The Justice League has gone down in history as the greatest team in DC Comics‘ history. The team is basically just the Justice Society with a new roster of heroes and they eventually became the much more popular team. The League was so successful, that Marvel stood up and took notice, dusting off their superhero universe to compete. Over the decades, some of the best creators in the history of the medium have worked on the team, giving readers the kind of widescreen action that they can’t get anywhere else. The Justice League has always been a cut above the competition, their adventures mini-events starring the greatest heroes and villains ever.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Over the years, there have been numerous eras of the team. Each of these has brought something unique to the group’s history that has informed those era’s stories. These five eras are the Justice League’s best, giving readers the greatest team stories ever.
5) The Snyder Era
DC Rebirth was great for many DC heroes, but the Justice League wasn’t exactly as beloved as one would expect. The Bryan Hitch run on the book never really came together, and eventually, DC decided to reboot the line with Justice League: No Exit. This story changed the way the DC Universe worked and led to Scott Synder on Justice League (Vol. 4), James Tynion IV on Justice League Dark (Vol. 2), and Joshua Williamson on Justice League Odyssey. Justice League (Vol. 4) quickly became the hottest DC team around and Justice League Dark (Vol. 2) gave readers the best version of the magical League. The books were the epicenter of the “Year of the Villain” event and led to Dark Knights; Death Metal. There are some outstanding stories from this time, and readers were engaged with the books in a way they hadn’t been in years.
4) The Silver Age
The Justice League first appeared in 1960, four years into the Silver Age. From 1956 to 1969, DC gave readers some of the most important characters ever, and this era of Justice League of America set the standards for what would come later. While you can argue that some of the Silver Age villains are kind of lame, it’s hard to deny that the various “Crisis” stories, multiversal crossover classics, were awesome. The team’s adventures were as wild as you can possibly imagine, and it was this approach to League stories — pitting the team against universe-shaking events every issue — that allowed them to stand apart from the pack. The work of legends Gardner Fox, Denny O’Neil, Mike Sekowsky, Dick Dillin, more of DC’s finest was brilliant, and it gave the team their flavor for years to come.
3) The JLI Era
There have been numerous Justice League teams, but one of the most beloved by fans, if not the most beloved, is the Justice League International. This era of the team kicked off after Crisis on Infinite Earths and Legends, and it broke away from the League formula. The majority of the team were B and C-listers and the book focused more on humor than it did universe-shaking action. Creators J.M. DeMatteis, the late, great Keith Giffen, and Kevin Maguire were able to give readers what amounts to the perfect superhero sitcom, playing the characters off each other wonderfully with brilliant humor. Justice League International and Justice League Europe are both classic series, and changed the team for years to come.
2) The Morrison Era
Grant Morrison is one of the undisputed greats, giving readers some of the greatest Justice League stories in DC history. Morrison was given the book after the JLI formula of a team of B and C-listers fizzled out dramatically with books like Extreme Justice, and brought back the Big Seven roster of the team — Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter. The book went all out with the threats with the team faced, revolutionizing the widescreen action approach to comic writing. Morrison, working with artist Howard Porter (with writer Mark Waid coming on to periodically drop a fill-in story) and several fill-in artists, brought the team back to prominence in JLA #1-41, and it remains one of the best team books ever.
1) The Satellite Era
The Satellite Era began in Justice League of America #68 in 1970 and would last until the Justice League Detroit was introduced in 1984’s Justice League of America Annual #2. This era saw the team create the Justice League Satellite, with the team expanding and adding in more B-list heroes like Hawkman, Elongated Man, Firestorm, and Red Tornado. The Silver Age created the team, but it was the Satellite Era that made them into the greats they are today. There was just something about the team watching over the Earth from space that just worked for readers, and many of the coolest old school Justice League stories come from this time.
What’s your favorite era of the Justice League? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Tor Books/Macmillan -
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
