Sunday, September 30, 2007

Legion on SKY TV in Italy

According to SKY Guida TV, the Legion show apparently premieres season 1 in Italy on SKY's Cartoon Network(s), channels 606 and 607, on October 1st.

If any Italian readers watch the show, please comment here about how it looks and sounds (dubbed with new voices? subtitled?).

Un gruppo di supereroi torna indietro nel tempo con l’obiettivo di convincere Superman ad unirsi alla loro lotta per mantenere la pace nel mondo. Così, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Phantom Girl, Bouncing Boy e Timber Wolf si avventurano in questo viaggio, ma qualcosa va storto... il gruppo scopre di essere tornato troppo indietro nel tempo!

Superman, infatti, é ancora giovanissimo. Nonostante ciò accetta con entusiasmo di unirsi a loro per difendere i diritti del mondo libero.

In ogni episodio, i mitici eroi si ritroveranno ad affrontare nuove minacce provenienti da altri mondi, nemici e avversari che mettono a dura prova la squadra.

Here's the Google machine translation:
A group of superheroes behind returns in the time with the objective to convince Superman to join to their fight in order to maintain the peace in the world. Therefore, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Phantom Girl, Bouncing Boy and Timber Wolf are taken risks in this travel, but something goes storto… the group discovers too much of being returned behind in the time!

The Superman, in fact, é still young. In spite of that chip ax with enthusiasm to join to they in order to defend the rights of the free world.

In every episode, the mythical heroes will find again themselves to face new coming from threats from other worlds, enemies and adversaries who put to hard try the square.

Here's another story via divertimento.it, which gives pretty much the same information.

Another Adventure #247 on eBay

There's another coverless copy of Adventure 247 for sale on eBay.

It's all there but the cover! The first wrap is barely hanging on to only the bottom staple. There is also some light chew/bug damage to the top edge. The pages are flat and tight and TAN in color with no brittleness or flaking. This is a great chance to get a key book at a bargain price, don't miss it!

It's currently at $52.00 (plus $3.50 shipping). Happy bidding!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Episode 2.02 pictures

Warner Bros. Animation has seen fit to include me on their list of promotional mailings for the Legion cartoon. Here's the last batch of pictures for episode 2.02 (some of which you've seen elsewhere, I just wasn't able to get them up until now, the rest are new).

FYI: There will be new episodes of both series airing on 10/6 and 10/13. For the near future, synopses will be released on a weekly basis -- generally on Monday with images previewing the coming week's episode.

And thus ... The synopses for this weekend:

"Legion of Super Heroes" concludes its two-part season premiere, entitled "The Man From The Edge Of Tomorrow," on September 29 at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT as part of the Kids' WB! Lineup on The CW Network. In the episode, the Legion has returned from the 41st century with Kell-El, a genetically-enhanced Superman clone. But Imperiex, the destroyer of galaxies, has reached the 31st century first -- and unleashed all of the Legion's greatest enemies. To restore order and combat this near-invincible foe, the Legion will once again turn to the past for help in the form of an older, more mature Superman with far greater grasp of his powers.

New pics for today:










Then the others you may have already seen elsewhere:









Legion TV schedule Oct. 2007

Check the KidsWB page for videos and pictures.

Here are the airdates and episodes for the Legion show for Oct. 2007, via SFTV:

Sept. 29 - episode 2.02 NEW "The Man From The Edge of Tomorrow, part 2"
Oct. 06 - episode 2.03 NEW "Cry Wolf"
Oct. 13 - episode 2.04 NEW "Chained Lightning"
Oct. 20 - episode 2.02 "The Man From The Edge of Tomorrow, part 2" (2nd airing) - last aired 9/29/07
Oct. 27 - TBD

Previously: all the other schedules

Episode reviews:
1.01 "Man of Tomorrow" (4 airings, last 07/07/07)
1.02 "Timber Wolf" (8 airings, last 09/08/07)
1.03 "Legacy" (3 airings, last 06/09/07)
1.04 "Fear Factory" (4 airings, last 06/16/07)
1.05 "Champions" (4 airings, last 06/23/07)
1.06 "Phantoms" (4 airings, last 07/14/07)
1.07 "Child's Play" (4 airings, last 06/30/07)
1.08 "Lightning Storm" (4 airings, last 07/28/07)
1.09 "Brain Drain" (5 airings, last 09/01/07)
1.10 "The Substitutes" (4 airings, last 08/18/07)
1.11 "Chain of Command" (4 airings, last 08/25/07)
1.12 "Sundown, part 1" (3 airings, last 09/15/07)
1.13 "Sundown, part 2" (3 airings, last 09/15/07)
2.01 "Man from the Edge of Tomorrow part 1" (1 airing, last 09/22/07)

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Geek stuff

About a year and a half ago, when my readership was still fairly small, I posted this entry about how some people have Legion-related stuff in their "real" lives.

For example:

  • my desktop is named after the LSH-HQ
  • my laptop is called Computo (a sentient computer in the HQ)
  • my network is called Sleepnet (the network that links the computer minds on Colu)
  • my wireless router is the Legion Outpost (a base which helps connect faraway Legionnaires)
  • my cell phone and old Palm PDA are both called the Omnicom (the everpresent and ubiquitous communications device in the future)

In the comments of the original article, Scott mentions the names of his computer and other electronic devices as well as other artifacts around the home. Other people have tattoos (Wildfire and Dawnstar here, the Legion "L" logo here; hey Jim, do you have pictures of yours online yet?) - not me, I'm too much of a wuss, and I hate needles (and pain).

What do you have?

Superboy lawsuit update, Sept. edition

Jeff Trexler at Trexfiles has the latest update on the Superboy lawsuit. The last time we were here, the judge had overturned a 2006 ruling that said the Siegels had recaptured the rights to Superboy. He wanted more information from each side (the Siegels and DC/Warners) that showed whether the original Superboy pitch from the early 1940s was or was not derivative (under the law) of Superman, which would determine whether or not there were any copyrightable elements in the original pitch - and thus whether there were any copyrights to recapture to begin with.

It happens that the judge in the Superboy case is also the judge in a separate case the Siegels have against DC/Warners regarding the rights to Superman himself. In a nutshell, changes to copyright laws over the years have allowed the original copyright owners (Siegel and Shuster) to regain the copyrights in certain cases (see this Newsarama series of articles on the Superman matter). That's an interesting case in itself, and hinges on a lot of the same copyright law, but outside the scope of the Legion Omnicom.

Anyway, the judge heard from both sides in both cases on Sept. 17 about various legal items, and ordered that (among other things) the trial date for the Superman lawsuit will start on January 28, 2008, and the date for the Superboy suit will be some time after that. So barring any pre-trial settlements, I don't expect to have anything new for a while.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

More animated news from Wizard

Wizard Magazine has an interview with Legion series producer James Tucker and director Brandon Vietti. Some highlights:

  • "There will be episodes where it’s just Season 1 Superman and there’ll be episodes where it’s future Superman, and some episodes will have both of them."

  • "We really needed a big villain. And in the second season, doing Darkseid would’ve been too soon after “Justice League” for me because we just got through doing it in the last season. But I thought we needed someone like that. Someone with that potential and size too. ... I remembered Imperiex from the “Our Worlds at War” miniseries and I thought he had a visual I could play with. He’s pretty much a blank slate; I mean, nobody’s going to care if I change Imperiex around a little bit. But to do Darkseid this soon and you can’t do full on Darkseid for Kids’ WB, I don’t think? I’m not sure; we’ll see if we get to do that because that’s definitely on the plate for potential future seasons."

  • "Nemesis Kid is going to be joining the Legion. There will be an appearance of the White Witch. Also Karate Kid, Dawnstar, Invisible Kid and Chemical King. Some of these characters wont be getting speaking roles, they’ll just be Easter eggs."

  • "Ferro Lad is dead. He indeed did die."

  • The first season was inspired by the Silver Age, while season 2 was inspired by Jim Shooter’s 1960's work. If there is a third season, it may be inspired by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen’s work.

  • " When we started the first season I couldn’t conceive of doing “Great Darkness Saga” in the format of the show then, innocent and young-skewing. We’re still young-skewing, but this second season we’re a little deeper into the storyline. The characters are more established and they’re a little older. I can see us doing “Great Darkness Saga” with this set of characters the way they are now. So yeah, definitely. People get upset when I say I reboot every season but that’s a trait from the Legion. You have to change things. So I’d like to move further along with it next season should that happen. And yeah, touch on some of the later runs of Legion and definitely the “Great Darkness Saga” if that’s possible."

Episode 2.01: Man from the Edge of Tomorrow (part 1)

So the long wait is over, Season 2 of "Legion of Super Heroes" premiered today.

I was concerned when I learned that for some reason, they did a housecleaning on the staff in the off-season: co-Producer Linda Steiner, Associate Producer A. J. Vargas, Story Editor Rob Hoegee, all three directors (Ben Jones, Tim Maltby, Lauren Montgomery), casting and voice director Kelly Ward, and probably others. The only top guy left is Producer James Tucker.

I don't have a clue what happened behind the scenes. We had what was apparently a high-rated show, with a high-profile toy tie-in at McDonalds... and not only do you clean house of the staff but you darken the series and jump a couple years in the future? What's up with that?

TiVoing through the opening credits, almost all of the footage was from this episode (with a bit from the next). At the very end during the roll call, there was a blink-and-you-miss-it shot of Karate Kid in his Grell-era costume. Based on the spotlighted characters in the credits, the core team this season will be Brainiac 5, Lightning Lad, Timber Wolf, Phantom Girl, Bouncing Boy, Duo Damsel, and Chameleon Boy (plus, of course, both Supermen). Shockingly, Saturn Girl doesn't look like a main character this season - she was only seen briefly in the opening credits.

Given all that - I thought the episode was pretty cool. Good story by new Story Editor Michael Jelenic; the fight scenes were unbelievable, some interesting storylines to be developed (what happens to Brainiac 5 in his future?). The red anti-matter bubbles are right out of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and I was shocked to see Lu-White get Kid Psycho'd - I sure expected Computo to be responsible for that. I was disappointed to not see Bouncing Boy (outside of that cameo), Saturn Girl, or Phantom Girl, though.

So that leaves Kell-El/Superman-X in the 31st century, the last survivor from his home world/timeline; Triplicate Girl reduced to Duo Damsel (according to the credits); and we're waiting for the return of Superman.

LegionWiki link to the episode here, and here's the discussion at TV.com.

I've got your regular-def torrent right here, but nothing yet on the high-def one.

Reviews:

  • The Legion Abstract:
    Why another Superman? I just don't get why this is something that they want to do. I mean, I know that the real Superman is going to show up at some point, but I don't get what they want Superman-X around for. I don't get why this is something they want to explore. We've had the naive inexperienced Superman, now... a pragmatic warrior Superman? Perhaps it will become clearer later.

    It all adds up to quite an intriguing and energetic season premiere. It's all very well done, but I'm unsure about the overall direction. Some of these new developments seem a little too extreme and proactive and totally in my face. We'll see.

    Promo images, the opening sequence, and the cast of this episode suggest that Bouncing Boy, Phantom Girl and especially Saturn Girl are going to play a reduced role this season. This sort of goes along with that thing I read, I assume on the Legion Omnicom, about how a focus group of eight-year-old boys advised the show's creators that there were too many female characters. To which I say, shove it, eight-year-old boys; Saturn Girl's awesome.

    I don't think I wrote about the focus groups here, that must have been somewhere else.

  • Some discussion over at J. Torres' forum on Comicbloc. He says that the "Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century" picks up with the new season starting in issue 11.

  • The Superman Homepage:
    So many of these Legion episodes focus on a small handful of the members, and that's the way it has to be on a team with so many people. But when you tell a story that plays up the threat THIS big, how can you not bring the entire team in on it? They wouldn't have even needed lines, but they should have been there, going through the portal and whupping some Imperiex drone behind. It would have been impressive, it would have leant a lot of credence to the threat level of Imperiex and it would have made logical story sense. "We need reinforcements! We need the Legion!" Well, Superman X, why didn't you get them then? Five people does not a "legion" make. They could use many team members for a Sun Eater, but not for this?

    I don't buy it.

    Off to a decent start, and I'm enjoying the more mature angle to the story (even if Chameleon is full of one-liners... that will at least keep the youngest of watchers amused), but still lacking some story elements that would really take it to the next level.

  • Commentary over at Toon Zone.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

More season 2 pictures

Warner Bros. Animation sent me the following pictures for this weekend's show. I note that Phantom Girl has a new costume, reminiscent of her post-Zero Hour outfit.











Saturday, September 15, 2007

Season 2 premieres next week

Check your local listings to see what time next week's season premiere starts. Here's a press release I got from Warner Bros. Animation, with some new images. I note that these images are 16x9 instead of 4x3 so maybe season 2 will be presented in widescreen.

(But first, if I may: I've always disliked "LOSH" as the abbreviation, it should be "LSH". And I also dislike that they call the plural of "Superman", "Supermans" instead of "Supermen". But I digress.)




"Legion of Super Heroes" premieres September 22 at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT as part
of the Kids' WB! Lineup on The CW Network with a two-part episode entitled
"The Man From the Edge of Tomorrow" (the finale airs Sept. 29). In the
episode, we learn that in the 41st century, the universe will be terrorized
by a warrior named Imperiex. The only person standing in the way of his
plans for domination is a clone of the original Superman. But unable to
defeat Imperiex and his vast army alone, the clone travels to the 31st
century to recruit history's greatest super hero team, the Legion, to help
fight this threat.




LEGION OF SUPER HEROES: 2007-2008


Wizard Magazine, the industry standard for measuring the fanboy¹s pulse,
hailed Legion of Super Heroes as the 2006-2007 season¹s "Best Animated
Series." So how do you go higher when you¹re already at the top?

You add more - of everything. You go big - and then go bigger.
You take "super" and double it.

Start with a second Superman, add an incomprehensibly undefeatable nemesis,
then toss in endearing new cast members in over-the-top adventures and you
have the recipe for the highly-anticipated second season of Legion of Super
Heroes.

The new campaign of LOSH finds the group fulfilling their collective
destiny, each member elevating his skills to new levels - just in time to
face even greater challenges. In an ironic turn of déjà vu, Future Superman
(a clone who goes by the name "Kell-El") arrives to recruit the Legion to
travel to the 41st century to help defeat Imperiex, a destroyer of galaxies
from the rich annals of DC Comics. But Imperiex turns the tables on the
gang, traveling back to the 31st century to crush the Legion¹s headquarters
and free all of the LOSH¹s deadliest enemies, thus creating an army of super
villains.





While occasionally criss-crossing centuries, the focal point of LOSH Season
2 is on the two Supermans and their attempts to end the reign of terror
brought on by Imperiex. As opposed to his formative days during the first
season, Superman has returned from the 21st century far better developed
with greater physical prowess and utilization of his powers. Kell-El is
actually a clone of Superman, however Kell-El has been created using
Superman¹s DNA along with alien DNA -­ thus forming a new Superman with
exciting new powers -­ and a different form of weakness.



Along the way, the LOSH provides the perfect complement of heroics and
comedy to the efforts of the Supermans. The Legion members' journey include
the discovery of old and lost relatives ­ with imperiled results. The LOSH
even expands (and sometimes contracts) during the new season, most notably
with the addition of an intriguing new Legion member, Chameleon Boy.







Renowned voice actor Yuri Lowenthal draws double duty in LOSH Season 2 as
the voice of both Classic and Future Superman. His villainous foil,
Imperiex, is blessed with the vocal stylings of sci-fi veteran Phil Morris,
most recently seen as Martian Manhunter on "Smallville." An admitted comic
book fanatic, Morris' credits range from a notable turn on "Seinfeld" and
frequent guest roles across primetime television ("CSI: Miami," "NCIS,"
"Will & Grace," "JAG") to constant voice work in feature film and
television animation. Alex Polinsky ("Charles in Charge") continues to
expand his career into animation voiceovers as the newest member of LOSH,
Chameleon Boy.



Two Supermans. One incredible villain. All new adventures for a popular band
of heroes. The "best" is getting better.

Friday, September 14, 2007

We can be Heroes, just for one day

I love the TV show "Heroes", about people with super-powers but no costumes or code names. (The season premiere is in about a week!). I took the names of all of the characters, plus their powers, and tried to match them to characters in the Legion multiverse. I matched a lot of them (some closer than others) but some didn't seem to have a Legion-related analogue - the Haitian, for example, is good at both wiping memories and damping powers, and Linderman can heal others with a touch, neither of whom I recall having a counterpart.

The main bad guy, Sylar, absorbs powers from others by an unknown means which appears to have something to do with taking their brain out of their head. One of the main good guys, Peter, absorbs powers from others just from proximity, and retains those powers (whether he realizes that he has them or not) with no ill effects to the original power holder. In the list below, Sylar's powers are marked with a #, while Peter's powers (which include all of Sylar's, since they met) are marked with a *.

The main cast
*Claire Bennett (self-healing/regeneration) - ???
*Nikki/Jessica Hawkins (strength) - Superboy/Mon-el/Supergirl/Andromeda/Ultra Boy (partial)
*DL Hawkins (intangibility) - Phantom Girl
*Micah Hawkins (technopathy) - Computo
*#Isaac Mendez (precognition) - Dream Girl
*Hiro Nakamura (time/space) - Infinite Man
*Matt Parkman (telepathy) - Saturn Girl
*Nathan Petrelli (flight) - Superboy/Mon-el/Supergirl/Andromeda/Ultra Boy (partial)
Peter Petrelli (duplicate another's power after he's been nearby, but can only use one power at a time) - Absorbancy Boy + Ultra Boy
*Sylar (steal powers) - Duplicate Boy

Everyone else
Charlene "Charlie" Andrews (eidetic memory) - Brainiac 5
*Claude (invisibility) - Invisible Kid
*#Brian Davis (telekinesis) - Tellus
*Charles Deveaux (dreaming) - Dream Girl
Hana "Wireless" Gitelman (internet) - Computo
Meredith Gordon (pyrokinesis) - Sun Boy
Haitian (memory erase, power damper?) - ???
Sanjog Iyer (can enter dreams) - ???
Linderman (healing touch) - ???
*Eden McCain (persuasion) - ???
*#Dale Smither (super-hearing) - Superboy/Mon-el/Supergirl/Andromeda (partial)
*Ted Sprague (radiation) - Radiation Roy
*Molly Walker (tracking) - Dawnstar
Candice Wilmer (illusion) - Princess Projectra
*#Zane Taylor (molecular manipulation) - Element Lad, Chameleon Chief
*#TBD (cold) - Polar Boy
*#TBD (unknown) //Sylar killed 6 before we met him, but we've only seen two of those powers)
*#TBD (unknown)
*#TBD (unknown)
*#TBD (unknown)

* = power of Nathan's via proximity
# = power of Sylar's via TBD

Thursday, September 13, 2007

"Far from Home" this Friday night

This Friday night on the Boomerang network (channel 297 on DirecTV, check your local listings) they're rerunning the "Far From Home" episode of Justice League Unlimited. That's the one where Supergirl, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern go to the future and meet the Legion (originally broadcast in the US in April 2006). Here are my original posts on the episode, with screencaps starting here.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Adventure #247 for sale on eBay

Someone (not me) has a copy of Adventure 247 for sale on eBay. Here's the description:

Here is Adventure Comics # 247, April 1958 featuring Superboy and the first appearance of the Legion of Super-heroes from the 30th century. This comic is coverless and the bottom staple is loose from the first page. Someone used a pen on Cosmic Boy's feet and just about wore through the first page. The coupon is cut out of the last page, and the center page with the first page of the Green Arrow story has been ripped in half. The person with the pen wore through the peoples faces on the half that remains. The Little Pete page is good yet, but it might as well be missing the center page. Superboy and Aquaman storys are complete and book has slightly yellowed pages.

With just a $19.99 opening bid, based on the description I wouldn't think this should go for more than $100. From the description, I'd guess it's somewhere between Fair and Poor (and Near Mint is somewhere around $9000 in Overstreet, if any exist).

I bought my copy last year - it was coverless and missing the first wraparound (pages 1, 2, 31, and 32) and the centerfold was detached - for about $35. I bought it so that my other copy, which was missing the centerfold altogether.

Happy bidding!

Baltimore Comic Con '07, day 2

Here's the Baltimore Comic Con, day 2. The held the DC Universe panel, which ran the full 1:45, yet Jim Shooter was on the panel. Sounds like the Shooter panel was folded into the DC one, unless Shooter left early.

12:00-1:45 DC Universe
The crisis is over, isn’t it? Or is this just the beginning with the DCU counting down and the Monitors watching closely? Come catch-up, have your questions answered, and learn what lies ahead for the DCU in this slide show presentation and Q&A moderated by Dan DiDio, Senior VP/Executive Editor DCU, and Bob Wayne, VP – Sales, with a bevy of special guests!

Via Newsarama:

  • Shooter talked about his run on the Legion, pointing out that he started writing Legion 42 years ago, and the last time he wrote the characters was 30 years ago. "That's got to be some kind of record," he said. Shooter said the series will be keeping the continuity that has been built during

    Shooter said the run will start with an epic 16-issue story -- pointing out that of course there will be smaller stories within the larger story. "The two main villains are Geoff Johns and Brad Meltzer, who are stealing the Legion," he joked. He said he's enjoying revisiting the characters, but is coming up with "new and different stuff" as well. "The Legionnaires are all about defending life, so I like the idea of them going out and doing that," he said, adding that comics characters have a "tendency to hang around the HQ until somebody attacks you," and he wants them to go out and make things happen.

    Waid said he's thrilled that Shooter is taking over the version of the Legion that he began, adding that he had wanted -- way back when he was doing Action Comics Weekly -- to have Shooter do a Legion Academy comic for DC, but it never happened. "If I'm going to pass the baton to anybody, there's nobody I'd rather pass it to," Waid said.

  • Can Shooter speak to him owning the Legion characters because he wrote his first Legion issues when he was 13 years old? Shooter said he knew what he was doing when he signed the characters over -- he knew DC would own them. He said he was told, when he was writing for Marvel, that he could actually sue DC for ownership because he was not an adult when he signed over the characters -- and there had been no contact with his parents by DC. "I thought about it," he said. "And I said, 'No. I knew what I was doing at the time'" Shooter said it would be "dishonorable to backtrack on that deal."

    Didio joked, "Is somebody taping this, please?"

    Shooter said he later found out that Ditko was underage when he signed over Spider-Man. "If it's good enough for Steve, it's good enough for me."

  • How does it feel to write something that you have to hand off to other people? Shooter: "You have to learn to let it go, and I've had to many times," he said, adding that even though things change, they're still the same basic concepts. "When they asked me to come back to Legion, they had changed the characters, but the basic characters, my stuff was still there." Waid: "You're contributing to a larger mythology, and you can't be selfish about that."

  • Are Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans Go gone because of the new kids line for Johnny DC? Didio: JLU will run to the middle of next year at least. "If sales support the number of kids books out there, we'll keep them out there. Those books were built to support television series that are no longer creating new material." He added that Legion of Super-Heroes will continue because the series is still out there.



1:00-1:50 Spotlight on Jim Shooter
From his first work on Legion of Super-Heroes at age 13 to serving as Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics to founding Valiant, Defiant and Broadway, Jim Shooter has been a force to be reckoned with in comics. After years of little involvement with the industry, he has reentered the field with renewed vigor. His new firm, Illustrated Media, produces custom comics, and he’ll have at least one big project announced this weekend. Come hear what’s going on with this comics legend.

Trivia #15 answers

Ack, I should have posted this on Friday. I'm only a couple days late this time, not a while week. So this month's trivia quiz theme was Bring On the Bad Guys!, questions about the Legion's villains.

1. Who were the different Luthors who appeared in the 30th century?

We all agree on teenage Lex (time travelling from the 20th century) and Alexa (from the cartoon). I could have sworn that the Adult Lex made a trip too, but maybe I'm confusing the LSV stories where they came back to his time.


2. Although it wasn't revealed until years later in a retcon, this Legion villain first appeared as a Wonder Woman villain, though not under their more famous name. What was this villain's original name, what are they more famously known as, and where was it revealed that the Wonder Woman villain is the same as the Legion villain?
I thought for sure nobody would get this one, but as usual I was wrong. In "Wonder Woman" #101 (Oct. 1959), she fights a one-shot villain named the Time Master (recently reprinted in the Wonder Woman Showcase TPB). A couple of decades later, the Time Trapper appeared a few times in the pages of "Super Friends", based on the cartoon. In the letters page in issue 17, it was revealed that the Time Trapper once fought Wonder Woman as "Ty M. Master, the Time Master".


3. B.I.O.N. was a Dominator-created android based on Computo and with the powers of the SW6 LSH (kind of like a cross between the Composite Superman and Amazo). What did B.I.O.N. stand for?
Biological Intelligence Organic Nexus.


4. When the Legion of Super-Villains appeared in the first story arc of V3 (where Nemesis Kid kills Karate Kid), which member(s) of the LSV had never been seen before?
I had only thought of two, but you reminded me of a third. Cosmic King had always appeared before this with the LSV as an adult, so this is the first appearance of his teenage counterpart. The Adult LSV was revealed to be from an alternate future. The other two were Terrus and Zymyr (who nobody got - yay me!).


5. During the 1980s, the Legion starred in a 4-part role-playing game from Mayfair Games. Each game module had a title that was part of a theme. What was the theme, and who was the main villain?
The theme was Chess and the villain was the Time Trapper. The four game modules were titled "Pawns of Time", "Knight to Planet 3", "Mad Rook's Gambit", and "King for All Time". You may recall the original Legion sourcebooks from Mayfair, one for the characters and one for the worlds - this is what they were written for. Click the pictures to enlarge.


6. The very first time we see Validus he is imprisoned in a cell of inertron. In a retcon, who was said to have been responsible for building this prison?
Grimbor (probably in the Legion Who's Who or one of the Sourcebooks)


7. In terms of publishing chronology, who was the first original super-villain that the Legion faced (that wasn't merely a member of an alien race)?
It was the notorious Jungle King, from Adventure 309. After being rejected for membership (he couldn't properly control his animals), he turned to crime and attempted to create a Legion of Super-Monsters. He failed when one of the creatures that he had rejected turned on him and killed him. Wow, what irony!

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Legion TV schedule Sept. 2007

New season starts Sept. 22. Note that the weekend before, on Sept. 15, they'll be running the season finale two-parter back-to-back. I'm also not sure what time the new season will be on in the morning, I've seen conflicting stories. Check the KidsWB page for videos and pictures (and a preview here).

Here are the airdates and episodes for the Legion show for Sept. 2007.

Sept. 1 - episode 1.09 "Brain Drain" (5th airing) - last aired 7/21/07
Sept. 8 - episode 1.02 "Timber Wolf" (8th airing) - last aired 6/02/07
Sept. 15 - episode 1.12 "Sundown part 1" (3rd airing) - last aired 8/04/07
Sept. 15 - episode 1.13 "Sundown part 2" (3rd airing) - last aired 8/11/07
Sept. 22 - episode 2.01 NEW "The Man From The Edge of Tomorrow, part 1"
Sept. 29 - episode 2.02 NEW "The Man From The Edge of Tomorrow, part 2"

Previously: all the other schedules

Episode reviews:
1.01 "Man of Tomorrow" (4 airings, last 7/7/07)
1.02 "Timber Wolf" (7 airings, last 6/2/07)
1.03 "Legacy" (3 airings, last 6/9/07)
1.04 "Fear Factory" (4 airings, last 6/16/07)
1.05 "Champions" (4 airings, last 6/23/07)
1.06 "Phantoms" (4 airings, last 7/14/07)
1.07 "Child's Play" (4 airings, last 6/30/07)
1.08 "Lightning Storm" (4 airings, last 7/28/07)
1.09 "Brain Drain" (4 airings, last 7/21/07)
1.10 "The Substitutes" (4 airings, last 8/18/07)
1.11 "Chain of Command" (4 airings, last 8/25/07)
1.12 "Sundown, part 1" (2 airings, last 8/04/07)
1.13 "Sundown, part 2" (2 airings, last 8/11/07)

Baltimore Comic Con '07, day 1

As mentioned earlier, this weekend is the Baltimore Comic Con. In addition to the usual DC Nation and DC Universe panels, on Sunday there's a Jim Shooter spotlight panel in which he will no doubt start to explain what's coming up on the Legion. In the meantime, here's the Saturday news:

12:00-1:45 DC Nation
Come one, come all -- rise up and join the growing DC NATION!! Meet Dan DiDio, Senior VP-Executive Editor DCU, as he invites you to be part of the revolution! Learn what it’s like to live in a multi-verse guarded by Monitors, and discover the secret of the cosmic chess game as the DCU counts down to a Final Crisis!

From Newsarama:

  • Asked if there was a chance to see the post Zero Hour Legion of Super-Heroes, DiDio reiterated that Jim Shooter would be joining the series with issue #37, and that there are many plans coming for the Legion’s anniversary next year.

  • Busiek confirmed that Carlos Pacheco will be leaving Superman with issue #668, the finale of the “Camelot Falls” storyline. The writer added that the writers are currently framing plans for 2008, the 70th anniversary of the character. Coming up is “The Third Kryptonian,” followed by the debut of the new Insect Queen, and a major “earth(s) shaking” crossover between Superman and Action Comics.

  • The story elements from “The Lightning Saga” which seem to have been left hanging will be touched upon as part of the Legion’s anniversary next year.

  • Any progress on the Superboy lawsuit that can be discussed? Wayne: “No comment.”

  • Are there more Legion, Flash or Justice League Archives coming? Wayne said that when you get up to the issues that can be affordably bought by collectors the demand for the Archive Editions goes down. It’s something that they’re working on.

Via Comic Book Resources (not including duplicate info):
  • The Karate Kid story [in Countdown] got the faintest reaction from the crowd. An audience member explained that the story was too ambiguous and far-reaching.

  • Will readers find out who got sent to the Legion's future in Brad Meltzer's "Lightning Saga" arc of "Justice League of America?" Look for next year's 50th anniversary for more answers.


Via Mike Rhode's Flickr photostream, here's what Shooter looks like these days.

Phase 1 complete: create buzz

Phase 1 of the push for the Legion's 50th anniversary celebration is complete: Jim Shooter announced as writer. Well that was certainly buzz-worthy!

Reading the various blogs and message boards, I'm seeing a surprising (and very pleasantly so) groundswell of support. People are saying that they hadn't considered reading the Legion but they'll pick it up now, people who had dropped the book picking it back up again, etc. As I suspected, many cite their fondness for his work on the Legion in his previous runs, and also for his Marvel and Valiant work, as the reason for their excitement.

Read Christopher "Mighty God King" Bird's take on the matter first. He's got a great non-fanboyish take on the matter.

Before I get to the list of discussion places, here's a new interview that Shooter did with Wizard:

Wizard: Is it tough not to play favorites with characters in a series such as Legion?

Shooter: The Legion is a true ensemble series. Every character has his or her moments center stage. I’ll be introducing a number of new characters, who will also have their time in the spotlight—including one “new” character who, if I tell you about, [DC Comics] will call in an air strike on my house.

Wizard: Now, did you keep up with Legion comics after leaving the book in the ’70s?

Shooter: I haven’t kept up with the Legion at all, but since I took the assignment, I’ve read all germane back issues, graciously provided by DC. I like Mark Waid’s writing—I think he’s terrific—though I don’t agree with every change he made in his “reimagining.” I like Barry Kitson’s beautiful art. My run follows the Waid and Tony Bedard runs.

Wizard: Is it strange to try to follow other writers’ continuity after setting so much of it yourself?

Shooter: I am doing my best to honor what they established, even things I wouldn’t have done—for instance, Colossal Boy being from a city of giants and insisting on being called “Micro Lad.” I’m keeping the established continuity going the best I can.

Wizard: Moving past the heroes, what kinds of villains will the Legion face? All new creations or new takes on old characters?

Shooter: Some old adversaries will turn up along the way, but I plan to introduce a lot of new enemies. As a reader, I loved seeing new bad guys often. And when “old” bad guys come back, it will be in new ways, with a fresh approach. And why stop there? Francis and I will be introducing all kinds of new environments, characters, concepts and worlds.

Message boards:
Newsarama (with the article that broke the news)
ComicBloc (here too)
Comic Book Resources
Legion World
DC Comics
Howling Curmudgeons
ComiXtreme
Wizard
Superman Thru the Ages
Revision3

Blogs
A Distant Soil
Occasional Superheroine
Mighty God King
MorganMinstrel's (Jonathan Miller) LJ
Central Comics Zone
Fascination Place
Yendi's LJ

Friday, September 07, 2007

It's official - Shooter returns to the Legion

Whew! Turns out my source and commenters' speculation was right, it is "Jim".

Newsarama makes it official with an interview with Jim Shooter, new Legion writer. Here's a portion:

Jim Shooter: ... Last fall, Mike Marts got in touch with me and asked me if I might be interested in doing some writing for DC. I'd just finished another long-term, non-comics project and I had time, so, I said yes. At a lunch with Mike, Dan DiDio and Jann Jones, Dan, I think, proposed my taking over the Legion following Mark Waid, whose run was ending. Fine by me.

NRAMA: Had there been attempts or work to bring you back to the series previous to this? Obviously, there was that stretch of time where you were preoccupied with another company or two…

JS: Once, between companies, I proposed writing an "untold story" of the Legion set in the era of my first run on the Legion back in the 60's. Paul Levitz liked the idea, but apparently some people at DC objected to my working there, and ultimately they got their way and kept it from happening.

NRAMA: Fair enough. In coming back, were you offered a virtual blank slate situation, or are you coming into the established Legion and working with the characters as they exist now?

JS: The idea of a reboot was discussed, but Mike, Dan and I agreed that it would be best to stay with the continuity Waid and Kitson established. First of all, I think their stuff was great, a good foundation that offers tremendous possibilities. Second, I personally just don't like it when everything changes every time a new writer or artist comes along. For instance, Francis wants to do new costumes. I suggested that we introduce them organically, within the story, rather than in a reboot way. Mike and Francis agreed, or, at least, are humoring me.

NRAMA: ... Big picture-wise, what are your goals for your time on the series? Shake things up? Recharge? Maintain status quo?

JS: I'm not sure what you mean by "recharge," and I certainly don't want to coast along on the status quo. I'm going to do the best I can. I think we've developed a good first arc. With Francis Manapul's brilliant art, I think there's a chance that this series can generate some real excitement. We've got some amazing things planned, including a event that, I believe, is a worthy centerpiece to the Legion's 50th Anniversary. Top secret. I think Dan might have suggested it, but even he'll be surprised when he sees what Francis, Mike and I are cooking up.

NRAMA: Winding things up then, what can you say in regards to where, when, how your first issue starts?

JS: The principal events of my first issue, #37, take place on Triton, Neptune's largest moon, and in the Legion HQ. The story features new environments, a new enemy, a significant new continuing character and many new incidental characters and items all superbly designed by Francis. A close friend of mine who read the script suggested that DC ought to put a blurb on the cover like the one that appeared on Kirby's first issue of Jimmy Olsen: "Shooter says don't ask, just buy it!" That was his way of telling me he likes it. Hey, Mikey! Seriously, this issue is the beginning, the foundation of the arc that spans the 50th Anniversary year--which we mean to make special enough to deserve that honor. I say just buy it.

NRAMA: How long are you looking to stay on the series?

JS: I'll probably still be sending in scripts a year after they stop paying me. Seriously, Mike Marts is a terrific editor, Francis is brilliant, Dan has been great...I'm having a ball. I see no reason not to stick round for a long time.

NRAMA: Will this be it for you at DC for now, or are you looking to try out some other characters?

JS: So far, the Legion has kept me busy. If there's anything else they want me to do when time permits, I'll consider it. I guess, if I had a choice, writing any of the household name characters would be most appealing--but DC has a lot going on right now, a lot of exciting things in the works that might be interesting to try. We'll see.

To give credit where it's due, Rich Johnston had the original rumor last fall that Shooter would be working on a project for this summer, but then he followed it up with another rumor earlier this year that the deal fell through. Then he reported what you guys came up with - thanks, anonymous posters! - and my traffic went through the roof. In retrospect, maybe DC was trying to get him as the writer immediately following Mark Waid, but the timing didn't work out, so Tony Bedard was hired for the 6 issues in between.

Back later with reaction from the comicsblogosphere.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Big news at Baltimore?

I forgot to check back at the Baltimore Comic Con's web site since the con is this weekend. Remember, the alleged new writer of the Legion, "Jim", will be unveiled here.

Jim who? According to the guest list, Jim Calafiore, Jimmy Gownley, James Jean, Jim Lee, Jimmy Palmiotti, Jim Shooter, and Jim Starlin will be there. Here's the relevant programming schedule:

SATURDAY

12:00-1:45 DC Nation
Come one, come all -- rise up and join the growing DC NATION!! Meet Dan DiDio, Senior VP-Executive Editor DCU, as he invites you to be part of the revolution! Learn what it’s like to live in a multi-verse guarded by Monitors, and discover the secret of the cosmic chess game as the DCU counts down to a Final Crisis!

SUNDAY

12:00-1:45 DC Universe
The crisis is over, isn’t it? Or is this just the beginning with the DCU counting down and the Monitors watching closely? Come catch-up, have your questions answered, and learn what lies ahead for the DCU in this slide show presentation and Q&A moderated by Dan DiDio, Senior VP/Executive Editor DCU, and Bob Wayne, VP – Sales, with a bevy of special guests!

1:00-1:50 Spotlight on Jim Shooter
From his first work on Legion of Super-Heroes at age 13 to serving as Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics to founding Valiant, Defiant and Broadway, Jim Shooter has been a force to be reckoned with in comics. After years of little involvement with the industry, he has reentered the field with renewed vigor. His new firm, Illustrated Media, produces custom comics, and he’ll have at least one big project announced this weekend. Come hear what’s going on with this comics legend.

3:00-3:50 Jim Lee Spotlight Panel
Critically acclaimed creator and fan-favorite Jim Lee is front and center in this special glimpse into the life of one of the comic industry’s greatest artists. From working on All Star Batman & Robin, to being the Editorial Director of WildStorm, Jim Lee is here to answer your questions! Moderated by Bob Wayne, VP – Sales, this Q&A session promises to entertain!



So Shooter's got "at least one big project" to announce. Odd that his panel is opposite the DC Universe panel, though.

Jim Lee? Stranger things have happened....

Monday, September 03, 2007

Trivia Quiz #15

With apologies to Stan Lee, this month's theme is: Bring On the Bad Guys!

1. Who were the different Luthors who appeared in the 30th century?

2. Although it wasn't revealed until years later in a retcon, this Legion villain first appeared as a Wonder Woman villain, though not under their more famous name. What was this villain's original name, what are they more famously known as, and where was it revealed that the Wonder Woman villain is the same as the Legion villain?

3. B.I.O.N. was a Dominator-created android based on Computo and with the powers of the SW6 LSH (kind of like a cross between the Composite Superman and Amazo). What did B.I.O.N. stand for?

4. When the Legion of Super-Villains appeared in the first story arc of V3 (where Nemesis Kid kills Karate Kid), which member(s) of the LSV had never been seen before?

5. During the 1980s, the Legion starred in a 4-part role-playing game from Mayfair Games. Each game module had a title that was part of a theme. What was the theme, and who was the main villain?

6. The very first time we see Validus he is imprisoned in a cell of inertron. In a retcon, who was said to have been responsible for building this prison?

7. In terms of publishing chronology, who was the first original super-villain that the Legion faced (that wasn't merely a member of an alien race)?