How to make Legion sell

[Trey Strain]

You'd need to bring them to this time period and include them in the shared universe.

So how could you do that? Easily. Just say that to keep the world from being destroyed in their time period, they have to agree to come here and stay. But they also must have all their memories of Earth's history erased, so they won't screw things up.

You're welcome for the idea, DC.

[Space Cop]

Oddly enough, in the Superman comics (or is it the League books) Lightning Lass (or Saturn Girl or whoever) has appeared in our time and only has part of her memory.

[Darth_Primus]

I thought this thread was about the X-Men character Legion, as the TV series just wrapped up several weeks ago.

[Trey Strain]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

Oddly enough, in the Superman comics (or is it the League books) Lightning Lass (or Saturn Girl or whoever) has appeared in our time and only has part of her memory.

That's the only way it can work. They can't come here knowing everything that's going to happen.

[Mister Ed]

I thought they usually handled that with "spotty historical records". That probably works better for sporadic visits than constant presence, though.

Of course, if they ARE here for an extended time, there's every possibility that they might take some actions that would alter what history they DO know, making their knowledge become less and less reliable the longer they stayed.

[Trey Strain]

I don't think how to do it was the mental block that kept them from thinking of this. That part was easy. Instead it was their not noticimg the simple fact that every DC comic that's set outside their shared universe fails.

I don't know what was at work there. Maybe a deficiency in pattern recognition?

Anyway, that blind spot was what gave rise to the re-creation of Earth 2 They could have just as easily brought the young JSA to this place and time, and published a successful comic. But instead they went for universe building, and lots of fanboys on message boards cheered loudly. That mistake is being fixed now. And they're welcome for that idea too.

[Trey Strain]

BTW, every comic that stars an omnipotent character fails too. As does every comic that's designed to be a B title.

So don't listen to fanboys. If you set all your comics here and now, design them all as A titles, and don't make your protagonists omnipotent, then they might have a chance to succeed.

[IonFan]

Originally Posted by Darth_Primus

I thought this thread was about the X-Men character Legion, as the TV series just wrapped up several weeks ago.

glad i wasn't the only one

[Space Cop]

Originally Posted by Mister Ed

I thought they usually handled that with "spotty historical records". That probably works better for sporadic visits than constant presence, though.

On the other hand, how useful would your knowledge of the past be if you were sent to the year 1000? Apart from Medieval experts, most people couldn't do a whole lot with that gap.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

So, basically try a book with the Legion where you strip away their gimmick.

[Space Cop]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Targaryen I

So, basically try a book with the Legion where you strip away their gimmick.

Kids from the Future ... now, in the past!

[Trey Strain]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

Kids from the Future ... now, in the past!

That's it exactly.

Or you could keep trying them in the future and hoping for a better result.

[Mister Ed]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

On the other hand, how useful would your knowledge of the past be if you were sent to the year 1000? Apart from Medieval experts, most people couldn't do a whole lot with that gap.

Though if they came back on purpose, you'd think they might make sure they had all the AVAILABLE knowledge at their fingertips. (Plus there's a LOT more info recorded today, in forms more likely to survive, than there was in 1000.)

[Mister Ed]

For me, the problem with Legion of Superheroes wasn't so much that they were in the future (I certainly have no difficulty getting interested in other fictional properties that are set in the future) as that there were SO MANY characters, and I couldn't really find all that much to interest me about any of them.

I doubt just putting them in the present day would make me any more inclined to check them out.

[Space Cop]

I really can't explain why I never got into LoSH. Maybe the large roster plays into it, but I never consciously thought so. I think part of me always resented knowing the future of the DCU.

[Ωmega Man]

It's not some original idea of Trey's, does he ever ACTUALLY read the books he's bitching about?

The Legion have had stints in the past like... half a dozen times now that I can recall. Remember Legion Lost? It was a title where a group were stuck in the past! And it didn't last. Shocker. Just like Spiderman 2099 in the modern day, it just makes no sense.

Legion doesn't need some retarded gimmick Trey thinks is his original idea, it needs to get back to what made it great. Rather than begin the series with the same two dozen characters we've seen to death, bring in a few core characters and then completely reimagine the rest and give us something new and less of the same old same old. Not remaking the same characters again and again, take a few and do that sure... but then give us ORIGINALS. Not another iteration of Comet Queen.

And once in awhile, it wouldn't be so bad if one member took center stage in an arc or backup feature.

~//V\\~

["Chosen"]

Originally Posted by -//V\\-

It's not some original idea of Trey's, does he ever ACTUALLY read the books he's bitching about?


~//V\\~

[Trey Strain]

Every time I post something, I see lots of responses from this -//V\\- that I can't read. I know my posts are interesting, son, but go talk to someone who wants to read your posts and talk to you.

Ignore List
-//V\\- Robinson

[Trey Strain]

To clarify -- do I think putting all your characters in the shared universe creates better comics? No, I don't. Sometimes it does, especially compared to universe building, which never seems to go well. But on balance, connecting everything produces worse comics.

The problem though is that if you keep a comic sealed off, then dogs just won't eat that fog food, no matter how good it tastes. You could keep trying to feed it to them, but why would you? You have to feed them what they might eat, not what you want to feed them but know they won't eat.

So do I sometimes advocate changes that might well produce worse comics? Yes, I do.

If you would rather that a title not be published at all than to be published in a way that might actually sell but doesn't exactly suit you, then make your case to a comics company and see how far you get with it. They might listen to you, but I doubt it. They're in business to make money, not to keep relaunching comics that have proved they won't sell.

LoS set in the future is one of those comics. More importantly, ANY title set outside the shared universe is one of those comics. That doesn't thrill me. It's just an acknowledgement of reality.

[Ωmega Man]

Originally Posted by Trey Strain

Every time I post something, I see lots of responses from this -//V\\- that I can't read. I know my posts are interesting, son, but go talk to someone who wants to read your posts and talk to you.

Ignore List
-//V\\- Robinson

You could read them, the truth just hurts. The ideas you claim to be yours are not original [Legion in the past, comic book series bibles, etc.] and the actual ideas you have that are original are so out of left field none of them would ever happen [Mystery Command, Stretchers, etc.].

It's one thing to blow your own horn, it's another to completely ignore real facts and ignore people who don't agree with your bullshit views. I'll keep responding to your bullshit threads just so on the off chance some comic noob comes into one of them I want them to know actual facts and not some idiot's biased opinion on books he's not paying enough attention to.

_______________________

But let's shift gear and focus on this *original* idea of yours DC should be thanking you for. The Legion stuck in the past... now just recently where have we seen this? Oh yeah... during New Krypton when Mon-El was a Superman stand in [during the time Grayson was Batman] where some of the Legion were hiding in the past to assist both Mon-El and Superboy.

I know what you're thinking... "that's not the same..."

Fast forward to the New52 and we had not one but TWO Legion titles. The LoSH title as well as.... LEGION LOST. Wait, is that... is that members of the Legion interacting with people in the MODERN DAY?!?



Somebody quote that, please LOL. I bet he tries to say DC needs to kill Batman and thank him for THAT idea too...

EDIT: And for the record... "every time I post something..." you post TWENTY threads in a week and I'm supposed to let the idiocy continue without saying a word? Don't get bent out of shape cause a younger guy comes into a conversation with facts and makes you look geriatric and senile.

~//V\\~

["Chosen"]

Originally Posted by -//V\\-

You could read them, the truth just hurts. The ideas you claim to be yours are not original [Legion in the past, comic book series bibles, etc.] and the actual ideas you have that are original are so out of left field none of them would ever happen [Mystery Command, Stretchers, etc.].

It's one thing to blow your own horn, it's another to completely ignore real facts and ignore people who don't agree with your bullshit views. I'll keep responding to your bullshit threads just so on the off chance some comic noob comes into one of them I want them to know actual facts and not some idiot's biased opinion on books he's not paying enough attention to.

_______________________

But let's shift gear and focus on this *original* idea of yours DC should be thanking you for. The Legion stuck in the past... now just recently where have we seen this? Oh yeah... during New Krypton when Mon-El was a Superman stand in [during the time Grayson was Batman] where some of the Legion were hiding in the past to assist both Mon-El and Superboy.

I know what you're thinking... "that's not the same..."

Fast forward to the New52 and we had not one but TWO Legion titles. The LoSH title as well as.... LEGION LOST. Wait, is that... is that members of the Legion interacting with people in the MODERN DAY?!?



Somebody quote that, please LOL. I bet he tries to say DC needs to kill Batman and thank him for THAT idea too...

EDIT: And for the record... "every time I post something..." you post TWENTY threads in a week and I'm supposed to let the idiocy continue without saying a word? Don't get bent out of shape cause a younger guy comes into a conversation with facts and makes you look geriatric and senile.

~//V\\~

[Ωmega Man]

~//V\\~

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

I always viewed the Legion as a sibling the the Green Lantern franchise in terms of the size of the fanbase concepts and hooks to each series. I feel like maybe I SHOULD have been a fan, and tried it several times over the last 30 years, but LOSH never managed to keep me interested.

I think one of the reasons for me is that there isn't a dominant main character. They don't have Superboy anymore. There's Cosmic Boy, but the concept doesn't really hinge upon him like the GL franchise does on Hal Jordan. That probably appeals to Trey's ideal of no character having an advantage over another, but for me it kept me away. Also, the older I got, I had little and less use for child superheroes and LOSH is pretty much Teen Titans in the future.

Legion in a modern setting does absolutely nothing for me.

[Ωmega Man]

You know what I don't think we've ever seen? I know the GLC is about to go on a time jumping adventure... what if they crossed over with the Legion in the year 3000 when there are no GL's?

The fact these two concepts have never crossed over in decades is ridiculous. Only time something remotely similar happened Kyle went into the future before the Emerald Knights arc where there was an evil GLC lead by somebody from Tomar-Re's race...

~//V\\~

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Originally Posted by -//V\\-

You know what I don't think we've ever seen? I know the GLC is about to go on a time jumping adventure... what if they crossed over with the Legion in the year 3000 when there are no GL's?

The fact these two concepts have never crossed over in decades is ridiculous. Only time something remotely similar happened Kyle went into the future before the Emerald Knights arc where there was an evil GLC lead by somebody from Tomar-Re's race...

~//V\\~

That's a great point. From the 50s to today, there has never been a major, let alone minor attempt at a GLC/Legion crossover. Seems like a waste now that you mention it. You would think Levitz or Waid would have been all over that.