Why I should be Editor in Chief of DC Comics: 5. Justice
[Introduction | Supers | Bats | Wonders & Lanterns | Solo Superheroes ]
There are many things I dislike about the current nu52 lineup. One of the least pressing, naggling things is: There are too many Justice Leagues! I don’t know what’s up with Justice League Dark - whether they’re called that in universe, or not, but with Justice League, Justice League of America AND Justice League International, I’m surprised any of the characters knows what’s going on, let alone the readers. (On the other hand, maybe Trinity War is great: I haven’t read it)
I have, however, just read nearly all of Young Justice in a very short time, and I have to say that the Wonder Girl title will definitely include Cassie’s friend ex-hero Cissie King-Jones.
Okay, so my Justices!
23. JUSTICE LEAGUE is an established group of superheroes, whose membership has changed a lot in the decade or so since its inception, but now has a distinctly international setup: Led by Vixen, the Justice League faces world-threatening disasters, but also carries a very visible badge of hope with them. The line-up includes Vixen (Zambian); Mister Terrific / Micheal Holt (The only American on the team); Martian Manhunter (Martian); Aquaman (at first: he might leave when the team up with the environmentalist villains occurs, as mentioned yesterday); Kimiyi Hoshi/Dr. Light (Japanese); Ryan Choi/The Atom (Chinese, from Hong Kong); Koriand’r / Starfire (Tamaranian); Bilal Asselah/Nightrunner (French) and the newest and youngest member, Traci 13 (British)
24. JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA. Jay Garrick is no longer the fastest man alive. He is not even the oldest man alive, but as he turns 100 he sure feels like it. Looking much younger than his age due to his special relationship with time, he is the only surviving member of the original JSA, and now the grouchy older mentor to two generations worth of heroes: leader Black Canary/Dinah Lance; Dr. Mid-Nite/Pieter Cross; Wildcat/Yolanda Montez; Obsidian/Todd Rice; Hawkgirl/Kendra Munoz-Saunders and Stargirl/Courtney Whitmore. The team was founded in the forties, disbanded in the fifties, but has existed more or less continuously, although with waxing and waning membership, since. The family theme is strong, and like many families, tensions run high.
25. SUPERBUDDIES! is where you go if you’re nostalgic for the days of JLI. A for-profit Superhero group that runs on sponsorship and is managed by a (never went evil) Maxwell Lord, this team consists of Booster Gold, Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes, Ralph and Sue Dibney; Fire/Bea de Costa and Ice/Tora Olafsdotter. The Dibneys’ foster daughter Traci 13 shows up occasionally, but she is not on the team, because “it’s weird to be on the same team as your boyfriend” - said pointedly in the Dibneys’ direction. This is a straight-up comedy book, and the ridicu-crack levels run high.
26. YOUNG JUSTICE is nowhere near as cracktastic played-for-laughs as its predecessor, but is more about exploring the teenage lives of young superheroes in a way that wants to appeal to the fans of the TV show of the same name, and hopefully echoes some of the themes dealt with in the 1980s Teen Titans. There are two co-leaders: Aqualad/Kaldur’ahm and Red Robin/Tim Drake, and as I’m EIC and I can do what I want, they get to deal with what happens when mutual respect and trust becomes mutual crushes, and what a disaster it is when co-leaders date. The rest of the line-up include Ms Martian/M’Gann M’orzz; Impulse/Bart Allen; Speedy/Mia Dearden; Conner Levitt/don’t-call-me-Superboy and Wonder Girl/Cassie Sandsmark, with Red Tornado as their adult supervisor. Due to the history of this particular universe, Conner is the youngest member of this team. Because I’ve just finished reading the first Young Justice, I personally ship Cassie/Conner, but that’s not editorial mandate.
This is a YOUNG READERS title, aimed at teens.
27. TRINITY consists of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, who have all been members of the JL and left at various points for their own reasons. They get together more out of friendship mutual trust (sorry Bruce) than anything else - each of them would call on the other two for help more than the others. This is not an official team, it’s a three way partnership.
The first arc starts with the three of them investigating an inter-dimensional portal that’s spewing parademons into their world. And among them - three young women calling themselves Supergirl, Wonder Girl and Robin (Kara Zor-El, Princess Donna, Helena Wayne). The Trinity deal with the arrival of these three in their own individual ways (Diana the most inclined to believe her new sister, Bruce the least to accept his alternate daughter) and eventually help them settle into new identities both super and civilian (Power Girl/Karen Starr; Donna Troy no-codename-needed; Huntress/Helena Wright). At the projected end of this arc, which may take a year or two, the book will go back to being about Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, either all three or in various pairings. Donna Troy will eventually join the JL, Peej and Huntress might end up in the JSA.
NB: The Catwoman of this alternate Earth looks more like Eartha Kitt or Halle Berry than Julie Newmar or Anne Hathaway. Helena Wayne, therefore, is a woman of color.
Tomorrow, my favorite line up: THE GREY AREA.
This post can also be found at Thagomizer.net. Feel free to join in the conversation wherever you feel most comfortable.