CBR: Shooter Dishes on Legion Demise

[CBR News]

With the announcement that DC\'s “Legion of Super-Heroes” would end with #50, \r\nwriter Jim Shooter confirms he was fired from the book twice and shares \r\nwhat could have been for the title, including the introduction of a new Kryptonian.


Full article here.

[cousindick]

I think the real reason that the current Legion is being canceled is because the classic Legion is returning.

Most of us are pretty enthusiastic about the Levitz/Giffen era Legion (one of the best superteam books of all time) that Geoff Johns brought back in Action Comics and Legion of Three Worlds, right? If there was a series with that team, written by Geoff Johns, I'd definitely buy that every month.

[MNM]

With the exception of one or two small plot points, I have overall enjoyed Shooters run on Legion, it's a shame it's ending.

[Pixie_Solanas]

With the exception of one or two small plot points, I have overall enjoyed Shooters run on Legion, it's a shame it's ending.

Me too. I'm a bit pissed as i've only recently begun to buy LofSH and now it's ending :(

[Joe Acro]

I think the real reason that the current Legion is being canceled is because the classic Legion is returning.

You make it sound as if there can't be more than one reason.


It may be a little unprofessional to essentially blame the cancellation on editorial. But, if nothing else, this does explain why the story feels a little disjointed in spots. And Universal Annihilation War sounds too similar in name to Annihilation. Just sayin'.

[Joe Franklin]

Shooter has balls for taking on his employers, even though this usually leads to career suicide.

[Pixie_Solanas]

Shooter has balls for taking on his employers, even though this usually leads to career suicide.

Reading about his tenure as Marvel EIC, I don't think Shooter cares in the least what others think of him. The guy's prided himself on being a grade-a dick.

[Kelson]

I think the real reason that the current Legion is being canceled is because the classic Legion is returning.

Most of us are pretty enthusiastic about the Levitz/Giffen era Legion (one of the best superteam books of all time) that Geoff Johns brought back in Action Comics and Legion of Three Worlds, right? If there was a series with that team, written by Geoff Johns, I'd definitely buy that every month.

How many books can Geoff Johns write, though? I haven't heard anything about him dropping any titles, and word is that he'll be continuing on Flash after Rebirth.

[Eumenides]

Reading about his tenure as Marvel EIC...

Frank Miller on Daredevil

Chris Claremont on X-Men

Walt Simonson on Thor

Joh Byrne on Fantastic Four

Roger Stern on Spider-Man

... now that we have a contextual frame, do tell us all about his tenure as Marvel EIC during the company's greatest age since the early '60s

How many books can Geoff Johns write, though?

Nowadays no one commits himself to anything: he'll write twelve issues (probably co-write them), then leave for another franchise in need of rescue.

[Michael P]

Wow. That's definitely not your usual exit interview.

I think he's a bit too harsh with his assessment of Manapul, but I can't blame him for feeling ticked at editorial dicking around with his stories. Especially if the developments with Dream Girl as printed in issue 47 weren't his idea.

[Michael P]

Frank Miller on Daredevil

Chris Claremont on X-Men

Walt Simonson on Thor

John Byrne on Fantastic Four

Roger Stern on Spider-Man

... now that we have a contextual frame, do tell us all about his tenure as Marvel EIC during the company's greatest age since the early '60s

He oversaw the production of some great comics (although Claremont on X-Men predates his tenure), but he treated a lot of his employees like crap and ran the Marvel offices like a gulag to do it.

[Ghost Shark]

It's Jim Shooter. Did anybody really expect this to end differently?
Personally, I love his new LoSH run, and I grew up on the Marvel comics put out when he was EIC, but I really am not surprised at all. Too bad really.

[CBikle]

A couple of thoughts:

Shooter was very brutally honest on everything including his own role in the book's demise.

He's clearly a talented, hard-working guy who can never seem to get in-sync with anyone else he works with; the guy just seems to have "reverse-synergy".

Complaining to other DC staffers about his book's mishaps might not have pissed off Didio if it wasn't for all the other, larger mishaps befalling all the other DC titles at the time like Countdown, Death Of The New Gods and Salvation Run; maybe just bad timing.

[carabas]

I think he's a bit too harsh with his assessment of Manapul, but I can't blame him for feeling ticked at editorial dicking around with his stories.

Meh. Karma bites. He used to one of the single most micro-managing editors-in-chief back in the day. Writers pretty much universally loathed him for his attitude and for what he did to their stories.

[Zero Hunter]

Considering the total crapfest he inherited from Waid on this title I think Shooter did a fantastic job on the series. He turned the book back into the "Legion of Super Heroes". The hole Waid dug with his horrible run was just too big to climb out of for this series.


As for his personality and the way he treated writers yeah he could be a dick, but alot of those same writers that complained the loudest about him did the best work of their carears under his tenure as EIC. Sometimes a writer needs a strong hand to reign them in a bit when they start to go off the rails, and Shooter did that very well.