Okay, I’m just gonna geek out and shout it to the heavens:

PAUL LEVITZ AND KEITH GIFFEN ARE REUNITING ON THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES!!!

And I get to edit it! Whee!! You have to understand what this monumental development means to me personally.

Y’see, Paul and Keith transformed the Legion from an enduring DC franchise into one of the most popular and dynamic comic book series of the 1980s. With an entire 30th century future world at their command, they crafted the most innovative, break-the-mold superhero world anyone had ever read up to that point. Their names were spoken in the same breath as Frank Miller, Chris Claremont and Wolfman/Pérez.

For me and the many other fanboys of Generation X, Paul and Keith did the seemingly impossible: They made me a Legion fan. For life.

I admit, back in 1985, my 14-year-old self felt names like “Lightning Lad” and “Cosmic Boy” sounded really silly. No way I was going to invest in characters with those names, right?

Then I somehow stumbled upon TALES OF THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #326, which affordably reprinted Paul and Keith’s all-new LEGION series a year after their original release. This one reprinted issue #1. It must have been a slow week for me to even crack open the cover. It began with a collection of psychopaths called the Legion of Super-Villains who each took a blood oath to kill a Legionnaire. One of them tortured his own sister by jolting her with massive amounts of electricity. Another literally melted a lowly waitress alive with a molten kiss, just for the fun of it! Sick stuff. And yet, these Legionnaires refused to back off. I was really impressed. I wanted to know more about these guys, even if their names were “Saturn Girl” and “Ultra Boy.” They stopped being silly and became as serious as a heart attack.

Then Keith left the series shortly thereafter, and Paul flew solo for a long while. Then Keith came back to do the last year on that series with Paul—and I defy anyone to tell me issue #53’s “The Trial of Brainiac 5” isn’t awesome—and then Paul left the series for Keith to do solo.

That was 1989. The two never collaborated on the Legion again. That is, until this December, when they come together again on the oversized LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES ANNUAL #1. It introduces an all-new, all-psycho Emerald Empress—and just hearing the twisted stuff they have in store fills this Legion fan with utter glee.

In fact, Keith just sent me his first pages, and they look gorgeous. He’s mixing Kirby with his ’90s Legion style and a modern sensibility. I look at the Xeroxes on my desk, and I know it’s REAL. It’s happening.

It reminded me why I’m a Legion fan in the first place.

P.S. You know what’s REALLY weird? This is Paul and Keith’s third “LEGION ANNUAL #1.” They did one in 1982, 1985 and now in 2010. Third time’s the charm, they say!

Wow, can't believe I'm saying goodbye to two of my babies at the same time.

My daughter Kim is going off to college and I'm leaving the editorial reigns of SUPERMAN/BATMAN.

Neither is easy.

But both got great going away parties.

For S/B#75 it was awesome putting together the list of attendees.

Paul Levitz and Jerry Ordway were the opening act, and they were having the Legion finally team-up with Batman!

Then the ever effervescent Steve Seagle got together with Teddy Kristiansen to give me a means to bring the rest of my crazy idea of 2-pagers that would honor our World's Finest--that it's the only sequel to his acclaimed graphic novel IT'S A BIRD, is just a bonus.

Billy Tucci was dealing with some real world things, but was a total pro in bringing in the aspect of this biz that makes it so great--the escape our imagination brings us, young and old.

When I asked Adam Hughes to participate, I honestly thought he would be too busy, but he did it, and he brought Supergirl and Batgirl with him. I could not have been happier.

J.T. Krul and Francis Manapul made me smile with their teenage troubles. Francis did such an amazing job that I decided to keep it as he had done it without any extra color.

Jill Thompson finally got to do some DCU stuff! Yeah!!

Michael Green and Mike Johnson along with Shane Davis, Sandra Hope, Raphael Albuquerque and Brian Buccellato brought life to the party.

While Duncan Rouleau let the dogs out!

Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo brilliantly brought the only sanity they could to my asking for a Lex Luthor/Joker team-up.

David Finch continues to impress me with his writing abilities, I cannot wait to see more!

But like Tucci, it's Peter Tomasi brings the curtain down and remind us why we love Superman and Batman and comics in general so much.

So keep the imagination going everyone and let that inner child run wild even when you do have to let your kids move on.

Hasta,

- e

P.S. My actual last issue of editing S/B is #78, but figured I would do something early for a change. : )

Let's hear it for Matt Idelson on #79.

Writer Paul Levitz and artist Kevin Sharpe continue their exploration of Superboy’s early adventures with the Legion of Super-Heroes as the Boy of Steel discovers the heavy burden that comes with being the kid destined to grow up to be Superman.

ADVENTURE COMICS #517 hits Wednesday.

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Legendary LEGION writer Paul Levitz continues his latest stint with the team from the 31st century, pairing with artist Yildiray Cinar to tell the tale of a Legionnaire torn between the Legion itself and the Green Lantern Corps. Plus, how does Saturn Girl deal with the possibility that her children are not only missing, but gone forever?

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #2 hits 6/16.

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