Newsarama interview with Tony Bedard

Newsarama's got an interview with the upcoming Legion writer Tony Bedard. He's signed on for six issues to start with. His first issue was Superboy 210 with Soljer (which predates my entry into Legion fandom by two issues!).

Here are excerpts:

NRAMA: As you take over the series, is it in the process of changing? With Supergirl having shown up in Legion after Infinite Crisis, the reveal on why she's there taking place in Week 50 of 52, Issue #30 teasing a "turning point" for the Legion, and a possible Star Boy of Legion fame showing up in Justice Society, there seems to be some exciting Legion buzz happening here ...

TB: I'm not giving the series a make-over. It doesn't need one. I'm just doing some character-focused tales in the wake of some very big, earth-shaking conflicts. And if you see a resurgence of the Legion in other books, I attribute that to the great job Mark and Barry (and Wacker and Marts) have done on the Legion relaunch. It's a mainstay of the DCU once again.

NRAMA: So the book itself isn't changing focus when you take over?

TB: The only change is to shift from the global saga of the Dominator War to a few stories focusing on small groups of Legionnaires on specific missions.

NRAMA: Let's just talk about your story. What can Legion fans expect with issue #31 and beyond?

TB: Following the grand finale of the Dominator War (you won't believe how that one turns out), we will deal with the aftermath of the election of a new Legion Leader and the fact that we have competing super-groups with the Legion and the Wanderers (led by Lightning Lad's brother, Mekt Ranzz). Finally, there's the whole matter of Supergirl's place in the 31st Century and how can she be in the present and the future at the same time? But all of it will revolve around a major change in the Legion brought about by the explosive finale of the current Dominator storyline.

NRAMA: Ah ha! "Major change!" Now we're getting somewhere. OK, then, how about one more loaded question. As one of the writers on the new weekly series Countdown, can you tell us if Legion will tie in to Countdown at all?

TB: Countdown does have a Legion connection to it, but my Legion storyline won't tie into Countdown. How's that for cryptic?

NRAMA: [laughs] OK, Tony, your excitement is contagious. Is that what you're hoping to bring to the Legion? A little fun and excitement?

TB: If I bring a tenth of the wonder and excitement that Legion brought to me when I was nine years old, that'll be enough. Beyond that. I just want to give some attention to a few underexposed characters, and celebrate why we love the Legion. It's such a vast, fun universe, and a great, inexhaustible cast of characters.