Heart wrenching news, for those of us who have enjoyed having Barry Kitson and Mark Waid working on the Legion for the last two years. The official announcement of Kitson signing on as a Marvel exclusive broke at the New York Comic Convention today. He will be working with writer Matt Fraction on the newest incarnation of The Champions.

Barry has been one of the finest creators I've had the chance to correspond with. And this quote from Newsarama just proves it more:

NRAMA: Okay, Barry. You're coming off a long stint with Mark Waid on DC's Legion of Super-Heroes, and with that title it carries a lot of intense and devoted fans. What would you say to them as you leave the title and move onto a new stage in your career?

BK: A HUGE “Thank you!” The LSH readers have been incredibly supportive and enthusiastic throughout the run and been an absolute pleasure to deal with. I’ve been lucky enough to meet quite a few at conventions and correspond with even more via the Internet. They’ve certainly made me feel part of the community and been great fun to talk to. I hope as a body they’ll look back on our tenure on the LSH fondly and feel we honored the book’s great legacy…. and I hope also that they might take a look at what I’m doing at Marvel because it’d be great to keep in touch. I’ve always thought one of the best things about drawing a comic book regularly is getting to know the readers and feeling we all have a share in the title– I think the LSH guys are probably as good at that as any readers can be – so again, I’d like to say thanks for all the support and enthusiasm and I hope to be enjoying the stories of whichever creators follow us on the LSH along with you! 

When asked what the last issue of the WnK Legion would be, Barry replied:

That will probably be #30 (depending on scheduling at DC) which will give Mark and I a chance to tie-up all (or nearly all) the threads we started dangling in issue #1. Marvel has been very kind in allowing us to wrap things up before I move over.

This means that their last issue will be the one we just saw the solicitations for.

You can read more of the interview with Barry at  Comic Book Resources and Newsarama.