The Legion of Superheroes: Forging the Future panel
The participants were writer Mark Waid, artist Barry Kitson, and editor Stephen Wacker.
Mark Waid killed time before the panel began by talking a little bit about the Fantastic Four. He joked that Galactus and Johnny Storm have short-term goals like, "What's for dinner?" He stated that there is currently no FF tie in with the movie. Mark also admitted that he has seen Fantastic Four movie footage and that "The Incredibles is the greatest movie of all time."
Barry arrived and the Legion talk started in earnest.
Mark said that he likes writing comics in layers. He said that the common perception, wrong as it is, is that The Legion is impossible to get into, because of the dense continuity.
Waid said that before he recreated the Legion, he had to talk to Paul Levitz to pick his brain. Paul pushed Mark to think more radically. None of the current creators want to retell old stories. What Mark wants to do is to capture the spirit of the Legion, and to build something entirely new. He says he's going to infuriate a lot of people.
The book is going to be tailored to all audiences and will reflect a youthful spirit.
Barry talked about when he illustrated one of Paul Levitz's stories, that he did what he usually does, he called the writer, and discussed his ideas. He reported that Paul was very nice and they had a nice chat. He confided that when others found out, they shouted, "WHAT? You called PAUL?"
What the Legion creators are going to do is to concentrate on society in 1000 years, rather than on the technology. Mark joked that the glorious Omnicom that was created a few years back, was outdated in comparison to his cell phone. In 1000 years, they are envisioning a unified Earth culture, where East met West and the culture of politeness thrived. People don't talk to each other in person.
The Legion is going to be a bunch of teens learning how to hang out, go on dates, and to get along with each other. It's going to be difficult, because these teens do not have the same cultural references, much less the same DNA. There will be tension between the members, because not all of them can effectively communicate with each other. Different Legionnaires will have different ideas and views on things.
With this comic, Barry and Mark stated they had to create a fleshed out universe. Barry stated he wanted each character to have a specific costume that would express their individuality. Barry took classic elements of all the Legion's former costumes and made them designed for today. Still, Barry wanted them all to look like they belonged together. Mark wanted capes, and Barry wanted bare mid-drifts.
The Legionnaires see themselves as The Society for Creative Anachronism. It's their chance to stand out from the herd of polite society. The problem is, the records about 21st Century superheroes is spotty at best. They are behaving like they imagine the 21st Century superheroes would. There will be a lot of punching and fighting. Some of the members are really into the superhero thing, some others are there for other reasons.
There is no Superboy.
Wait and see about Shikiri.
Issue #1-6 are self-enclosed stories with subplots. By then end of the 6 issues, everyone will be familiar with the characters in the book.
There is absolutely no rush to tell the Legion origin. They've told it before.
In this Legion, kids throughout the galaxy are encouraged to join. The membership totals about 75,000 teenagers. The central conflict is that in this society, everyone has a long lifespan, and youth wants to have a voice.
Mark stated that war is coming, and the youth are going to be on the front lines. The Legion is going to try to keep the peace, so no one has to go to the front lines. The Legion will not always be right, either.
There has been a sea change at DC. Dan Didio says to make the comics you want to make, we'll find a way to collect them.
The Legion will be 30 pages instead of 22, and Mark and Barry state they have 3 years worth of stories, and they can't leave until they are told. Barry and Mark assured us that they are in this for the long haul.
There will be no letters page, but the creators encourage fans to keep asking for one.
There will be a Legion Leader vote at some point.
The story will eventually be more inclusive of aliens. Barry states that in issue #2 is the most difficult alien he's ever had to draw. Right now they are focusing on getting the humans/humanoids to talk to one another.
Brainiac 5 is going to be a major player. The Brainy/Dream Girl issue is #2.
The villains are all going to be new. It's a creative challenge to devise new villains. They want villains with new motivations. They want to avoid all of the old stable of villains for the present.
Stephen reported that Dan Didio gave them 30 pages for this comic because the ideas were so good.
What the creators want the readers to do is to spread the greatness of this comic (editor's note: I have read #1 and it is great!) around. Word of mouth is always the best form of advertising. On the business side, there should be posters, the cover of Previews, and eventually a collection.
Mark confided that there is an interest in a Legion cartoon. Both Warner Brothers and Cartoon Network have expressed interest. Only time will tell if it comes to anything.
DC: Exploring the Universe
Mostly this was a slide show presentation showcasing DC's products for the next year. However, some news was involved, so I'll share what I wrote down.
There are no plans for any crossover with Marvel.
DC is trying to return to the letters pages.
Eventually a follow up story to Hush will see print.
Diversity is a priority in the DCU. The goal is to bring in interesting supporting characters and then spin them off into their own stories.
A Seven Soldiers of Victory archive is coming.
Next year, after Secret Files, they may actually put out another Who's Who.
In the Spring, John Byrne will return to do The Demon.
Lots of books are forthcoming examining why characters are heroes. There will be lots of spin offs and consequences from Identity Crisis.
Kilowog is going to appear in Green Lantern Rebirth.
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