New Starman

From the new WizardUniverse site's article on the new Geoff Johns/Alex Ross Justice Society of America series in October comes word (via Johns himself) of some of the characters to appear, including an apparently new Starman - or rather, what would seem to be the appearance of an old one from the future.

“Who is Opal City’s new hero? Where is he from? Why is he here? He might not even know for sure, but he’s hoping the Justice Society can tell him.”

From the last page of Infinite Crisis 7, the new Starman will be wearing the full bodysuit starfield costume as seen in Kingdom Come and the last issue of Starman. Speaking of which, here's the dialogue from pages 2-5 of that issue (#80, August 2001), which suggests a lengthy stay by this particular Thom Kallor (but which would also imply that Stargirl doesn't keep the Cosmic Rod).

Remember that Jack "Starman" Knight met Thom "Star Boy" Kallor (along with Shadow Lass) earlier in the Starman series, now Thom is all grown up.

• Jack: Thom Kallor. That is you under the mask?
  
• Thom: It is.
  
• Jack: So it's true. Everything. You will succeed me.
  
• Thom: One day, sure. But not today, tomorrow, nor the day after that. There's one who'll wield cosmic power before I will.
  
• Jack: Who?
  
• Thom: You know who. You've already made your selection, right?
  
• Jack: Yeah. But one day it'll be your turn.
  
• Thom: One day.
  
• Jack: And you're the reincarnation of Matt O'Dare and Brian Savage?
  
• Thom: H... Hold on. That's a new one. I'm reincarnated?
  
• Jack: Forget it. But everything will happen just like the Shade said?
  
• Thom: I'll return from the 31st Century. Yes. But whether your future leads to me, I can't say. I'm only one possible future, after all.
  
• Jack: Huh?
  
• Thom: The future isn't a straight route from the present like the present is to the past. The way ahead has many forks. Potential choices. Unsung songs. Unspoken verse. All awaiting the moment when "what might be" has become "what is".
  
• Jack: So... you're saying... I'm not sure what you're saying.
  
• Thom: For all I know in other possible futures, Thom Kallor died serving in the Legion. Or he turned evil. Or he was simply different enough in his personality he doesn't return to the past and become Starman. But in the future that's mine, I did.
  
• Jack: Do you regret it?
  
• Thom: I have lived such a full life in the 31st century even before coming here to begin again. It's as if I had two lives and no, I don't regret a moment, Jack.
  
• Jack: So, I'm back and I'm done. My time as Starman.
  
• Thom: Are you? Isn't there one more thing you forgot?
  
• Jack: Oh, yeah. I guess there is at that.
  
• Thom: It's me who's done.
  
• Jack: I don't understand.
  
• Thom: I remember how scared I was... as a boy... knowing the day I was destined to die? When I retun to my era that day will be tomorrow. Bringing you back from 1951 was the last thing I had to do.
  
• Jack: Oh, my God! If you know, couldn't you change your fate?
  
• Thom: I have lived, Jack. [Removes his mask for the first time, showing a scarred face.] More than enough. And I feel it was you who lit the way for me. Thank you. Good-bye.
  
• Jack: Well, if... err... I'm at a loss for words.
  
• Thom: Good-bye back at me will do.
  
• Jack: Good-bye, Thom. I'd wish you good luck too, but --
  
• Thom: Yeah, there wouldn't be much point. [Disappears with his Time Bubble.]
  

Issue 18 reviews

OK, so I got busy and skipped issue 17. Here's a roundup of issue 18:

• Matthew at the Legion Abstract wonders about the nature of death in the 31st century, and notes
  

  I don't demand an earth-shaking epic in every issue, but this issue seemed kind of in-between to me.

  
  
• Discussion on the ComicBloc and ComicBookResources forums.
  
  
• Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin has some interesting comments about how SLSH sells in his store:
  

  As I've referred to previously, young girls (and their parents) continue to pooh-pooh the current Supergirl comic in favor of Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes. It's hard to imagine any incarnation of the Legion as an entry comic for new readers, but something about this new version is really grabbing the attention of children, at least at our store. Adding Supergirl to the mix (a recognizable, non-scary version of Supergirl) can only help its appeal.

  
  
• Rokk Krinn has his own blog at The Comic Book Revolution. This week he talks about the arrival of Supergirl to the Legion book:
  

  Let’s talk about Supergirl hijacking the Legion of Super Heroes. All I heard leading up to Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes was how Super Britney was going to give the Legion a massive sales boost. That she was going to put this title on top. Was there an initial bump? Yeah. Of course. You always get one when you radically change a title. The key is in 5 or 6 issues will there be any difference where this title is on the sales charts?
  
  ... DC is coming out with too many interesting titles. Marvel is fighting back with creative changes on many of their titles. I just don’t see Supergirl’s Legion going anywhere up on this sales list. I would imagine for every new fan that hops onto this title because of Super Barbie there is an older one that is going to drop it because of the little red S.

  
  Then, in a separate review, well, he's not too impressed.
  

  I have not been shy at all about how much I absolutely loathe and abhor Supergirl and her hi-jacking my beloved Legion’s title. But, I am honestly trying to keep an open mind about this One Year Later Storyline. I know it may not seem like it, but I really am trying. Honest.
  
  Oh my god, I have to find something good to say about this issue? Man, I hate my rule that I always have to say something positive about a comic book no matter what. Ok, here goes. Mark Waid is a talented writer.
  
  Ok, this issue sucked. I usually try to be nice, but this issue was a lousy read. First, the pacing to the Legion of Super Heroes has come to a screeching halt since the One Year Later storyline began. This issue was just brutal as far as pacing is concerned. Absolutely nothing happened in this issue.
  
  Again, Supergirl adds absolutely nothing to the Legion of Super Heroes other than a healthy dose of moronic dialogue. It is like having a super powered chimpanzee on the team. Here character is as plastic as a Barbie doll. Supergirl’s personality is as interesting as a blank wall. ... Like the cover of Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #18 asks you "Who's the Boss?" with Supergirl hogging the middle of the cover. We know the answer. It is all about the bimbo. The rest of the characters are irrelevant.

  
  Meanwhile, Tenzil Kem has his own blog at the Revolution.
  

  I still have faith in Mark Waid's writing chops. I've read him in everything from, well, Legion of Superheroes, to Kingdom Come, to Flash, JLA Year One and Empire, and I think the gets the Legion. And knows that Supergirl cannot stick around. I see her role in this Legion as a catalyst, and a mystery to be solved.

  
  
• Chris Sims at the Incredible Super-Blog
  

  Mark Waid and Barry Kitson's reboot is almost entirely responsible for my recent interest in the Legion as chronicled here on the ISB, so we can all come together and agree that I'm a fan of the book and that--except for some weird faces that crop up in the way Adam DeKraker pencils over Kitson's layouts--this issue's no exception. But I would like to take the time to point out that this issue has a fantastic cover that's would be a hell of a lot better if it didn't have the name of a mid-80s Tony Danza sitcom plastered on it for no particular reason. Seriously, DC: That shit needs to stop.

  
  
• Jeffrey Bridges at Mild-Mannered Reviews gave the story a "5" out of 5:
  

  Make no mistake, there is no way that this is a bad issue by any stretch of the imagination. The writing is solid, the story advances on multiple fronts and there are good character moments and development. Still this comic is head and shoulders above most other comics I'm presently reading.

  
  

New Barry Kitson interview

Daniel over at Adelaide Comics and Books has a new interview with Legion artist Barry Kitson.

DB: How familiar are you with the whole history of the Legion? It’s so rich with artists and writers.

BK: I’d certainly not claim to be any sort of authority on it, like Mark. Mark could name which number of a Legion comic it is from the adverts on the back.

DB: That’s scary. [laughter]

BK: Yeah, it is rather scary. Where I can’t claim to be able to do that, I can honestly claim that I was reading legion when I was in primary school. It’s perhaps not something one should admit, but when I was in primary school I used carbon paper and from the Curt Swan drawings I made little Legion characters that I cut out and did little flaps on the bottom that made them stand up and I’d happily amuse myself playing out my own little Legion adventures. Strangely enough at a convention last year in England somebody did come up to me and say they did exactly the same thing.

Poke around on the site for a bit, he's got a lot of other interesting interviews there as well. Plus, if you're in South Australia and looking for a good comic shop, there you go!

Legion cameo in 52 Week 3

The Legion makes a surprise cameo appearance in "52" week 3 this week. In the backup "History of the DC Universe" feature, Donna Troy/Wonder Girl/Troia is reviewing a segment that starts discussing the difference between Earths One and Two.

• Computer: You are uniquely connected to a thousand universes, Donna Troy, but they no longer exist.
  
• Troia: Show me what does exist. My friends.
  
• Computer: Researching. Your life most closely reflects that sen on Earth-One with your involvement with its Teen Titans. That was a group that emerged amid a great wave of heroes. The Doom Patrol. Adam Strange. Metamorpho. Hawk and Dove. The Creeper and Batgirl. Earth-One experienced a surge of heroes that surpassed anything Earth-Two would experience -- stretching 1,000 years into the future when the young Legion of Super-Heroes policed the galaxy.
  
• Troia: All this would be extinguished?
  
• Computer: Scanning relevant databases. Portions of that would survive.

There's a shot at the bottom of the page showing the pre-Crisis Adventure-era Legion: Star Boy, Lightning Lass, Sun Boy, Element Lad, Mon-el, Chameleon Boy, Triplicate Girl, Invisible Kid, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, and maybe Timber Wolf.

• Computer: On Earth-One, Life progressed and evolved. The young aged and ushered in a new era of greatness. Though evil surfaced -- life continued. A future was established and remained intact on Earth-One.
  
• Troia: And Earth-One's future survived?

On this page we see the New Teen Titans, Darkseid and Orion, Geo-Force, Blue Devil, and the Warlord. Then there's a shot of the pre-Crisis Cockrum-era Legion: Chameleon Boy, Duo Damsel, Bouncing Boy, Saturn Girl, Timber Wolf, Brainiac 5, Element Lad, Dream Girl, Superboy, Star Boy, Phantom Girl, Colossal Boy, Wildfire, Lightning Lad, and Cosmic Boy.

Next page, she's still talking to the computer:

• Computer: Yes, but only partially.
  
• Troia: But... how is that possible?
  
• Computer: A threat unparalleled in scope would soon eradicate the vast majority of existence. The crisis to come would usher in a wave of infinite deaths on infinite worlds.
  
• Troia: What you said -- it's impossible to comprehend. Even now I find it hard to believe that it actually happened. And I was there!
  
• Computer: In its wake, precious few would be spared. No life would go untouched.

More next week?

Mark Waid: Greatest. Writer. Ever.

When it came to creating characters for the Legion, Mark Waid dug deep into Legion history to find the lamest Legionnaire rejects ever. Then he surpassed them.

No, it's magnitudes worse than Matter-Eater Lad (who got in when Polar Boy, Night Girl, Chlorophyll Kid, Fire Lad, and Color Kid couldn't - OK, Stone Boy was pretty lame), worse even than Tusker, Eyeful Ethel, Antennae Boy, Green Boy, Double Header, The Mess, Fortress Lad, Polecat, Porcupine Pete, or even Arm-Fall-Off Boy.

In Supergirl and the Legion 17, Waid created Seiss. A guy who farts earthquakes.

This and That

Random stuff about the Legion:

• Wil Wheaton says he's recorded his third episode as Cosmic Boy.
  

  I've done two episodes of Legion so far, and I go back for another one tomorrow. I really can't say anything about it, because the Warner Animation Goonsquad will totally come after me and take away my super powers . . . but it's just amazing, and I think people are really, really going to like it.

  
  He promises more later.
  
  
• The HeroClix "Giants" subset is out. This features Colossal Boy and Validus along with other DC Giants (Elasti-Girl, Chemo, Alloy [The Metal Men from Kingdom Come], Atom Smasher, and Giganta). Here's one fan's review of the set. Note that this is the current Legion's Micro Lad, not any of the traditional Colossal Boys.
  
  In the Heroclix lineup, we have characters from all three versions of the Legion:
  
  • Pre-Crisis: Supergirl, Shvaughn Erin, Mordru and Emerald Empress
    
  • Post-Zero Hour Reboot: Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Kid Quantum, Live Wire, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass/Umbra, Wildfire, Persuader and Validus
    
  • Post-Infinite Crisis Reboot: Colossal Boy/Micro Lad
    
  
  Just need Mano and Tharok for the whole Fatal Five. See the Legion Action Figure page for more.
  
  
• Ain't It Cool News finally got the update with the new series picture. Here's the forum with that site's fan reactions.
  

  What, no Arm-Fall-Off-Boy? WHat is DC's fucking problem, anyway? You can't have a Legion Of Super-heroes without good ol' Arm-Fall-Off Boy!!!

  
  
• The Invincible Super-Blog comments on the Super-Moby Dick of Space. "Because in space, regular Moby Dicks just don't cut it."
  
  
• Science Fiction author Chris Roberson is one of the fans excited about the Legion animated series. In discussing the series, he mentions that he snuck them into one of his novels:
  

  I love me some Legion of Super-Heroes, and even managed to include them in Here, There & Everywhere (I thought they were thinly disguised, but since no one seems to have identified them, they may be better hidden than I imagined).

  
  Has anyone read the book? I'll have to search it out.
  

TPBs in our future (and some that aren't)

Coming this fall, reprint volume 3 of the current Legion series: "Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes". It will contain Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 5) 14-15 and Supergirl and the Legion 16-19. Nice to see them keeping the issues in print.

Volume 2 of the series - "Death of a Dream" - reprinting issues 7-13 is supposed to come out later this month.

And don't forget that volume 4 of Crisis on Multiple Earths came out a couple weeks ago, reprinting the Legion (with the JLA and JSA) from JLA 147-148.

Not coming in our future, however, will be any Legion Showcase volumes like the ones for Jonah Hex, Superman, Green Lantern, and the others, at least nothing published after 1976. Earth-B and Comics Should Be Good discuss a post by former DC reprint editor Bob Greenberger in which he explains that DC's payment system, in effect from 1976-1997, call for a set reprint fee versus a percentage of the cover price. That means that reprint fees could eat up profits in publishing a TPB, especially the lower-priced Showcase volumes (though not the much higher-priced Archives), unless the involved parties renegotiate the agreement.

So pretty much anything starting with Superboy 216 (intro of Tyroc) probably won't get printed in a Showcase volume. That doesn't mean, however, that we won't see the Adventure Comics era in that format, though it's already been Archived. Nothing definite yet, but they're at the top of a lot of people's wish lists.

Top 10 Lists

More clearing out my archives of links in search of a theme... how about some lists?

• Myrhaf's Top 10 Lamest Members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, including (of course) Matter-Eater Lad and Bouncing Boy, but also Chlorophyll Kid and Calamity King. I tried to set him straight on some of them.
  
  Speaking of lame (not a Top 10 list but in the same vein), Chris' Invincible Super-Blog asks why the Legion chose certain members over others who eventually made it to the Subs. I don't have an answer.
  
  
• How do you top a list of the lamest Legionnaires? With a list of the Top Ten Lamest Super-Heroes of All Time, naturally. This one includes three Legion-related entries: Matter-Eater Lad (of course), the Legion of Super-Pets, and a surprise appearance by a long-time favorite (who was a fan favorite for years before his one and only appearance) at #5.
  
  
• The Nine Worst Legion Retcons, a discussion over at the Superman Through the Ages forums. It's hard to argue with any of them - Valor, Phantom Girl's Cargggite past, Pocket Universe, Proty as Lightning Lad, Shvaughn/Sean Erin, etc. - but I'd argue they belong in a different order. To make an even Ten, my idea of the single worst retcon was "Superman never was Superboy", which led to Valor, the Pocket Universe, the Zero Hour reboot, Tinya/Enya Wazzo and the missing triplet, and lots of other messes.
  

Fashion in Action

Another in an ongoing look at fashions in the Legion's past. Sort of a "Go Fug Yourself" for the 31st Century (though I can't match Heather's and Jessica's inimitable style, so I won't even try).

• Here's Johanna "Comics Worth Reading" Draper "Wife of former LSH editor KC" Carlson, oh-so-pink and pretty as Shrinking Violet in, as she put it, her cosplaying days. No, I'm not sure why she chose to bring it up. Here are some other Legion fans in costume circa 1997-98. Back then they just dressed in costumes, now it's got a whole other connotation when you call it "cosplay".
  
  
• Kalinara's Pretty, Fizzy Paradise entry focuses on Cosmic Boy.
  

  I don't actually tend to date Legion comics based on whether they're post crisis, post zero-hour, pre-crisis et cetera. I date them solely on one criteria: Cosmic Boy's hideous outfits. But in this version, he's actually dressed half-way sane! Which saddens me. So as a tribute to a bygone age, I present a collection of Cosmic Boy's horrible, horrible costumes.

  
  
• Finally, Typo Lad realized that in mocking Colossal Boy's 1970's red and blue costume, he forgot to mock the old green and yellow one. But he takes the opportunity now: "Was there a bet to make a really lame costume?"
  

News and stuff

Back from a long week of work and vacation, but the rest of the world keeps on going. Here's a look at some new stuff you may or may not have already seen:

Today's Comics Continuum has the full image of what we saw cropped on the SupermanHomePage last week - the core group of the animated Legion, this one featuring Bouncing Boy in all his rotundity.
Click the picture to enlarge.



They have some words from series producer James Tucker and a hint about the villains:

"Artistically, the style of the show falls somewhere between Superman: The animated series and Clone Wars," Tucker told The Continuum. "It's definitely not anime-based at all."

Asked about villains on the series, Tucker said, "It's safe to say that the Fatal Five will be showing up several times, as well as a few other well known Legion foes."

Of course, since we already knew that the Emerald Empress' role has been cast, that makes the rest of the Fatal Five no-brainers to appear.

"A few other well known Legion foes" - some of the obvious ones are Universo, the Time Trapper, Mordru, and Lightning Lord (if not the entire Legion of Super-Villains). But how many can they fit into one 13-episode season? Can we live without seeing an animated Charma and Grimbor, or Dr. Regulus, or Glorith? What if they show us Dr. Mayavale, Worldsmith, or the Space Circus of Death?

The latest volume of the JLA/JSA crossover collections, Crisis on Multiple Earths volume 4, is out this week. It reprints the story from JLA 147-148 featuring the three teams against Mordru and the Demons Three. I remember buying those issues. Not only was it too cool for the JLA and JSA to team up (this was my third teamup, the first being the one with Cary Bates and Elliot S! Maggin on Earth-Prime, and the second being the one with the Marvel Family on Earth-S - and all three of these storylines are in this one volume!) but my most favoritest team in the world was in it too.

Meanwhile, hitting the stores in October will be the third reprint volume of the current Legion series.

SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES TP
Writers: Mark Waid and Stuart Moore
Artists: Barry Kitson, Mick Gray, Adam DeKraker, Pat Olliffe and Ken Lashley
Collects LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #14-15 and SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #16-19
$14.99, 144 pages

---

Animated stuff:

If you missed the JLU episode "Far From Home" and want to watch it over the web, someone on the Grouper site posted the whole thing (in the 4x3 ratio screen, not the widescreen 16x9 ratio). One review I missed, from Miss Scribbler, who says "I have to say that though I did enjoy this episode, I really didn't love it like I hoped I would" and gives it 2.5 out of 4 stars.

Miss Scribbler also weighs in on the upcoming series. She's not a fan of the animation style:

Who the hell is the art director for this series, Rob Liefeld? I know that Paul Dini is not involved with this show, so the possible Legion spin-off he set up in Justice League Unlimited isn't going to be followed, but that's no excuse for the piss-poor anatomy lesson that this show is going to be. Yes, I do realize it's a cartoon, but JLU, Batman: TAS, and Superman: TAS all had characters drawn in a more realistic art style. I will save my final judgment until I actually see an episode, but my expectations couldn't be any lower.

Jason the Loonyboi isn't pleased either:

Good lord, I hope this is fake. ... It is, to put it mildly, hideous.

The Urban Bohemian is torn. Of the show, he says:

Which I’ll watch but I fear will totally whitewash the history we’re used to (ok, I know there have been many, but I doubt this will resemble any of them) and turn the Legion into a “buncha fresh teens with ‘tude!”

Rokk Krinn of Rokk's Comic Book Revolution is naturally disappointed that his namesake isn't a regular. He sounds cautiously optimistic:

At any rate, I think the art looks fine. I like how all the characters look with the exception of Brainiac 5. He looks like Chibi Brainiac 5. I’m not really feeling that look for him. I have high hopes for this cartoon. It is too bad that the core team is so small.

Finally, to end this on a positive note, Talkin2jah can't wait:

This new animated series looks like it's going to bring some life and hope and wonderment to the series. When was the last time we got to see Superman fly as if he was saying "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"?

Superboy, Saturn Girl (left), Braniac 5 (blonde short green kid), some chick in black and white (far left), Lightning Lad (right) and Timberwolf. If you really needed me to point out which one was Lightning Lad and which one was Timberwolf....may I suggest a Saturday morning in front of the TV with a box of Cap'n Crunch. You've been doing a little growing up there, Sparky.

Superheroes get names like DEATHLOCK and CARNAGE and BEAST. How long has it been since we've seen a "saturn girl" and a "lightning lad".

These heroes do not scowl or look morose. They look like they are full of hope and joy.

Star Boy in Infinite Crisis 7?

I was reading a review of Infinite Crisis 7 the other day and it mentioned the heroes 2-page spread at the end, with a number of mysterious characters (who's that new Batgirl?), people who were going to be highlighted in 52, and other stars.

So I idly took a look again, since I didn't notice it the first time, and wouldn't you know it, there's Star Boy in the lower left corner, in his Kingdom Come outfit of all black with stars, and white gloves and boots, with his face hidden. This is also the same outfit seen at the end of the Starman series. A coincidence that James Robinson is rumored to be doing something this year with Starman?

Crisis Counseling/Remember the 52

It can't be a coincidence that the Dominators in this month's Legion comic have this to say:

It is only natural that we return our attention to that world. Existence is a loop. Time is a circle. And hate is eternal. Remember the fifffffdee-tu.

"Remember the 52"? Anything to do with, say, a weekly comic DC is coming out with over the next year?

And speaking of 52 and its lead-in, Infinite Crisis, the final "Crisis Counseling" with Dan DiDio over at Newsarama has these items of interest:

Q: The end of Infinite Crisis #6 showed us that a "New Earth" was created after the destruction of Alex Luthor's Tower; and it's assumed this "New Earth" will have some subtle changes to the DC Universe we've known.

My question is - will there be characters left who remember DC history as it was before "New Earth"? For instance, will Power Girl continue to know that she is Earth 2 Superman's cousin and a survivor of the original 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths?

DD: Everyone will remember everything, how and if they chose to address it will be part of that character’s future story. There are no gaps in anyone’s memory, except one.

Too bad nobody followed up on the "except one" comment. So according to this, there are those who will remember meeting up with the pre-Crisis Legion before and during the original Crisis, with the post-Zero Hour Legion during Genesis and Final Night

Q: On "new Earth" will Clark Kent have been Superboy?

DD: Hmmmmmmmmm.....

Too bad we couldn't have arrived at this conclusion at the end of the first Crisis. We wouldn't have needed a pocket universe or anything.

Q: Post Crisis...So Hypertime doesn’t exist anymore?
DD: One world, with a new past and future. Everything essential has been blended together and is acknowledged as we move through a single continuity. Why would we need Hypertime?

We already know that the current Legion is the future of "New Earth". If it's not essential, it hasn't been blended together. Where does that leave the old adventures of Superboy and the Legion?

Q: Will the issue of how Supergirl got to the 31st century be touched upon in 52?

DD: It will be touched upon in 52, but primarily revealed in SUPERGIRL and SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES.

That's not a shocker.

Q: You made some teasing comments about Linda Danvers in the last Crisis Counseling session... care to clarify? Was she ever the Supergirl we remember?

DD: The matrix is one of the beats retconned out of existence by the Continuity Wave.

So if she's gone, what about everyone who remembered her? What about the Pocket Universe thing?

Q: Will George Perez do some issues of Legion of Super-Heroes?

DD: George is busy on BRAVE AND BOLD right now, but I was just with him in Toronto and he was commenting on how LEGION was the one of the few team books he has never drawn.

See my earlier post for more of Perez's comments.

New Kids in Town on DVD

The Legion's first appearance in animated form, in the "New Kids in Town" episode of Superman: The Animated Series, arrives on DVD in June.

ToonZone reports that the Superman: The Animated Series volume 3 DVD set will also include a director's commentary track on "New Kids in Town", one of only three episodes in the set (of 18) with that track.

(spotted on LegionWorld)

Animated LSH news 32: Cosmic Boy

Wil Wheaton wrote today that he got the role of Cosmic Boy, a recurring (not regular) character on the Legion series.

I got an okay from a highly-placed source to at least reveal that I am playing the part of Cosmic Boy, one of the founders of the Legion.

Finding Cosmic Boy's voice was fun: my instinct said that I should stand for him (he's sort of an arms-across-the-chest kind of guy) but with my damn hip hurting, I ended up sitting . . . big mistake. I struggled for the first act, until I could get the engineer to reset my mic so I could stand up. It's amazing what a huge difference a little thing like sitting vs. standing makes; it's the difference between playing outfield with or without a glove, or running with shoes that don't quite fit.

Standing up and settling into him let me bring Cosmic Boy to life, and really find his point of view about himself and his relationship with the other Legionaries. Once I knew who he was, and once he lived in me, I was able to do some really cool stuff.
[snip]

I wish I could show or discuss the character models I saw while I was there, but I think that's a one-way ticket to unemployment . . . but they are really, really cool. I'm back again on Friday, and if Warner Brothers doesn't give me the cockpunch for what I've written here today, maybe I can get some permission to release a few more details.

George Perez

The fun never stops around here, even if I do for a bit...

As Scott (and others) mentioned last week, George Perez went on record (again) saying he'd like to do a Legion project someday. Both Newsarama and ComicBookResources talked to him at the recent Pittsburgh ComicCon.

First, Newsarama:

GP: Right. Mark has asked me who I want to draw [in the upcoming Brave and Bold series]. And of course after doing the Crisis books and JLA/Avengers, I'm running out of characters I haven't drawn! So it's always going to be a welcome challenge no matter who it is.

NRAMA: Did you give him any names of characters you'd like to draw?

GP: [snip] I was tempted to mention how I'd like to do the Legion of Superheroes in there, but maybe I'll just wait until after I'm done with Brave and the Bold, because the idea of me actually working on a real Legion of Superheroes story -- it's something everyone says needs to happen.

NRAMA: And you agree? Is Legion of Superheroes a book you'd like to do?

GP: The Legion was favorite comic when I was a kid, and ironically, I've never drawn an issue of Legion of Superheroes. I'd say that's a wrong that has to be righted.

From CBR:

However, all this is dependent on what work Perez finds himself contracted to over the course of the next year. But what could pull him away?

“I’ve never been on 'The Legion of Super-Heroes,'” said Perez.

That’s right. Perez may find himself working on “Legion of Super-Heroes,” another Mark Waid title, following his year’s turn at “Brave and the Bold.” Perez said that, of all the books he’s done, he’s never had a shot at working on The Legion, and he’s hoping to rectify that error from his resume.

Longtime readers will recall that Perez did a series of covers to several v2-era Legion issues (277-281 in 1981, for nearly all of the Reflecto/Grimbor/Ultra Boy/Superboy arc). Of course, he also drew the various Legionnaires during the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, History of the DC Universe, and various Who's Who in the DC Universe pages. Tony Lorenz notes that Perez took a shot at redesigning several of the Legionnaires' costumes in the Best of DC Digest #24.

This isn't "new" news, though, however much fun it is to speculate. Perez had an interview with Jen Contino at Comicon.com last summer in which he said much the same thing (and even used the same tag line):

However, a number of other projects have been mentioned by DC, including Green Lantern, Superman/Batman or one of the new All-Star line of books. Also, despite drawing several covers for Legion of Super-Heroes years ago and including them in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Perez -- whose signature has been group titles -- has never pencilled a LSH story, “a wrong that needs to be righted,” he said. He has already put the bug in writer Mark Waid’s ear but said it wouldn’t appear in the monthly book, which has Barry Kitson as its regular artist. “I wouldn’t be drawing a regular monthly regardless because after JLA/Avengers in particular I’ve kind of set the bar higher for what the fans should expect of my work and I can’t do that type of quality work on a monthly basis. So miniseries and special projects are what’s going to be my future.”

Animated Legion news 31: Official picture

Wow! The fine folks at SupermanHomePage.com are showing the first official look at the animated Legion. Click to enlarge:



They report that the May 8th edition of TV Guide magazine will have this picture, out this week. More to come when the issue comes out.

More discussion at:

• The Legions of Gotham message board. Matt says he's been sitting on the image for a while.
  
• The ComicBloc forums
  
• The LegionWorld message board
  
• The official DC Comics message boards
  

Damn, who do I have to talk to to get scoop like this? Nobody wanted to leak anything to me....

Return of Lar Gand?

News from the Toronto Comic Con this past weekend, according to a poster in the ComicBloc forum:

not sure if this is common knowlege yet, but at the Toronto Comicon this weekend, Dan Didio at the DC Nation panel asked someone which character they'd most like to see.

the person responded "mon'el" to which Dan answered...we'll see him but probably not in the legion book.

do you think they're going to resurrect Valor?

Update: Scott at LegionWorld has a report from the "someone" mentioned above, Matthew from LegionAbstract. Also see his LegionClubhouse article.

New Forums

Update: Clarified the Legions of Gotham entry.

A couple of new forums (fora?) have popped up recently related to the animated Legion show: Television Without Pity and Legions of Gotham.

• The Television Without Pity (or TWoP) forums are among the best in the internets for teevee discussion. There's no dedicated recapper but the talkback forum just opened up. Their tagline: "Fighting Crime and Spaaaace-Acne: Legion of Super-Heroes".
  
  
• Legions of Gotham is a spinoff of the Batman-related forums hosted there. The vast majority is about the Batman Family in comics, movies, and on TV, and their associated action figure line, but they have branched off for apparently the first time outside of anything even remotely Bat-related.
  

Some interesting stuff in the Gotham forum... moderator Matt claims an exclusive on the Ben Jones news, posted in his forums before TitansGo.net had it.

He also scooped everyone a month ago (well before the official press release with the Superman/Superboy info) with some stuff I have not seen elsewhere; too bad I didn't find out before now:

It will begin in Smallville w/ Clark aka Superboy, then move to the future. We've also learned that the first episode will feature over 250 characters!

I've added these two to the regular list of Legion discussion forums over on the far right. But don't worry, I'm not giving away ALL of my secret infomation stashes!