It’s been a long, long road for we suffering Legion of Super-Heroes fans. After the cancellation of their most recent title in the New 52, there had been a real drought in appearances for our favorite far future super-teens. A key role in the short-lived Justice League United here, Saturn Girl cameos during DC Rebirth and her role in Doomsday Clock there…but otherwise, it’s pretty much been famine…but as of this September that all changes; after weeks and really months of teasing, it can finally be revealed: Brian Michael Bendis, the current Superman architect is teaming with Ryan Sook, Jim Lee, Nicola Scott and more for the book that finally brings back the LSH into DC continuity – get ready for Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium.
Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium is a two part series, starting in September, that will then pave the way for a new ongoing (!!) Legion comic by Bendis and Sook. This all-star series will feature a surprising tour guide leading readers through a very long journey to the 31st Century, as she finds herself suddenly immortal and embarking on a 1,000 year odyssey connecting all of DC’s future timelines officially for the very first time. She’ll encounter quite an array of DC characters and settings both dystopian and utopian, each drawn by a different artist of renown.
The first issue will feature:

  • Supergirl, drawn by Jim Lee
  • Batman Beyond, drawn by Dustin Nguyen
  • Kamandi, drawn by Andrea Sorrentino
  • Tommy Tomorrow, drawn by André Lima Araújo

While the second issue, out in October, keeps the mysterious immortal’s road toward the 31st century going with the following stops:

  • Booster Gold, drawn by Nicola Scott
  • OMAC, drawn by Jim Cheung
  • A DC “off-world” chapter, drawn by Jeff Dekal
  • Legion of Super-Heroes, drawn by Ryan Sook

One heck of a line-up, and it provides a terrific on-ramp for the Bendis/Sook Legion ongoing that will hopefully follow immediately thereafter (though no date has been announced for that new series as of yet). I wouldn’t have pieced together that OMAC would follow so far after Kamandi, but the story of how the Global Peace Agency gives way to the United Planets sounds like a fascinating tale to be told. What a way to kick this long-awaited series off, and the first issue is out on September 18th.
Here’s Bendis on this momentous occasion from DC’s PR:

“Since its Silver Age origin, the Legion of Super-Heroes has been the cornerstone of the future DC Universe,” said Bendis. “Over time, a wealth of future characters and stories have emerged since the Legion’s beginnings and connecting these threads to an updated version of the Legion is a story Ryan and I can’t wait to tell.”

Take a look at some preview art for each issue, but don’t go too far…because there’s something even better down below….we promise!
From Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #1, here’s a quick peek at Batman Beyond by Dustin Nguyen and Kamandi by Andrea Sorrentino, along with the first issue’s cover:
Bendis and Sook bring back the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes preview image
Legion of Super-Heroes preview image
Legion of Super-Heroes preview

Legion of Super-Heroes preview

And from Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #2, your first look at Booster Gold by Nicola Scott and OMAC by Jim Cheung:


Are you still with us? How could you not be after all this excitement. Well there’s one more very special treat…take a look at the new designs for the Legion of Super-Heroes by Ryan Sook, including a new modernized logo:
Legion of Super-Heroes return with Bendis and Sook Legion of Super-Heroes return with Bendis and Sook Legion of Super-Heroes return with Bendis and Sook Legion of Super-Heroes return with Bendis and Sook Legion of Super-Heroes return with Bendis and Sook Legion of Super-Heroes return with Bendis and Sook
Aren’t you glad you scrolled all the way down? Some really interesting changes here: Rokk has the same haircut as me now, Reep’s design is incredible, and the eerie look for Tasmia is such a great new take. The Legion has long needed a shot in the arm and a way to find a new audience, this is the perfect way to do it and the excitement in the lead up to the Fall is going to overtake me with joy. Given the history of reboots for this team and the complicated nature of its continuity (two reboots and one “deboot”, so basically three reboots), a slate cleaning and reinterpretation of the team for a new era looks to be the right approach.
The Legion of Super-Heroes are back this Fall. I’m so happy I get to type those words. Long Live The Legion!

9 COMMENTS

  1. Nice to see the future history of the DCU clarified but what they really need to do is set the past history straight. I have no idea how much of the pre-New 52 has snuck back in since Rebirth.

  2. I’m genuinely shocked DC is announcing Ryan Sook as the regular artist on an ongoing monthly. I thought people were crazy for even speculating about this. All luck to him on this project, and I’ll be happy to be proven wrong, but I remain dubious.
    When was the last time Sook was the regular artist on an ongoing, and how many issues did he do? Let’s discount that Unexpected book (less than one issue) since he was pulled off to draw Superman for Bendis.
    I suspect Sook may end up being the “regular” artist in the same way Jim Cheung has been a regular rotating artist on Justice League. Disappointing to see this strategy from DC. The bait-and-switch with artists used to be a Marvel thing.

  3. I want to be excited, but this screams “Reboot!” again. I’m probably going to sound like a “get off my lawn” old man, but I just want to be able to read stories that build on the Legion’s long history, not start over from scratch yet again with new personalities using familiar names and faces.

  4. I guess I’m sort of the newbie in this discussion (I’ve only read the earliest of the Edmond Hamilton stuff in the first Showcase volume, which is more than complete newbies have read, but quite out of date). I’m generally not one for digging through back-issue bins or older trades at conventions. That said, recommendations for Legion runs (aside from the obvious Levitz and Giffen run, I mean.) or specific back-issues? It’d be good to mix it up with my comics reading habits, and as someone for whom that Legion volume turned out to be his favorite Showcase volume, I’ve been looking to start reading more Legion, but the sheer volume of Legion stuff out there makes it difficult to know what to start with. Looking forward to this, though. I’ve not always liked Bendis’ work, but his Action Comics and, yes, even his Superman have turned me around on him. As for Sook? We’ll see how long that lasts.

  5. Geoffrey,
    TBH you’re going to be doing yourself a big favor just reading through the series chronologically. So much of the original “classic” Legion builds on material introduced in the sillier Silver Age era, and so does a good bit of the Zero Year “Archie Legion”.
    That being said, the Great Darkness Saga is probably the ultimate Legion storyline. But don’t forget Earth War, and the Fatal Five/Death of Ferro Lad Adventure stories. Five Years Later is pretty dark stuff, and although I like it, I wouldn’t recommend it to someone on their early Legion discovery process. Superman and the Legion of Super Heroes by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank is a really nice update to the original team.
    I think there are collected editions of everything from the beginning to the last issue of Superboy & the Legion of Super-Heroes (258, I think), and then skipping over some rather blah stories to Paul Levitz’s second run, which has been collected either in its entirety or just about. After that, there are a scattering of trades, but you will have to read most of them as singles/digitally until the Waid era. I think everything after that until the end of the New 52 series has been collected.
    Tangentially, there were a couple of really good mini-series: Legionnaires 3, for one, and then Cosmic Boy, which appeared during the Legends event. I believe there was a Timber Wolf mini in the 90s. If you do get into the 5YL era, there’s the Valor book which isn’t necessary but a nice read.
    Enjoy. I’m 53 and a life long Legion fan and I’m looking forward to the new series. Unlike a poster above, I don’t mind a reboot. DC needs to build a Legion team that suits the readers of today, not us older fans. Nothing at DC today is like it was when I was younger, and that’s a good thing. DC took a long time to grow out of the Silver Age because of people, mostly DC editorial, wanting things to ever remain the same. The result was Marvel surpassing DC in sales, permanently. Let’s see what Bendis and Sook can do. I’ll be rooting for them.

  6. If Silver Age comics are your bag, I think the advice above is totally the way to go. Pick up more of the Showcase volumes and just roll with it. I’ve read them all, but I hesitate to hand those or even Bronze Age stuff, even the Levitz days…which are wonderful and fundamental but really take a learning curve for anyone that’s attuned to modern comics to jump on board with.
    I tend to recommend a smattering of three eras:
    Legionnaires Vol 1 (recent collection of the Waid/Peyer/Immonen/Moy reboot team)
    first 12 issues of Giffen/Bierbaums 5YL
    Superman and the Legion by Johns and Frank
    If any of those light your fire, you can just follow that specific strand for a bit..and in the case of the Johns/Frank book, just hop backwards into the Levitz era since it’s a great intro to that time.

  7. Geoffrey, you need the original Jim Shooter Adventure stories, they are the real template for all that came later. Try The LIfe and Death of Ferro Lad hardcover for a taste, and then 1050 Years in the Future for a good sampling of assorted material. Also look at Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes vols. 1 and 2 for the 70s rebirth period!

  8. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any WORSE than the Threeboot, they have to go and prove me wrong. THIS looks like it is going to be total Kr@p.

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