Friday, November 28, 2008

Ummm, hello... the return of Superboy?

They're talking about the new Superman origin story at Newsarama. What interests me is that not only are they going to restore Clark Kent's history as Superboy - with all that means from Legion continuity - but also just the fact that they're restoring Clark Kent as Superboy to begin with.

The heirs of Jerry Siegel currently have a lawsuit pending with Time Warner and DC Comics over the rights to the Superboy character. For a while we didn't see any Superboy at all: Conner Kent was killed (for how long, remains to be seen), they referred to the Earth-Prime Superboy as "Superman Prime", and they didn't publish any comics with Superboy. But then they came out with some reprint volumes (Showcase, 1050 Years, etc.) with Superboy on the cover, and Superman Prime is being called Superboy Prime again. Now they're restoring the Superboy history wiped out in the Crisis and Byrne revamp, and they are blatantly calling him Superboy (as opposed to "Young Superman").

Now, the lawsuit involving Superboy has not been settled, and in fact has been scheduled for sometime after the resolution of the Action Comics suit in which the Siegels are seeking to recapture their rights to Superman, in a method authorized by Congress.

Click on the "Superboy lawsuit" tab at the top for all the other posts here on that topic, and read Jeff Trexler's posts at Newsarama for all of the details. When last we heard (Wizard World Chicago back in June), Dan DiDio hinted that they were somehow allowed to use Superboy again, but no details on that have emerged (and Jeff is the one doing all the legal journalistic work on this case).

Geoff Johns, on Smallville and Superman: Secret Origin

On MTV's Splash Page, their blog for comics and movies, Geoff Johns talks about the Legion on Smallville (I love all of the buzz this episode is getting!).

“The concept of the Legion throws a wrench in Clark’s life,” Johns said. “They’ve already built up to a huge climax with Chloe and Doomsday, and then the Legion comes in and completely complicates everything.”

Johns pitched the show on introducing the time-traveling Legionnaires — Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, and Cosmic Boy — by explaining that they would be relevant to Clark Kent’s life at this point in time (unlike some other characters who’d been introduced on the show although he wasn’t supposed to meet them until later — can you say Green Arrow?). And when the time came to talk villains, Johns brought in a bunch of his comic books to show them how the Persuader would translate in a cameo appearance.

...To translate the Legionnaires, Johns said there was some debate over whether they would wear spandex, but found middle ground in uniforms that give nods to their comic book appearances. “So you got Saturn Girl in red and white with Saturn on her chest,” he expained. “We had production meetings to talk through all the details. Do they have rings? What do they look like?”

Following the episode won’t require knowing Legion history, Johns promised. “If you’re not a Legion fan, it’s a lot of ‘Do you make your own destiny? Is it written in stone? Do your heroes live up to your expectatons?’ There’s a lot there for you. But if you’re a fan, we worked our asses off to be as faithful to it as possible. There’s so much mythology in this episode, I think the fans will be blown away.”

Meanwhile, he also talked to Newsarama about the upcoming Superman: Secret Origin. They've got a look at some of the covers which are linked together; the Legion stars on the second cover.

Notice that they are reintroducing teenage Clark Kent as Superboy, which is at the heart of one of the Siegels/DC lawsuits.



GJ: ...To me, origin stories - particularly "Secret Origin" stories in the DC Comics universe - are vital to the introduction of characters and mythology to the larger audience, and I think they can be to the long time audience as well. We haven't seen a modern day retelling of Clark's first adventure as Superboy with the Legion of Super-Heroes, or the day Superman met Jimmy Olsen or the origins of Superman's long time enemies like the Parasite and Metallo. More importantly, Clark Kent himself will be explored in his earlier years in a way I don't think he's ever been explored before. And freaking Gary Frank, one of the greatest Superman artists in history already, is illustrating it. Every cover, every panel, ever line.

For long time readers, with the inclusion of the Legion of Super-Heroes back in Superman's history, General Zod introduced and all the other changes made post-Infinite Crisis nearly 3-years ago, they've been requesting a definitive secret origin. Man of Steel was brilliant and Birthright was a beautiful book, but Superman: Secret Origin will be what lines right up for the modern day monthly books. It will feature new looks at the origin of not only Superman, but some of his greatest allies, enemies and supporting cast and it will tie into everything Gary and I have done so far on Action Comics as well as setting the stage for the future.

NRAMA: As readers of Gary and your work on Action know, you’ve been adjusting things on Krypton in New Krypton as well as touching upon Clark's early years, so what's the scope of this story, time-wise?

GJ: It goes from Clark's teenage years, through his first adventure with the Legion of Super-Heroes and into his arrival and introduction to Metropolis as Superman. We've included the first three covers with the interview and you can see a pretty big part of Clark Kent's history is being reintroduced as well - namely, Superboy. But with a bit of a twist.

NRAMA: Can you tell us any characters or beats that you're going to play up more than they've been mentioned previously? Any that you're going to de-emphasize?

GJ: You'll see Ma and Pa Kent, Lana Lang, Pete Ross, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Mordru, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, the Parasite, Metallo, Lex Luthor and others...

...And after Superman: Secret Origin, Gary and I already know what comes next. It'll be a monthly.

Would it be too much of a coincidence for Johns and Frank to be leaving Action Comics just when the monthly Adventure Comics (starring the Legion) starts up?

Déjà Vu 17: Sticky Fingers

Just grab a handful of them....

Sensation Comics #109 (6/52)
cover art by Murphy Anderson & Frank Giacoia
Justice League of America #10 (3/62)
cover art by Murphy Anderson


LSH v4 #6 (4/90)
cover art by Keith Giffen & Al Gordon

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Bits of Legionnaire Business

Bits of Legionnaire Business from the last couple of weeks...


  • Kimota94 has some questions about "Legion of Three Worlds" that have yet to be answered (but presumably will by story's end, whenever that is), things like "What's really in that lightning rod? What's going on with Sun Boy, will his red-sun radiation be the downfall of Superboy Prime? And what are Polar Boy, Dawnstar and Wildfire travelling back to the 21st century to find?"

  • Former Legion artist Jim Sherman had another career as a graphic designer. He always thought that he designed the red/white/blue logo for Major League Baseball, but he was wrong. ESPN.com has the story, probably the only time you'll ever see the Legion referenced on ESPN.

  • The Tim Callahan edited book "Teenagers from the Future" is now available via Diamond, if you're interested. (via CBR)

  • The Legion of Substitute Podcasters review "The Secret of the Seventh Super-Hero" from Adventure 290.

  • TV Guide announced a casting scoop for the three Legionnaires to appear on "Smallville", in an article dated Nov. 20th. Too bad that Kryptonsite had identified all three by the 18th. The comments on the TV Guide site are interesting. IO9 and BuddyTV also have previews and comments, but no new info.

  • Starman appears in last week's "Magog" special, in which his origin was recapped. His starfield costume gets an origin too, and there's a flashback to the first Legion of Three Worlds teamup. He's also in this week's "The Kingdom". He becomes a grave digger. Who's he going to dig up?

  • Commenters at Ace Showbiz note that the actresses who play Supergirl (Laura Vandervoort) and Saturn Girl (Alexz Johnson) on "Smallville" were on the Canadian TV show "Instant Star" together.

  • CBR interviews Tim Callahan about "Teenagers from the Future".

  • The Comic Treadmill is winding down its last posts on the Legion in Adventure Comics. The most recent one covers issues 373-375.

  • A "Smallville" thing that just hit me - did it occur to anyone else that Aquaman and Green Arrow shared "Adventure Comics" with Superboy when the Legion first appeared, and now Aquaman and Green Arrow are guest-stars in a Superboy-ish TV series? I'm sure Geoff Johns knows, and I think it'd be a neat in-joke for those knowledgeable fans.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Blogiversary

So somehow I missed my blogiversary here a couple weeks ago, on November 8th. Welcome to Omnicom Year 4.

Like all bloggers I'm fascinated by my hit count.
* 11/08/06: 50,000 visits
* 11/08/07: 170,005 visits
* 11/08/08: 316.730 visits
Interestingly, I seem to have about 150,000 visits per year for each of the last two years. I'd have figured that I would have had many more visitors in 2007-08 than in 2006-07.

My top 5 posts over the last year:
3/29/08 (702) - Superboy lawsuit
4/2/08 (666) - Legion of 3 Worlds
4/5/08 (679) - Legion of 3 Worlds
8/21/08 (854) - Legion of 3 Worlds #1 annotations
10/16/08 (697) - Legion of 3 Worlds #2 annotations

Last year I had 2 posts with over 1000 visits and one at over 3000 (when my Paul Levitz rumor was mentioned in "Lying in the Gutters).

Top 5 non-Google referrers: Legion Abstract (thanks, Matthew!), Absorbascon (thanks Scipio!), Legion World and Legion Clubhouse (thanks, Scott!), and CBR (thanks, Rich, even if I didn't 100% believe your Shooter story).

Top keywords: Sorry, they're all rather pedestrian and expected: "Legion Omnicom", "adventure 247", "Legion of Superheroes", "Legion of Three Worlds", "superboy lawsuit", "legion blog", etc.

You have to dig down into the single and double digits to find stuff like "lester spiffany stolen", "jessica alba nude", "terence chua annotations", "urgal psytrops", "how to pronounce ayla", "saturn girl bikini", "frunt klordny", and "how to draw squee".

Anyway, thanks to my readership - without you guys, I'd be typing to and for myself. To Freedom, Friendship, and Frunt!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Geoff Johns on Smallville's Legion

New interview with Geoff Johns at CBR today, discussing the Legion on "Smallville". Highlights:

Johns said the three young actors playing Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy absolutely “nailed it.” Canadian actor and singer Alexz Johnson landed the role of Saturn Girl, Calum Worthy (“Dr. Dolittle 3) lights up the screen as Lightning Lad, and Ryan Kennedy (“Blade: The Series”) completes the time traveling trio as Cosmic Boy.

“The Legionnaires did a wonderful job. They embraced the material and along with Glen embraced the lore,” said Johns. “They’re a great amalgam between ‘Smallville’ and the comic mythology. They are done in a ‘Smallville’ way but they are extremely loyal and true to core center to what the Legion is all about. And I was really blown away and ecstatic that the actors they cast could play Legionnaires so perfectly. I think they are phenomenal.

“Ryan brought the perfect amount of intensity to Cosmic Boy, similar to the intensity he current has in ‘Legion of 3 Worlds’. He really brought a humanity to Rokk too, that goes beyond the page. Ryan embodied the leader of the Legion to a tee.

“Alexz is Saturn Girl. You see her and you see Saturn Girl. Her demeanor, and the thoughtfulness that reads on her face at all times is exactly who Imra is.

“And last but not least is Calum, who is freaking hilarious. He was probably the one closest like his character – Lightning Lad, who captured the portrayal of Lightning Lad’s early years in my head. He’s fun, energetic, exciting – literally lightning in a bottle waiting to be unleashed.”

While Johns guards the story of the episode closer than Clark Kent’s secret identity, he did offer that it would feature the “Smallville” version of young Superman’s first meeting with the Legion.

As to whether or not we can expect more Legion in the future, Johns said, “I can tell you the door is left open pretty wide for them and other Legionnaires. If there’s a Season 9, I would love to write another episode.”

...Johns visited the set of “Smallville” in Vancouver for ten days during the shooting of his Legion episode. “I was working on set with the producers and the director, Glen Winter, and the actors, overseeing the script, checking in and brainstorming with executive producer Darren Swimmer, altering the script when we needed to alter it,” he explained. “We were really just trying to make it the best we could possibly make it. I watched the rough cut and I’m very, very happy.

Johns is thrilled with what he’s seen so far of the Legion episode, but can’t wait to see what the special effects team do with the Legionnaires. “The special effects and everything won’t be done for a little while since the show doesn’t air until January.”

Smallville preview (updated)

Update 11/21: added some clearer pictures, updated the Youtube link

Thanks to those who have emailed me about the preview for the upcoming Smallville episode starring the Legion. The show is taking a break until January, and the Legion episode (8x11) will lead off the second half of the season on January 15th.

(Unfortunately I haven't seen it yet, I'm several episodes behind in watching, so I don't know if anything in this last episode might shed some light on things. Please, no spoilers.)

Here's the teaser trailer for 8x11 and beyond, on YouTube. H/T to Anthony Riva for the original screencap. In the trailer, we see the three Legionnaires plus the Persuader (the armored mask and axe are the giveaway).




(Images via Kryptonsite)


That's nice and all, but I like my exclusive picture better.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

R.E.B.E.L. yell

Tony Bedard has an interview on CBR about the upcoming R.E.B.E.L.S. book.

Why bring the concept back as “R.E.B.E.L.S.” and not “L.E.G.I.O.N.”?

To be honest, I first pitched this as “L.E.G.I.O.N.,” but a couple of things became apparent as the series took shape. The first is that, on the heels of the cancellation of the regular “Legion of Super-Heroes” series, we didn’t want anyone confused that this might be a re-launch of “LSH,” or a sequel, or prequel, or whatever. There may be aspects of R.E.B.E.L.S. that were inspired by Legion, but “R.E.B.E.L.S.” is its own book set in the present-day DC Universe.

The other reason we went with “R.E.B.E.L.S.” has to do with our new premise. Brainiac 2 has been deposed from command of L.E.G.I.O.N., and his interplanetary police force has been turned into an army of occupation. Dox and his new strike team must fight an insurgent campaign, a guerilla war to free the people who paid good money for Dox’s protection. A situation like this happened once before, when Dox’s evil son stole his organization, and the series changed its name from “L.E.G.I.O.N.” to “R.E.B.E.L.S.” We figured that title is a better fit for the tone of our new series.

Set up the series for us, how does it open?

Brainiac 2 arrives on Earth with a crew of alien bounty hunters chasing him. His vast robotic police force has been usurped by an unknown adversary who, in one fell swoop, conquered all the worlds L.E.G.I.O.N. was supposed to protect. But Dox knows that Supergirl has what he needs – the key to winning back his command. Exactly what that “key” is will be a surprise, and it will require him to gather a new team which includes one former teammate, Strata, and four new allies who will be a whole lot of trouble for him. And a whole lot of crazy fun for us.

...Fill out the roster for us. Who else is on the team and what can you share about them?

I mentioned Strata, who hails from the same rocky race that gave us the classic Legionnaire, Blok. Strata was in the original “L.E.G.I.O.N.” series, and she provides a voice of reason and strong moral core to counterbalance Brainiac 2’s more excessive tendencies. We’ll also see Vril Dox recruit Wildstar, Tribulus, Bounder and the Emerald Princess, all of whom are reminiscent of some of my favorite LSH heroes and villains.

There’s a story reason why he chooses this group, and a logic to where they come from, but you’ll have to read the book to find out more. At the end of the day, this is an immensely powerful strike team, which Dox will need if he has any hope of defeating the new enemy who stole L.E.G.I.O.N. away from him, and now threatens the rest of the DCU.

First Smallville "Legion" image! Exclusive!

OK, so it's not an official image of the episode, but it is the first one out there.



Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Meet Smallville's Lightning Lad

Kryptonsite reports that Calum Worthy will be portraying Lightning Lad in the upcoming episode of "Smallville" entitled "Legion".

Worthy is a Canadian actor, as are his co-stars Alexz "Saturn Girl" Johnson and Ryan "Cosmic Boy" Kennedy. You might have seen him a couple weeks ago in an episode of "Supernatural" playing an invisible peeping Tom (according to IMDB), and he's a recurring character on "Psych". Also, both Worthy and Kennedy were in that Dean Cain TV movie last year. Here's a fan video of him on Youtube. With that hair, he definitely looks the part.

Worthy is 17, Kennedy is 26, and Johnson is 22.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Adventure Comics v3

Because we're Legion fans, we're accustomed to changes in title while keeping the numbering (such as Superboy -> Superboy & the LSH -> LSH v2 -> Tales of the LSH). Continuing with the tradition of rebooting a series back to #1, it wouldn't be right without a little-noticed title (like LSH v1) in the volume-number mix.

This upcoming series will be Adventure Comics v3, not v2. There was an Adventure Comics one-shot back in 1999 as part of the "Silver Age" "Return of the JSA" storyline, which is v2.

The original title started in 1935 as New Comics, running 11 issues (1935-36) as one of the very first comic books ever; the title showed that it had new material as opposed to reprints (an innovation at the time). Then it became New Adventure Comics from #12 to #31 (1937-38), at which point it became Adventure Comics from #32 to #503.

If only these flight rings actually worked...

Anyone need a Legion Flight Ring for their collection? There's one on eBay right now for $66, not too much above the original price of $54.95.



Too bad I missed it, but I would have posted on this one: you could have had Mark Waid's Legion flight ring, which went for $107.50. (Thanks to this week's Lying in the Gutters for this tip.)

Monday, November 17, 2008

Coming Distractions: Feb. 2009

Coming in Feb. 2009:

ADVENTURE COMICS #0
Written by Otto Binder
Art by Al Plastino
Cover by Aaron Lopresti
One of the cornerstone stories of the DCU is reprinted in this special issue priced at just $1.00 featuring an important “Origins and Omens” backup tale! To celebrate the upcoming ADVENTURE COMICS #1, we’re reprinting a Silver Age classic from the title’s prior volume — ADVENTURE COMICS #247, the first appearance of the Legion of Super-Heroes! Witness Superboy’s first encounter with three super-powered teens from the 30th Century – Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl! Featuring a new cover by Aaron Lopresti that’s an homage to the original!
On sale February 4 • 32 pg, FC, $1.00 US

I guess this answers the question of the numbering. But the Legion story isn't long enough to fill the whole issue; is this going to reprint the entirety of the original Adventure 247? Yet again? Cool cover, though.



ACTION COMICS #874
Written by James Robinson
Art by Pablo Raimondi
Cover by Aaron Lopresti
An “Origins and Omens” issue! Mon-El has been trapped in the Phantom Zone since Superman was a teenager, and now he might finally be able to return to Earth! But how will he overcome the fatal lead poisoning that kept him away for so long? And with all the changes the blockbuster “New Krypton” storyline wrought, would he even recognize the planet he left behind?
Meanwhile, life continues to be difficult for Superman thanks to Earth’s growing anti-Kryptonian sentiment. “New Krypton” may be over, but its fallout has only begun! To be continued in SUPERMAN #685, which you can find on page 68!
On sale February 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US



GREEN LANTERN CORPS #33
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art and cover by Patrick Gleason & Rebecca Buchman
Featuring an “Origins and Omens” backup story! It’s the prelude to “The Blackest Night” as the “War of Light” continues to intensify! Mongul attempts to establish his hold on the Sinestro Corps by enslaving the planet Daxam and making it the home world of his Corps. What does Sinestro's right hand man, Arkillo, think of all this? And will Sodam Yat, the Green Lantern known as Ion, fight to save his homeworld, which he's vowed to never return to?
On sale February 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

I threw this one in here for the Daxam reference.



R.E.B.E.L.S. #1
Written by Tony Bedard
Art and cover by Andy Clarke
Variant cover by Andy Clarke
The future is now in this all-new monthly series! Brainiac 2 is a hunted man. His cosmic police force safeguarded over 80 worlds until a mysterious adversary suddenly seized control. Now Vril Dox must recruit a new team to win back his command and free countless billions. But this time, he's basing his new group on the greatest heroes and villains of the 31st Century!
Guest-starring Supergirl and The Legion of Super-Heroes!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Andy Clarke), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Andy Clarke). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale February 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US



JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #24
Written by Geoff Johns & Jerry Ordway
Art and variant cover by Jerry Ordway
Cover by Alex Ross
“Black Adam and Isis” part 2 and featuring an “Origins and Omens” backup! The Justice Society faces off against a fully powered Black Adam and his wife, Isis, for control of the Rock of Eternity. But when Mary Marvel enters the fray, will she side with the Justice Society or join the Black Marvel family?
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Alex Ross), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Jerry Ordway). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale February 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US



SHOWCASE PRESENTS: AMBUSH BUG VOL. 1 TP
Written by Keith Giffen, Robert Loren Fleming, Paul Kupperberg
and Paul Levitz
Art by Keith Giffen, Robert Oksner, Carmine Infantino, and others
Cover by Keith Giffen & Bob Oksner
Collecting DC COMICS PRESENTS #52, 59 and 81, SUPERGÎRL #16 (1984), stories from SECRET ORIGINS #48, ACTION COMICS #560, 563 and 565, AMBUSH BUG #1-4, SON OF AMBUSH BUG #1-6, AMBUSH BUG STOCKING STUFFER #1 and AMBUSH BUG NOTHING SPECIAL #1 — whew!
Advance-solicited; on sale March 25 • 480 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

Woohoo!



JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: THY KINGDOM COME PART III HC
Written by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Peter Tomasi
Art by Alex Ross, Dale Eaglesham, Fernando Pasarin and Nathan Massengill
Cover by Alex Ross
Collecting JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #19-22, and the JUSTICE SOCIETY: KINGDOM COME Specials MAGOG, SUPERMAN and THE KINGDOM! Picking up where PART II left off, the Justice Society begins to dissolve as Gog vows to bring peace to Earth in a way that frightens some and thrills others. Torn between Gog's desire to help the world and the moral cost it comes with, it's old guard vs. the new as the line that was drawn is crossed.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 15 • 224 pg, FC, $24.99 US

Return of the R.E.B.E.L.S.

Thanks to Mo Titans for pointing this one out at superpoivoir.com. It's not up on the regular sites yet for February's previews, but I'm sure it'll be there Monday afternoon.

I have no idea why someone who looks like Validus is on the team. Strata and Dox are recognizable. Anyone remember what happened to the regular cast at the end of the L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S. series?

R.E.B.E.L.S. #1
Written by Tony Bedard
Art and cover by Andy Clarke
Variant cover by Andy Clarke
The future is now in this all-new monthly series! Brainiac 2 is a hunted man. His cosmic police force safeguarded over 80 worlds until a mysterious adversary suddenly seized control. Now Vril Dox must recruit a new team to win back his command and free countless billions. But this time, he's basing his new group on the greatest heroes and villains of the 31st Century!
Guest-starring Supergirl and The Legion of Super-Heroes!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Andy Clarke), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Andy Clarke). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale February 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Legion to return in Adventure Comics

Hat tip to tyg for letting me know about this one.

As expected, the Legion will be returning - in some form - to the pages of Adventure Comics sometime next year. Hero Complex, the SF/comics blog at the LA Times, has an interview with Dan DiDio on the future of DC (pun intended). This part of the interview starts with the upcoming changes to Action Comics and how Superman is leaving that book for now.

DD: We’re also bringing back one of the old-time favorite titles of DC Comics, "Adventure Comics." It will be back with a new No. 1 and with new stars but old stars at the same time. It’ll be pretty easy to guess who will be the stars of "Adventure Comics" if you know who the title was most identified with...

GB: Well, which era? Sandman, the Spectre, Dial H for Hero, Superboy...

DD: [Laughing] And who did Superboy appear with?

GB: Ah. The Legion of Super-Heroes.

DD: So this is a lot of fun for us. "Action," "Adventure," and "Superman," these are some of our premiere titles, some of the titles with the longest history. To affect a real level of change on these titles is exciting for us. It makes our oldest and most enduring titles fresh again.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Trivia Answers #29

I should probably post my answers here before it's time for a new quiz. This month's theme was half Halloween and half Election Day. In other words, I see dead people (and vote for them)!

1. Which Legionnaires have worn the costume of another Legionnaire for some reason? (gender swapping is allowed here)

There were a lot, and this isn't going to list all of them (just the ones that we have thought of collectively).
  • Lightning Lass was disguised as Lightning Lad when he was dead
  • Sun Boy and Brainiac 5 masqueraded as Saturn Boy and Prince Projectur
  • Saturn Girl and Shrinking Violet swapped costumes while fighting The Immune
  • Chameleon Boy pretended to be Shrinking Violet/Yera on Imsk
  • Superboy/Ultra Boy pretended to be Reflecto
  • Wildfire inhabited Sun Boy's dead body (close enough)
  • Chameleon Boy posed as Bouncing Boy when the Legion held a competition to take on the Wanderers
  • The future Chameleon Girl (Yera) impersonated Shrinking Violet
  • In the Adult Legion story, Superman and Cosmic Man were disguised as each other
  • In another Adult Legion story, Brainiac 5 disguises himself as Superman
  • Supergirl had masqueraded as her cousin Superman (yes, and they have the same body type so that nobody could tell!)

I'm sure there are plenty of others that we missed.

2. Pre-Zero Hour, who were the longest- and shortest-serving Presidents of the United Planets?
The longest-serving was Tayla Wellington, while the shortest-serving was Jacques Foccart.
  • ??? ???? - Jul 2978: name unknown (assassinated in office by Universo)
  • Jul 2978 - Oct 2983: Kandru Boltax
  • Oct 2983 - Nov 2985: Marte Allon
  • Nov 2985 - Nov 2989: Mojai Desai
  • Nov 2989 - Apr 2995: Tayla Wellington (re-elected 2991; assassinated in office by Dominators)
  • Apr 2995 - May 2995: none
  • May 2995 - Jun 2995: Jacques Foccart (appointed after Earth's liberation; resigned)
  • Jun 2995 - Sep 2995: Troy Stewart (in office at Zero Hour)

3. How many times did Ferro Lad "appear" in a non-flashback situation after he died? (Pre-Zero Hour continuity only)
He first appeared as a ghost, then an exploding clone, then as a SW6 Legionnaire, then as a zombie.

4. When Marte Allon was drafted into running for President of the UP, who were her opponents?
The only one whose name was mentioned was Radley. The other never even got named.

5. Which Legionnaires (or close associates) have had a tie to DC's Vertigo characters?
I came up with Ivy, Lightning Saga Dream Girl, and maybe Lar Gand (his dead father appeared in an issue of Swamp Thing during Invasion, though Swampy wasn't Vertigo at the time). Jim remembered that the White Witch was shown in the original "Books of Magic" series when Mr. E took Tim Hunter time travelling.

6. Who is the President of the UP in the current (v5) continuity?
I'm glad Matthew said "Kin'thea Kieselbach" since I wouldn't have had a clue. Hey, sometimes I ask these questions and don't know the answer, hoping that someone else will.

7. Whose tombstone read "No Legionnaire served more honorably. No woman loved and was loved so deeply."?
That was on Phantom Girl's tombstone when she was believed killed in v4.

8. Of all of the UP Presidents that we know of, which ones had made prior appearances in a role other than President?
Pre-ZH: Marte Allon, Jacques Foccart, Troy Stewart
Post-ZH: R.J. Brande, Leland McAuley, Winema Wazzo
Hal - King Jonn was never UP President, and Universo wasn't Desai, he was his advisor Vid Gupta.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Meet Smallville's Cosmic Boy

Kryptonsite notes that Ryan Kennedy is listed in the IMDB as playing Cosmic Boy.

Kennedy is another Canadian actor, joining Alexz Johnson as Saturn Girl. Here's a picture of him in 2007 (at right) with former Superman actor Dean Cain ("Lois and Clark"). (click here if you don't see the picture below)



The "Legion" episode is supposed to air in January after the holiday break.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

DiDio's new comments on the Legion and L3W

Thanks to Murray for bringing this to my attention. In his latest 20 Questions column at Newsarama, Dan DiDio says this about the Legion:

6: Going almost hand in hand with continuity – it seems that one would demand the other, a fair number of questions from readers concerned scheduling. It seems that it’s cyclical – it gets on track, falls off track, you give a broad statement about how you’re fixing it, and this time it will stick, it gets on track and then falls off again, and you give another, “This time we really mean it” statement. What’s the deal?

DD: You’re absolutely right. We do everything in our power to keep these books on track. We’re coming off a very big election year, and if I was running for office, I would tell you that every book for 2009 is on schedule, and each book has the creative team that will make it possible. The reality is, we are constantly juggling the schedule based upon the needs of the creative team, and the needs of the schedule, and we are weighting the value of each, and we wait and make choices based upon who’s involved in the process, and how important it is to maintain the schedule and maintain the consistency of the product.

Case in point - Final Crisis. As I mentioned in the last interview, it’s essential for us to have the last issue of Final Crisis come out in the month of January. Therefore, we are moving heaven and earth to make the book come out in the month of January, because so much follows.

Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds has an impact on our line because of the bits that take place at the conclusion of the series, but that impact does not occur until later in the year. So we are less aggressive to holding that particular book’s schedule than we were the lead book in Final Crisis. So therefore, you’re going to see Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds with months skipping in order to complete the story, but Final Crisis will be pushed to make sure it hits as close to its schedule as possible. ...

9: Back towards the subject material of the comics themselves – you mentioned Legion of 3 Worlds, but as we’ve reported, Legion of Super-Heroes ends with issue #50. Can you give any word as to where things are headed for the Legion in 2009? Obviously, in the Legion of 3 Worlds, there is a progression of events that’s suggesting a definite status quo change for the Legion...

DD: Legion of Super-Heroes has been a key franchise to the DC Universe since the ‘60s. It’s appeared in Adventure Comics, Superboy its own series, guest starred in a number of books, they’re going ot be appearing in Smallville very shortly, and have had their own animated television series. To think that after the cancellation of the series with #50 and after the conclusion of Legion of 3 Worlds that we have no plans in place would probably be a mistake.

We’re playing it kind of quiet now because we want Legion of 3 Worlds to play out so people will be excited about the conclusion, and from that conclusion, follow that story to others where those characters may or may not appear.

The bottom line is that Legion of Super-Heroes is a key franchise of the DC Universe, and it will never sit still or quiet for long.

Speaking of the delays, L3W #3 is now scheduled for Jan. 14, 2009 and issue #4 is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2009. Issue #5 has not been solicited yet but should come out sometime before July 2009. (Thanks to Ranse for the tip.) (Update: when I said July I was making a joke. I have no knowledge of when the final issue will come out.)

A couple of key quotes from DiDio I want to repeat and put in boldface:
To think that after the cancellation of the series with #50 and after the conclusion of Legion of 3 Worlds that we have no plans in place would probably be a mistake.

and
Legion of Super-Heroes is a key franchise of the DC Universe, and it will never sit still or quiet for long.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Wizard World Texas 2008

I forgot that Wizard World Texas was this weekend, and was just up the road a piece (as they say in Texas) in Dallas. Here's the relevant commentary:

Via Newsarama:
Friday's DC Nation panel:

Satller [sic] did say that Legion of 3 Worlds is a VERY important book in the DCU for the next three years of story-telling.

Saturday's DCU: Crisis and Beyond panel:
Sattler admitted that he did not know if Jim Shooter will stick with DC after his Legion of Super Heroes run is complete.

(After his parting shots, I'd think not.)

Also, on Monday, the day after the convention, a press release came out saying that "The Topps Company announced today that WizKids will immediately cease operations and discontinue its product lines." Looks like they're going to try to sell the line off: "Topps will immediately pursue strategic alternatives so that viable brands and properties, including HeroClix, can continue without noticeable disruption."

Friday, November 07, 2008

Legion not on Thanksgiving

Update 11/15/08: this episode is not airing on Thanksgiving. It will be the first of a new group of episodes starting the second half of the season in January. Disregard the date below. These aren't the droids you're looking for. Move along, move along.




Radar Online has the airdate for the Legion episode of "Smallville": November 27. That's Thanksgiving night. Good timing, huh?

In keeping with the one-word title pattern that the show has always had, episode 8.11 is called "Legion".

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Mattel: LSH Figures Coming Real Soon Now, and We Mean It This Time for Sure

Missed this one from a couple weeks ago. Via the Action Figure Insider forums comes this Q&A with Mattel at Cool Toy Review:

Cool Toy Review: From a die-hard LSH fan...any new info you can share on action figures from the Legion of Super-Heroes?

Mattel: We will have a new JLU 4 pack on MattyCollector in Spring of 2009 featuring LOSH characters. We also have plans to bring them into other toy lines as well. We are all fans of Legion and eagerly want plastic versions of the 31st centuries greatest super team. The JLU pack will contain Brainiac 5.

This line was announced in San Diego over the summer. You'll recall that Mattel promised a toy line last year, but that was cancelled amid reportedly low orders.

This toy line would be based on the "Far From Home" episode of the "Justice League Unlimited" series a couple years ago, not the recent Legion series.

With Brainiac 5 confirmed, I suspect the other three might be Saturn Girl, Chameleon Boy, and Cosmic Boy, who appeared in the earlier "New Kids in Town" episode of the Superman series.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Meet Smallville's Saturn Girl

via IO9:

Telepathic cutie Saturn Girl is finally making her appearance on Smallville, thanks to Geoff Johns' episode that not only ushers in our perky hero from the future, but a few other members of the Legion of Super Heroes. Playing the girl who's inside everybody's minds is pop star Alexz Johnson.

That brings us to a fan page of Alexz's:
Yes, to answer questions that people keep asking me about: the rumours that Alexz is guest-starring in the long-awaited “Legion” episode of Smallville are true… she is filming this episode as she awaits the final mix of what may be the final song for her album...

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Whoa. Did not see THAT one coming.

Remember what we talked about last week, about whether or not Adventure Comics was going to be revived?

Check out the preview to the upcoming "Adventure Comics Special Featuring the Guardian" over at Newsarama.

Then come back here and type in the comments about what your first reaction was, without revealing any spoilers (at least for the next day or so). Warning! Spoilers in the comments below!

Trivia Quiz #29

This month's theme is half Halloween and half Election Day. In other words, I see dead people (and vote for them)!

1. Which Legionnaires have worn the costume of another Legionnaire for some reason? (gender swapping is allowed here)

2. Pre-Zero Hour, who were the longest- and shortest-serving Presidents of the United Planets?

3. How many times did Ferro Lad "appear" in a non-flashback situation after he died? (Pre-Zero Hour continuity only)

4. When Marte Allon was drafted into running for President of the UP, who were her opponents?

5. Which Legionnaires (or close associates) have had a tie to DC's Vertigo characters?

6. Who is the President of the UP in the current (v5) continuity?

7. Whose tombstone read "No Legionnaire served more honorably. No woman loved and was loved so deeply."?

8. Of all of the UP Presidents that we know of, which ones had made prior appearances in a role other than President?

Sunday, November 02, 2008

More on Shooter's parting words

Jim Shooter had another brief interview with CBR the other day, to clarify some of his comments regarding artist Francis Manapul from his first interview.

Comic book fans and pundits in forum communities, message boards and across the blogosphere have been heavily active since industry legend Jim Shooter delivered some parting shots on his way out the door at DC Comics as the writer of the cancelled “Legion of Super-Heroes.”

... While he stands by what he said in his original interview, upon further consideration Shooter told CBR News that his comments about the book’s artist, rising star Francis Manapul, may have come off more “harshly than intended.”

... “My run on ‘Legion’ wasn’t everything that I had hoped for, but I probably got better than I deserved from Francis. Francis is already very, very good — outstanding, in fact — and as editor Mike Marts and I have both observed, he gets better and better as he goes. He will soon hurdle the few remaining barriers in his way and become an all-pro/MVP. Maybe working with someone else, maybe with better scripts to work from, he’ll get there faster.”

Here's some discussion at CBR about the original interview and the clarification, as well as The Occasional Superheroine.

Graeme McMillan at IO9 calls the two articles "How Not to Gracefully Exit Your Job". While I track overall sales for the Legion title over time, he notes that:
To put things in some context: Legion, under Shooter's reign, is currently DC's third-lowest selling superhero book, and one of the two series selling less was cancelled prior to the announcement of Legion's death.

And meanwhile, CBR's "Comics Should Be Good" blog asks: which Legion should a theoretical new series follow? If nothing else, it shows that there are fans of all versions and DC won't be able to please everyone (unless it's a rotating anthology of all versions).