Justice League International Annual Announced With Johns and DiDio

DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio will team up with Geoff Johns, the company's Chief Creative Officer, to write Justice League International Annual #1, due out on August 29, according to an announcement on DC's blog. Johns has played a key role in revitalizing Guy Gardner, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle--all of whom are featured in the issue--but rubbed some fans the wrong way when a recent issue of Justice League saw Batman taking pot shots at the Justice League International. The issue will feature art by Jason Fabok, guest-star Blue Beetle and tie into the events of August's Justice League International #12, according to the release. As with many of the announced annuals, it will not feature the book's regular creative team and may set the stage for major changes to the title in September, when the publisher will reportedly run "zero issues" for all of its series that will serve as a jumping-on point for new readers and creative teams. Some rumors have had Keith Giffen taking over Justice League International in September. Giffen currently co-writes Superman with Justice League International writer Dan Jurgens, and has co-written in the past with Dan DiDio (on O.M.A.C.) and Geoff Johns (on 52), so it's not entirely implausible that the lot of them are conspiring on something. Playing to speculation that Justice League and Justice League International may have a crossover later this year or in 2013, DiDio told the DC blog that "This is the final fate of this incarnation of the Justice League International. There will be also be a big showdown of events that played out in the final issues of O.M.A.C. The ramifications of this will be felt across the board and will lead directly into a major event spanning across all the Justice League group titles later this year." The cover, shown at left, appears to feature the JLI facing off against The Olympian, a Greek superhero, which makes one wonder whether we'll see an appearance by Greek heiress and metahuman Alexandra Gianopoulos, who appeared alongside Booster Gold during Flashpoint and who many speculated was the mystery woman featured on, and then removed from, the cover of Justice League International #1.