Your favorite version of Legion of Super Heroes

[Sutekh]

just like Twitter isn't real life, CBR forum isn't the whole world but funny how popular the Levitz version of the Legion is the favorite of which it is the same team as the previous version and the Retroboot but DC has never gone back to this version for a prolonged period, besides Johns brief flirtation with the retroboot with the JLA/Superman/Legion of 3 Worlds storylines. Yet keeps trying reboots and each reboot is less successful than the previous one.

I feel like, and this is a weird thing to say, that DC is somewhat embarrassed by / ashamed of the popularity of at least some of their properties, as if they somehow 'aren't serious enough' or 'not real art' or some argle-bargle nonsense.

They keep trying to update them and 'make them relevant,' in the process somehow surgically excising anything *entertaining*, or even, some cases, even *human,* from the properties. At least a few times in the last few decades, someone has come along and tried to reinvent Superman, a bright hopeful *smiling* inspiration to the world, as angry and alienated, a red-eyed, scary, scowling demigod. The same sort of mindset goes into trying to turn Diana, an ambassador of peace to 'man's world,' who the song says, 'can win a war with love,' into a sword-wielding head-chopper-offer warrior badass (with an army of bees? Whatever.).

Yes, stories like the Watchmen exist, that can take the 'funny book' format into bold new thought-provoking directions, but, here's the thing. That was a work of genius. Not every attempt at 'deep' storytelling since then has succeeded on that level. And not every property or character or setting lends itself to that sort of story (heck, they had to invent all new characters and set them in their own world to make it really work!). And even if there are plenty of geniuses out there, and possible thought-provoking storylines waiting to be told with just about everyone, that doesn't mean that *every* story needs to be shocking and edgy, racing to out 'mature' or 'controversial' the last one. Some stories, indeed, I'd argue, *most* stories, just need to be entertaining. It's not rocket science. I don't go to the comic store expecting to read something that changes the world. I just want a good story, and don't expect (or want!) *every* story to be attempting to escape the horrible curse of being 'just comic books' and becoming some sort of high art.

But as for the Legion, specifically, I love the bright colored clean future depicted in the older stories. The real world is gritty and depressing enough. I don't want to read about 1000 years in the future, Earth being a few city-habitats floating in space, the planet itself long destroyed, or various other dystopian things. Threaten the hell out of that idyllic future. That's what heroes are for, after all, stopping that sort of nonsense! But don't wreck it.

'Cause if you, as a writer, do wreck your heroes setting and make it all dark and hopeless, that means that they already failed.

And that's not the story I came to read.

[Tugger]

Didn't know where to post this, so went for the most recent Legion thread.

I want to start reading from my initial jumping-on point, so looked for a chronology which would give me a correct reading order and found this site, which looks really comprehensive and is very nicely laid out https://www.cosmicteams.com/legion/

I've still loads to read but did stumble upon this link, originally posted here on CBR in 2006, which has some interesting info on the Five Years Later era, which was all new to me.
https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-urban...s-revealed-60/

[transformers03]

The only Legion comic I've ever read was the Legion Lost storyline from 2000-2001 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Oliver Coipel. But I loved that story so much, I'm actually really sad that DC dropped that timeline because that story really made me care about the Legion. It really made me a big fan of Lightning Lad, and other characters, and though I never read any of the direct follow-ups, I have nostalgia for that team and era.

[Zero Hunter]

Figured I would bring this thread back up. Just looking at Amazon and see they have a new Legion Omni listed for April next year. Legion of Super-Heroes: Five Years Latter... Omnibus Vol 2. I am actually surprised that this is listed since even the most die hard Five Years Latter fan will admit the best stuff was in those first 38 issues. It has it listed as containing:

Legion of Super-Heroes 40-61
Legionnaries 1-18
L.E.G.I.O.N. 69-70
Valor 20-23
Legion Annuals 4-5
Legionnaries Annual 1

If this does end up actually coming out it will contain all of the remainder of the Five Years Latter... era of the Legion.

[Nomads1]

Figured I would bring this thread back up. Just looking at Amazon and see they have a new Legion Omni listed for April next year. Legion of Super-Heroes: Five Years Latter... Omnibus Vol 2. I am actually surprised that this is listed since even the most die hard Five Years Latter fan will admit the best stuff was in those first 38 issues. It has it listed as containing:

Legion of Super-Heroes 40-61
Legionnaries 1-18
L.E.G.I.O.N. 69-70
Valor 20-23
Legion Annuals 4-5
Legionnaries Annual 1

If this does end up actually coming out it will contain all of the remainder of the Five Years Latter... era of the Legion.

The first few issues of Legionnaries are quite intresting, sadly, it goes downhill once Sprouse leaves (there's an Adam Huges issue that is also quite good). I also liked the outlaw Legion issues with art by a young Stuart Immonen. Not the best ever, but, IMHO, entretaining enough. Sadly, I don't think I'll have the money to fork over for this.

Peace

[Thor-Ul]

Didn't know where to post this, so went for the most recent Legion thread.

I want to start reading from my initial jumping-on point, so looked for a chronology which would give me a correct reading order and found this site, which looks really comprehensive and is very nicely laid out https://www.cosmicteams.com/legion/

I've still loads to read but did stumble upon this link, originally posted here on CBR in 2006, which has some interesting info on the Five Years Later era, which was all new to me.
https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-urban...s-revealed-60/

And then this is why sometimes you thanks for having editor who do the job. Some of the ideas of Giffen were really not good, in this case, as it could be seen in other titles, who applied similar strategies not so much time later, with a marvelous friendly neighborhood.
But I concede than Giffen is a cunning fox to make the things he wanted to do when nobody was looking at him,.

[caj]

Figured I would bring this thread back up. Just looking at Amazon and see they have a new Legion Omni listed for April next year. Legion of Super-Heroes: Five Years Latter... Omnibus Vol 2. I am actually surprised that this is listed since even the most die hard Five Years Latter fan will admit the best stuff was in those first 38 issues. It has it listed as containing:

Legion of Super-Heroes 40-61
Legionnaries 1-18
L.E.G.I.O.N. 69-70
Valor 20-23
Legion Annuals 4-5
Legionnaries Annual 1

If this does end up actually coming out it will contain all of the remainder of the Five Years Latter... era of the Legion.

Now, this is unexpected. Legion collections must sell fairly well. They seem to be putting out a lot of 'we'll never see that collected' material.

I just wish they'd get around to Levitz's Baxter series and L.E.G.I.O.N '89-'93 (or '94...can't remember when that ended).

[Jim Kelly]

Now, this is unexpected. Legion collections must sell fairly well. They seem to be putting out a lot of 'we'll never see that collected' material.

I just wish they'd get around to Levitz's Baxter series and L.E.G.I.O.N '89-'93 (or '94...can't remember when that ended).

They must be getting a low rate on paper and printing. That's their main cost. They aren't paying for new material and the royalties for the original creators are probably very low. So as long as they can greatly reduce their production costs, they can put out phonebooks and make their money back.

[Nomads1]

Now, this is unexpected. Legion collections must sell fairly well. They seem to be putting out a lot of 'we'll never see that collected' material.

I just wish they'd get around to Levitz's Baxter series and L.E.G.I.O.N '89-'93 (or '94...can't remember when that ended).

They must be getting a low rate on paper and printing. That's their main cost. They aren't paying for new material and the royalties for the original creators are probably very low. So as long as they can greatly reduce their production costs, they can put out phonebooks and make their money back.

I don't know, I still get the feeling that DC really screws ups when it comes to reprinting old material. I mean, this Legion material gets the expensive Omnibus treatment (which I, for exemple, refuse to fork over the money for, but that I would TOTALLY consider buying in a cheaper TPB format), yet with no news of DC giving continuation to the series of reprints of the DnA Legion (interuptted after the Legion Lost, second volume), the Legionnaires series (also interrupted after the second volume, before the Fatal Five storyline), Ostrander's Spectre (post 2nd volume interruption), Ostrander's Martian Manhunter (post 2nd volume interruption), PAD's Young Justice (this one appearently interrupted after 5 volumes, with merely one to go to complete the whole series), Barr's Outsiders (we had 3 HC, but it stopped at the end of the BATO phase, with a lot of good Alan Davis and Jim Aparo material to go), and so on... And, most criminal of all, IMHO, no All-Star Squadron reprint series. It seems to me that only Ostrander's Suicide Squad and the Neww Teen Titans get to have the full collection treatment. DC has such a rich history, it saddens me that it doesn't seem willing enough to revist it, especially since I find very hard to enjoy most of the current material being published.

Peace

[caj]

I know I never dreamed that those Legion issues between Superboy & the Legion and the Levitz Era Legion would ever be collected but they put them all out in 2 volumes.

[RobinGA]

Levitz for me.
I would say Superboy and the LSH would be second.

I think after Levitz the writers lost the plot.

[Thor-Ul]

Levitz for me.
I would say Superboy and the LSH would be second.

I think after Levitz the writers lost the plot.

Even Levitz lost the plot.

[Jim Kelly]

It's odd to me that so many like the second Levitz run, but they can't be bothered to go back and read the comics before that. It's not like Paul and Keith were making this all up from nothing. Most of the characters they're using already existed and they are exploiting continuity and history that informs the new stories they're creating.

I'm glad there's omnibuses collecting all that material for those who don't have the comics. It's not always the greatest material, but if you want to know about Blok, Ultra Boy, Dawnstar, Reflecto, Shadow Lass, Tyroc, Mordru, Pulsar Stargrave, Grimbor, the Fatal Five, the League of Super-Assassins, the Dark Circle--then you've got all that available to you.

[kcekada]

I think some of that stems from the artwork. In between the Cockrum/Grell era and Giffen era -- the art was very inconsistent. James Sherman was great (liked him better than Grell, actually), but his run was very short. I quit Legion and DC shortly thereafter -- and didn't come back until Giffen came on board (was attracted to the cover art).

I will eventually get to those issues in between. I will say, though, that the Silver Age stories are worth a read. There is some silliness -- and the outfits weren't great -- but there were a lot of good stories -- especially the first Mordru and Computo stories.

[Thor-Ul]

Those are the seminal stories.