If you have been missing the Justice League, take heart! The team is coming back, and this time, they’ll be “unlimited,” apparently much like the previous animated series!
THE LEAGUE GOES ‘ALL-IN’!
If you have been wondering just what DC meant when they referred to their upcoming event as “All-in,” well, look no further than the “returning” Justice League team!
Of course, I was one of MANY fans who knew it was only a matter of time before the Justice League returned to the pages of a DC comic. Hey, didn’t we all know that the FF would return to Marvel, Superman would return to the land of the living, and Batman would venture through time to reclaim his cape and cowl from Dick Grayson.
This time, however, the League will be a much bigger organization! If you look at promotional illustrations, just about everyone who has a super power is going to be a Leaguer, even baddies, for goodness’ sake!
Here’s a portion of the information recently released:
“The first details have been revealed at San Diego Comic-Con, with the creative team of Mark Waid and Dan Mora (Batman/Superman: World’s Finest) promising not only the presence of every DC superhero on the team (in official or unofficial capacity), but the first designs of the brand new Justice League Watchtower restored. Having been blown from Earth’s orbit during the days of Infinite Crisis, the planet of Earth of DC’s Universe will soon have a clear symbol of hope floating miles above their heads.”
When I look over the graphics DC has made public, I see a group that includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Green Arrow(!), Black Canary, Captain Atom, Black Lightning, the Atom, and Star Sapphire. Not only that, you see several of the Titans included, such as Nightwing, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Kid Flash, Robin, and more. I also noticed that Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are in the group as well as the Spectre and Swamp Thing.
Talk about “unlimited!”
The debut issue of Justice League Unlimited will hit local shops on November 27, so be sure to add it to your pull list.
DOES THIS FEEL AT ALL FAMILIAR?
I have long loved the animated shows that Bruce Timm and his bunch have brought to my small screen, and one of my favorites has been, appropriately enough, Justice League Unlimited, which had two seasons that followed Justice League on Cartoon Network.
It sure seems like the comics will be mimicking that cartoon, which works for me!
On that show, the Watchtower circled the Earth, providing a base for heroes to tackle the disasters that always manage to rise up and vex those that live there.
Because of his telepathic abilities, the coordinator of all this was the Martian Manhunter, who had a more global view than Superman or Batman, who might naturally focus on their home cities to the exclusion of other locations.
The heroes that the Manhunter could choose from on that show included many DC heroes from across the decades, including Hawk and Dove, Supergirl, and many others.
While it hasn’t been confirmed yet, I expect (and actually hope) that much of this set up will be taking place in the new comic. After all, it makes sense to use a satellite to keep an eye on the planet the heroes protect.
I think many of the choices that Timm and Company made are perfect for the comics, including Manhunter assembling and assigning the groups based on the needs. He does have that broad perspective that would work so well!
From what I hear, several groups will have members participating in this new “Unlimited” team, including the Justice Society, Titans, and others. I’m all for that!
MOVING PAST PREVIOUS INCARNATIONS!
In previous versions of the League, the line-up would feature some of the “big guns” like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, but since these heroes had their own titles, they had to be on a provisional basis, which meant the “B” or “C” level heroes, such as Arsenal or Black Lightning, ended up getting the lion’s share of attention in the comic since they didn’t require coordination with other editors.
So, the so-called “big guns” often were secondary characters in a title supposed to focus on them to keep sales up, among other things.
I mean, Superman was dead for a while, then he also had new “electric” powers that took time for the Justice League comic to catch up on. Personally, I like the idea of a rotating team that depends on just what is needed to take care of business, so to speak. We can give heroes who haven’t been in the limelight for a long time their chance to get their time to strut their stuff and possibly earn a new comic of their own!
Also, Mark Waid and Dan Mora have been knocking it out of the park in the Batman Superman: World’s Finest comic, so I think they are the perfect creative team for this new Justice League. I have read that Mora wants to draw as many DC characters as possible, which also works for me!
So, I think this incarnation of the League just might last a few years! I know I’m on board, and I hope it does well and gives the lesser DC lights a chance to shine!
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