion (two-dimensional characters) on a somewhat 5YG environment. Can't work.

Archie Legion (suitable, for its primitive plots, kiddish artwork and limited intentions) was the nail in the coffin from the dumbing-down of McCraw's Legion, first of all. Hardly 5YG's fault. It's like saying Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol was responsible for Doom Patrol's never working as a monthly again.

giffen has said many times that he hates the character and all this is another chance for him to gloat and remind us of that fact. It was a great story, but giffen really needs to move on, the joke is as tired as he is.

They were hardly two-dimensional characters. Sounds like you didn't give them a chance because they replaced the 5YG that you seem so fond of. And it did work. For a lot more issues than 5YG. That was what did not work.

Huh? Primitive plots? Limited Intentions? Kiddish artwork? This does not make sense. Again it sounds like because the 5YG mess was left behind you never gave it a chance.

I don't know what you guys are arguing about.

5YL was great. The DnA run was great. The pre-DnA reboot was quite decent at its best and never worse than okay. Can't we all just get along?

no threeboot appearances on the "best" list...
shooter's interview sounded like it was done back when he took over the current title. nothing new mentioned AT ALL.

I'm with you Matthew. Even if I do'nt groove on all of the threeboot legion I like it for what it is, and I'm extremely interested to see how it all plays out in Lo3W. I'm also loving the list of stories becaue there are some I haven't read and can now look forward to reading.

Shooter actually says what's coming next. What we don't know is when it is going to happen and why there are no ties to Legion of 3 Worlds.

I'm guessing it'll be one of those " it's not happened to us yet" time travel paradoxs that can be worked out later. That or ya know..Everyone forgot about it...Oh wait..That's how they're working this one then .....:;shrugs:: meh oh wells

It's not over yet: now Newsarama talks to Geoff Johns about L3W with spoilers here .

I don't know if this has been posted before or not, but here it is.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080825-SpoilerSportL3W.html

I thought it was a pretty nice interview, although not much in the way of spoilers since I hang around here.

I posted it in here , because it is part of Newsarama coverage of Legion's 50th Anniversary.

From CBR Fan Expo coverage:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17827

Ya know I actually made up a thread with a link to that interview xD

That's what people in the news business call a 'non-denial denial'.

Meaning, let's say you print a rumour about DC Comics. DC Comics has two possible responses they can make. If they say, "It's not true and you're an effing liar," then it's a denial and the rumor's not true. If they say, "I won't dignify that with a response," or, basically, anything else, it's a non-denial denial and the rumour may very well be true.