DC Comics Developing Legion of Super-Heroes TV Show for HBO Max

[Frontier]

I'm a big Dickbabs fan but I still think in YJ, Dick should have stuck with Zatanna or gotten with Artemis after season 2 (seriously don't hate they had a lot of chemistry and it would make for some great angst; Could have been a Peter/Gwen/MJ situation). Him getting with Babs off-screen in a timeskip that only has meaning to people who read comics does nothing to me. I wanna see any romantic development on-screen.

That's only if you're exactly adapting old stories which never happens. It's a new medium. You tell new stories and ones that can explore different concepts using the same characters and then as a writer, you have to see how the characters evolve under your writing and develop them so that it grows organically.

I think that's a problem with the show's time-skips and relegating stuff to the tie-in comic because some major DickxBabs content was in the comic before we jumped to it in the show.

I don't think any adaption is just about adapting old stories so much as some relationships are important to the characters so you expect that to be reflected in adaptions so new audiences get to see that. If the characters are being depicted as themselves and in-character you would expect them to naturally gravitate to the characters they're associated with.

[The Kid]

I think that's a problem with the show's time-skips and relegating stuff to the tie-in comic because some major DickxBabs content was in the comic before we jumped to it in the show.

I don't think any adaption is just about adapting old stories so much as some relationships are important to the characters so you expect that to be reflected in adaptions so new audiences get to see that. If the characters are being depicted as themselves and in-character you would expect them to naturally gravitate to the characters they're associated with.

A lot of those relationships are dependent on the old stories. If you're telling new stories with the characters, it stands to reason that you will come up with new pairings that organically grow out of the stories you end up writing. That's why in every adaptation of superhero comics, relationships stand to change because the stories are ultimately different and characters are used differently.

[Frontier]

A lot of those relationships are dependent on the old stories. If you're telling new stories with the characters, it stands to reason that you will come up with new pairings that organically grow out of the stories you end up writing. That's why in every adaptation of superhero comics, relationships stand to change because the stories are ultimately different and characters are used differently.

How does adapting count as old stories though? Basically you're just adapting it for new audiences unless you're intentionally diverging from what you're adapting from. Like how many times have we seen Clark and Lois get together? Bruce and Selina? Peter and MJ? Etc.

I don't think adaptions tend to change that much.

[J. D. Guy]

Essentially I'm just see it as it's own thing. Most adaptations of DC and Marvel tend to be pretty loose and it's all the better for it.

In most cases...except for the Halle Berry Catwoman.

This is actually a movie I am seeing some folks reclaim as being awesome, rebuking the standard assumption of hate and derision it got hoisted with.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

This is actually a movie I am seeing some folks reclaim as being awesome, rebuking the standard assumption of hate and derision it got hoisted with.

Huh....did not know that.

[Confuzzled]

....Oh God...

The sobering realization of what this show REALLY means just washed over me like a baptism by acid...

You think the fandom for the Voltron show is toxic? Or maybe the fandom for RWBY is pretty crazy to you? Or how bout how out of pocket the YJ shipping fans can get? Maybe you're even dreading the My Adventures With Superman show's fandom because it's from the people that made Voltron?

CHILD'S PLAY


I present to you a TV show that is specifically called an "adult-cartoon" that deals with mature subjects and has a cast TOTALLY made up of attractive young adults with superpowers-- someone of witch are likely nonbinary or gender fluid. And on top of that you have a young Superman-to-be who has NO SET "Lois Lane" because he's not Clark. Thus his love life is open-ended.

"Shipping wars"? These will be shipping crusades!!

For God's sake, this is effectively more queer feeling, future forward, X-Men in space! Barricade the doors, stock up on food, and pray. The world doesn't end in a bang or a whimper, but rather with this, friends.

Anything to get LoSH ping on the pop-culture radar. It's been too long on the Z-List.

[Agent Z]

This is actually a movie I am seeing some folks reclaim as being awesome, rebuking the standard assumption of hate and derision it got hoisted with.

It's mostly a vocal minority from what I've seen of it. Personally, I think it was dumb film but there are always worse. Though can't see how anyone can justify that outfit.

[Vordan]

How does adapting count as old stories though? Basically you're just adapting it for new audiences unless you're intentionally diverging from what you're adapting from. Like how many times have we seen Clark and Lois get together? Bruce and Selina? Peter and MJ? Etc.

I don't think adaptions tend to change that much.

Legion isn’t anywhere near those franchises and the adaptions of Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man did change a lot. Donner turned Supes into a Christ symbol, made the Kents farmers, created the Jor-El AI, etc. Burton Batman killed. Raimi Spidey had a very different personality from early years Peter in the comics. Changes do happen.

Besides this is adapting Bendis Legion where none of those relationships exist.

Huh....did not know that.

Aside from a few people on Twitter fangirling over some rap star whose name I can’t remember dressing up as Halle Berry Catwoman, I can’t recall ever seeing any sign of a large scale movement to defend the old Catwoman movie. Certainly nothing on the same level as the Snyder films.

[Sutekh]

It's being developed as an adult-animated series. Will this Jon be the Invincible of the DCAU? Hmm....

That's my worry, that some DC suits saw the success of gory super-spectacle like The Boys and Invincible or even Hit-Monkey, and started casting about for a way to cash in on that.

"If only we could find a large team of young hot superpeeps in our catalog to messily dismember in ever more bloody ways that none of us really cares about..." Enter Brian Bendis, "I have an idea!"

[Frontier]

Legion isn’t anywhere near those franchises and the adaptions of Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man did change a lot. Donner turned Supes into a Christ symbol, made the Kents farmers, created the Jor-El AI, etc. Burton Batman killed. Raimi Spidey had a very different personality from early years Peter in the comics. Changes do happen.

I'm not ruling out additions or small changes but generally I think the core of the characters remain intact.

Besides this is adapting Bendis Legion where none of those relationships exist.

Yeah, but there isn't really a lot of material to draw from, although I guess Bendis is involved so he can probably just "point them" to where he intends stuff to go or what he would do.

[J. D. Guy]

Huh....did not know that.

Yep. The general things are that it was actually a fun and campy super(anti)hero film that was ahead of its time and got pooed on too much by comicbook folk who missed the point and others who felt it was easy to clout-shame on. But beyond those trappings, it was a legit good and fun movie in its own right.

There are apparently a lot of such movies that had been panned by certain audiences on-release that are gaining vindication from more appropriate target demos later. Jennifer's Body is another one I've seen get reclaimed/vindicated in this way, and more than once.

It's mostly a vocal minority from what I've seen of it. Personally, I think it was dumb film but there are always worse. Though can't see how anyone can justify that outfit.

I feel kinda icky trying to downplay things like this. At this point, it's whatever (I've never even seen the movie outright by myself), but I say let those who took away fun and positive things live in the joy they gained from the movie rather than police them for doing so.

[Superlad93]

Small pitch:

I was thinking about how they'd adapt Bendis' run with Legion when it's so linked to his Superman, and very likely Clark and Lois won't be regular cast members any more than Ma and Pa were on the 90s show. That means this show can't really start of with the Unity Saga or Jon coming up with the United Planets. It also won't have to deal with the age up or Earth-3. He'll just be 17.

So, I was thinking maybe they start the show off with Jon not knowing that his dad is Superman, and kind of stuck on what college he wants to go to in the fall. But one day Jon starts to get powers, and maybe tests them out for just a bit while he quietly freaks out to himself wondering what he is. Then once he musters up the nerve to finally tell his mom and dad...BAM...the Legion shows up in his living room like Jor-El did in Bendis' MOS. They're there under the assumption that this is a little further into Jon's timeline and that he's already told his father and is already a superhero himself.

But the thing is...THEY-- just now-- spilled the beans before Jon could get a word out. So it's all like "greetings Superman family! We're come here seeking your son the great Jon Kent" "wait, my dad is WHO?" "carp...Brainy did you screw this up? Did you make us just screw this up" "we may be a bit...early, yes...sorry". This being a remix of how the was early to the creation of the UP in Bendis' run.

From there you have Jon get kind of mad at his mom and dad for keeping this from him. And he's confused, hurt, and has more than a little bit of his mom in him. The Legion's offering to help train him and offer a cultural exchange, but Clark puts his foot down and says no. Then maybe this first episode (which is likely a two parter) is about Jon lying to the Legion and saying that his mom and dad came around and said yes, so he effectively sneaks off.

From there it's totally Harry Potter meets Star Trek for Jon, and the catch is that he's only had his powers for like a week, and he can't fly nor is his strength or durability consistent. It's very much early Rebirth where his powers would be in flux-- sometimes spiking high and other times leaving him quite vulnerable. This doesn't give a whole lot of confidence to some members in the Legion. Others are worried he'll get hurt and they'll mess up the timeline. Yet others are still kind of in awe of him because of the legends, plus he's actually a pretty chill kid to talk to. Like finding out Jesus was mad chill as a kid.

We go through whatever the plot will be, give Jon a Gohan moment of power, and then have Saturn Girl tell him that he should probably come clean with his parents. He goes back to his time-- now a bit more sure of himself-- and hands them a Legion application. Saturn Girl explains that they'll keep his time there syncs with the present time, and he'll come home for weekends and holidays. It's not perfect, and Clark really did want to train his son, but Lois tells him that learning like this may be better for him in the long run. This way you still can inject some progression into the relationship between him and his parents.

However many episodes later-- maybe the mid season break on end of season-- Jon learns that not only will he one day be Superman, but also that the way the future is-- the galactic peace they enjoy-- will be because Jon is responsible for creating the United Planets when he's Superman.

__________

Now the other things is that you don't just want this to be about Jon, yet he is our best bet for a POV character given that he's from the past, so I think they should also stick him on the Legion of Substitute Heroes Bendis' Future State Legion book actually had Jon founding that team and brining them to the proper Legion. They were also the ragtag bunch lead by Superman and helped beat Earthman in Johns' Superman & The Legion. I think you can actually do something with that here that helps fix a few issues with Legion as a whole.

First off, have them put Jon in what is effectively "remedial" team with the subs. These are the kids who can't control their powers safely or have powers that don't seem very useful. You make Jon and this team a bunch of underdogs that can slowly build over time. This also allows you to have main missions without Jon, thus allowing you to fully explore others in the large cast while always pulling for Jon ands his little band to make it.

I'd also make Mon-El the Malfoy to Jon's Harry. He's physically the most powerful member of the team, is older than Jon, and has been a hero longer, yet his ancestor here is called Superboy and he's not. He'd function as a measuring stick for Jon in the same way Bakugo did for Deku.

From there you inject a whole bunch of interpersonal relationships, dynamics, and points of friction along with all of the wonders of the far flung future. I personally wouldn't even do a villain of the week sort of thing. Take a page from Waid's run and say that they future really is at peace (though with some very small issues here and there)...yet have something bubbling under it all that we build towards till the mid season point. But in the meantime just mix hormones and book one of Harry Potter. Really give us a chance to appreciate and have fun in this future before it's the end of the world or galaxy.

[Vordan]

I'm not ruling out additions or small changes but generally I think the core of the characters remain intact.

Yeah, but there isn't really a lot of material to draw from, although I guess Bendis is involved so he can probably just "point them" to where he intends stuff to go or what he would do.

Might use Bendis as a starting point, but I have no doubt they aren’t going to be chained at the hip to his stories. How DC handles adaptions is they take the base plots but change up the details as it suits them.

[Vordan]

Small pitch:

__________

Now the other things is that you don't just want this to be about Jon, yet he is our best bet for a POV character given that he's from the past, so I think they should also stick him on the Legion of Substitute Heroes Bendis' Future State Legion book actually had Jon founding that team and brining them to the proper Legion. They were also the ragtag bunch lead by Superman and helped beat Earthman in Johns' Superman & The Legion. I think you can actually do something with that here that helps fix a few issues with Legion as a whole.

First off, have them put Jon in what is effectively "remedial" team with the subs. These are the kids who can't control their powers safely or have powers that don't seem very useful. You make Jon and this team a bunch of underdogs that can slowly build over time. This also allows you to have main missions without Jon, thus allowing you to fully explore others in the large cast while always pulling for Jon ands his little band to make it.

I like this idea a lot. Both because it’s an adaption of one of my favorite stories and because like you said, it makes Jon an underdog at first. He’s struggling to live up to his dad’s legend and also his own. Part of what made Mark Grayson so popular was getting the **** kicked out of him, if you start off having Jon get his ass kicked that would immediately establish that he’s not on the same level as his dad yet. Then you also give him a small cast of people like him, kids who want to be heroes but aren’t at the level you’d expect. Seeing Jon bond with these guys and ultimately save the day when the “proper” Legion couldn’t would be cool. Reminds me of Sky High

I'd also make Mon-El the Malfoy to Jon's Harry. He's physically the most powerful member of the team, is older than Jon, and has been a hero longer, yet his ancestor here is called Superboy and he's not. He'd function as a measuring stick for Jon in the same way Bakugo did for Deku.

This would also help appease all the crazy CW Supergirl fans who are likely never going to do anything but hate Mon. Mon as basically the guy Jon is expected to be with Jon jealous of Mon for it while Mon is jealous of all the love Jon gets but can’t do anything to him because Jon is his ancestor makes for a fun dynamic.

From there you inject a whole bunch of interpersonal relationships, dynamics, and points of friction along with all of the wonders of the far flung future. I personally wouldn't even do a villain of the week sort of thing. Take a page from Waid's run and say that they future really is at peace (though with some very small issues here and there)...yet have something bubbling under it all that we build towards till the mid season point. But in the meantime just mix hormones and book one of Harry Potter. Really give us a chance to appreciate and have fun in this future before it's the end of the world or galaxy.

Legion as Superman in Hogwarts training with the X-Men sounds like a great pitch to me!

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Honestly I'd just use Mon-el as the POV character. Just have him be Superman's great grandson who wants to live up to the S. Or insert one of Superman's descendants from House of el.

I don't need a modern day person to be the POV.

For example, I like Star Wars but I don't need to Luke to be from our planet/time period.