Legion (I'm) Lost, Where The Devil Am I?

So as am want to do at times, I was trawling through Twitter late the other night and I spotted a link to an article discussing the "TMK" Legion run. Now, not being familiar with Legion continuity, I had no idea what TMK meant. It turns out it relates to the run written by Tom Bierbaum, Mary Bierbaum, and Keith Giffen (Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4, #1–29), which started Five Years Later. The Legion has disbanded in a darker run which is said to be influenced by Watchmen. I'd never gotten into the Legion. I think it was fact that they had enough characters to fit one of George Perez's patented character packed pieces that put me off. That and I knew that there was at least three reboots. The Five Years Later concept intrigued me though. However, my brain was never going to allow me to start at volume 4 so I ended up on ComiXology investigating the other volumes. I looked at the tail end of volume 3 and saw writer Paul Levitz had a run on it. Okay brain, we will start with his run. Okay? This is where my Legion naïveté really kicked in. Paul Levitz, as far as I can see, wrote all of volume 3 (63 comics and 4 annuals) and a good chunk of volume 2. This particular run (I know he had a previous one but I have gone down that rabbit hole) goes all the way back to volume 2 issue 284 in fact. They named his run "The Paul Levitz era" on Wikipedia so I should've known better. His run does begin with a notable storyline, The Great Darkness Saga (issues 287; 290–294; and Annual 3) so maybe I will start there if I ever dive in.

What is the point of all this you say? Well it kind of highlighted for me one of the barriers to entry for new readers: continuity or just the volume of back material. Even a comic book veteran like me is put off by the amount of stuff that has gone before and after that volume 4. To highlight this, I completed a list of books for you where the Legion were the leads or co-leads. It is not an exhaustive list but I think I got the main run. The Legion got their first real cover billing when Superboy became Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes in 1973 (issue 197), a book that dropped the "Superboy" part in 1980 when Superboy went back to his own time. Volume 5 had a run as "Supergirl and the", perhaps a nod to this era. I haven't read volume 7 but I believe the current Superboy is involved with that. Anyway, heres the list:

• Legion of Super-Heroes #1–4 (reprints from Adventure Comics) (1973)
• Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #197–258 (1973 - 1980)
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2, #259–313, Annual #1–3, Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #314–325 (#326–354 are reprints of Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 3)  (1980 -1989)
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 3, #1–63, Annual #1–4 (Baxter series) (1984 - 1989)
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4, #1–61, Annual #1–5 (1989 - 2000)
• Legionnaires #1–81, Annual #1 - 3 (1993 - 2000)
• Legion Lost #1–12 (2000 - 2001)
• The Legion #1–38 (2001 - 2004)
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 5, #1–15, Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #16–36,  Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 5, #37–50 (2005 - 2009)
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 6, #1–16 (2010 - 2011)
• Legion Lost vol. 2, #1–16, 0 (2011 - 2013)
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 7, #1–23, 0 (2019 - )

So if you ask me to recommend something, I'd be at a loss. I'd have to go on reputation or my experience with a creator. Maybe I'd say The Great Darkness Saga or Five Years Later. I'm more likely to recommend a writer. Dan Abnett had a run (there's two trades available and it has Legion Lost with art by Olivier Coipel). Mark Waid started volume 5 (with Barry Kitson) so that's probably worth a look. I think a friend checked out the run at the time it came out and I may have read it. Paul Levitz returns for volume 6. The current run (volume 7) is Brian Michael Bendis (with Ryan Sook and Jordie Bellaire). I have taken a break from Bendis (I sometimes tire of a particular writing style) but it has been a while and I love Ryan Sook so I might check that out at some point.

I thought I might complete the above analysis with a character I am familiar with (or at least I used to be): Daredevil. Here's the list for the main series:

• Daredevil Vol. 1, #1–380 (April 1964 – Oct. 1998)
• Daredevil Vol. 2, #1–119 [#381–499] (Nov. 1998 – Aug. 2009) Note: With issue #22, began official dual-numbering with original series, as #22 / 402, etc
• Daredevil #500–512 (Oct. 2009 – Dec. 2010) Original numbering resumes.
• Daredevil Vol. 3, #1–36, #10.1 [#513-548] (July 2011 – Feb. 2014)
• Daredevil Vol. 4 #1-18, #1.50, #15.1 [#549-566] (March 2014 - Sept. 2015)
• Daredevil Vol. 5 #1-28 [#567-594] (February 2016 - December 2017)
• Daredevil #595-612 (2017 - 2018) Original numbering resumes.
• Daredevil Vol. 6 (2019 -)

A bit more straight forward except for, probably to the annoyance of collectors, Marvel's constant need to go back to volume 1 numbering. No reboots make it easier too. I got on board the Daredevil train in 1999. A friend discovered that Dublin had comic shops and got me a copy of issue 1 of volume 2. (I have a letter in issue 13 of that volume, which was during a David Mack run. I'm a huge fan of that guy). With the help of trades and back issues, I was able to pick up some of the classic storylines. Growing weary of superhero books and big events, I checked out somewhere near the beginning of Mark Waid's run in volume 4. However, I can give you a lot of recommendations from the stuff I've read.

• Frank Miller's first run Vol. 1 #158-161, #163-191
• Daredevil: Born Again Vol. 1 #227–233 (Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli)
• Ann Noccenti's run Vol. 1 #238 to #291 (John Romita Jr pencils and Al Williamson inks #250 to #282)
• Fall From Grace Vol. 1 #319 - 325 (D.G. Chichester and Scott McDaniel)
• Parts of a Hole Vol. 2 #9–15 (David Mack)
• Daredevil: Yellow #1–6 (Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale)
• Wake Up Vol. 2, #16–19 (Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack)
• Brian Michael Bendis' run Vol. 2 #26–50, #56–81 (With Alex Maleev)
• Daredevil : Dark Nights #1-8 (Lee Weeks (1-3), David Lapham and Klaus Jansen (4-5), Jimmy Palmiotti and Thony Silas (6-8)

One of these days I'll get back on that train and continue my run. I also have to go back and check out Last Rites (volume #297–300) as it is critically acclaimed. It is written by D.G. Chichester (Fall From Grace) and has art by Lee Weeks. Actually, I think I might check out D.G. Chichester's entire run (#292–309, #312–332, #338–342, #380). Just looking at his issues, I have read 380. I picked it up as it was the last issue of volume 1. I have another reading recommendation outside of the Daredevil comics: The Devil Is In The Details. It is a collection of essays on various aspects of Daredevil. You can check out an interview with editor Ryan K. Lindsay on the highly recommended Man Without Fear website. I hope this was fun and / or helpful. I had fun putting it together. I might return to it for other series I am familiar with.