Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Legion sales still sliding

While we certainly aren't ever going to get Hickman and Aaron (as I've alluded to in multiple threads), I used them only to illustrate that there are a lot of fans of the Legion -- that being a fan of the Legion is no great qualification.

Matt Kindt is easily within the range, by the way. You're vastly underrating what the Legion might bring -- the Kruls? Really? You're purposely picking the worst quality people here to make it seem more dire than it is.

The Fialkovs, Venditti's, etc would all be lucky to get the Legion, career wise.

Ok Krul was a joke but I was serious about the rest and agree that the book would be step up, career wise, for those you mention but the question is would they take it if it was offered?

The Legion probably isn't seen as the easiest book to write with its massive cast, limited opportunities for crossovers and somewhat difficult to please fans. Even if you were willing to put up with all that the best you can probably hope for, sales wise, is a doubling of its current audience to the 30,000 mark and that sort of figure is probably far more attainable for a writer of that level with a book slap in the middle of the main DCU were you can rely on the tie-ins, crossovers and whathaveyous nowadays.

Levitz trashed all of the momentum built by Geoff Johns. I think this is the main reason that its lost steam. Remember how not so long ago everyone was wetting themselves just because the original Legion was back? George Perez drawing them! Crossing over in sexy new costumes by Gary Frank!

Most DC titles were rebooted entirely with the New 52, and though I'm happy the Legion was comparatively untouched, its DCnU iteration lacked the freshness of these other books, the best of which got quickly to the heart of what fans love about those characters. Instead splitting the cast took some of its most popular members and replaced them with untested Academy kids. After this long, you don't put the founders in retirement again--they need to be front and center for a while longer to reestablish the franchise.

Maybe Levitz' layered approach isn't workable in today's shorter books.

That totally happened to me on the first round of New DC 52 cancellations a year ago. My pull bin ain't what it used to be...

It's disappointing the sales numbers are so low for the Legion. I do think that with Mr. Levitz on board the Legion title may get a little more slack on the cancellation chop block than other titles.

I see one of two solutions to try on the Legion title:
1) Go computer graphics on the art - make it look like a video game. The Legion would lend itself to a high-tech look with its future setting, and maybe appeal to the youngsters who are big into video gaming more.
2) Go Tiny Titans and target the youngest age market. The colorful costumes and different species characters could build a new foundation for the Legion, removing the criticism of the Legion being too hard and complex to follow by dialing back the characters. I picture 3 issues a year alone based just on applicant tryouts.

Kindt, I'm pretty sure, would.



Absolutely. I've expounded upon this myself in another thread here, and I couldn't agree more.

But that's a question of ambition, and intelligence, and ability, and confidence.

As my boy Henry V once said (via Shakespeare, anyway)

Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.

Or, in other words; if you're afraid of the challenge, go home, I don't want you ANYWAY.

The Legion is a coveted brand. Kurt Busiek wanted it, but brought it up too late and Levitz was already on. Kindt has made it clear that he wants it, would love the opportunity. Hickman, if he were at DC instead of Marvel, would undoubtedly have campaigned for it. Aaron, too. I think a number of up and coming guys think they could do it, would be enthused to try. I'm no published writer (well, in scientific journals) and I'd love to give it a shot, and believe strongly I could do it. And I have to believe others have the same confidence. I'm not THAT arrogant.



Maybe. But the opportunity to get a steady paycheck, strong buzz, and the relative creative freedom that comes from working on a Legion title (sans Paul Levitz, presumably) would m ake it worth it.

I know I'm harping on Levitz here, but I really, strongly believe it is him that is doing the limiting, because Joey Calaveiri is the editor, and that man is a great editor who gives a lot of leeway to his writers (like Simonson's Orion, or Johns' Flash).

Get Levitz out of there, and let someone take on that book.

I'll just leave this here...

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/03...dc-new-52-from-october-thats-the-rumour/

Remember that "Justice Legion" rumour, anyvon?

Looks like i'll be collecting back issues as of September. XD

Horrid. I hope they do it, and it leads to another DC Implosion.

Well, if this is it. I hope Levitz's current saga ends the Legion on a high note because I won't be collecting any new comics after Legion is gone. Sorry DC, I'm done.

If they do it, I hope that's the end of DC as we know it and this current era. That somehow the characters persevere...but are at least taken to the brink so people don't forget how idiotic this last decade has been and what it can lead to.

Yeah, once Legion is done, I'm done with DC.

I would have to agree.

March 2013 sales fgures continue to fall http://www.icv2.com/articles/markets/25462.html

It seems this new Fatal Five storyline is not gaining traction. It will be interesting to see how the next couple of issues fare. Bigger surprise is that Keith Giffen's Threshold is doing so poorly.

132--has it ever been so low?

Sales aren't "sliding." They're being assassinated!

How could any writer of Levitz' experience think that showing a headless Legionnaire would build readership? That was one of the all time ludicrous images.

I really do not think it's that hard to write Legion stories that would interest long term fans, grab them and keep them. There's a long history of what the fanbase has enjoyed. They have just chosen not to do it.

Someone decided to kill this and they're killing it. It's the only conclusion I can come to because Levitz is not THIS bad of a writer.

We're in free fall. Closing my eyes.... Afraid to look...

It's time to let it rest. Until this gang of animals is out of power.

Like I said, the book isn't in freefall (16,148 is just 0.6% down on the previous month's 16,242.) On a strict percentage basis, it's actually very stable.

The problem isn't the current rate of decline, it's the cumulative declines that have gone before. Think of it not as a plane rapidly crashing to Earth, but a disabled submarine nearing the point, ever-so-slowly sinking downward, where the pressure will crush it.

So we're sinking fast on a slow boat to China? This is not good at all.

Also to put the low CBS orders here in perspective, it's not just the Legion title that is hurting but the entire DC mid-tier titles order numbers are in free fall. Many are chalking that up to extreme editorial meddling - in particular from Bob Harris.

I'm starting to think the same. I think this is deliberate. Perhaps to make a JLA of the future, perhaps to simply be done with it. But this feels less like a story and more like a culling.

Well, let's turn the perspective into context. Here's all the DCnU titles I can see from March on the chart:

March 2013 DCnU titles:

100k+
3. BATMAN #18 ($3.99) - 137,893
6. JUSTICE LEAGUE #18 ($3.99) - 102,494

90k+
9. JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #2 ($3.99) - 91,734

80k+
(none)

70k+
18. DETECTIVE COMICS #18 ($3.99) - 76,237

60k+
19. GREEN LANTERN #18 ($2.99) - 69,801
20. BATMAN AND ROBIN #18 ($2.99) - 69,614
23. BATMAN INCORPORATED #9 ($2.99) - 64,067
24. ACTION COMICS #18 ($4.99) - 61,879

50k+
27. BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #18 ($2.99) - 54,269
28. AQUAMAN #18 ($2.99) - 53,337
30. BATGIRL #18 ($2.99) - 51,677

40k+
34. SUPERMAN #17 (LATE, $2.99) - 49,666
37. SUPERMAN #18 ($2.99) - 48,236
38. NIGHTWING #18 ($2.99) - 48,223
42. EARTH 2 #10 ($2.99) - 46,213
46. GREEN LANTERN CORPS #18 ($2.99) - 44,215
50. TEEN TITANS #18 ($2.99) - 42,055
51. GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #18 ($2.99) - 42,028
54. FLASH #18 ($2.99) - 41,659

30k+
60. WONDER WOMAN #18 ($2.99) - 38,406
61. RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #18 ($2.99) - 37,731
62. CONSTANTINE #1 ($2.99) - 37,564
68. RED LANTERNS #18 ($2.99) - 35,203
69. BATMAN INCORPORATED #8 (REPRINT, $2.99) - 34,679
73. CATWOMAN #18 ($2.99) - 33,220
76. BATWOMAN #18 ($2.99) - 31,381
77. SWAMP THING #18 ($2.99) - 30,716

20k+
81. ANIMAL MAN #18 ($2.99) - 28,711
82. WORLDS FINEST #10 ($2.99) - 28,469
86. GREEN ARROW #18 ($2.99) - 28,080
87. SUPERGIRL #18 ($2.99) - 28,051
90. JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #18 ($2.99) - 25,664
93. TALON #6 ($2.99) - 25,440
94. SUICIDE SQUAD #18 ($2.99) - 25,232
95. SUPERBOY #18 ($2.99) - 24,455
103. BIRDS OF PREY #18 ($2.99) - 21,957

10k+
113. LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #6 ($3.99) - 19,681
114. KATANA #2 ($2.99) - 19,247
115. JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 (REPRINT, $3.99) - 19,225
116. JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICAS VIBE #2 ($2.99) - 19,092
123. PHANTOM STRANGER #6 ($2.99) - 17,375
126. ALL STAR WESTERN #18 ($3.99) - 16,897
132. LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #18 ($2.99) - 16,148
141. THRESHOLD #3 ($3.99) - 15,109
148. RAVAGERS #10 ($2.99) - 13,466
151. STORMWATCH #18 ($2.99) - 13,255
157. DIAL H #10 ($2.99) - 13,084
160. DEMON KNIGHTS #18 ($2.99) - 12,975
166. DEATHSTROKE #18 ($2.99) - 12,306
168. BATWING #18 ($2.99) - 12,084
170. SAVAGE HAWKMAN #18 ($2.99) - 12,021
172. TEAM 7 #6 ($2.99) - 11,805
173. SWORD OF SORCERY #6 ($3.99) - 11,776
176. DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #18 ($2.99) - 11,679
178. I VAMPIRE #18 ($2.99) - 11,568
188. FURY OF FIRESTORM THE NUCLEAR MAN #18 ($2.99) - 10,679

<10k
237. HUMAN BOMB #4 of 4 ($2.99) - 6,379

I don't know if I'm more depressed at the low sales, the fact that I don't find it all that surprising, or the fact that I'm not quite as upset as I should be.

The slow submarine analogy was apt.

Is there anything we can still do at this point?

I think it's time to let it go gracefully. The justice league is probably on its way and the book is terrible. I'm ready for cancellation.

Viva la Backissues!

Now if each Legion fan would buy twenty issues apiece each month...