If You Could Revive "LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES"...

What would you do with it?

Yes, I know. It currently exists. But people voted to revive it so perhaps they had a different incarnation in mind. Anyway, what would you do with a revival [I]or[/I] how would you change the current title?

I would just combine the first reboot in one era. Keep the early Superboy days as their pre-teens days then make the Zero-Hour reboot their teenage days and then the era when Superboy left their young-adult days. The storylines from their respective era's would be retconned heavily but I think squeezing the post zero hour in between shouldn't be too hard. It would sort of be like the cartoon.

[QUOTE=Air Wave;5341891]What would you do with it?

Yes, I know. It currently exists. But people voted to revive it so perhaps they had a different incarnation in mind. Anyway, what would you do with a revival [I]or[/I] how would you change the current title?[/QUOTE]
Where did "people voted to revive it" ??
Anyways, I would reduce the number of characters/heroes if I had to revive it.
I would make the characters adults. I find idea of them being the "fanclub" of XX's centuries young heroes a bit stupid.
I would make it a real sci-fy futuristique univers.
I would really make earth the center of the DC Mutlivers (remember that's why Darkseid always want to own Earth). Scientists would have fond the connection and found ways to travel between those various universes.
But I'm not sure what kind of stories should be told.

Since I won't pick this title on the regular because it's set in a possible future, the way I would want to read it is if it's set in the present... or if it's in the future, it has to tie in with at least one Superman family member I already like and Superman family events constantly, at least long enough until I fall in love with the characters and will follow them without it being a tie-in.

That's just very specifically for me. You guys who already know and like them do what you want.

I would use the Levitz/Giffen era characters as a base (not the older versons from the 5 Year Later run). Definitely restore their history, but also update outfits -- look for new ways to use their powers. For example, I feel Ultra Boy should be able to utilize his energy among more than one power--- but each power would be reduced -- 50% speed, 50% strength -- etc.

I'd also bring in some of the new characters from first reboot -- XS, Kinetix, a few others maybe. Possibly bring in some of the more interesting and appealing Subs and Academy members -- like Infectious Lass and Nightwind. I'd introduce other new characters and have some fluidity in regular membership. Would probably not focus too much on Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl.

I know some will disagree, but I think you really have to build off of their post popular runs -- instead of discarding those.

I'd start with a mini-Crisis all for the LOSH...a war between the Time Trappers of each version of the Legion, from the original through all the reboots. At the end, all of the versions of the Trapper and the Legion get smashed together into one, with the Legion being made up of the best versions of each character, regardless of which era they're from (for those who have multiple versions...those with singular versions would simple remain as they are). Then scale down the main Legion to, say, twelve members, with the others either working at outposts throughout the galaxy or serving as specialists when the team needs them.

Keep it staunchly within Superman's (Kal-El...god it sucks to have to qualify that these days) books and mythos. Treat them as supporting characters again like they originally started out as and try to rebuild an audience that way. If it works and it could eventually lead to their own title to stand alone, great. If not, keep it where it is. They just simply cannot carry their own book anymore, not right away.

Although I've been reading and following the Legion since the mid-70's, I've always thought that the Post-Zero Hour Legion was the best version of the group. It gave more distinct personalities to most of the cast, and streamlined quite a lot of the lore, while managing to push ahead. It wasn't perfect, of course. There are still many versions of the original team that were better, more unique and well-defined (Timber Wolf, Wildfire and Element Lad come to mind). But, IMHO, it was always the Legion with the most potential. I really regreat that they saw the need to stick it in limbo to give us another reboot with a theme that, with a little bit of tweaking, could have perfectly been done with the DnA Legion, weakening even more the brand. So my point is, either you unify all versions of the Legion into one, or pick one of the past to move foward with, but don't give us another unnecessary reboot such as the last terrible BendisLegion.

Peace

[QUOTE=kcekada;5342134]I would use the Levitz/Giffen era characters as a base (not the older versons from the 5 Year Later run). Definitely restore their history, but also update outfits -- look for new ways to use their powers. For example, I feel Ultra Boy should be able to utilize his energy among more than one power--- but each power would be reduced -- 50% speed, 50% strength -- etc.

I'd also bring in some of the new characters from first reboot -- XS, Kinetix, a few others maybe. Possibly bring in some of the more interesting and appealing Subs and Academy members -- like Infectious Lass and Nightwind. I'd introduce other new characters and have some fluidity in regular membership. Would probably not focus too much on Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl.

I know some will disagree, but I think you really have to build off of their post popular runs -- instead of discarding those.[/QUOTE]

I agree with most of this. It is reminiscent of the post Legion of 3 Worlds team.

I would actual focus on the founders and the regular cast before expanding to more characters.

This roster was really good. I would just add Tyroc and Karate Kid (who was actual Japanese ethnicity).

[img]https://comicsauthorityblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/supermanearthman201.jpg[/img]

I'd essentially pick up the team after Magic Wars, but get rid of those Giffen redesigns. Bring in members like XS, Kid Quantum, Gates, etc.

Or you can click on the link in my sig to see what I'd do with it...

[QUOTE=kcekada;5342134]I would use the Levitz/Giffen era characters as a base (not the older versons from the 5 Year Later run). Definitely restore their history, but also update outfits -- look for new ways to use their powers. For example, I feel Ultra Boy should be able to utilize his energy among more than one power--- but each power would be reduced -- 50% speed, 50% strength -- etc.

I'd also bring in some of the new characters from first reboot -- XS, Kinetix, a few others maybe. Possibly bring in some of the more interesting and appealing Subs and Academy members -- like Infectious Lass and Nightwind. I'd introduce other new characters and have some fluidity in regular membership. Would probably not focus too much on Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl.

I know some will disagree, but I think you really have to build off of their post popular runs -- instead of discarding those.[/QUOTE]

This is in a nutshell what I would do.

I would restore them as part of Superman's past and focus on how they fit into Superman's history and Supergirl's.

From there, we're left with an adult Legion much like we had post-Final Crisis but the interesting untapped aspect of that for me is that they're age and experience peers to the core JLA, at least the early members are.

From that, I might be tempted to go with a Team 20 setup but rather than keep them together, pair them off with different groups. Brainiac 5 with the JLA, maybe. Starman in the JSA. They don't have to be stranded (been done) but have a central conceit that keeps 7-8 of them active in the 21st century. Inferno with the Outlaws, Timberwolf with the Outsiders, XS with the Teen Titans, Rond Vidar and Invisible Kid in Green Lantern, Karate Kid as a Gotham City fixture working with Cass Cain -- you get the idea. Build up the audience by planting them in every family of books. Assign the big, logical ones. Open up any others to be adopted by creative teams that want them. If the Swamp Thing writer wants Gates, let it happen.

[QUOTE=Robotman;5342353]I agree with most of this. It is reminiscent of the post Legion of 3 Worlds team.

I would actual focus on the founders and the regular cast before expanding to more characters.

This roster was really good. I would just add Tyroc and Karate Kid (who was actual Japanese ethnicity).

[img]https://comicsauthorityblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/supermanearthman201.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]

This book did a pretty good job reviving the Legion as far as I'm concerned and it [I]could[/I] have been the launchpad for a successful book, but sadly that didn't take. I have to wonder if giving them to Levitz was the best idea. He certainly wrote one of their most celebrated runs, but the Legion need a fresh voice to refresh the IP and I don't know who is going to be the one to do it. I've heard Hickman wanted them, so perhaps him? I hear mountains of praise heaped on him but have not read much of his work outside a small selection, so I can't say much other than he sells and that's a very good problem for the Legion to have right now.

I like elements of what Bendis is doing (though I may just have been seduced by that [B]sinfully good[/B] Ryan Sook art) but it hasn't resonated with enough people.

[QUOTE=Robanker;5342656]This book did a pretty good job reviving the Legion as far as I'm concerned and it [I]could[/I] have been the launchpad for a successful book, but sadly that didn't take. I have to wonder if giving them to Levitz was the best idea. He certainly wrote one of their most celebrated runs, but the Legion need a fresh voice to refresh the IP and I don't know who is going to be the one to do it. I've heard Hickman wanted them, so perhaps him? I hear mountains of praise heaped on him but have not read much of his work outside a small selection, so I can't say much other than he sells and that's a very good problem for the Legion to have right now.

I like elements of what Bendis is doing (though I may just have been seduced by that [B]sinfully good[/B] Ryan Sook art) but it hasn't resonated with enough people.[/QUOTE]

Right now or the last 5 years, Hickman would be solid.

I can't help but think at the time that something like Morrison and Pacheco would have been the right call.

[QUOTE=Patrick Gerard;5342704]Right now or the last 5 years, Hickman would be solid.

I can't help but think at the time that something like Morrison and Pacheco would have been the right call.[/QUOTE]

Hickman's books have a wonderful different graphic sense which would fit a book of the future like Legion. His Avengers looked a lot like a Legion book with its enormous cast and teams within teams. The New Avengers/Illuminati resembled the Legion Espionage Squad in many respects. A Hickman Legion book would have hit all cylinders, for me and many long-time fans anyway. It's possible he might have brought his fans to LSH if he was writing, but the book is in desperate need of new fans.

Morrison on just about any book would get me to buy it. The Legion glimpses in his Action run were a nice mix of familiarity and Morrison weirdness.

Either writer has a reputation for using what's gone before while tweaking/bending/breaking it so that it is something new while still maintaining what's gone before. IMHO, that's what Legion needs whether from an existing superstar or an unknown with a good idea.

Bendis has made a mistake with Future State. He went further into the future and had the team scattered, but Death Metal is supposed to have restored everyone's memories of all of their histories. That should've been explored. Basically, the histories of the original, post-Zero Hour, Threeboot, and Bendis Legions should be merged. That would age them up, and restore Superman's role in their backstory. It would also mean that XS would be back on the roster, and some of the others would have their codenames updated (Girl/Lass to Woman, Boy/Lad to Man). I'd send Supergirl as the member from the present day.