Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! what SHOULD the new Legion be about?

I'd like to start this thread to see what everyone would like to see happen for the future of our intrepid cast of future hero. Also, where should we see them: in their own monthly comic or as part of another title, etc.

well, I definitely would like them in their own title.

I also like to see shorter stories, not these multi-issue stories. I know all comics are doing it in order to be collected into a trade paperback. I am reading the Marvel Essential Clasic X-men Vol2 and they actually apologized for doing a two issue story. So just tell us some good stories and don't feel you have to include every legionnaire (or most of them) in every story.

So much agreement with Quislet there. Single issue stories would be so much nicer to see than the endless 'epics' that stretch out over a year (or longer!).

Some of my absolute favorite 'epics' are storylines that were done in four or five issues, like the Great Darkness Saga or the Eyes of Tara Markov.

These days, we've got people complaining that a team that's only on a book for six issues 'can't get anything done in that amount of time.'

Malarkey. Show some freaking *discipline* and write a monthly book, not a paced-for-trade collection-in-waiting.

The best shows I've been seeing have started with a collection of 'monster of the week' episodes in the first season, and then moved on to the grander plots (Supernatural is the example that comes to mind, but I could also point out stuff like Deep Space Nine or Babylon 5), while the *worst* plotted shows appear to be the ones that attempt to throw a massive convoluted seasons-long plotline at us *before* they establish the characters (Lost, Heroes), which leaves the season disjointed, since anytime they break off to establish a character (say, the excellent 1st season Heroes ep focused on Noah Bennet, Company Man), they have to put the 'metaplot' on hold, and it breaks up the flow (and also ends up messing with the dramatic *urgency* of the plot-arc-thing, since the oh-so-important plot was put on hold to develop Noah for a bit).

The character stuff needs to happen *before* the metaplot kicks into high gear, and then the character-driven interactions *during* the big meta-plot-y event will flow logically from what we already have had established back in the ground-laying phase. Without ground-laying, we've got a house built on mud.

Again, using the Supernatural show as an example of getting it right, the writers gave the viewer a bunch of stand-alone episodes that showed us the characters, their world, their lives, etc. and invested us in them, before then hitting us with the big plots that threatened that world and those lives and these characters.

Putting the United Planets at risk, or threatening Legionnaire X, when *we barely know them* is an exercise in futility. OMG, Projectra is going evil! Oh wait, I barely know this woman. Big freaking whoop.

Hmm... Very astute, Set. A budding writer could learn much from you.

I'd prefer storylines to stretch over 3 issues each. After that, it's time to move on. Perhaps once every 3 years or so, a 4-5 issue storyline. I'd also like to see stories (maybe every 4 issues or so) feature a very limited cast 2-4 characters total which specifically delves into the character's background, personality, relationships, etc. as THE major plot driven force of the issue (HENCE FORTH THE SOAP-OPERA ISSUES), these being single comics as a break between major storylines.

I would love to see throwbacks to the old Levitz era. Shorter story arcs with a handful of characters, with a grand multi-parter once a year to showcase the whole team. And intersprinkled throughout would be characterization scenes to flesh out individuals.

Dead on Phantom Girl.

I'd like to see a return to a more mature-reader discipline on Legion. In fact, I'd work out of continuity if possible, with a cast of invited writers/artists.

Ooh, I want more reader participation!

I want a letter page with the following (over the course of the first year or so);

Readers vote for Legion Leader!

Readers submit new costume ideas!

Readers submit 'BITS of Legion Business' for new characters who will show up for tryouts (and be laughed out of the building, mostly)!

Contests for walk-on appearances! (Send a photo, be drawn getting rescued or whatever.)

I think Waid had the right idea originally when he claimed that v5 would be thirty-page, self-contained issues that contributed to a longer-term plot. It's also important that each issue be densely packed, like TMK was at its best, so the it really merits re-reading. No more five-minute, disposable comics.

I fully approve of more reader-participation as well!

And I also agree with it not being in "mainstream" DC continuity. The last thing I want is to have to pick up Crappy Special #1 for a three-panel appearance of a Legionnaire that's somehow supposed to be vital to understanding what's going on in the main book.

Beyond that, what the Legion should be is a club of heroes from an optimistic future that are inspired by the legend of Superboy and induct him as a member.

I agree with everything said so far but would add that the new Legion book should be about the old Legion. No more reboots or retcons. OK a little reworking is needed to fit the current DCU but apart from that, a single internally consistent continuity.

I REALLY don't want a new Legion book about the "orginal" Legion. That version has an incredible body of published work spanning 4 decades. Unlike most comic characters, that Legion has a beginning, middle and end. The characters have grown up, and Geoff Johns seems to be sending them off well in FC: LO3W. I love them, and love seeing them again in LO3W. But I don't want to read new versions of old stories or inconsequential stories set between the original ones (the original costumes and tech would look ridiculous anyway). As the characters are now, they are too old to really be the Legion. If Time Trapper de-ages them and they have to start over, maybe.

Things I would like to see: It's fairly simple: A large group of idealistic, superpowered teens band together to make the galaxy a better place, fight injustice and intolerance, and have some fun in the process, inspired by Superman and connected somehow to the house of El.

I want stories of consequence, but NOT universe-level threats ALL the florgin' time. The major event mode of the last 20 years needs to end, because it just ends up trivializing what are some pretty serious issues. The Legion should be pushed to the limit to prevent the large-scale planetary destruction, not clean up AFTER large-scale planetary destruction.

Basically, I want something similar in spirit to the first few issues of Waid/Kitson, without the heavy-handed generation gap stuff or the long, anti-climactic, overly destructive plot lines where much of Earth is wracked to ruin on an annual basis. I'm convinced you can tell stories of consequence without reducing planets to cinders every 3rd issue. I DO want the Legionnaires to be proud of their youth and idealism. I WANT them to have a sense of heroic mission. I just don't want the stale generation gap stuff. The young people working on the Obama campaign are a better model for today's Legionnaires than the Summer of Love participants or Chicago '68 protesters.

I want good villains and adversaries. Again, I'm convinced you don't have to have villains with godlike powers or armies of genocidal maniacs or turncoat megalomaniac Legionnaires to present meaningful threats to the Legion. It's a big, strange, powerful universe out there. One great way to do this is to deploy the Legion in teams. Too often of late, we see the whole Legion waiting around to be attacked or assembled to attack. This was a VERY rare occurance in the good old days, and should become so again. While the cartoon went too far focusing on the same characters all the time, the spirit of what they were doing with a Legion spread out across the galaxy makes sense.

I want stories that flow from the amazing group of characters available in the Legion. Waid and Shooter both promised that, and seemed to do it at first, but it always seems to fade way too quickly. There's a REASON those of us old enough to have read it remember the story with Brainy and his robot Supergirl (and it's not JUST that we all want lifelike robot sextoys!)

I agree with shorter stories, but I still want bigger ones lurking in the backgrounds. I want a healthy mix of done in one stories mixed in with 2-4 issues arcs. All the while advancing the subplots in every few issues like they used to do in the old days. They would have something simering for a year or better before it finally all blew up into a big storyline, but at the same time they were telling good stories without the subplots really overshadowing the story being told.

And a better mix of all the charaters not just a certain few. That was one of my main gripes about Waids trainwreck was it seemd like the book just became Cosmic Boy and Barinic 5 guest start the Legion. I have honeslty been very happy with the title since Cosmic Boy was sent away after being so voerloaded with him by Waid. Like other have said short stories with just 1-5 members of the team is a great way to go for alot of stories, and save the full on team battles for the big stuff.

I agree with the caveat that the simmering 'metaplot in the background' needs to have a specific reason why the Legion aren't just confronting it immediately, as it would just make them look sloppy to constantly be letting things constantly 'slip' and turn into major catastrophes. I think the Great Darkness Saga did this well. There were some hints of something going on, such as the break-in at the museum where some magical relics were de-powered, and the death of the 'world's last detective,' because he was 'on to something,' but never something that the Legionnaires could be blamed for not following up on. When Darkseid struck, massively, it wasn't something that the Legion ended up looking stupid for not catching and stopping in advance.

I've seen a few shows (and comics) where the heroes are so busy with little stuff (or just personal stuff) that they completely ignore a building metaplot until it's completely boiled over and become a mega-disaster. (Example: season six of Buffy, where the 'troika' is ignored until one of them actually kills one of the main characters and all hell breaks loose...)

I'd like to *not* see that sort of situation, where sloppiness or self-involvement causes the year-long simmering metaplot to be 'put off' until it explodes into intergalactic war and thousands die, planets explode, etc.

I've said it before, but the first year of the reboot Legion had some of the best pacing/plotting overall that the series has ever had, with lots of little two or three issue arcs, many of which, as gradually became apparent, were building up to the larger "White Triangle" storyline.

A lot of good points here, everyone. My take:

DON'T want to see:

1. Easily out dated material-Like Comet Queen's "Parse me to the ___________th degree" and "It's like Starshine." I think they were trying to make a Valley Girl type.

2. Too many minor powered characters that end up dead too soon after they are introduced. Ferro Lad lasted a short time, but died a major hero and now he's arguably a legend. Others seem like throwaways, like Blood Claw, Firefist, Flederweb and Veilmist. Never liked them anyway and I knew they wouldn't last long.

3. Like most of you, overly long story arcs. Remember the Earthwar? Omega? Maybe not the best stories, but memorable, and not drawn out too long.

4. The eat-it-Grandpa attitude. Just annoying, and unnecessary.

5. Too many characters in one story. Many of the best Legion stories revolve around about 5 characters, then, it's a couple of them, plus different ones.

6. We will always remember the original characters no matter how we try not to compare them. How many times has someone on this board said "I don't like Garth as leader being an idiot," or "Garth is not that kind of hothead." It's still wierd to me that a Star Boy is black. That's not speaking from prejudice, it's just too different. If it is a successor, (i.e. Invisible Kid I and II) ok, but to just retcon for the sake of a token color, no. They have to be recognizable and done tastefully.

7. Not another, "We-mean-it-this-time-final- final-crisis-forever-and-infinity! No Crisis, no reboot, ever. Yeah, I'm dreaming.

DO want to see:

1. The three founders, with basically the same origin. Sorry, I'm a traditionalist there, and them being best friends, even if they are now retired.

2. A Superboy or Mon-el character who is the powerful, morally upright conscience of the Legion, and an inspiration to the other members.

3. A Jo Nah who is a a rebel, and former bad boy, but not a total SOB. Ditto for T-Wolf, feral and animalistic, but not like a pitbull you never know when it's going to bite someone's hand off.

4. Family dynamics, like kids for the older members. Isn't it about time we saw what the second generation's powers would be like?

5. Paul Levitz involvement, somehow.

6. Issue #100 in 8 1/2 yrs. Strong sales.

7. Ditto on lettercols, mostly from email, and reader involved leader elections.

8. The Legion in their own book, by Summer 2009.

The new comic-book legion should be about the Action Legion.

The new web-comic legion should be about the reboot legion.

The new manga legion should be about the threeboot legion.

They should all be written by untried no-names.

It should be about 48 pages a month! (ba-dum-dum)

80 Page Giant at least

Maybe DC should run a "Who wants to write the Legion?" contest.

Why not a "Who Wants To Reboot The Legion"?

I agree with a lot of things said here but I have my own view, too.

*I want a Legion that's pulled together from the others, sort of the best of the best.

*I want young adults rather than kids with some of the Legionnaires being mentors who are older, say:
Jo as Dragonlord with Phase of L.E.G.I.O.N.
the Naga Projectra with her consort, Cham
Ayla and 3boot Vi.
The idea is that some of the Legionnaires remain older and with families, some are presented as the core team of college agers and some can be in a teened Academy.

*I want lots of Alien types as well as humanoids.

*I'd like a Vertigo style presentation as far a continuity issues go with few, very few, crossovers.

*I need fun, humor and people working together for a positive future (some dark stuff is okay but I don't want dark, ugly stuff and NO Darkseid!)

*I want beautiful art and stories that actually say something with no filler to drag things out.

*No Shooter or Waid! I want NEW stories! I don't want to recognize something from the past all of the time! I want NEW costumes and revitalized enemies. Even some NEW enemies.

*I want big stories and little stories but mostly I want WELL WRITTEN stories!
Get writers from Sci-Fi TV or Books.
The best.
One team writes and illustrates one issue or small team stories, another team does large groups stories, anothers specialty is epics.
Why does a writer have to write stories his hearts not in or an artist keep going until he burns out or fill-in be used at all?

*I'd like as many titles as I can get on a monthly basis without a bunch of stupid (Tellus in MG, comes to mind) crossovers.

*No more reboots!
Let them age and new Legionnaires come in and just keep going.

Shooter has not done anything remotely tied to the past, Candle. Quite the contrary.

Hear hear!

DC started something with 5YG that I really loved. The Legionnaires grew older and changed. Like real life, what an amazing concept.
An adult core of Legionnaires mentoring a youthful Legion sounds like a great idea for a book (or books) I hate to lean on the X-Books for an example but that concept really does work pretty well for them.

I liked the adult Jo, the supremely confident adult Laurel, the battered and banged up but still active businessman Garth and so on and so forth. There were a lot of good things about that run of the Legion and I've always thought that even Legion On the Run could have been a lot better if not for the annual company crossover that resulted in a total reboot.

This also gives opportunity to writers at DC to explore that utopian/dystopian future through new eyes, to use fewer and newer characters. I like Candace's idea to rotate creative teams in a way that plays to their strengths for the best possible product on the shelves. That seems like an innovative way to get readers to take a look at something they haven't seen before thereby generating a few new sales.

I know I've said negative things about yet-another-reboot but I honestly have a hard time imagining not being a Legion fan.

Upside down rocket clubhouse.