Legion of Super-Heroes Appreciation 2019 [Long Live the Legion!]

[Frontier]

Long Live the Legion in 2019 .

Bendis is one who I think could write the Legion effectively. Mainly because I have seen how well he handles Superman's voice. Basically the LoSH holds those same ideals as he does, or at least they are supposed to hold those ideals.

I don't think being able to write Superman well means Bendis is capable of writing a large-scale, cosmic, team book considering those have always been his weakness as a comic writer.

[Restingvoice]

Well, now that you have the Legion's full history laid out before you in the History Pages above, and there is an ongoing series of hardcovers that reprints the Legion adventures (both Silver Age in "Legion of Super-Heroes: The Silver Age" and Bronze Age in "Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes" vols. 1-2), are you interested in reading the classic Legion stories?

If not, would a new Legion series, potentially written by Brian Michael Bendis, be of any interest to you?

I'm always interested, it's just a matter on which one, out of all the characters I'm interested, should go first. ^^

[Comic-Reader Lad]

I'm always interested, it's just a matter on which one, out of all the characters I'm interested, should go first. ^^

Well, do you know anything in-depth about the Legion other than the Grant Morrison story?

I really think it's important to know the pre-Crisis Legion history because everything is based on that. Even the retcons are retconning the Pre-Crisis stuff. The later reboots/relaunches from 5YL to Zero Hour to Threeboot (1989 to 2007) are basically being outright ignored.

If you've never read classic Legion comics, you have to ask yourself if you can get into that style of comics. Bronze Age might be easier than Silver Age because it's somewhat closer to today's style. I got into Legion as a kid with Superboy 203 from 1974, and I can say that Bronze Age Legion is really easy to get into because back then DC Comics were not as continuity-heavy as everything is today.

Most DC comics were done-in-ones with the occassional two-parter thrown in. Paul Levitz's Earthwar story of 1978 was the longest Legion story up to that point.

If you can afford them, I'd get the hardcover "Superboy and Legion of Super-Heroes" vols. 1-2, which has a lot of fun and pivotal stories, but don't demand a ton of pre-existing knowledge.

Any of you Legion fans remember these stories?

[Restingvoice]

Well, do you know anything in-depth about the Legion other than the Grant Morrison story?

I really think it's important to know the pre-Crisis Legion history because everything is based on that. Even the retcons are retconning the Pre-Crisis stuff. The later reboots/relaunches from 5YL to Zero Hour to Threeboot (1989 to 2007) are basically being outright ignored.

If you've never read classic Legion comics, you have to ask yourself if you can get into that style of comics. Bronze Age might be easier than Silver Age because it's somewhat closer to today's style. I got into Legion as a kid with Superboy 203 from 1974, and I can say that Bronze Age Legion is really easy to get into because back then DC Comics were not as continuity-heavy as everything is today.

Most DC comics were done-in-ones with the occassional two-parter thrown in. Paul Levitz's Earthwar story of 1978 was the longest Legion story up to that point.

If you can afford them, I'd get the hardcover "Superboy and Legion of Super-Heroes" vols. 1-2, which has a lot of fun and pivotal stories, but don't demand a ton of pre-existing knowledge.

Any of you Legion fans remember these stories?

No, but right now I'm starting to read Golden Age comics. I have no problem with old school art style or writing. I'll giggle, but no problem.

Let's start with the least tangled continuity. The reason I want to go back to the very beginning of DC is because I'm tired with all the crossover tie-in, retcons and stuffs. Though if I don't know if it's a retcon than it's not a problem.

Oh geez. I forgot that Corset Boy is Legion XD

[Comic-Reader Lad]

No, but right now I'm starting to read Golden Age comics. I have no problem with old school art style or writing. I'll giggle, but no problem.

Let's start with the least tangled continuity. The reason I want to go back to the very beginning of DC is because I'm tired with all the crossover tie-in, retcons and stuffs. Though if I don't know if it's a retcon than it's not a problem.

Oh geez. I forgot that Corset Boy is Legion XD

If you don't care about old style comics and you want to start with the least tangled stuff, then go right to the very beginning of the Legion's history with their very first appearances. They're being reprinted in trade paperbacks under the title "Legion of Super-Heroes: The Silver Age."

You can get the first trade on Amazon for less than $22. Amazon even lets you read the first ten pages of the story where Superboy first met the Legion as a free preview. The trade is over 300 pages and reprints all the Legion appearances from 1958 to mid-1963, so it has the first appearances of most of the classic Legionnaires. You can see Cosmic Boy in the middle below before his Corset Boy costume.

[Robotman]

Superman and the Legion of Superheroes is one of my favorite LoS stories.



It epitomizes the great concept of the Legion. A group of diverse alien super powered beings coming together to fight for the ideals that Superman represents. Fighting against Earth Man and his xenophobic Justice League.

[condoarlik]

In case you weren't aware, the COMPLETE index to the Legion and Legion-related issues, plus Legion merchandise, is collected here. It includes even the merest mention of any character or item related to the Legion. Action figures? Trading cards? Posters? Books? Videos? They're all here:

https://www.facebook.com/BitsOfLegionnaireBusiness

[Comic-Reader Lad]

In case you weren't aware, the COMPLETE index to the Legion and Legion-related issues, plus Legion merchandise, is collected here. It includes even the merest mention of any character or item related to the Legion. Action figures? Trading cards? Posters? Books? Videos? They're all here:

https://www.facebook.com/BitsOfLegionnaireBusiness

Well, I guess with a username like condoarlik, you must be a big Legion fan. Will check out the facebook page. Did you create it?

So, what is it about Chemical King that makes him a favorite of yours given that he appeared in so few stories?

[Comic-Reader Lad]

Long Live the Legion in 2019 .

I don't think being able to write Superman well means Bendis is capable of writing a large-scale, cosmic, team book considering those have always been his weakness as a comic writer.

Well, given the teaser images he posted on Instagram recently contain a couple of Legion pics, I'd say chances are good that he's going to write the series.

In fact, I'm guessing that he aged up the Jon Kent Superboy so that Bendis can revive the series with its Bronze Age title of "Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes" with Jon as the team's Superboy.

If so, I actually think this is a great idea. As a kid, Superboy having this other life in the 30th Century was a cool idea to me, and he served as a gateway character for readers to get to know the Legionnaires and their backstory through his eyes.

I think Superboy is, beyond being a great Legionnaire, a useful narrative tool for the readers. Things about the Legion and their future world can be explained to him -- and therefore to us. It's a great way to learn about the Legion over time through dialogue rather than tons of text page info dumps.

Regarding Bendis's ability to write cosmic teams, I've heard the criticisms, but I hope that he has more of a feel for the Legion than he did for his Guardians of the Galaxy (which had lots of detractors).

I'm going to stay really hopeful about this because I don't think we're going to get a Legion comic any other way. I have a feeling that if Bendis weren't interested in writing the Legion, Didio wouldn't even bother greenlighting yet another series at this point.

[Restingvoice]

If you don't care about old style comics and you want to start with the least tangled stuff, then go right to the very beginning of the Legion's history with their very first appearances. They're being reprinted in trade paperbacks under the title "Legion of Super-Heroes: The Silver Age."

You can get the first trade on Amazon for less than $22. Amazon even lets you read the first ten pages of the story where Superboy first met the Legion as a free preview. The trade is over 300 pages and reprints all the Legion appearances from 1958 to mid-1963, so it has the first appearances of most of the classic Legionnaires. You can see Cosmic Boy in the middle below before his Corset Boy costume.

Perfect. Thank you. I'm collecting the Golden and Silver Age volumes, so this will be on the list.

[Adset]

so hard to say w/ bendis. he seems energized right now, and both his Super books have been good. he can also get extremely lazy and can spend six months on a book doing absolutely nothing -- hopefully his move to DC keeps "good bendis" around for awhile. i'm a little nervous he's about to stretch himself too thin (another common critique) with the launch of his Wonder line.

i hold out faint hope for jonathan hickman, regardless of likelihood.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

Along with talking about what we want to see in a new Legion series (and what we don't want to see), let's go back to appreciating the Legion we've already had.

Here's Alex Ross's version of the Mike Grell Legion poster from the first post. He's added some additional characters like Bouncing Boy, Duo Damsel, Matter-Eater Lad, Invisible Kid, Ferro Lad, and Supergirl. Is that Night Girl behind Cosmic Boy?

[Scott Taylor]

Yep, that print right there symbolizes the Legion as it should be.

[jamgut]

Along with talking about what we want to see in a new Legion series (and what we don't want to see), let's go back to appreciating the Legion we've already had.

Here's Alex Ross's version of the Mike Grell Legion poster from the first post. He's added some additional characters like Bouncing Boy, Duo Damsel, Matter-Eater Lad, Invisible Kid, Ferro Lad, and Supergirl. Is that Night Girl behind Cosmic Boy?

Yes, I had forgotten about that particular outfit of Lydda's.

[Sutekh]

Ah, my favorite Star Boy costume (although it looks weird to see him without a beard!), as well as favorite looks for Element Lad and Shrinking Violet!

I love the Legion, and some of my favorite aspects of the team are;

1) It's a *Legion.* There are dozens of them. None of this 'we can only focus on seven characters at a time because human brains blah-blah-blah.' Fie on that. Give me a huge cast!

2) It's set in the far flung (mostly hopeful) future, far from the reach of whatever crossover event is disrupting the long-form storytelling of the rest of the shared universe. Whatever Lex and the Joker and Deathstroke are doing to plague the Justice League, Teen Titans, Outsiders, etc. today, isn't going to be anything more than something they *might* have read about in history class.

3) So many heroes with a single power (or sharply limited power, like Ultra Boys), that must be creatively used! Shrinking Violet, Dream Girl, Colossal Boy, Shadow Lass, Phantom Girl, Invisible Kid. All people with powers that kind of require them to be part of a team of heroes, covering each other's weak spots, and being stronger together.

4) So different than the Justice League! Yeah, there's a Superman-analogue, even not counting Superboy and Supergirl, in Mon-El, but no Bat-vigilantes, no Amazons, no Atlanteans, no Speed Force-users, no Ring-bearers. This isn't 'Justice League 3000.' It's more of an alternate future, than one that builds directly off of storylines happening in the present day (and is thus beholden to ever changing continuity regarding same...), and the characters of the 21st century. The Green Lanterns are all dead again in the 21st century? Whatever. Tamaran and Thanagar have been blown up, again? Shrug. Meanwhile, in the 31st century, the UP representative from Thanagar is kind of a dick, and when asked about his home planet blowing up, says, 'Fake news. How many times was Earth reported destroyed over the last 1000 years? These 'everything changes!' stories seem to come around every year, and yet, hey, still here!'