Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! The first two years of .... THE LEGION

With the spotlight on Umbra issue I thought I would re-read the first two years of The Legion. In doing so I took some notes and thoughts as to where our beloved book is going. I'm curious to hear from all of you your own thoughts both positive and negative about this time in Legion history in writing, art, character development, and overall direction as we go into year three. With sales slipping the last few months do we think that the book has lost alot of ground it made up with Legion Lost and year one? Some of my thoughts...

Issues 1-6 - So far the best of the run. Our lost heroes returned, Umbra's powers fade, we learn President M. is dead, Venge, some great fight scenes, Back to the lost universe, The Credo s formed. We get to see many members after months of nothing like Sensor, Gear, Violet, etc... Ra's Al Ghul enters Legion myth. I think the art is superb with the exception of issue 5 and the pace is tense and exciting.

Issues 7-12 - The Terraforms! Kinetix changed. Lots of Monel, Timber Wolf and Tinya returning home, Robotica on it's way! Cub is growing fast.
Issue 10 mentions that Titanet's power is increasing (things to come). Umbra leaves for Talok in issue 10 ( that's over 14 issues to resolve), The Robotica invasion, Venge is Computo!
Pace is still quick but art becomes choppy and we loose Oliver. Within the frame work of year one we get the return of Computo, a classic Legion villian. Sub plots are every where.

Issues 13- 18 - The Robotica storyline that had been building for months ends a little dissapointing for some. Timber Wolf joins, Computo evolves, and Sharn Nux is sent to the end of time! We see the funeral for the lost members and Element lad is returned to Trom via Kid Q. The Fatal Five return! Starboy powers start to act up. The hypertaxis explosion and Ra's escape. Finally, Jeka is transformed into the new Sensor.
For me this is the weakest period of the new series on all levels. Still lots of action but the stories are becoming quick reads and it seems the character development is slowing. The art is still not where 1-6 were. I do like the new Sensor over the archie version but still long for Princess Projectra. We start seeing a pattern of the same heroes over and over again and others fading in the background (can we say Gates).

Issue 19 to present - Dream Crime! Much hyped and boy was I not thrilled. The return of Universo! Karate Kid and Ferro! Jeka taking a bigger role and becoming a whole new person overnight. Dreamer joins. Darkseid returns (kinda). Umbra's story is finally resolved in what is the quickest read of the entire run. Art is looking up with both Chris and Steve really giving us some nice work and shots of Titan and Talok. We also get a new cover logo (liked the original better).
So here we are - what does everyone think?

Plus- DNA have used alot of classic Legion villians in the first two years - Universo, Darkseid, The Fatal Five, Computo. Intoduced some old threats in a new way -Ra's. Sensor was sorta fixed. Lots of action, the return of Dreamer and Timber Wolf to the team. Some new looks (love Umbra's new one). Karate kid and Ferro's return.

Not so good - Sooo many sub plots that have been going on for years. Where is Tenzil, Lori, Dirk?
Whats up with cub? What happened to Sharn? Why does it seem people are morphing into new looks -Kinetix, Sensor. Why are we not seeing a better rotation of characters, we see the same one all the time. I miss the leader write in elections. Our heroes need a costume face lift, like Umbra, that return the team to the individual looks of the 70's and 80's. Will we find out what happened to Element lad and Livewire? Will we see Blok and Dawny?

The future - Well it seems both Livewire and Superboy are coming back. The Time Trapper? Dreamer and the time shifts. Darkseid, is it him this time? Cub- whats goin on with that.

We shall see in 3!

Very good summary, Imskian.

I had forgotten that Umbra left in # 10. More than a year to resolve her storyline is too long for the payoff. It was a good story, # 24, but it shouldn't have taken so long.

It's easy to complain about the things that are wrong with LEGION -- and there are many things that are wrong, I feel. At best, it's a so-so series that manages a good story now and then but fails to truly develop the large cast and numerous subplots already introduced (e.g., Credo).

It's tempting to say that there should be a second Legion series, but considering how the stories are already stretched out to the point of nausea, I don't think a second title would solve anything. The potential for more stories and more depth is there; it's just not being utilized effectively.

I really like what DnA have been doing all along. I loved "Legion Lost" and I loved the beginning of this series. I still like what they're doing now, but it's the pacing of the stories and the lack of attention to the members of the cast not being spotlighted that are my main sore points with DnA. I don't need storylines or spotlight issues to satisfy me.

Sometimes it's just having the team interacting together and a revealing line or two from a character during the action will make me at least feel like they're present and a part of the mix, y'know? (one example just popped into my head -- near the end of the Levitz run, there was some fight and Timberwolf griped about his new furry costume itching. Right there it was totally in character, a fun exchange and at least made me feel like Brin wasn't being ignored).

Wow Imskian, are you reading minds now? Exactly what I would have written if I could spell and compose.


Drake's summary of the most urgent needs works for me also. Pick up the pace and characterization.

"months?" How about years. Robotica was introduced as Brainy hating invaders in December 1999.

Coipel's departure was a big loss for this series. He just did something that made DnA's work pop.

If I could have my way, I'd have had a couple of those all-characterization issues right before Robotica hit. I feel like everything had happened so back-to-back, there was never a breather taken in order to feel any concern for any of the Legionnaires. They're just fighting machines that go and go and go.

Dream Crime was not what I'd expected. Universo. Bah! We had recently had the Titans/Legion farce with Universo.

I suppose I'm a bit disgruntled as a Legion fan. I still miss Coipel, though Batista's doing great. Loved Lightle's last issue, though there were lots of problems with the story. I've said this before, and it keeps coming true: the anticipation of DnA's stories is better than the realization of them.

I imagine "Foundations" could make or break DnA's rep. The issues at hand in my mind:
-- How will Superboy be introduced?
--Will Darkseid be treated as just another universe conquerer like Robotica or Universo?
--Will DnA break their trend to have Legionnaires being forced to fight one another with the climax hinging on a Legionnaire betraying or appearing to betray the team?
-- Will the story build and build then end in a whimper?
-- Will they be able to give each member good page-time?

These are the issues I'm waiting to see DnA overcome.