Can we please get a new LEgion of Superheroes book!!!

[Old Man Ollie 1962]

Okay, guys. Who is DC's best writer on staff? Specifically, which writer is best suited to script a new Legion series?

[Doctor Bifrost]

Concerning Matter-Eater Lad:

I agree, he is my favorite Legion member. It just bites that they don't use him enough.

Oh, I'm hoping that pun was intended! :-)

[Lee Stone]

Okay, guys. Who is DC's best writer on staff? Specifically, which writer is best suited to script a new Legion series?

For Legion fans: Tom King or Dan Abnett.

For Retailers, non-Legion fans and everybody else: Geoff Johns.

The one who could reach both sets of audiences, yet isn't on DC's staff: Jonathan Hickman.

Legion fans would probably love King or Abnett on Legion, but retailers and non-Legion fans would skip it and force it into an early cancellation.
Retailers and non-Legion fans would snatch up a Johns Legion in a heartbeat, but Legion fans would be discontent with the direction and handling of the characters.
Hickman could attract both fans and non-fans and interest retailers, so it would have the greater chance of success.

[OBrianTallent]

After 57 years (and nearly that many relaunches ) it's going to be impossible to get all Legion fans to agree on a single version of the team they want. Heck, I've spent the last 25+ years cordially disagreeing with fellow Legion fans about the merits of the post Five Year Gap team. Some people will want the Legion of one specific run, some will want their favourites in the team, others will want certain characters entirely absent, and others will lobby to throw out all previous characters and start afresh with a new team.

So I think that any new Legion run really has to be about the writing. It needs to tell a story that draws people in, whether they were Legion fans before or not, and then makes fans of them, even if the team shown isn't "their" Legion. It needs to be written by someone who knows the old Legion runs and characters, embraces them all, and can communicate that enthusiasm to the reader. And it needs to not play safe.

Which is why I think it really does need someone like a Tom King, who's not afraid to experiment with the comic as an art form, and do things differently. Someone who can vary pacing, with done in ones and longer plot arcs, and make his characters likeable. Or unfathomable. Or creepy. Whatever the plot demands. He's not yet too big a name to be given the Legion franchise to fix, but he's done a varied enough body of work now that he might bring people from Grayson, from Omega Men, even over from Marvel now he's writing a title for them, to top up the numbers of the Legion faithful.

And if you need a big name to boost the circulation numbers to keep the title running, make that the artist. But the one thing that the Legion really needs is not to have another lacklustre relaunch, and for that it needs to get itself a storyteller above all else.

This right here. Excellent post!

[Frontier]

For Legion fans: Tom King or Dan Abnett.

For Retailers, non-Legion fans and everybody else: Geoff Johns.

The one who could reach both sets of audiences, yet isn't on DC's staff: Jonathan Hickman.

Legion fans would probably love King or Abnett on Legion, but retailers and non-Legion fans would skip it and force it into an early cancellation.
Retailers and non-Legion fans would snatch up a Johns Legion in a heartbeat, but Legion fans would be discontent with the direction and handling of the characters.
Hickman could attract both fans and non-fans and interest retailers, so it would have the greater chance of success.

How can you be sure that Geoff Johns as Legion would have Legion dissatisfied with the direction or handling of the characters? Is that related to his past works with the group?

My experience with Hickman on Avengers was that, while he was successful in engrossing readers into his story and the stakes involved as well as impressing them with the meticulous thought that went into them, there were also fans who were unhappy with the direction he was taking the book or his characterization.

Now, that was from Avengers fans and Hickman was upfront that his run was not going to be a traditional Avengers book, so if he were on Legion he might do something more in-line with what fans of that book would expect.

[Deniz Camp]

Abnett had his time on Legion; it started strong and got progressively weaker as it went. Legion Lost and Legion Worlds remain two high water marks in Legion history, for me.

My number one choice for the Legion is Grant Morrison. That won't ever happen, but his body of work plays with a lot of the themes I believe are at the heart of the Legion.

Of everyone else, I think Tom King is the best choice; I'd take him before, Hickman, I'd take him before Roberts.

But I'd be happy with any of those four -- Grant Morrison, Tom King, John Hickman, and James Roberts.

Geoff Johns' orientation and interest is ill suited to the Legion. Superman and the Legion was a good story...but it was a good Superman story. That's what it meant to be, and that's fine, but it wasn't a Legion story. Legion of Three Worlds was a horrendous misunderstanding and misappropriation of the franchise, in my mind.

Also, if he were drawing it, I'd be down to have Keith Giffen involved in some way.

As always, here's my opinion on the Legion: http://heshouldreallyknowbetter.blog...ed-legion.html

[BohemiaDrinker]

For Legion fans: Tom King or Dan Abnett.

I'm not a Legion fan on the slightest, but I'd give a shot if King was writting it.

[Lee Stone]

How can you be sure that Geoff Johns as Legion would have Legion dissatisfied with the direction or handling of the characters? Is that related to his past works with the group?

This is the best way to say it:

Geoff Johns' orientation and interest is ill suited to the Legion. Superman and the Legion was a good story...but it was a good Superman story. That's what it meant to be, and that's fine, but it wasn't a Legion story. Legion of Three Worlds was a horrendous misunderstanding and misappropriation of the franchise, in my mind.

I'm not a Legion fan on the slightest, but I'd give a shot if King was writting it.

Retailers still wouldn't bank on it, though. So it wouldn't get any push from them. That's the biggest hurdle for Legion.
After countless reboots and relaunches, retailers wouldn't order more than what is absolutely necessary because they would expect it to be another passing fancy.
And pre-orders would be pretty much limited to (those remaining postNew52) die-hard Legion fans (well, those that don't choose to wait and see if it lasts this time) and King's followers.

Without a big market name attached, Legion would be a hard sell.

Although, I do agree that a high profile artist could push it up. Maybe Hitch. But I don't see him dropping JLA to do it.

[colonyofcells]

Can maybe use the Legion as a villain group to fight the Justice League in the Justice League title.

[DeathFalcon182]

Okay, guys. Who is DC's best writer on staff? Specifically, which writer is best suited to script a new Legion series?

Morrison or Johns. TK could write it too but book wouldn't be much of a draw. My personal choice would be Hickman since Morrison is not writing ongoings.

[Starchild]

I'd give Johns and Morrison a rest. After reading a few issues of Avengers and Avengers World, Hickman would be perfect for the Legion of Superheroes. Avengers World felt a little like a Legion story imo. Bryan Hitch has proven to be a capable writer, so I wouldn't mind seeing him taking a stab at the Legion. Hitch seems like a big concept guy, which is something the team will need. The pages would look gorgeous if he does the art. How about Tom Taylor, Brian Buccellato or Shawn Kittelson (Mortal Kombat X)? Those would be my picks as well.

[CSHero(comicchat)]

Okay, guys. Who is DC's best writer on staff? Specifically, which writer is best suited to script a new Legion series?

I think this pair would work really well together on a LoSH series the only problem is the publicity but anyway my pick is
Paul Dini - writer
Joe Quinones -artist (Joe Quinones and Paul Dini worked black canary and zatana blood spell).
if not that
Tom King-writer
Ivan Reis- artist
although i dont think I would be able to chose a team.

[jeanvaljean]

Was LL one of the titles in the New 52 that wasn't well received? I don't know, I liked it a lot. The Legion in the modern world isn't something I see often. The artist made Wildfire look absolutely stunning on every page.

The plot was a bit of a mess, largely due to the book being forced into a crossover with Teen Titans, one of the worst books of the Nu52.

[j9ac9k]

I loved the art in "Legion Lost" but those two Legion titles seemed to have no idea what they were about. DC should have stayed with one Legion title and they needed to launch it with a real Big Plan in place with a Big Story, rather than just "oh, here's another Legion title."

[Deniz Camp]

Pete Woods was a solid artist, but that book was wrong headed from the start -- I do not understand the impetus to strip from the Legion it's most interesting and unique element; that it takes place in the future.

That's your hook! And it provides ENDLESS fun and potential.