Originally published on Set The Tape
Zack Snyder’s Justice League finally gets its release, giving audiences a film years in the making, and the Justice League story that people have been craving, but what to do if you want more stories involving the Justice League? Well, here are five that are definitely worth checking out.
JLA: Tower of Babel
One of the ideas that’s been around in the DC universe for a long time is that with enough preparation time Batman could take down anyone. JLA: Tower of Babel takes this idea and runs with it when the various members of the Justice League begin to be picked off one by one. Martian Manhunter is infected with nanites that cause him to burst into flames, Plastic Man is frozen solid, Aquaman is made afraid of water, and Superman is exposed to Red Kryptonite and becomes overwhelmed, to name just a few of the heroes taken off the board.
It’s discovered that all of these plans were put into place by Batman, who made contingencies in case any of his teammates ever turned against the world. Unfortunately, these plans were stolen by the villain Ra’s al Ghul. Whilst the league are able to stop Ra’s and his plans it leads to a rift in the team, who feel that Batman can no longer be trusted.
DC: The New Frontier
A six issue limited series, this book was written and drawn by the late Darwyn Cook and received a number of awards, and an animated film.
DC: The New Frontier is set during the 1950s, and sees a version of the Justice League coming together during that period. As the book is set during the Golden Age of DC’s comics, the characters have a much more simplified look, reminiscent of the members of the Justice Society of America.
With a strange island called The Centre that’s home to strange creatures and dinosaurs, bizarre incidents begin to take places across the globe, thanks in part to the cult that seems to worship it. It’s whilst investigating this that Batman comes across the Martian Manhunter, who’s hiding out in Gotham. Together the two detectives try to get to the bottom of this mystery, recruiting several other heroes along the way.
Justice League: Generation Lost
Featuring characters that once made up the Justice League International, Justice League: Generation Lost picks up decades after that series came to and end, and is a direct consequence of the end of Blackest Night.
When the villain Maxwell Lord, who was responsible for the murder of hero Blue Beetle, is returned to life at the conclusion of Blackest Night he amplifies his psychic powers to remove all memory of himself from the minds of everyone on Earth. Fortunately, a handful of members of the JLI seem to remember who he is, and sets out to capture him.
The series ran for a year across twenty four issues, and featured some lesser known heroes like Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Power Girl, and Rocket Red. The series proved to be incredibly popular, and gave a spotlight to members of the Justice League from the 80s and 90s.
Identity Crisis
A seven issue limited series, Identity Crisis appears on dozens of top ten comics lists thanks to its hard hitting story and strong writing by thriller novelist Brad Meltzer.
The story begins with the brutal murder of Sue Dibney, the wife of hero Elongated Man. One of the most beloved people in the hero community, her death rocks heroes from around the world. The heroes come together to hunt for Sue’s killer, but when several members of the Justice League seem to place the blame on Doctor Light for no apparent reason it’s revealed that there is a dark secret at the heart of the League, one that’s coming back to haunt them.
Identity Crisis has been considered controversial for some of the directions the story takes, but it remains one of the most impactful and upsetting comics DC has produced, and has had lasting consequences for several characters.
Justice League: Origin
Justice League: Origin was the first story arc in Justice League following the company wide relaunch The New 52, which saw a new continuity introduced to the DC universe. This story tells the new origin for the team, and is the book that most resembles the story-line for the new movie.
In this new origin the team no longer features Martian Manhunter, bringing Cyborg in as a founding member instead. Other than Green Lantern, the team is the same as in the Zack Snyder film. Also like the Snyder film, the team no longer come together to combat the villain Starro, but to prevent an invasion of Earth by Darkseid and the forces of Apokolips. If you enjoy the Snyder film, this is definitely a good place to try out a Justice League comic.
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