Is the Newsboy Legion impossible to use anymore?

[Tzigone]

I enjoyed the Newsboys. I especially liked them freeing a not-yet-programmed Superboy. I like the former Newsboys at Cadmus. I even liked Famous Bobby. It's just...newsboys are getting too dated. Hawking papers that way, by children, fell out of common practice in the US a long time ago. We're getting to the point of the scientists being clones of the originals, rather than just the kids being cloned.

[Kuwagaton]

I don't think you need the original NL around though. In fact, it's kind of funnier. A recent commentary mentioned the Daily Planet seeming too dated, but it works perfectly for the kids to be throwbacks for a gag.

Throwing that stuff away to me is like chucking the whole Fantastic Four mythos as the Kirby retro future family struggles to fit in the modern Marvel.

[Tzigone]

It's three different things to me.

First the matter of it making sense. Newsboys could hang on longer in DC universe, but it's a stretch.

Second, it's that they, and Suicide Slum, weren't originally in Metropolis or Superman characters. And I have a significant problem with how Suicide Slum was brought in Metropolis with Superman ignoring the place later.

Thirdly, I really do like Superman as the first of the Superheroes, and that can't happen with the original Guardian existing.

[Jon Clark]

It's three different things to me.

First the matter of it making sense. Newsboys could hang on longer in DC universe, but it's a stretch.

Keep the kids as recreations of a 1940's organization. Cadmus grew these teens for some reason (maybe 4th World related). As far as they are concerned it was 1940-something a minute ago and they were hawking papers on the corner. You can have Famous Bobbi as a modern social media junkie, who is into posting their adventures online.

Second, it's that they, and Suicide Slum, weren't originally in Metropolis or Superman characters. And I have a significant problem with how Suicide Slum was brought in Metropolis with Superman ignoring the place later.

I kinda like having part of Metropolis that isn't perfected just because Superman lives in the city. In a "everything happened" world Suicide Slum. in my mind, would be where Superman demolished all those rundown rentals in the 1930's only for the area to descend back into rundown buildings as soon as he takes his eye off the area. It's just one of those things Superman eventually comes to understand is beyond his power to change until society as a whole changes.

Plus it gives Metropolis a history so it isn't like the city was just waiting for Superman to arrive before it came to life.

Thirdly, I really do like Superman as the first of the Superheroes, and that can't happen with the original Guardian existing.

Well, since the JSA are going to be kept around as preceding Superman, we will never have a world wityh him as the first hero anyway.

Plus the Guardian was just a guy with no powers. I kind of like the idea that if Superman is the first- he's just the first guy with powers beyond human ability. The mystery men have been around for decades- making a certain Gothamite just the latest in a long line rather than anything special.

[Superlad93]

The Newsboy Legion is cool, but I really dig the double reimagining Morrison did in Seven Solders' Manhattan Guardian. Went by Newsboy Army, and they were diverse group of kid adventures back in the day. It was an almost Mystery Incorporated Scooby-Doo situation. It was incredibly charming. Plus Morrison was nice enough to make it so they're equivalent to "Guardian" was just a well meaning prize washed up prize fighter from the neighborhood. Then the second is when one of the members of the group (Baby Brain) grows up as a rich, deformed recluse, and starts the newspaper the Manhattan Guardian. It employs random kids from all over New York as these on-call Kids Next Door style kid agents.

I'd particularly love to see the second one I mentioned come back. Essentially incorporating the something similar to a global Kids Next Door into the DCU would be so much fun.

And there's so much more you could do with the idea today. I mean, are we honestly sitting here posting on an online forum in a world where twitter is a thing and yet wondering how to reintroduce a NEWSboy team? C'mon. Imagine if a secret global army of kid adventurer agents who use twitter. 4chan and Reddit as weapons and up to date new like you've never seen before. Puppet accounts and fake influences that can sway a generation. They be a force for good, but you could make them one of the most genuinely terrifying organizations in the DCU.

[Kuwagaton]

Plus it gives Metropolis a history so it isn't like the city was just waiting for Superman to arrive before it came to life.


Well, since the JSA are going to be kept around as preceding Superman, we will never have a world wityh him as the first hero anyway.

Plus the Guardian was just a guy with no powers. I kind of like the idea that if Superman is the first- he's just the first guy with powers beyond human ability.

Agreed on these, the Guardian isn't nearly as intrusive as the JSA. Would like something similar to get a younger Occult or Slam actually.

[Tzigone]

Keep the kids as recreations of a 1940's organization. Cadmus grew these teens for some reason (maybe 4th World related). As far as they are concerned it was 1940-something a minute ago and they were hawking papers on the corner. You can have Famous Bobbi as a modern social media junkie, who is into posting their adventures online.

Why did Cadmus choose these people? Don't they have to have access to brains for memories? Are the kids going to stay kids forever? It's one of those things - they were a bit younger than Kon (well, some of them), and as that generation grows up, they should too. Unfortunately, like Captain Marvel, their age is part of their hook. Now, I think he can grow past it, and they probably could, too. But their out-of-placeness is also part of their hook in modern times (they, of course, were not out of place when originally introduced). They are kept inside to keep them adapting in the '90s (abusive parenting, really), but in-universe, how long can that hold? I also don't want Bobbi to be their fan. It puts her in a subordinate role to them. I don't mind her not existing at all, but don't have her meeting them with a fangirl nature.

I kinda like having part of Metropolis that isn't perfected just because Superman lives in the city. In a "everything happened" world Suicide Slum. in my mind, would be where Superman demolished all those rundown rentals in the 1930's only for the area to descend back into rundown buildings as soon as he takes his eye off the area. It's just one of those things Superman eventually comes to understand is beyond his power to change until society as a whole changes.

The lack of perfection wasn't the problem. The "Superman never goes there" was. That's untenable, and un-Superman-like to me. And I've heard several explanations posited, but none work for me.

Well, since the JSA are going to be kept around as preceding Superman, we will never have a world wityh him as the first hero anyway.

Hey, I've been arguing second earth (no later than 1970s) for them, too, for similar reasons of firstness and timing not working. I mean, DC isn't going to listen, but I've been arguing it.

Plus the Guardian was just a guy with no powers. I kind of like the idea that if Superman is the first- he's just the first guy with powers beyond human ability. The mystery men have been around for decades- making a certain Gothamite just the latest in a long line rather than anything special.

By that argument, Batman and Guardian aren't superheros because they have no powers. I can't agree. They are definitely grouped in in that set. Don't know anything about the Mystery Men. If it doesn't matter to you that Superman is first (and I can understand that for several reasons), then it doesn't matter to you. It does matter to me. It's not a major, can't-get-over-it thing when he's not first, but I'd love to see him in a universe acknowledging him as such.

[Jon Clark]

Why did Cadmus choose these people? Don't they have to have access to brains for memories? Are the kids going to stay kids forever?

I'd have the Newsboys and Guardian/Harper somehow be early donors to Cadmus' DNA Project. Maybe Tommy or Big Words were still involved in the Project and they got their friends to donate. Maybe the Project is tied to Darkseid and the Newsboys had thwarted an attack in the pre-JLA era resulting in their DNA/Brain patterns being available to Mokarri and Symian.

Maybe the cloning tech was faulty and they actually are locked at the ages they were grown to. Or maybe they aren't clones at all and instead have actually been trapped as kids sine the 1940's.

I also don't want Bobbi to be their fan. It puts her in a subordinate role to them. I don't mind her not existing at all, but don't have her meeting them with a fangirl nature.

Sorry, I was unclear. I was including Bobbi as a member of the group for those adventures. She isn't documenting the adventures of the boys, she is documenting the adventures she has and the boys are part of those adventures.

By that argument, Batman and Guardian aren't superheros because they have no powers. I can't agree. They are definitely grouped in in that set. Don't know anything about the Mystery Men. If it doesn't matter to you that Superman is first (and I can understand that for several reasons), then it doesn't matter to you. It does matter to me. It's not a major, can't-get-over-it thing when he's not first, but I'd love to see him in a universe acknowledging him as such.

"Mystery men" was DC's/Roy Thomas' term for the 1940's adventurers most of whom were bored rich men with no powers who put on costumes and fought crime. Guys like Sandman, Dr. Mid-nite, Air-wave, Crimson Avenger, Star-Spangled Kid & Stripsey, The Whip, Tex Thompson, …

My thought is that while we lump these guys in as superheroes and guys like Batman who fit the bill are part of superhero teams that I would have non-powered guys in masks be part of the known history of the DCU. Superman would be the first guy with actual powers to appear, in my world. If the JSA existed they were more low key and covert.

Sort of like reality in 1938 when guys like Zorro, Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Shadow, Doc Savage and the like abounded they were all basically human - even if they used higher tech or mysterious training, but Superman burst forth as a new thing- someone who was beyond human ability.

[Jim Kelly]

They missed a golden opportunity to introduce the Newsboy Legion on SUPERGIRL. I can imagine Jeremy Jordan having once been one of the Newsboy Legion (inside joke because he was in NEWSIES on Broadway).

I liked the Morrison version of the Newsboys. I could see many kids filling the roles over the generations.

Maybe the DNA Project has those specific clones because the original Newsboys cloned themselves and Jim, but other efforts at cloning fail, so the Project keeps going back to those warehoused clones for further study.

[Frontier]

Young Justice: Outsiders had a Newsgirl Legion who ran a web paper or newsblog, I think.

They were also all used as references to Scooby-Doo characters.

[Tzigone]

Young Justice: Outsiders had a Newsgirl Legion who ran a web paper or newsblog, I think.

They were also all used as references to Scooby-Doo characters.

I get the ref, and it may have been funny (didn't tune in for season 3), but I do think it's indicative (as was Dubbilex at Cadmus, but not them) of the timing making the scientists former newsboys less feasible.

[Shamrock Holmes]

Young Justice: Outsiders had a Newsgirl Legion who ran a web paper or newsblog, I think.

Yup. I got a bit of a kick out of it.

Given that bit characters in s1 often turned up in s2 & 3 and indeed some s2 characters also popped up in s3 I'm wondering if they're going to use them more in s4.

[DrNewGod]

Young Justice: Outsiders had a Newsgirl Legion who ran a web paper or newsblog, I think.

They were also all used as references to Scooby-Doo characters.

That's the most sensible update that could have been done with the characters. Now (I hope) for a new Guardian to go with them

[Shamrock Holmes]

That's the most sensible update that could have been done with the characters. Now (I hope) for a new Guardian to go with them

*Nods*

There are a few possibilities there:

Based on established in-universe characters, I've sometimes thought that Conner might switch to Guardian (or Super Guardian) within the next few years so that Jon can take the Superboy name in his (pre-)teens.

Alternatively, Jake "Manhattan Guardian" Jordan from Seven Soldiers or Michael aka Guardian 01, the Nu52/STAR Labs version are probably the most likely overall, with GCPD/MSP Officer Jamie Harper (who might have given birth to a Human-Daxamite hybrid via Mon-El if Flashpoint hadn't derailed continuity.

[llozymandias]

In the 70s, Kirby brought back the Guardian & the newsboy Legion. The original newsboysl were the scientists at the DNA project. They cloned Jim Harper/Guardian. They transferred Jim's mind into the cloned body. It can always be established they do this for themselves every once in a while. This way the original newsboys are still around, but physically young. Maybe the current newsboy legion, see themselves as a sort of private club.