Legion of SuperHeroes goes Montly in May }

[The Toyroom]

See most of that stuff has developed in the last 10 years or so after he lost the shades, skater cut and ear ring and I have grown to like the character.

The only part of the Death of Superman story which Connor flowed out of that I really cared for was Funeral for a Friend, but that was about it. The four imposter Supermen eventually led to the destruction of Coast City and Hal going nuts and the Super-mullet. Plus the whole Azreal as Batman came along at about the same time. To me, that's the crappiest time in DC's publishing history.

That's a crappy time in general for comics....lotsa foil, die-cut, hologram, laser multiple cover stuff going on there.....

[Random Axe]

My only real exposure to the Legion is in the mid 80's. I know Steve Lytle was doing the art at the time and I can't remember who was writing. I also seem to remember an alternate series at the same time maybe in a premium format with better paper and more expensive. I really liked those stories and those characters. I don't know how they've been convoluted since, but hopefully this new series brings back that same adventurous spirit.

Those books spawned many adventures in high school superhero role playing games as we took it to the 30th century. My character was a daxamite or whatever Mon-El is/was. I named him Bad-El. Yeah, I know. I'm a loser.

Scott

[samurainoir]

I believe that, as of Legion of 3 Worlds, XS (Jenni) is part of the Threeboot Legion timeline as is part of an alternate earth.

Is that the Legion that became the future of Earth Prime?

[samurainoir]

Originally they revealed that the Superboy that had appeared with the Legion since its inception was not the new Byrne Superman but one that was created by The Time Trapper who made a Pocket Universe taking a sliver of time from "our" universe.

For some reason though they back-peddled on this and had Glorith defeat The Time Trapper, take his place and create a new Legion timeline with Mon-El in the Superboy position as inspiration for the Legion.

And Time Trapper is actually Superboy Prime?

[BlackKnight]

Speaking of SuperBoy Prime ..., last we saw that Dude, He Defeated a Black Lantern Alex Luthor, and had like 4 Black Lantern Rings on him, becomming a Black Lantern ...., He's out there, and I would expect with His Failed Attack on the Legion in 3 Worlds ..., he's a front runner for a future arc ...

[madmarva]

Legion is NEVER going to be the kind of accessible book that Superman or Batman can be to the general public or the casual or new reader. It's a fan-driven book that has a rich backstory...

I basically agree with you, but you know what initially attracted me to the Legion and ultimately made it accessible to me back in the early to mid 1970s?

It was Superboy. I thought I was getting a Superman comic. I felt comfortable enough with Superboy that I would read and find out who all these other cool looking characters were.

Of course it was a different day. Superman was more popular back then, comics were more accessible both in terms of purchasing and understanding them, especially to kids and there was no one around telling me I couldn't understand what I was reading. I got the gist of it and learned as I went along.

Editor's notes and letter's pages helped back then and I think editors drilled it into the creator's heads to make the books accessible because every comic was someone's first. Reprinting material in cheap formats also filled in some of the holes.

There wasn't a comic that saw print in the 1960s and 1970s — whether it dealt with the future, 35 characters or parallel universes — half as convoluted as many of the most accessible books today.

Heck you have to buy at a minimum of three issues to get a full story and most of the time it's six or more. You can't be a casual comic book reader. How much business does Marvel and DC lose because of this?

Honestly, how does a person become a comic reader today?

I had some extra issues of Superman Secret Origins No. 1 and I gave a couple to my boss around Halloween for his two sons.

He said they loved them, but he had to come ask me where they could get more. Then he noticed the actual price and decided he didn't want to have to buy them all the time at that price.

But look at DC right now. The company is really out-thinking itself. Bruce Wayne isn't Batman, Superman hasn't been in his two prime books for more than a year, and the only remotely recognizable member of the Justice League right now is Batman, who isn't Bruce Wayne. Who gives a man a snake when he asks for a fish? DC.

Green Lantern is DC's best book, but the character is so fringe that the Direct to DVD movie that came out last summer sold so slowly that the execs said no go on a sequel.

Talk about a soap box

[The Toyroom]

Is that the Legion that became the future of Earth Prime?

I think that's right...I'd have to re-read it.

[The Toyroom]

And Time Trapper is actually Superboy Prime?

For THAT story, yes....Previously though, right around Zero Hour time, I think it was revealed that Cosmic Boy became The Time Trapper through some time paradox...

I think it's safe to say that because he's the Time Trapper, he can have multiple origins....

[The Toyroom]

But look at DC right now. The company is really out-thinking itself. Bruce Wayne isn't Batman, Superman hasn't been in his two prime books for more than a year, and the only remotely recognizable member of the Justice League right now is Batman, who isn't Bruce Wayne. Who gives a man a snake when he asks for a fish? DC.

I'm hoping that what we're still seeing is just left-over stuff that they have to follow through on....Hopefully with this new regime of DiDio/Lee/Johns we will see more of what people what...The Legion book(s) seem like a step in the right direction and hopefully Justice League of America will follow suit at some point along those lines. As soon as the stink of Robinson's kitbash team wears off. Maybe the long rumored Geoff Johns/Jim Lee team will do the JLA right.

[samurainoir]

It was Superboy. I thought I was getting a Superman comic. I felt comfortable enough with Superboy that I would read and find out who all these other cool looking characters were.

That was also my first experience with the Legion of Superheroes. We all know who Superboy is, and these are all his cool, colourful friends. I had actually forgotten how much I would just let my imagination fill in the details as a kid, and I was reminded of that last week in a magazine store where a five year old was explaining to his three year old brother the most recent Superman cover which featured Superman and Mon-El. He simply told his brother that it was Superman and his brother. Which reminded me exactly how I reconciled Mon-El when I first encountered the character as a really young kid... I just assumed he was Superman's brother and let it go at that until the real explanation did come up in some other issue or digest I stumbled across later.

Heck you have to buy at a minimum of three issues to get a full story and most of the time it's six or more. You can't be a casual comic book reader. How much business does Marvel and DC lose because of this?

Honestly, how does a person become a comic reader today?

Keep in mind that the question you are really asking is "How does a person become a SUPERHERO reader today?

I think the real answer isn't in the single issue focus of many comic stores, but the bookstores and comic stores that are well stocked in trades, where the complete storylines are available in single volumes for the most part. As for the cost, keep in mind that a mass market novel now costs around ten bucks, and you can general find a trade paperback for that much on the low end of the collected editions (often the first volume of a series is also priced much lower than the subsequent volumes for certain titles in order to encourage new readers).

If we're talking kids, they probably start like many of us started... seeing them on TV. I know I got my start with Superheroes watching Spiderman on Electric Company and Superfriends on Saturday morning. That led to the Megos. And they had Spidey Super Stories and Superfriends comics.

So if a kid likes Brave and Bold... get 'em the Brave and Bold comic. It's age appropriate, stories are "done in one" and all the explanations they need is there. If they like it they can graduate to the "Adventures" type titles and then into the DCU proper if they have the stamina for it.

Alternatively, they are into the Naruto cartoon... in which case, even if it's not your personal taste why not indulge your kid and get them the Naruto manga? At the end of the day, comics is comics right?

[The Toyroom]

That was also my first experience with the Legion of Superheroes. We all know who Superboy is, and these are all his cool, colourful friends. I had actually forgotten how much I would just let my imagination fill in the details as a kid, and I was reminded of that last week in a magazine store where a five year old was explaining to his three year old brother the most recent Superman cover which featured Superman and Mon-El. He simply told his brother that it was Superman and his brother. Which reminded me exactly how I reconciled Mon-El when I first encountered the character as a really young kid... I just assumed he was Superman's brother and let it go at that until the real explanation did come up in some other issue or digest I stumbled across later.

And isn't that Mon-El really got his start ....with Superboy thinking he was an older brother, who arrived to Earth on a Monday....Thus, the name of "Mon-El".

[samurainoir]

And isn't that Mon-El really got his start ....with Superboy thinking he was an older brother, who arrived to Earth on a Monday....Thus, the name of "Mon-El".

I didn't realize that! Learn something new every day.

Another cover...

[The Toyroom]

^ That dude has got the chops for a LSH book most definitely!

[Riffster]

Where's Mon-El? we know he's heading back to the future.. and starman, I also can't make out who that is above Dawny

[The Toyroom]

You're just worried about Mon-El and Starman? There's a bunch of Legionnaires not shown in that pic....Chameleon Boy, Skrinking Violet, Duo Damsel, Bouncing Boy, Dream Girl, Element Lad just to name a few...