The Justice League is a huge reason that superheroes became as popular as they did in the Silver Age. The Justice League spearheaded the use of the multiverse in superhero comics, brought back the heroes of the Golden Age through various crossovers, and showed readers just how insane a superhero comic containing the most skilled superheroes in the DC Multiverse could be. However, the Justice League has also been a concept that has collapsed under its own weight many times. The Justice League has boasted some great rosters, and have faced off against everything you can imagine, but the changes in superheroes over the years have seen the Justice League’s best years fall behind them.
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The ’80s saw the Justice League return to prominence thanks to the Justice League International era, which used B and C-list heroes in superhero comedy stories. DC tried to keep this version of the Justice League around for too long, putting low-level heroes on the team. Readers left throughout the ’90s, until DC happened upon the perfect creator to solve the problem — Grant Morrison. The Justice League was back, and despite much of the decade being a failure for the team, the ’90s have some amazing League stories. These 10 Justice League stories are the best of the best, Justice League classics of the highest order.
10) JLA #16-17
JLA #16-17, by Grant Morrison, Howard Porter, and Arnie Jorgensen, expanded the League. See, part of the inspiration for this version of the Justice League was the Satellite League — they had their own space fortress already to be stuffed with superheroes — and this story is the one that gives the team the greatly expanded roster of the Satellite League. The Justice League present their new expanded roster with a press conference, but their invitation is taken advantage of when new villain Prometheus sneaks into the Watchtower and enacts a perfectly made plan to defeat the Justice League. With everything stacked against them and the big guns out of commission, the new members have to step up. This is an awesome two-issue story — which was pretty common in the early years of the book — that gave DC an amazing villain that they never really took advantage of in Prometheus. This story is a lot of fun, and a great showcase for Morrison’s League.
9) JLA #22-23
Starro the Conqueror is an important part of Justice League history. The massive alien was the Justice League’s first enemy, and ended up giving the JLA a baptism by fire in JLA Secret Files and Origins #1. That attack was just the beginning, and JLA #22-23 sees Starro make his most powerful attack yet. However, three of the League’s powerhouses — Superman, Wonder Woman, and Kyle Rayner — are pulled into the Dreaming by Daniel as the attack begins, their mission integral to the survival of the Earth. This story is awesome, giving readers action like they could only get from DC Comics. Morrison and Porter were on fire with this story, and it’s still great even all these years later.
8) JLA: Earth-2
The multiverse was destroyed in 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, taking away a crucial component of the Justice League. However, Grant Morrison wasn’t going to let that stop them from bringing back the Crime Syndicate of Earth-Three. Morrison came up with an easy fix, and created the mirror Earth of Earth-2 in JLA: Earth-2. Morrison is joined by artist Frank Quitely for this tale, and it’s pure Justice League goodness. When a plane from another Earth — the money is different and the passengers’ hearts on the other side — crash lands, the Justice League and the Crime Syndicate both realize the existence of their mirror worlds and use this an opportunity to attack the other Earth, leading to one of the coolest battles between the League and the Crime Syndicate ever. This is top flight Justice League, giving readers a taste of the Silver Age multiverse stories in a singular DC Universe.
7) DC One Million/JLA #1,000,000
DC One Million is a four issue event book from Grant Morrison and Val Semeiks. JLA #1,000,000 is a tie-in to that story by Morrison and Howard Porter. Read together, they give readers one of the coolest Justice League stories of the ’90s. The Justice Legion A of the 853rd century venture to the present to invite the JLA to the future to witness the emergence of the Prime Superman. However, a plan millennia in the making from Vandal Savage and Solaris the Tyrant Sun strands each group outside of their own times, having to work together over the span of 833 centuries against enemies who have seemingly covered all the angles and have a traitor in their midst ready to strike. This is a sensational story full of twists and turns, and it’s peak Justice League. DC One Million doesn’t get nearly enough credit for just how great it is, and it’s time to give that story the flowers it deserves.
6) JLA #6-7
JLA #6-7, by Morrison and Porter, pits the Justice League against angels and demons. Neron and the Demons Three decide to attack the Earth just as the angel Zauriel was escaping the Silver City to help defend against rogue angel Asmodel and the Bull Host. Superman, Kyle Rayner, and Wally West are trapped on the Watchtower, forcing the rest of the League to battle against the Bull Host of angels. This story is the kind of wild action that you only got out of JLA in the mid ’90s. There are some wild images in this story — Superman pulling the moon back to orbit using his electric blue powers and two massive electromagnets and a full page splash of Superman wrestling Asmodel — giving readers hit after hit after hit. This is superhero action redefined, and it’s honestly one of Morrison and Porter’s finest hours together.
5) JLA #5
JLA #5, by Morrison and Porter, is a single issue masterpiece that you will never expect. The Justice League decides to hold tryouts, with many popular mid ’90s heroes trying to get a place on the team like Hitman, Connor Hawke’s Green Arrow, Artemis, Plastic Man, and more. However, only one of them gets a place on the team — all new hero Tomorrow Woman. However, Tomorrow Woman has a secret: she’s an android created by T.O. Morrow and Professor Ivo to destroy the Justice League from within. However, Tomorrow Woman starts to love her time with the Justice League, and makes a fateful decision in the battle against the mysterious IF. This is top rank Justice League stuff here. It’s a character focused story about nature versus nurture, and you won’t get out of this one with dry eyes.
4) JLA #1-4
JLA #1-4, by Morrison and Porter, is titled “New World Order” and redefined what the Justice League could be. When a new group of superheroes call the Hyperclan hit the scene, they start taking some pretty drastic actions to “protect” the world. The Big Seven Justice League — Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Kyle Rayner, and Wally West — come together to give them a stern talking to while investigating where they’ve come from. However, the Hyperclan trounces the League, and their dark secret is revealed — they don’t want to save the Earth, but conquer it, and they aren’t human. “New World Order” was the perfect way to bring back the Justice League, giving them a threat that only they could deal with. It’s sensational superhero writing, with a twist that you probably know but I won’t spoil because it’s so good the first time you read this story.
3) JLA: The Nail
JLA: The Nail, by writer/artist Alan Davis, is one of the coolest Elseworlds stories of all time. The Nail takes place on an Earth where a flat tire kept the Kents from finding baby Kal-El. The superhero community develops with the same people, but without Superman things are very different. When Lex Luthor is voted mayor of Metropolis, a plan is put into effect, one that will devastate the metahumans of the Earth, hero and villain, as a shadowy manipulator uses the Justice League’s weaknesses against them. This story is awesome from the start to finish. Davis is an amazing writer and artist, and is able to build a unique DC Universe in three issues, one that feels like the Silver Age DC Universe, but is just slightly different. This story is one of the best of the ’90s, and it will give you an all-new appreciation for the Justice League after seeing them in action.
2) Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come, by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, is sometimes referred to as a Superman story, and sometimes talked about as an overall DC story, but it’s definitely a Justice League story as well. When Superman retired, most of his generation retired as well, leaving a more dangerous breed of superheroes in charge. They destroy all of the supervillains, but in their boredom have begun to fight amongst themselves. A disaster caused by a battle between heroes pulls Superman out of retirement, and he resurrects the Justice League to deal with the “heroes” of the world. However, forces are conspiring in the shadows, some nefarious and some altruistic, who don’t want Superman’s solutions. Kingdom Come is brilliant. It’s partly a rebellion against the grim and gritty superheroes of the ’90s, but it’s also just an amazing Justice League story that asks the question of how far can a hero go to save the day. It’s beautiful, the art and writing melding to create a perfect superhero experience (I want to give an honorable mention to JLA: Year One at this point, another ’90s Justice League classic from Mark Waid, along with Bryan Augustyn and Barry Kitson).
1) JLA #10-15
JLA #10-15, by Morrison and Porter, has a reputation as the greatest Justice League story ever, and that means that it’s definitely the best Justice League story of the ’90s. The return of the Justice League gets the attention of Lex Luthor, and he forms the Injustice Gang to destroy the heroes. Luthor has a plan, as well as a secret weapon — the Philosopher’s Stone. However, there’s a greater threat at play, one that will wreck the DC Universe, and it will be all the heroes’ faults. “Rock of Ages” is an amazing story. It’s near perfect widescren Justice League action, and when the book takes its turn, fans will be astounded. This book truly captures the scope of Morrison’s JLA and Porter gives readers some amazing art. If you’ve ever wanted to see Green Arrow and the Atom fight Darkseid, this is the story for you. It’s chock full of everything that makes Justice League stories worth reading.
What are your favorite Justice League stories of the ’90s? Sound off in the comments below.
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