Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! The 5 year gap: Fill in or leave the gap

I am a fan of leaving certain aspects of a characters past nebulous when it adds to their mystique e.g. Wolverine( I dismiss ORIGIN) Phantom Stranger, Cable etc.

With the 5 year element in the LSH I think there is a great opportunity to add some weight to several characters within that 5 year period with some untold stories.

I would especially like to see Jo-Nah featured in a story set in that 5 year gap period.

We are supposed to get a LSH ongoing out of L3W so it could be a backup feature as well.

So, should the 5 year period be left untouched or should stories from that era be focused on?

If they ever did a story where we found out whatever happened to Aria from the FYL stories, hopefully.

I wouldn't mind seeing a few stories, but I like that so much of it was only hinted at.

Too often, we comic fans are used to being told everything. If anything, we get things over-explained.

Casablanca would be no richer for seeing a flashback to Rick's gunrunning days, or knowing why he left the US... but the Paris flashback was all the more vital because it is the only flashback we get - and it ties him to Elsa.

There was a site, years ago, that did an issue-by-issue synopses of the LSH issues that would have made up the 5-year gap from Levtz' final issue all the way to TMK # 1. It used events in TMK's fabulous SOURCEBOOK and flashbacks from the issues proper as its source, and was BEYOND FAB. NO STONE was left unturned...

Oh, does ANYONE know what I'm talking about? A link would kick all SORTS of ass. This stuff was GREAT and had me on the edge of my seat. I'd LOVE to read it again...

I remember that ... I have a printout of it somewhere ... It was awesome!

Ooooh, you got the URL, SHarksy?

I'll have to look for it ... it's somewhere in my box o' comic stuff up in the attic ...

I'm just glad someone remembers what I'm talking about and liked it too! Whoever did/wrote that should probably be in the industry in some form... if not as a writer then DEF as an editor!

I remember that. I think I might be able to find a link. hold on...

it included covers too if I remember right ... great stuff ... whoever wrote it took great care in crafting the issues ...

I remember that. I think I might be able to find a link. hold on...

I remember that. I think I might be able to find a link. hold on...

nope. I know it's out there but can't find it.

I was looking too, but couldn't find it ... hopefully, I can find the copy I printed out ...

Found it!

http://www.readersadvice.com/lsh/levitz.html

KICK ASS!!!!!!! Thanks guys!!!!

oh WOW, dude even included ANNUALS... oh, I wish I could "click to enlarge" all the covers!!

This guy rocks.

Was just rereading it too ... brilliant ... love the stuff about Jeckie's resignation ...

Hope it's okay to comment on "filling in" in the general sense, since I've only read snippets of 5YG/5YL/TMK whatever you wacky kids like to call it.

Flashbacks, brief ones, are a good compromise, I think. When a certain time period has lapsed after the reader becomes aware of a "gap," I think it's a mistake to try and fill the whole thing in. Readers build up their/our own ideas of exactly how the "lost time" played out. Since we're each such cranky, individualistic, opinionated so-and-so's, it's inevitable that when the "gap" is officially filled, somebody's gonna' feel disappointed, angry, let down, etc.

I remember this happening more than once with stories I followed for a long time. It's not necessarily that the "reverse-resolution," origin, whatever was awful. But it could never compete with what I'd worked out in my own mind as the original story progressed.

I've always loved this "fill in" of the 5 year gap. It brilliantly took the two threads: the end of Levitz and the starting of the 5YG and reverse engineered a very plausible storyline. Based on those issue synopses, I want to read those stories!!! Incredible stuff!

It's fun to read and I'm sure the guy had fun making it, but I prefer it not to exist. The whole point of the 5YG was to emphasize the separation between LSH v3 and the 5YL era; if you're going to provide all the intervening material you might as well not do any of it in the first place.

But if all those comics had come out over a five-year period, can you imagine how up-in-arms we'd all be about it? We'd be tearing our hair out. It'd be worse than now.

I can look back now on 5YL with fondness. Back then, I hated it, mainly for the Giffen art style. But, I bought it 'cause it was the Legion.So bottom line, I don't care either way as long as Keith Giffen doesn't put pencil to paper ever again on the LSH.

You've got a good point there. I really enjoyed the Lost Levitz issues, but if I'd been reading them over those five years, it would have been just too dreary. Five years of destruction! Better to read the summaries all at once, then jump to the rebuilding.

Oh, I certainly agree that the fact that these issues DON'T exist is a very large part of what makes his work so cool.

And there ARE moments of great triumph... issue 87, for instance...