The only person who wrote the Legion correctly was Geoff Johns.
The Legion of Superheroes
- Thread starter Mr Light
- Start date
As someone who loved the Giffen & Bierbaums era, I'd say that Geoff Johns can't write the Legion correctly.
Oh, he writes lots of other things very, very well, but given that his Legion is predicated on my Legion era never happening...
I don't know if Geoff wrote the Legion "correctly" but I give him big props with restoring the Silver Age version and recommend Levitz's current work. One of the reasons why the Great Darkness Saga has been recently released is because in one of the issues of "Legion of Superheroes" I wanna say the second or third issue, Darkseid shows up as Imra is searching for her and Garth's kidnapped children. So far it hasn't been touched upon but I'm guessing that there are some future plans to use Darkseid again in some way.
Levitz's stuff hasn't really thrilled me. The main title seems to be juggling too many plot-lines and I find the resolutions tend to be a bit weak due to this. The recent "fight" between Earth-Man and Mon-El started off-panel, took place mostly off-panel, and it seemed to be there for little purpose. Come to think of it, Mon-El and Shadow Lass' break-up happened off-panel, as well as Matter Eater lad's resignation. Levitz is trying to fit too much into the book and I think overall, it suffers for it.
I was definitely not a fan of his run on Adventures and hope the change in focus fixes that. The take on previous stories seemed to rely on knowing them, a problem for me since I never read the early Legion stuff, and, up until this title, re-caps, Wikipedia entries, Who's Who entries, etc. sufficed.
The Giffen-Bierbaum "Five Year Later" Legion made me a fan, but the post-Zero Hour team is who I think of when I think of "my" Legion. That team did a nice job of balancing modern sensibilities with the past and presented some great stories. The development of the characters was great and they really grew over the course of the series.
I also liked the Waid/Kitson Legion for their run. It was refreshing to see that even though they rebooted the Legion, they at least decided to go in a different, yet understandable direction with it. The run was only good when the two were writing it though, other writers couldn't capture the characters quite so well.
I'm really hoping to see the post-Zero Hour Legion again. Their role, as of the end of Legion of 3 Worlds as the new Wanderers of the Multiverse seems perfect for the rumored/teased Grant Morrison Multiverse story he's been promising.
I was definitely not a fan of his run on Adventures and hope the change in focus fixes that. The take on previous stories seemed to rely on knowing them, a problem for me since I never read the early Legion stuff, and, up until this title, re-caps, Wikipedia entries, Who's Who entries, etc. sufficed.
The Giffen-Bierbaum "Five Year Later" Legion made me a fan, but the post-Zero Hour team is who I think of when I think of "my" Legion. That team did a nice job of balancing modern sensibilities with the past and presented some great stories. The development of the characters was great and they really grew over the course of the series.
I also liked the Waid/Kitson Legion for their run. It was refreshing to see that even though they rebooted the Legion, they at least decided to go in a different, yet understandable direction with it. The run was only good when the two were writing it though, other writers couldn't capture the characters quite so well.
I'm really hoping to see the post-Zero Hour Legion again. Their role, as of the end of Legion of 3 Worlds as the new Wanderers of the Multiverse seems perfect for the rumored/teased Grant Morrison Multiverse story he's been promising.
I will agree that some of Levitz's run on Adventures and Legion has seemed disjointed at times with stuff thrown in there for appearance purposes on. My take on this style is that he's spending the first year of his run really setting things up and reintroducing people to this version of the League and then will run with the stories and plots at a later date.
I hope so, it seems that as soon as one plot reaches a climax, that's it. A lot of these sub-plots would be the main plots in other books.
Anyway, I hope next issue reveals Wildfire as the Legion leader. I voted for him and I would love to see him take the spotlight.
Anyway, I hope next issue reveals Wildfire as the Legion leader. I voted for him and I would love to see him take the spotlight.
Yep I agree...it's been very frustrating. What made me go bonkers was the panel shown in the last Early Years arc in Adventures of Superboy and Kara attending Lightning Lad's funeral...I was like WTF!?? This is the first instance that I know of the modern Clark meeting his cousin outside of their introduction in Superman/Batman. I think Clark would have some questions for his cousin!!! We're just supposed to take it that they had discussed stuff off panel and then Imra wiped Clark again? I found that extremely frustrating. I voted for Dawnstar btw.
Eh, I think we all know a vote for Wildfire is a vote for Dawnstar. 
I had the same problem with Supergirl's appearance. It bordered on poor writing/assuming you'd connect the dots/done because that was the way it happened in the Silver Age.
I don't quite think Levitz pulled off the in media res beginning either. Sure it was revealed through flashbacks, but it was very clumsy.
I had the same problem with Supergirl's appearance. It bordered on poor writing/assuming you'd connect the dots/done because that was the way it happened in the Silver Age.
I don't quite think Levitz pulled off the in media res beginning either. Sure it was revealed through flashbacks, but it was very clumsy.
Johns wrote the Legion well, but he didn't log nearly enough time with the characters to be considered the only person to write them correctly.
Plus there have been numerous writers over the years that have done a great job on the LSH.
Paul Levitz is generally considered the best Legion writer and I would not disagree with that. His classic run is just that..classic. And I've been loving his current run as well. No-one (imo) writes big, sprawling super-hero team books as well as Levitz.
Giffen and the Bierbaums on the 5 Years Later book turned in an excellent run also. It was very different from anything else on the stands.
Abnett and Lanning's run on the post-Zero Hour, "Archie" Legion was also pretty sweet.
I'd put all three of these runs ahead of anything Johns did with the Legion, if only because his run was short and he bailed before it even really got going (in order to write The Flash).
Thats not right. Johns left the Legion and Superboy when Levitz returned to writing and editing DC Comics.
No, Johns wanted to write the new Flash series and something had to go to make time for it. That something was Adventure Comics (featuring Superboy and the LSH). Levitz stepping down and returning to writing just happened to occur at the same time.
Geoff Johns brought the current Silverage retconned or (post Threeboot) Legion back with his arc on "Superman and the Legion of Superheroes". I believe their next appearance was in "The Lightning Saga" crossover between the JLA/JSA. Then he wrote the opus "Legion of Three Worlds" which was a Final Crisis tie-in. I believe that Legion back up stories appeared in his first arc on "Adventure Comics". Paul Levitz took over "Adventure Comics" and started the new "Legion of Superheroes" ongoing series. Indeed Geoff did leave Adventure to focus working on "The Flash" and "Green Lantern". The Legion also appeared in "Superman:Secret Origins" where he restored Clark's time as Superboy and his early interactions with the Legion.
Uh, LSH is a Silver Age creation. And I doubt the artists on LSh had much to do with the color of each Legionaires skin. From what I've read it was a decision of the Editor. Black characters were pretty much unheard of in super-heros comics in the late 1950s and early 1960s. And DC was pretty slow in introducing them. Mal Duncan in 1970, John Stewart didnt show up till 1971, Tyroc in 1976 and Black Lightning in 1977. Their War books were a bit a head of that curve having introduced Easy Co member Jackie Johnson in 1961.
Similar threads
