Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes The New Villain - SUPERBOY!!

So what does everyone think about the new Superboy? Jon Lane Kent

I recall something from Alan Moore on mining Watchmen for a buck.
“I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago,” he said.

He isn't wrong.

Now taking bets on how long it will take DC editorial to piss Marv Wolfman off to the point he leaves the strip.

Just the thing to make you long for the good old days of Superboy-Prime!

I wasn't sure from the article, but I think this Superboy is from the future..but is it from 1000 years from now or just 18 or so?

I'm truly sad to hear about this new Superboy. I remember when the real Superboy came out, and he was fun and full of youthful optimism and was well...a real super-hero. Now they are taking the name "Superboy" and just driving it through the mud. It makes me feel very sad.

I guess I'm just too old fashioned and my son suggested that I quit reading comics all together and leave it to this new generation. I think he's right.

It's why the Legion should be able to pick form the continuity rather than be slavish to it.

Superboy inspired them and became a member. Which Superboy? The Legion's one. It doesn't matter a jot which Superboy flies around in the rest of DCs books. He could be a hero, villain, clone, bizarro, cyborg. It just doesn't matter. It will be something different soon enough. Let the Legion sell on it's strengths and the rest try on theirs.

DC pretty much ruined Mary Marvel by turning her evil at one point too. Actually, not just evil but a fanboy S&M fetish doll, because obviously that's what's lurking inside her.

Fortunately, this is whole development is irrelevant to the Legion, since they are apparently now linked to Earth-2!

Of course... they are apparently bringing the Earth-2 Superman back as a villain as well, if I read things right...

Just when they can't get any dumber...

I guess with the success of Superior Spider-Man over at Marvel + DC's general weird infatuation with villains and their kind of embarrassed self-conscious loathing of actual heroism, we should be looking forward to a lot more of this kind of stuff. In recent years they've really pushed characters like Sinestro, Luthor and Superboy-Prime as protagonists more than antagonists so it makes sense that they'd embrace that and just start treating villains as the legitimate stars of the show and the guys we should be rooting for.

Marvel does this to an extent as well, things got pretty dire around the Civil War period but they seem to have reined it in a bit with the vast majority of their characters who drive the action still basically beng heroes albeit flawed heroes.

DC though...it's a friggin compulsion the way they elevate the basest of human traits as being something way more worthy than altruism. Are there any DC characters anymore who are legitimately heroic and it's played as inspiring rather than boring or outdated? It's a running joke in Aquaman's title that people think he's lame, Batman is emotionally crippled and almost complicit with some of his villains when you see the stuff they get away with under his watch, Billy Batson is a douchebag, Wonder Woman is Xena without the charm and redemption story, Supergirl's back to being a brat, even Superman isn't the inspiration he used to be.....blah, you suck DC!

I didn't think I could hate Harvest and the New DCU any more, but...



Really? I would have thought people would be screaming for the return of Peter Parker. Maybe I should check the series out for myself.

There are occasions where having a villain who is perceived as, or perceives themselves to be a hero, is fine. It can add to the moral uncertainty of a hero's actions.

Then there are villains who genuinely see the error of their ways and change sides. That a bit more mixed but has worked since the early days of the Avengers or Green Lantern's girlfriend.

We can have anti-heroes, who may perform the same deeds as superheroes, but without the benefit of mighty powers. this generally descends into gratuitous violence for the sake of violence.

Further down the scale still, we have characters who turn into heroes because the writer just likes them so much. They become rather pathetic, as they lose what made them strong along the way.

The we have characters who are popular villains, so the company cashes in and gets them to join. Marvel's X-Franchise springs to mind.

Then we have heroes becoming villains simply for the shock value, the mindless violence or, as posted above, because of self consciousness involved in promoting anything positive, in case it isn't dark enough for their perceived target audience.

DCNu is presently scraping that bottom of the barrel option. Not only in heroes to villains but in numerous other portrayals such as Starfire, Voodoo etc.

There are occasions where having a villain who is perceived as, or perceives themselves to be a hero, is fine. It can add to the moral uncertainty of a hero's actions.

Then there are villains who genuinely see the error of their ways and change sides. That a bit more mixed but has worked since the early days of the Avengers or Green Lantern's girlfriend.

We can have anti-heroes, who may perform the same deeds as superheroes, but without the benefit of mighty powers. this generally descends into gratuitous violence for the sake of violence.

Further down the scale still, we have characters who turn into heroes because the writer just likes them so much. They become rather pathetic, as they lose what made them strong along the way.

The we have characters who are popular villains, so the company cashes in and gets them to join. Marvel's X-Franchise springs to mind.

Then we have heroes becoming villains simply for the shock value, the mindless violence or, as posted above, because of self consciousness involved in promoting anything positive, in case it isn't dark enough for their perceived target audience.

DCNu is presently scraping that bottom of the barrel option. Not only in heroes to villains but in numerous other portrayals such as Starfire, Voodoo etc.