Legion files

[thebitterguy]

Via seebelow, a side by side comparison of two very different Legion writers: Jim Shooter and Tom & Mary Bierbaum.

Apparently sourced from a LSH apa, it's quite interesting. You know, I think I was just a bad reader when I was a kid because to me the Legionnaires were always defined by their powers and their enemies more than anything.

Admittedly, I only read a couple years worth of Adventure books, the GDS, and a few Silver Age digest collections before I hopped back on in high school for the new after-the-5YG series.

The Legion seems to require the same level of dedication as some religions to follow properly. I understand they've been doing well lately, but I don't know if my old brain can handle whatever continuity hoops they've been jumping through lately. Are they still teenagers?

Comments

[dawgstar.livejournal.com]

If you can snag it, the Waid/Kitson stuff is a nice starting point since it's a re-boot (the Legion's... fourth?). The previous volume most folks I knew liked a lot, and we saw this as pointless (or, cynically, some sort of sop to Mark Waid to make him feel important) but it turns out it's really good. Basically, the LSH is a group of teens with powers who are rebelling (they don't want to tear down, so much as not be forced to conform) against the stifling utopia of the future, and take their cues from the heroes of 'now.' They each have more of a personality now, it feels like.

Most folks I know dig the book a lot, myself included, though you will find somebody coming from nowhere with a mad-on for it.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Third. It's being called the "Threeboot".

Since the whole Glorith/Time Trapper thing was still building from the continuity of the original series, it's not considered a "reboot" proper.

But, yes, it's a good jump-on point, it starts from scratch, and it's only been running a year and a half (and the early issues are TPB'ed).

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

I concur; I stopped reading LSH shortly after the destruction of Earth and the creation of the "retro legion" (i.e. SW6 as heroes).

I've picked up the new LSH by tpb only; the first two are available now, and they're a pretty good read. My only complaint is that some of the personalities feel a bit over-drawn in order to establish a point (i.e. Brainy, Ultra Boy). But that seems to be balanced off with the nasty inter-personal machiavellian politics. Sort of LSH pretends they're Authority...

[dewline.livejournal.com]

You just touched on my main complaint as a Legion fan: they keep getting turned back into teenagers just as I'm getting comfortable with how they're evolving as characters.

Interesting opinion comparison page, there...