Your favorite version of Legion of Super Heroes

[Uncanny X-Man]

I remember what I thought was a stand-alone issue (LSH #31) where Sensor Girl tells Invisible Kid II about an early adventure with Projectra, Karate Kid, and Ferro Lad. At the end, Jacques falls asleep and then she falls asleep as well. And it states that 'the whole world slept'. I didn't think anything about it until when the next issue arrives and you realize that the whole world had been asleep because Universo had taken over.

And then we get the amazing four-part Universo Project storyline with Saturn Girl, Chameleon Boy, Dream Girl, and Brainiac 5. Levitz was the man back in those days.

The Universo Project's Imra is probably my favourite Imra ever, with reboot Imra from Legion Lost being a close second.

I'm patiently waiting for JL vs LOSH to conclude and see if there's any more Legion coming from DC but I'm not very hopeful. I think they've maxed out the number of reboots the property can withstand, to the point where it's all a bit of a joke now. But most troublesome, not even the high-profile creative team of Bendis and Sook could sell the book in any decent numbers. I don't really know where DC could go from there, unless a really big name like Johns or Hickman comes in I don't really think we'll see the Legion in their ongoing book again anytime soon.

[bretmaverick2]

I like most eras of the Legion for their own reasons. But I read a lot of complaining about the Band's series. So I bought both trades of his run. Having read them both, I don't get the 'hate' for his version.

Sure there are styles artistic changes in character design but the stories were solid, well written Legion stories! And the art by Sook was very appealing.

In tone, it was very close to much of the best loved Legion eras.

Maybe it read better as collected editions verses floppies one month at a time? I dunno.

But I really enjoyed the stories!

[Uncanny X-Man]

I like most eras of the Legion for their own reasons. But I read a lot of complaining about the Band's series. So I bought both trades of his run. Having read them both, I don't get the 'hate' for his version.

Sure there are styles artistic changes in character design but the stories were solid, well written Legion stories! And the art by Sook was very appealing.

In tone, it was very close to much of the best loved Legion eras.

Maybe it read better as collected editions verses floppies one month at a time? I dunno.

But I really enjoyed the stories!

Honestly I don't hate the Bendis Legion. I think there's a lot to like in those stories and the artwork is always superb. I think the main issue is that it's essentially a different team and different characters from what came before. The Legion is the only franchise in comics where the publisher feels a need to reinvent everything almost from scratch every time a new creative teams comes in. Other long-running franchises with multiple characters and convulted histories are allowed to continue and build on what came before, but the Legion is apparently too complicated to do that? Bah...

[Jim Kelly]

I've never read the Bendis Legion, so I have nothing to say about it. I've never watched the final season of MAVERICK either--from what I understand they introduce yet another brother, which doesn't make a lot of sense given we never heard about another brother in the previous seasons. Some day, I might try to read the Bendis Legion and watch the final season of MAVERICK.

The Legion is the only franchise in comics where the publisher feels a need to reinvent everything almost from scratch every time a new creative teams comes in. Other long-running franchises with multiple characters and convulted histories are allowed to continue and build on what came before, but the Legion is apparently too complicated to do that? Bah...

That's my feeling, as well. They didn't seem to have much trouble bringing the Legion back in ACTION COMICS 858. Just do that.

[Factor]

I've never read the Bendis Legion, so I have nothing to say about it. I've never watched the final season of MAVERICK either--from what I understand they introduce yet another brother, which doesn't make a lot of sense given we never heard about another brother in the previous seasons. Some day, I might try to read the Bendis Legion and watch the final season of MAVERICK.



That's my feeling, as well. They didn't seem to have much trouble bringing the Legion back in ACTION COMICS 858. Just do that.

Action Comics 858 was the possible best approach to bring back the Legion. I still think that should be the basis for any LOSH series going forward.
The New 52 LOSH wasn't so great because Levitz had already reached his peak, but there was nothing about that version that required another full-on reboot.
I think most of the critics regardind the Bendis version is that is so completely pointless to reboot a fifth time. Especially if you're failing so miserably to portray the uniqueness in your take and every character sounds the same (the ones that do talk, because he introduced many new ones that barely got any development).

In a new series, I would just say that Bendis's LOSH is the Legion of the Future State universe. So it's out there somewhere in the Omniverse, but the Metaverse's LOSH is still the one Johns brought back in Action Comics with maybe some popular elements and redesigns from other versions, but nothing as major as the Earth we see in the current reboot.

[Uncanny X-Man]

Action Comics 858 was the possible best approach to bring back the Legion. I still think that should be the basis for any LOSH series going forward.
The New 52 LOSH wasn't so great because Levitz had already reached his peak, but there was nothing about that version that required another full-on reboot.
I think most of the critics regardind the Bendis version is that is so completely pointless to reboot a fifth time. Especially if you're failing so miserably to portray the uniqueness in your take and every character sounds the same (the ones that do talk, because he introduced many new ones that barely got any development).

In a new series, I would just say that Bendis's LOSH is the Legion of the Future State universe. So it's out there somewhere in the Omniverse, but the Metaverse's LOSH is still the one Johns brought back in Action Comics with maybe some popular elements and redesigns from other versions, but nothing as major as the Earth we see in the current reboot.

I would say not following up the "Retroboot" Legion from Action Comics with a commercially successful book (ie going with Levitz instead of Johns) was detrimental, but then again Johns made JSA a hugely successful book for years and it's still nowhere to be seen on DC's publishing line LOL

[bretmaverick2]

[QUOTE=Jim Kelly;6090100]I've never read the Bendis Legion, so I have nothing to say about it. I've never watched the final season of MAVERICK either--from what I understand they introduce yet another brother, which doesn't make a lot of sense given we never heard about another brother in the previous seasons. Some day, I might try to read the Bendis Legion and watch the final season of MAVERICK.


LOL! Final MAVERICK season was only Bart, mixed with repeats of Bret and Bart together. The unknown brother Brent was only in 2 episodes in season 4.

[Factor]

I would say not following up the "Retroboot" Legion from Action Comics with a commercially successful book (ie going with Levitz instead of Johns) was detrimental, but then again Johns made JSA a hugely successful book for years and it's still nowhere to be seen on DC's publishing line LOL

Yeah, for sure Levitz slowly killed all the team's momentum. But even under a very by the numbers run, the team did manage to sell well enough to even get a spin-off in Adventure Comics with the Legion Academy.
A lot of people dismiss pre-Flashpoint Legion as a sales failure, but it was actually pretty solid.
What killed the book was DC's misguided idea to replace it with a JL spin-off also set in the future (JL3000, which didn't last).

[CaptCleghorn]

I like most eras of the Legion for their own reasons. But I read a lot of complaining about the Band's series. So I bought both trades of his run. Having read them both, I don't get the 'hate' for his version.

Sure there are styles artistic changes in character design but the stories were solid, well written Legion stories! And the art by Sook was very appealing.

In tone, it was very close to much of the best loved Legion eras.

Maybe it read better as collected editions verses floppies one month at a time? I dunno.

But I really enjoyed the stories!

The Bendis Legion deserves a closer look. I think the physical character changes to achieve a higher level of diversity were a necessary step. I did get a kick out of Superboy needing to take the introduction training which gave the LSH a real sense of being an official group. What got me was the shift from a Legion book to a Superboy and the Legion book. The reliance on present day aspects of the DC Universe made this more a Jon Kent arc than a reintroduction of a future team.

I do agree with you that the series reads better as a collected edition.

[Nomads1]

What killed the book was DC's misguided idea to replace it with a JL spin-off also set in the future (JL3000, which didn't last).

JL3000 was actually quite good, a very unpredictable book. But, unfortunatly, it wasn't LSH, and I wanted to read LSH.

I do agree with you that the series reads better as a collected edition.

I finally read it (or tried to read it) in collected form. Couldn't force myself to finish it. The pacing, as always seems to be the case with Bendis, was awful. His need to make eveybody quircky was, IMHO, distracting. The art was OK, though not what I imagine for a futuristic book (a bit too moody, and not energetic enough). Sook was great for a noir book such as X-Factor, but not. IMHO, a good fit for LSH. Also didn't care much for some of his designs. I really hope this version of the Legion is soon forgotten and we get one of the previous ones back. Not counting on it, though.

Peace

[Jim Kelly]

LOL! Final MAVERICK season was only Bart, mixed with repeats of Bret and Bart together. The unknown brother Brent was only in 2 episodes in season 4.

I guess I need to watch both seasons 4 and 5. Not that I have anything against Jack Kelly. I just like Jim Garner more. Funny how I ended up with their names combined. Accident? or was my Pappy thinking 'bout his favourite show when he named me.

I liked the retroboot Legion. The only thing that bugged me is that they seemed to forget some continuity from time to time. This is understandable with Geoff Johns. He seems to like the veneer of "Silver Age" but never bothers to do a deep dive into the actual continuity of the concepts he's reviving. However, it bugged me with Levitz because he is a leading expert on the Legion--if he violates past continuity, he's doing it knowingly. And it was little things like when they had flight belts that Paul messed up.

If there had never been a New 52, I probably would have continued reading the retroboot Legion.

[Zero Hunter]

Yeah, for sure Levitz slowly killed all the team's momentum. But even under a very by the numbers run, the team did manage to sell well enough to even get a spin-off in Adventure Comics with the Legion Academy.
A lot of people dismiss pre-Flashpoint Legion as a sales failure, but it was actually pretty solid.
What killed the book was DC's misguided idea to replace it with a JL spin-off also set in the future (JL3000, which didn't last).

I think the main problem with post Flashpoint Levitz era was not even he really had an idea what was and wasn't still cannon with this mashed up version of the Legion. It was a mess. He did do some great stuff in his 2nd run but as time went on it just got more and more confusing. I loved his short Legion Academy run over in Advrnture Comics and his stories from the past stuff with Superboy too. To me the stuff in Adventure Comics (0, 12, 515-529) was so much better than what was going on in the main book. You could tell in Adenture Levitz could just tell great Legion stories about worring about the mess the main books was continuity wise.

[kcekada]

The Bendis Legion deserves a closer look. I think the physical character changes to achieve a higher level of diversity were a necessary step.

I disagree. Cockrum, Levitz, Giffen and Lightle all attempted to add diversity to the series as much as DC would allow. Readers should recognize that the Legion is a reflection of current times -- not an actual peak into the future. I know the Legion fanbase (me included) is moving into our twilight years, but the old time fans don't want to see beloved characters changed as radically as they were for Bendis' Legion. He could have sidelined some of the white/human characters and introduced new alien/diverse characters to take their places. And those classic characters could still show up from time to time.

The Legion should build on its successful past in order to have a successful future. If someone wants to read The Great Darkness or Eye for an Eye -- they should be able to recognize the characters from contemporary stories. Don't retrofit characters who were popular for decades in order to appeal to a new audience. It's blatantly not necessary.

DC has screwed the pooch with Legion so much, I wish they would just sell the franchise to another publish (not Marvel).

[Lee Stone]

I think the main problem with post Flashpoint Levitz era was not even he really had an idea what was and wasn't still cannon with this mashed up version of the Legion. It was a mess. He did do some great stuff in his 2nd run but as time went on it just got more and more confusing. I loved his short Legion Academy run over in Advrnture Comics and his stories from the past stuff with Superboy too. To me the stuff in Adventure Comics (0, 12, 515-529) was so much better than what was going on in the main book. You could tell in Adenture Levitz could just tell great Legion stories about worring about the mess the main books was continuity wise.

I liked Levitz's return, but it was a bit impaired.

He would do the Legion Leader Polls as a way of gauging fan interest, to see which characters were the most popular at the time.
Then focus on them, while pulling in a few of the other members to gain interest from those readers.

He went in, focusing on the founders and Brainiac 5, then had a (too long) story featuring Earth-Man.
The Legion Leader Poll came too late for him to adjust, I think.

The new Academy members were good, with a few stand-outs that were interesting, like Dragonwing.

But, IMO, the best of the recent Levitz run was the Annual with Giffen.

[Sutekh]

I disagree. Cockrum, Levitz, Giffen and Lightle all attempted to add diversity to the series as much as DC would allow.

I feel like, if Bendis wanted to focus on diversity in the Legion, he maybe should have considered using Invisible Jacques, Tyroc, Kid Quantum II, Karate Kid II, Computo, Glorith, Dragonmage, Dragonwing, XS, Catspaw or various other *already-existing* diverse Legionnaires, rather than slap a coat of paint of Lightning Lad and calling it a day.

Instead he cherry-picked white Legionnaires and, IIRC, an earlier art releases showed an all-white cast, and then, a few weeks later, a few white Legionnaires became non-white.

The best parts of the Bendis Legion, for me, was the beautiful Sook art, and the intriguing new characters like Monster Boy. (I've always had a fondness for new characters joining the team, whether it was Wildfire, Blok and Dawnstar, in the old days, Polar Boy, Sensor Girl and Tellus in the glory days, or Dragonwing, Chemical Kid and Glorith, more recently.)