COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: LEGION OF SUPER HEROES' MATT WAYNE

SAN DIEGO -- If you liked the Justice League Unlimited or Teen Titans animated series, there's a decent chance you'll like Kids' WB!'s upcoming Legion of Super Heroes show.

And that's not just because the shows all deal with DC Comics characters. Many of the creators of Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans are now working on Legion.

Matt Wayne, who was a story editor on Justice League Unlimited, has written two early episodes of Legion.

Before the Bruce Timm/Legion panel at Comic-Con International on Friday, The Continuum caught up with Wayne to briefly discuss the show.

The Continuum: You're not on staff with this show, but I guess you could say you're extended family?

Wayne: Sure. I worked with Superboy back when when he was a man. James Tucker, who's running the show, was a producer on Justice League. Rob Hoegee, the story editor, came from Teen Titans. So there are a lot of the same crew contributing. Amy Wolfram from Titans did some particularly great writing, as did Stan Berkowitz from JLU.

The Continuum: What are the titles of your episodes? Who do they feature and what are they about?

Wayne: Not sure I'm allowed to say. Episodes Two and Five, titled "Timber Wolf" and "Champions" respectively. The first introduces a new Legionnaire to the team, but I won't say which one. The second takes place at the intergalactic games, and there are big stakes for Lightning Lad.

The Continuum: How would you say this show compares to Justice League? Or Teen Titans?

Wayne: This is the 31st century. Ordinary citizens have incredibly advanced technology at their disposal. So the threats that you'd need to call in a team of superheroes to handle are bigger than ever.

The Continuum: It's an ensemble show, but would it be safe to say that not every episode features every character?

Wayne: Not only safe. It would be impervious to harm at highway speeds and waterproof to a depth of 200 feet.

The Continuum: Were you a fan of the Legion? How does it feel to see a Legion show?

Wayne: I'm a fan of the goony, early Legion stories. And for very different reasons, the Levitz/Sherman, Levitz/Giffen stuff. When I wrote Shadow Cabinet at Milestone, Dwayne McDuffie sat me down and told me to read up on those runs, because that's how you do a team of heroes with a big roster. So I'm a fan from way back, if not all the way back.

What's particularly exciting about the show to a Legion fan is that it's kind of a reboot. Meaning everything is happening for the first time, without all the baggage of years of crises and clones and deaths. It goes back to what made the Legion great: Teen heroes in a mostly bright future.