How DC Comics Can Help the Legion of Super-Heroes Live Long

[CBR News]

When DC Comics inevitably relaunches the Legion, it should emphasize its optimism and unlimited potential.


Full article here.

[colonyofcells]

For legion to survive, my guess is have to switch to the adult Legion like Cosmic Man, Saturn Woman, etc. with the adult Legion serving the United Planets similar to how the small group of Jedi Knights served the Republic. The old codenames like Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, etc. maybe can be used in the Legion Academy.
Another way to make the original boy girl characters work is to say that Rokk Krinn Cosmic Boy, Imra Ardeen Saturn Girl, etc. are in the Legion Academy. The main Legion has adult soldiers like maybe lots of Kryptonians, Daxamites, Martians, Amazons, Atlanteans, Thanagarians, etc.

[Pharozonk]

Thus, I would argue first that any new Legion series should emphasize the group's connections to the present-day DC Universe.

That would strip the Legion of what makes them unique in the DCU in the first place. The only connections to the present day DCU that work are Superman and the Green Lantern Corps, the former of which actually inspired the Legion in the first place.

[colonyofcells]

For a new Legion series, I would like to see Rokyn, Mars 2, New Themyscira the Amazon planet of Princess Xenobia, Thanagar, New Atlantis planet, etc as part of the United Planets. I also like the idea of super bat soldiers from Pluto similar to DC One Million. I am ok with a sherwood planet and even a planet of speedsters.

[kalorama]

The Legion has become so weighted down by its "legacy" and the barnacles of umpteen retools and reboots that trying to "embrace all of the group's history," is likely a recipe for doom. If they want to do a book about a group of 31st century superheroes inspired by Superman and the Justice League, then fine. But the best way for it to get any traction is to build on that foundation from the ground up and pretty much ignore all the groups' previous iterations, history, etc. (as opposed to trying to reshape all the old stuff into something that fits into a new mold).

[Zero Hunter]

What they need to do is get a younger writer with some fresh new ideas and put an A list artist on the book. That has been the main problem with the book since DnA left was they just kept going back to older writers who had already done a Legion run before (Waid, Shooter, Levitz) hoping to hit lightning in a bottle again instead of trying for someone new like say a Tom King or Greg Pak.

I don't want to be mean here but colonyofcells pretty much every idea you have for the Legion is horrible. Your ideas always want to basically change the entire book into something completely different. Your ideas sound like something that would work better in a new L.E.G.I.O.N. series way more than the Legion of Super Heroes.

[Uncanny]

No elaborately-plotted six-issue introductions, no decompression, and I daresay no deconstruction.

Can we apply the same to (almost) ALL the super-hero comic books out there? Please?

I agree with a big part of this article. Legion is the perfect combination of adventure, sci-fi, heroes, action and drama. Every issue should be a blockbuster.

[Hypestyle]

Why does Wildfire consistently get ignored? Also Dawnstar.
And can there be some black characters that aren't hobbled by bizarre powersets/backstories like Tyroc?

[colonyofcells]

To be closer to the boy girl clubhouse roots of Legion, Legion can also be done as an elementary school club or a high school club similar to Glee. I am ok if Legionnaires can sing and dance too. Legion can also be done like Intimates and Young Heroes In Love. Legion can also be done like the cartoon Hero High :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_High

[Deathstroke]

Interesting article to be sure. I'm mostly a lapsed Legion fan, so I don't know that there is that much hope for a continued regular series for them anymore.

[CharlieZ]

I think this might hold a key... maybe it's not the setting or the characters, but the storytelling method.

Start with an impressive sequence of the team in action, show the aftermath, and fill in the details as necessary; and then do the same thing a few more times, in tight, exciting standalone stories. Again, "potential" is the watchword and "spectacle" is key: just as Superboy was dazzled by the Legion's future, so must readers be again.

Perhaps the Legion is better suited, in today's TPB and graphic novel driven market, to be presented in true standalone stories, like a series of miniseries, rather than an ongoing monthly. This might be what DC is heading towards anyway with their recent spate of limited series.

[colonyofcells]

Can also do the Legion as a teen volunteer group similar to the peace corps.

[Zero Hunter]

Why does Wildfire consistently get ignored? Also Dawnstar.

A lot of writers are silver age fanboys who ignore all the great characters that came along in the late 70's and 80's. It is like every character after Timberwolf does not exist in their minds. Waid was very guilty of this.

[PretenderNX01]

The Legion only needs what any comic book needs, interesting characters and something to do.

As a concept is isn't too far different than Justice League Unlimited, but it's set in "the future." Even though most comics are set in the present it usually isn't one that looks anything like our present and often features alien planets and other realms so I don't see being set in the future as a hindrance. Too many characters? JLU handled that, you just explain as you go.

[colonyofcells]

Can also do a realistic Legion as a violent teen gang with lots of sex and violence. The old boy girl codenames can become super cute names of violent gang members. Legionnaires with guns will probably look great.