Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! The End of the Legion?

You left out four issues of "Legion of the Damned," three issues of "Widening Rifts" and two Secret Files books ('99 and '03). That's 60 DnA books.

{[...] Legion of Super-Heroes ran from 259-313, Tales of the LSH took over from 314-354 (326-354 were reprints of the first couple of dozen of the Baxter run) }

"Tales" 314-325 did have entirely original stories, interleaved (in continuity) with the events of the first 12 issues of the v3 (Baxter) run. The rest were indeed reprints of v3, except for issue 343, which used an earlier Wildfire origin story, instead of v3's "Crisis" story.

It's easier to simply include those first 12 original issues of "Tales," for story purposes, with "LSH" volume 2.

Sorry, but I'm a stickler for pointing this all out because "Tales" was not all reprints, and that first year had a multi-part story near and dear to me (see legend under avatar to guess why). I don't want that first year's presence being overlooked by anybody, even in quickly noting issue runs.

The dual-format experiment, o'course, threw away much of the Legion (and Titans) audience, and made it far harder for newcomers to see either series.

I'm thinking the same thing, Princess.

Umm... hello.

He's got 11 months of Superman left. And then I think he's committed to give a Wildstorm title a leg up (I forget which).

Thats why I counted it from 259-325. I just ignored the reprint issues in my breakdown. Still like I said it usually comes out to about 60 issues more or less each time the Legion gets a name change, reboot, or drasctic new direction.

I am very confident that the book will "...be right back, after these commercial messages!"!

But I've gotta say it's a little creepy...every time a series with "The Legion..." in the title gets to #38, something majorly bad happens:

LSH (v3) #38: Death of Superboy
LSH (v4) #38: Destruction of planet Earth
The Legion #38: Legion is cancelled.

(I skipped Legionnaires #38, because it didn't support my theory...and it didn't have a "the" in the title... )

See you all on the other side!

LLL!

I don't think Lee's designs will see print, but just because he's busy doesn't preclude their use. Lee was pegged to design Green Lantern's current outfit and he wasn't doing art on the book - they just wanted his design.

Obviously not a Sabers fan, huh? I still can't believe they lost that game!

Just to say (cause I can't says no more!) that I hope Legion readers give us a chance. We're really trying to do the most fun story we can in four issues, and I wouldn't be part of anything that was designed to trick or betray readers.

I hope you try the books...I think you'll enjoy 'em!

Gail

Gail, if the four issues live up to the small taste we got in Jen's preview then I don't think we'll be disappointed. At least I know I won't be. The writing and art had a good old-fashioned feel to it that's been missing from the Legion for years.

Yeah, the preview looked to be very interesting. At least Legion won't be going out with a whimper!

It's got an oldskool vibe, and I'm not ashamed at all.

Gail

Do we at least have an idea of when the Legion will be back??

Because I have to say after being out of comics for the last 7 years, Im back in and Legion is the ONLY title I buy monthly. Not only that but I've gone back and collected everything I missed!

Legion is also pretty much the only title I read, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there'll be a relaunch...

But whatever happens, I'll make damn sure I buy Gail's run and enjoy it!

I try not to read spoilers and previews off the net, as I really like that feeling you get from opening up the book and feeling that paper in your hands.

So I'll be there till the end and hopefully getting the full effect the creators are going for with out any dulling of the senses from "seeing it all before" on the net.

I say this 'cancellation' talk is a ploy to get us fans up in arms and rally around the Legion.

Of course there'll be a new book.

Remember how many chances they gave that tattooed idiot "Fate"... and his book NEVER sold! Legion, even at it's lowest sales levels, still has a baseline high by DC standards, and let's face it, love DnA or not, they sold, and sold quite well.

DnA certainly made the Legion relevant again, but what do you mean by "baseline high"? It's a cheap title for DC to produce? And I think you're overstating the case when you claim that the DnA issues "sold quite well." In comparison to what?

How many copies of the earliest issues of Vol. 5 (the Ra's Al Ghul issues when the title really had some industry wide buzz) were sold?

I'm really looking forward to Gail's run! I've been waiting for this for months, and I'm sure we won't be let down. Her BoP is so good, that I'm anxious to see what she does with the LSH.

As for being cancelled, I just can't believe that there isn't something in the works after the cancellation, whether a relaunch with Jim Lee, or Jeph Loeb making the LSH connect to Superman, or something else I'm not even thinking of. Whether in denial or not, I have a feeling that we'll be getting a lot of Legion to come, so I just can't take Whacker's comments serious. (Besides, they really did seem toungue in cheek, unless he just comes off as a jerk).

Hey Gail we have nothing but love for you. It's the suits in the front office that worry us.

The legion is selling as well right now as it ever has in the last ten years.

Of course the legion will be back. Hasn't DC got some sort of blank cheque in regard to the legion in that there will always be a legion title in some shape or form as long as DC is publishing? I remember someone important saying that once.

Sales going back as far as I can get 'em (Feb 1999) [in sq. brackets is change from previous month where available]:

Key -

Michael Burns Usenet posts (from Google Groups)
Carl Henderson's numbers from http://j_carl_henderson.tripod.com
icv2's pre-order numbers
icv2's actual sales (to retailers) nos

Pre-DnA:

Legionnaires #70 - 18,900
Legion of Super-Heroes #114 - 19,600
Legionnaires #71 - 18,700 [-1.1%]
Legion of Super-Heroes #115 - 19,100 [-2.6%]
Legionnaires #72 - 18,400 [-1.8%]
Legion of Super-Heroes #116 - 18,800 [-1.3%]
Legionnaires #73 - 18,100 [-1.5%]
Legion of Super-Heroes #117 - 18,500 [-1.9%]
Legionnaires #74 - 17,600 [-2.8%]
Legion of Super-Heroes #118 - 18,100 [-2.1%]
Legionnaires #75 - 17,700 [+0.6%]
Legion of Super-Heroes #119 - 18,000 [-0.6%]
Legionnaires #76 - 17,600 [-0.6%]
Legion of Super-Heroes #120 - 17,900 [-0.6%]
Legionnaires #77 - 17,300 [-0.4%]
Legion of Super-Heroes #121 - 17,700 [0%]

DnA start:

Legionnaires #78 - 17,300 [0%]

Legion of the Damned:

Legion of Super-Heroes #122 - 18,400 [+4.0%]
Legionnaires #79 - 17,200 [-0.6%]
Legion of Super-Heroes #123 - 17,700 [-3,8%]
Legionnaires #80 - 15,800 [-5,4%]

Widening Rifts:

Legion of Super-Heroes #124 - 17,200 [0%]
Legionnaires #81 - 17,000 [+7.6%]
Legion of Super-Heroes #125 - 17,500 [+1.7%]

Legion Lost:

Legion Lost #1 - 20,900
Legion Lost #2 - 19,100 [+8.3%]
Legion Lost #3 - 21,200 [+11,0%]
Legion Lost #4 - 22,000 [+3.8%] / 21,974
Legion Lost #5 - 22,406
Legion Lost #6 - 21,379
Legion Lost #7 - 21,706
Legion Lost #8 - 21,137
Legion Lost #9 - 21,540
Legion Lost #10 - 20,217
Legion Lost #11 - 19,553
Legion Lost #12 - 20,510

Superboy's Legion:

Superboy's Legion #1 - 23,350
Superboy's Legion #2 - 21,080

Legion Worlds:

Legion Worlds #1 - 23,830 / 21,955
Legion Worlds #2 - 22,020 / 20,570
Legion Worlds #3 - 22,080 / 20,954
Legion Worlds #4 - 21,960 / 20,832
Legion Worlds #5 - 21,410 / 20,685
Legion Worlds #6 - 21,520 / 20,129

The Legion

The Legion #1 - 28,350
The Legion #2 - 24,364
The Legion #3 - 24,338
The Legion #4 - 24,416
The Legion #5 - 24,232
The Legion #6 - 24,603
The Legion #7 - 25,113
The Legion #8 - 24,771
The Legion #9 - 24,566
The Legion #10 - 24,775
The Legion #11 - 24,988
The Legion #12 - 25,355
The Legion #13 - 24,218
The Legion #14 - 23,880
The Legion #15 - 23,962
The Legion #16 - 23,744
The Legion #17 - 23,005
The Legion #18 - 22.516 / 23,180
The Legion #19 - 23,214
The Legion #20 - 23,184
The Legion #21 - 22,749
The Legion #22 - 22,987
The Legion #23 - 22,466
The Legion #24 - 22,653
The Legion #25 - 30,440
The Legion Secret Files 3003 - 19,231
The Legion #26 - 26,635
The Legion #27 - 25,667
The Legion #28 - 25,042
The Legion #29 - 24,908
The Legion #30 - 25,014
The Legion #31 - 24,870

I echo the sentiments expressed about the frustration of another possible reboot. Two bad things happen in these instances; first the reboot takes time to re-establish itself, and second it negates much of the preceeding works. That said, I hope it doesn't happen, and I trust we will see the Legion again soon if "cancellation" does occur.

A couple of thoughts occured to me, and this is only my speculation:
1) DC Direct is issuing two new Legion action figures in August - they are the Silver Age Invisible Kid and Colossal Boy. They have of course been creating other Silver Age Legion figures. Could the reasoning be that a new version of a Legion title would be based on those Silver Age characters?
2) Cartoon Network has announced the Justice League Adventures series is finishing its run. Recently, DC's comic version of the JLA cartoon series featured Legionnaires (and Computo!). A few years ago, the animated Superman series had Legionnaires in a story as well. Could there be an animated Legion series up next?

My prediction: This fall, the Legion will experience a mild reboot at the hands of Waid and Kitson (and yes, a new #1 issue, which always gets a couple thousand more copies in sales, like it or not). Soon after, a second title in the cartoony style of the animated series books (Legion Adventures) will accompany the new Legion animated series. This will feature the characters and costumes of the Silver Age Adventure/Action run, and include additions like Andromeda, Kid Quantum I, and Gates, etc.

Long Live the Legion - a Cat in a Dog eat Dog world!

What I really liked about Gail's preview issue was...Dan Jurgens! Timberwolf and Ultra Boy don't like teenage weaklings anymore! I always hated the little skinny look...atleast on the strong guys. I don't mind Brainy and IK.

I'm a Jurgens Legion fan ever since he did that Dev-Em story arc way back when!

Jorge

Thanks for these figures, SoM! Wow! I didn't realize that "Legion of the Damned" sold that badly. I thought that little 4-parter had some buzz to it, especially in comparison to the garbage that preceded it.

Recent sales numbers aren't horrible (of course, they're horrible historically, but considering the state of the comic book industry, these figures aren't horrible for 2004), so this makes me even more curious about the decision to cancel and re-launch the series.

Will a Mark Waid/Barry Kitson relaunch dramatically boost sales figures? I mean, do you think a Waid/Kitson LSH can sell in excess of 35,000 copies? If not, why would TPTB at DC decide a re-launch was necessary? Why not just continue the title with #39?

I can think of three reasons:
-re-boot
-cancellation is genuine; no re-launch and no re-boot
-the new creators are not Waid/Kitson but people who are even more commercially popular (Jim Lee, for instance)

....And the speculation continues...