TAYLOR-MADE

In 2015, with the Legion cancelled many years previously and no sign of a revival, comic book artist Christopher Taylor took it upon himself to create a pitch for a new series.
   Christopher could already boast of pencilling several Legion issues in the past, with the group having long been a personal favorite of his.
   In the introduction to his pitch for DC Comics, he said: "The project is unsolicited. The project is unapologetically diverse."
   The plot involved restylings of Legion characters old and new, including diverse groups such as the Justice Squadron, the Legion Brigade and the Heroes of Lallor.
   With Christopher providing sample pages of his concept, he invited hardcore Legion fans throughout social media to weigh in, and more importantly, to write in to DC Comics directly, supporting the proposal.
   "From the onset, this was an experiment. The aim was to develop a long form single story focusing on the Legion, a comic book franchise that's more than 40 years old and retains some of the most passionate and critical fans in all of fandom," he said.
   "This presentation was unique, utilizing the social media platforms Tumblr and DeviantArt, to visually - almost organically - present story ideas along with corresponding character designs while simultaneously engaging fans on various Facebook Legion fan sites (including this blog's complementary page).
   "The question remains … in an environment where unsolicited pitches are frowned upon by the editorial status quo, as in "don't come to us… we'll come to you", can creators use new social media tools to win over fans, and petition the legitimacy of their projects? Or does this path remain a delusional quixotic pursuit?"
   Sadly, nothing came of this initiative. Whether you like his concepts or not, Christopher was the only comic book professional around who gave a damn enough about the Legion to devote his time and energies to rejuvenating the title.
   Interestingly, since the pitch was looked over, there have been a couple of Legion reboots, none of which have lasted the distance. Maybe Christopher deserves a second chance and the support of all Legion fans.
   Here are his sample pages and characters: