The Justice League is the spiritual successor of the Justice Society, bringing together the greatest DC heroes of the Silver Age to battle enemies that no one hero can handle. Since then, they have become one of the most important superteams in comics. While an argument can be made that they aren’t currently as popular as the Avengers, they were one of the first major superteams to come to the airwaves in the massively successful SuperFriends, and birthed a toy line that made a generation of kids DC fans (like me). Their comics are some of the most important in the history of the medium, with covers that have changed comics forever.
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Covers are some of the most important parts of a comic. They are the first look at what readers are about to get, and some of them have made a perfect impression, giving the world iconic imagery. These ten Justice League covers changed comics history, and deserve their place in the annals of the greatest covers ever.
10) Infinite Crisis #1
Infinite Crisis is a mid ’00s DC masterpiece and its cover by Jim Lee is one of the greats. The issue, by Geoff Johns and Phil Jimenez, deals with the entire DC Universe with a focus on the Justice League’s Trinity, but the cover gives readers an image that presents where the Justice League were at the time. Lee is able to capture the tension and suspicion of this moment, all while presaging the big events in the book. This cover is iconic, an example of cover as storytelling that every fan of the team will recognize. It was the beginning of a rebuilding of a stronger League, changing DC forever.
9) JLA: Earth-2 #1
The Crime Syndicate are some of the Justice League’s greatest foes, and their death in Crisis on Infinite Earths and the end of the multiverse made readers think they’d never see them again. However, Grant Morrison’s run with the team would change that. JLA: Earth-2 #1, by Morrison and Frank Quitely, brought the team back and gifted readers this sensational cover. It’s became iconic and has replicated numerous times, setting a mirror to the League and the Syndicate. It’s perfect, reintroducing iconic villains, and a feast for the eyes.
8) Justice League (Vol. 2) #1
The New 52 was quite a time for DC fans. It started out like a house on fire and the first comic of the publishing initiative is a Justice League classic. Justice League (Vol. 2) #1, by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, gave readers their first glimpse at the new version of the DC Multiverse, presenting the seven Leaguers and their new looks. This was the New 52’s first impression, for better and for worst, with Jim Lee giving readers a cover that would become one of the greats of the medium (even if we all kind of hate this series for how it squandered the potential it had).
7) Justice League of America (Vol. 2) #12
Alex Ross is one of the greatest Justice League artists. He’s created numerous amazing pieces of art featuring the team, another of which will appear on this list. One of the best came from the brilliant Justice League of America (Vol. 2) #12, by Brad Meltzer and Ed Benes. The cover is a hero shot of the then-current roster of comics’ greatest team. It showed off the power and prestige of the team, Ross’s photorealistic style grounding the fantastic in a way that shouldn’t work but does. If you’ve read about the Justice League online, you’ve seen this image and have been influenced by the sheer heroism on display, even if it’s just at a subconscious level.
6) Kingdom Come #2
Kingdom Come is the greatest Elseworlds book, a masterpiece from Mark Waid and Alex Ross that revolved around the return of Superman and Justice League into a world of violent “heroes” who cared nothing for the people they protect. Ross’s cover for the second issue of the book presents the Justice League of the future and its set-up is one that Ross use many times in the years to come for many more covers. This cover introduced a new cover trope (I guess that’s what you’d call; if I’m wrong tell me I’m dumb in the comments), one that would go on to give fans some of the greatest Justice League roster images ever.
5) Justice League (Vol. 1) #1
The Justice League has had numerous rosters and one of the best has always been the Justice League International. This version of the team debuted in Justice League (Vol. 1) #1, by J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, and Kevin Maguire. Maguire gave readers a cover that told them all they needed to know about this new team. There’s so much attitude in this image, with Maguire showing off his amazing character acting to give readers a cover that dares them to open it. This wasn’t your father’s Justice League and this cover cinched that. It announced the new era of the team with a sneer, leading to one of the most beloved comics of all time.
4) Justice League of America (Vol. 1) #30
We’ve already talked about the Crime Syndicate, but we haven’t talked about the first cover they’ve ever appeared on. Justice League of America (Vol. 1) #30, by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky, is the second part of their debut story and this cover from Sekowsky is a perfect example of why he’s one of the most underrated in the modern era artists. There’s so much energy on this cover; he’s able to capture the momentum and power of the clash between hero and villain sensationally. Can you imagine being a little kid and seeing this issue on a spinner rack, hopped on cheap, sugary candy? It’s a mindblowing cover that sold the Crime Syndicate as the greatest threat ever.
3) JLA (Vol. 1) #1
The ’90s were a renaissance for the Justice League and the cover to JLA #1 was the announcement of a new era for the team. The issue by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter is flawless and Porter’s cover basically sells it perfectly. At this point, it had been years since the Big Seven was together, and this issue announced their return with aplomb. It was a turning point for DC in the ’90s; the publisher had been putting out the best written comics around, but lots of fans weren’t biting yet. This issue gave them a meal in one fantastic image, tantalizing them with the return of the greatest hero team ever, and helped lead to DC’s successes of the last four years of the decade of extreme.
2) Justice League of America (Vol. 1) #21
DC’s Golden Age heroes returned in The Flash (Vol. 1) #121, with Jay Garrick showing up and Earth-Two debuting, explaining where the heroes of the ’40s had been for years. However, the Justice Society remained to be seen. Justice League of America (Vol. 1) #21, by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky, brought back the first superteam with this amazing cover. It marked the first multiversal crossover for the League, the first Crisis story in DC history, and one of the greatest team-ups ever. Sekowsky’s casual design brilliance is on display here, creating an image that would be homaged many times in the years to come. It’s a masterpiece example of superhero cheese at its finest.
1) The Brave and the Bold #28
The Brave and the Bold #28 gave Silver Age DC its greatest team with this amazing cover. The issue by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekwosky brought together the best heroes on the planet to battle against Starro the Conqueror and Sekowsky lent all his considerable powers to this flawless image. There’s a power to this one that is apparent and it’s design and layout is sensational. There are so many little things about the cover that make it perfect, adding up to make something special. This cover presented the kind of adventures the Justice League would have, readying readers for a new era of superteam.
What’s your favorite Justice League cover? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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