The fine folks at Warner Home Video have provided us with three copies of Justice League: The New Frontier, the animated direct-to-DVD flick coming out next Tuesday. Based on the Eisner, Harvey and Shuster Award-winning graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke, the movie features the voice talent of Kyle MacLachlan, Lucy Lawless, Brooke Shields, Neil Patrick Harris and many more.
I managed to wrestle our free copies away from the rest of the Blog@ crew, which is good news for you … ’cause we’re gonna have a contest.
To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite Justice League story is. Feel free to provide as much or as little detail on why it’s your favorite as you want.
Also, use your real name and email address so I can contact you if you win. I’ll pick three winners at random on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. Pacific, so make sure you leave your comment by then.
Want to hedge your bet? Johanna’s also giving away copies of the DVD.
Justice League #200. It’s not the best comic book ever, but it’s the most quintessential. It follows the classic JLA split into teams format, ties in with the origin, and manages to get all the team members and some never-members like Adam Strange and The Phantom Stranger into the book. The art’s a Who’s Who of artists, including Bolland, Giordano, Kubert all wrapped up by Perez. And a splash page of each original member fighting one of the new ones.
A close follow up is #192-3 with the Secret Origin of the Red Tornado. Both the art and the story were moody, great use of Firestorm as the New Guy, and a surprisingly touching ending.
Comment by Thom Zahler — February 22, 2008 @ 7:39 am
Tower of Babel is my favorite story, I love the thought that Batman is ready for anything, including having to take down the most powerful heroes in the DCU.
Comment by Chris Sawyer — February 22, 2008 @ 7:53 am
Tower of Babel here.
Grant Morrison is hard to beat.
Comment by HR — February 22, 2008 @ 8:01 am
“Rock of Ages” is my favorite story. Followed closely by “Earth2″, the OGN with Frank Quitely.
Comment by Eric Martel — February 22, 2008 @ 8:11 am
Honestly? My favorite Justice League story *might* be New Frontier, even though it isn’t a straight JL story. I also tend to view Crisis on Infinite Earths as a Justice League story - because, when the stakes are down, pretty much the entire everyone becomes part of the Justice League when they’re needed.
Comment by nicholas — February 22, 2008 @ 8:25 am
JL of A #140 - the second giant size special, a Manhunter / Oa tale. The first comic I ever paid for, with money earned delivering penny savers (1 cent earned per paper).
Comment by Ross — February 22, 2008 @ 8:28 am
My favorite - Justice League of America # 195 - 197: JLA/JSA crossover has them fighting the Secret Society of Supervillains, led by the Ultra Humanite, who would show up in All-Star Squadron a couple years later still angry over *spoiler* getting beaten by combined force of the JLA and JSA.
Comment by davelevine — February 22, 2008 @ 8:35 am
I think I have to go with the Nail, there’s just no going wrong with Alan Davis’ art. But Rock of Ages is a very close second.
Comment by Jeremy Goldstein — February 22, 2008 @ 8:38 am
New Frontier for me. I’m obviously pretty jazzed about the movie.
Comment by Bill S. — February 22, 2008 @ 8:45 am
HMMM… I would be hard pressed to say what my favorite JLA story is. I have been a Justice League fan forever. Justice League of America #110 always sticks out in my head when asked this question. Years ago, much like today, I was stuck at home with the nasty flu. My Dad went out and dug through the racks at the local grocery store to find the “latest” JLA for me. And there was the JLA with Santa Clause on the cover. A great story with “Right On” John Stewart and “Reddy” gets a new costume for Christmas. Dad if you are reading this, I have the flu again and can’t get to the LCS, so thanks. My modern favorite story is probably Morrisson’s One Million Story Line. And thanks for running this contest.
Comment by Randy Wager — February 22, 2008 @ 8:55 am
I’d probably add New Fronter as well. However, for the sake of diversity, I’m going to add the first six issues or so of Justice League, just before it became Justice League International. The DeMatteis/Giffen/Maguire run. Good super hero action, great, detailed art and funny as hell. I was 16 years old or so when those comics came out and primarily a Marvel Zombie. That was one of a small handful of books that convinced me to give DC a shot.
And really - “One Punch!” is now a classic. So is “Bwa-ha-ha-ha”, but “one punch” still stands out for me.
Comment by Craig Welsh — February 22, 2008 @ 9:04 am
I’ve been reading JLA since the early Eighties, and, believe it or not, I think my favorite storyline was Geoff Johns’ Crisis of Conscience. It brought many of my favorite Leaguers back together, returned Red Tornado into the mix, stressed both the tension and the camaraderie between the characters, focused on action AND characterization, and just felt like the Justice League I’d always loved.
Comment by Scott William Foley — February 22, 2008 @ 9:16 am
I might normally go with Tower of Babel, but i the interest of variety, I really dig the first Prometheus tale from JLA 16-17.
Comment by MIchael Sullivan — February 22, 2008 @ 9:18 am
Any JLU with the Question
Comment by Justin Karguth — February 22, 2008 @ 9:26 am
Justice League: Year One by Mark Waid.
Comment by Joe Lawler — February 22, 2008 @ 9:33 am
That episode of Justice League Unlimited where Flash and Luthor switch bodies.
Why?
(FLASH AS LUTHOR comes out of the bathroom)
DR. POLARIS: Aren’t you going to wash your hands?
FLASH AS LUTHOR: No. Because I’m evil.
Comment by Bully — February 22, 2008 @ 9:41 am
The first one that comes to mind is JLA #224, the one with Paragon. Simple little done-in-one story: a guy who can absorb the powers and expertise of anyone near him vs. the League, and the League has to switch gears and get the heavy hitters out of the way, so that the second tier, especially those with equipment rather than superpowers, can keep him off-balance until they put him down. Starts off with some rare secret-identity-socializing among a few JLAers.
Comment by Matthew E — February 22, 2008 @ 9:49 am
The introduction of Earth-3.
Comment by Brian — February 22, 2008 @ 9:54 am
JLA: Classified #1-3: two words, jetpack gorillas.
Comment by Alex R — February 22, 2008 @ 10:12 am
Justice League of America V1 #171 was the first issue I remember seeing. I would have been 5 and the idea of all those heroes (JLA and JSA) just blew my mind. I was hooked from then on and it probably started by lifelong fascination with all incarnations of the JSA.
Comment by allaboutduncan — February 22, 2008 @ 10:12 am
There was an arc from issues 26 to 30 (I think those are the correct issue numbers) of the Giffen/DeMattis run that just blew my mind as a kid. Beetle goes psycho and stabs Maxwell Lord because of being programed by the Queen Bee. The arc that follows includes Amanada Waller trying to deprogram him, Nabu entering Beetle’s mind, and the first date between Guy Gardner and Ice.
For all the BWAHAHA, this arc is the one I point to when people think of JLI as nothing but comedy. Possibly the best example of Giffen and DeMattis balancing drama, action and comedy over several issues.
Comment by Kevin — February 22, 2008 @ 10:14 am
I’ll have to go with one I’m betting is off most (if not all) the lists written here:
(Just in case - Spoilers)
Justice league America #40 (Vol. 2)…
This would be the Giffen/DeMantis era…
I still look back on this issue fondly… by this point I had been collecting comics for a couple, three years, and JLI was one of, if not my most, favorite titles… I loved the humor, the characters (most weren’t top tier heroes, but were more engaging than most heroes in their own books), and the storylines throughout its run up this point…
While the entire run had been had a lot of humor in it, it was also sprinkled heavily with action… the issues leading up to #40 saw the biggest fight the JLI had been in up to this point - a now hulking, mad Despero had come to Earth to extract revenge on the JLA for his many defeats over the years… this wasn’t the same Despero we had seen before, either… he was now huge, imposing, a true threat in the vain of the Hulk… and the rampage across the country he had fighting the JLA was a foreshadowing of Doomsday’s destruction in killing Superman a few years later…
But that’s not what got me about issue #40… this was just preamble and set up (for me, anyway) to the pitch perfect tone and characterization seen in #40…
This issue was the aftermath… the team had lost, even after they won… Martian Manhunter had to console Gypsy, his teammate and (for lack of a better word) protégé, who had lost her family in Despero’s Rampage… Blue Beetle started going through a crisis of confidence… and Scott Free, Mr. Miracle himself, had been killed (sure, we all knew it was a robot double put in Scott’s place by Magnas Kahn, but nobody else did)… the aftermath and funeral took place this issue, and one of my all time favorite scenes in all of comics took place in a wordless exchange between tough as nails GL Guy Gardner and his ‘girlfriend’ Ice - obviously upset at recent events, Ice is seen breaking down in her room when Guy comes to check on her… without saying a word, he holds her and let’s her know that, even though his tough guy exterior won’t allow him to show it, he’s going through the same, and will be there for her…
Just a great scene played out in a ‘humor’ book… one of the best…
-Jamie
Comment by Jamie H. — February 22, 2008 @ 10:21 am
I really liked Identity Crisis to be honest. The characters were written well, and it really made them feel very human. The art was spectacular too.
Comment by Stefan — February 22, 2008 @ 10:32 am
My favorite JLA story is the Wonderland issues written by Mark Waid, with art by Bryan Hitch, and colored by Laura DePuy. I don’t have the issues to reference the numbers right now. But the evil queen of children stories takes the team through realms of horror. It was a unique take on these old stories juxtaposed with the quirkiness of a story that would fit in the golden age but brought into the modern age with dialog and art. I only wish the team had stayed around longer!
Comment by Michael E. Wiggam — February 22, 2008 @ 10:34 am
I loved the Tower of Babel story from Morrison’s run. I know it’s been mentioned a few times, but it really was a great story and showed Batman’s intellect/paranoia.
Comment by Michael A — February 22, 2008 @ 10:37 am
My favorite JLA is a tie between the Zero Hour Origin of Triumph, the retcon and then ignored story of Moon Maiden, the recent Hitman/JLA crossover (combined with the tryouts issue early in Morrison’s career), and JL Antarctica.
Comment by Squashua — February 22, 2008 @ 10:38 am
While I love Grant Morrison’s entire run, you can’t go wrong with your first. I vividly remember the JLA/JSA crossover where Mr. Terrific was killed and the cover of with Batman, “I accuse”. My friend and I would always argue about Batman’s usefulness in the League, as he thought the only thing Batman was good for was monitor duty. I thought Batman ruled which is probably one reason I loved Morrison’t JLA.
Comment by Eric — February 22, 2008 @ 10:41 am
Also, didn’t Waid write Tower of Babel?
Comment by Eric — February 22, 2008 @ 10:49 am
I really liked Earth 2. Coming up with the idea that they had to bail was ingenious. And Lois Lane as Superwoman with Jimmy Olsen in the closet made me laugh.
Comment by rnkoneil — February 22, 2008 @ 10:56 am
Seconding Giffen & DeMatteis’ flawless Justice League America #40.
Comment by Chris G. — February 22, 2008 @ 11:02 am
Tossup between New Frontier and the JLA/JSA/All-Star Squadron crossover from the early 80’s.
Comment by Victor — February 22, 2008 @ 11:03 am
New World Order, the first arc from the often brilliant mind of Grant Morrison. Batman as a James Bond in spandex. Loved it.
Comment by Ignacio Alcuri — February 22, 2008 @ 11:06 am
I want to enter in this contest.
Comment by james — February 22, 2008 @ 11:46 am
I know i’m going to get reemed for this…but Identity Crisis.
Comment by Dane Garland — February 22, 2008 @ 11:46 am
My favorite is Justice League #200 (vol. 1, 1982). It was an anniversary issue that blue my tiny kid head. The original seven were the adversaries against the ‘newer team’ of Green Arrow, Hawkman, Zatanna, etc. The Gerry Conway story had each chapter framed by such artists as Brian Bolland, Gil Kane, Jim Aparo and George Perez.
Comment by Gar — February 22, 2008 @ 11:50 am
JLA #84-89 (collected as JLA Vol. 14 “Trial By Fire”).
Joe Kelly writes a perfect Batman, shows just how powerful a player Martian Manhunter is in the DCU, and comes up with multiple Grant Morrison sized/OMG/character defining moments.
Doug Mahnke’s art is absolutely incredible. I mean, there’s no other way to say it. The guy is just an amazing artist capable of making Superman look “super” whether he’s sitting in a lawnchair at J’onn’s backyard BBQ or racing across the planet to chase down the last of several hundred nuclear missiles the JLA must stop. Even more importantly perhaps is the fact that he makes characters like The Atom and Major Disaster look every bit as epic and impressive as Superman and Batman. (And Joe Kelly does his part to make them seem just as important and integral to the story as “The Big Guys”.)
Oh, and did I mention that the only person who can save the JLA and the Earth itself is Plastic Man?
Yeah, it’s pretty awesome.
I don’t know that it’s the best Justice League story, but it’s definitely top notch on every level, and I think it’s my favorite.
Comment by chrishaley — February 22, 2008 @ 11:52 am
JLA # 1 - #4 (1997) - The Hyperclan Storyline.
By: Grant Morrison and Howard Porter.
The story brought back the ‘Big 7′ as the core JLA team.
There are several excellent story elements such as (but not limited to): Distinguishing Kyle Raynor from Hal Jordan as GL.
Showcased why Batman is a force to be reckoned with even though he is a ‘mere human’.
Provided insight into Jonn Jonzz past.
Superman did not ‘whine’ and showed us why he is SuperMAN.
Every character had their moment to shine.
Morrison also provided sound reasoning/commentary as to the delicate balance the ’supers’ must walk and why they simply do not solve all of humankind’s problems.
In addition to all that, it was action filled and the art was great.
These four issues were fast paced and provided everything you need to know about who and what the JLA stand for. One of the top TPB I would give to a curious non-superhero fan.
I also think some of the story elements were adapted for some great JLU episodes.
Nuff said!
Comment by Tyler Langlois — February 22, 2008 @ 11:56 am
My favorite story of all time is the first Justice League story I ever read - Crisis on Earth-Prime. It was quite the introduction to the world of DC for an 11 year old.
Multiple Earths (3 to be exact), one where it was still World War 2, one with no superheroes whatsoever, and one with the ones I sorta knew. The All-Star Squadron was involved, and it just felt…epic. I loved it.
That series of 5 (3 JLA issues, and 2 All-Star issues), got me hooked. I think that’s why I ended up loving the All-Star Squadron book, too.
Comment by David — February 22, 2008 @ 11:56 am
My favorite JLA story is easily Kingdom Come. I’d given up on comics for the most part in high school, and as a snobby English and Illustration major in college I was way too hip for comics, but I had a friend who read comics, and he gave me Kingdom Come when I told him I didn’t like comics anymore. I was blown away by the art to begin with, so I read the book and have been an avid comic reader and creator ever since.
Comment by Lee L — February 22, 2008 @ 11:57 am
Call me unoriginal, but I’d say New Frontier. It’s focus on the other members of the JLA (not the big three) was an awesome story.
Comment by Bill Meeks — February 22, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
Since Jamie H. beat me to my absolute favorite Justice League story, and wrote it in a much better way than I could, I’m going with my second choice: Justice League Quarterly’s “The Return of Mr. Nebula!”
From the best parody of Galactus to the way Ice brings the nigh-omnipotent being down to the ultimate reason he leaves earth, this story is one of the funniest stories I’ve ever read in a superhero book.
Also, the back-up story where Fire and Ice fight Captain Cold and Heatwave is pretty damn spectacular, too.
Comment by ticknart — February 22, 2008 @ 12:07 pm
New Frontier is my favorite.
There is also a story in the second Bizzaro Comics where the JL take a day off that warms my cockles too.
Comment by Dave G — February 22, 2008 @ 12:18 pm
Also JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #200.
Gerry Conway, George Pérez, Gil Kane, Dick Giordano, Jim Aparo, Carmine Infantino, Brian Bolland and Joe Kubert are just hard to beat.
Comment by Greg Geren — February 22, 2008 @ 12:35 pm
Justice League of America #200. It’s the first JLA comic I remember reading, and it was a warm summer day when I purchased it at the general store. I sat on my living room couch and read the issue cover to cover, astounded by the range of artistry (I didn’t know who Brian Bolland was, but he sure drew pretty pictures, I thought), even as one of my friends from the neighborhood came over to play at my house. Ignored him for the 30 minutes it took to read the comic, because, hey, it was the best comic I’d ever read and I wasn’t going to stop just because someone decided to come over and bother me.
So, JLA #200. So good, it will make you friendless.
Comment by TimCallahan — February 22, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
The Mysterious Moles episode of the original Super Friends series of animated cartoons has long been my favorite, rarely does a week go by that I don’t think about it. While investigating the disappearance of a few air conditioners, the SuperFriends discover an underground world populated by moving rocks and trees. The SuperFriends also locate a couple named Minimus and Maximus Mole who are behind the air conditioner thefts. They are using special water from an underground lagoon to make trees and rocks steal the air conditioners for them. They want the air conditioners so that they can cool down an area near a crater so that they can have access to the crater’s enormous supply of diamonds. “Trees and Rocks Walk!”
Comment by Marc Arsenault — February 22, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
I’ll second Trial by Fire. I also loved The Obsidian Age and JLElite.
Man, there have been a lot of great JL stories. New Frontier, Earth 2, Giffen & Dematteis’ run, Morrison’s run, Priest’s Triumph story…
Comment by Jonathan Kline — February 22, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
To be honest, I’m not a big fan of the big, serious, cosmic, iconic Justice League. I really dug the Giffen-DeMatteis late-’80s run with its second-run heroes and running gags. So if we’re going to go with my favorite JL story, I’m going to honestly have to say the first arc of Justice League Europe, broken Boom Tubes and all, with the murder mystery, the recurring in-jokes (Elongated Man’s disarming nose-wiggling, Captain Atom’s insecurity, the American-European culture clash). Ah how I miss the comic formerly known as Justice League …
Comment by Pj Perez — February 22, 2008 @ 1:08 pm
Wasn’t Tower of Babel part of Mark Waid’s run? But people are attributing it to Grant Morrison? Ha.
It was a great arc and Waid deserves the credit.
I don’t have a true favorite story to pick, so I’ll just pick one that no one else will use:
The Legends tie-in issue of the Detroit league where Vibe dies. No, not because he died…but because of how much they truly redeemed the character and showed that he was a hero to the end. Many of those who complained that he was a walking stereotype would have given him another chance after that story, if it didn’t require his death to be completely effective.
Comment by Kevin Huxford — February 22, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
You know, its widely ignored and panned but I love Justice League: A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Mark Waid, Fabian Nicieza, Jeff Johnson and Darick Robertson. Those three issues show why the League are together and formed the basis of Morrison’s JLA.
And the scene where Superman restores Wonder Woman’s memories of who she is is simply perfect.
Comment by Rich — February 22, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
Pssh, JLI #38-#40. Giffen League JLA at their best, or worst really. Despero comes to town, kills gypsy’s parents and the current league is outclassed. Martian Manhunter can only stopping him by doing the one thing Despero wants. Destroy the earth.
Ah… I love thee giffen league.
Comment by Pedro Tejeda — February 22, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
JLA 61 ‘two minute warning’
Kelly’s first issue of a very underrated run.
It was also part of that lame ‘full coverage’ event.
Comment by JohnnyZito — February 22, 2008 @ 1:38 pm
I think mine would have to be JLA: Year One. I just like the origins of the JLA and the interesting challenges they had to face in the beginning.
Comment by Daniel — February 22, 2008 @ 1:42 pm
Justice League of America #203-205 — an 80s Royal Flush Gang story. I orignally bought issue 204 as a kid, and it was perhaps the first comics story I bought which was continued into the next issue. I enjoyed it so much I bugged my parents until they took me to buy the conclusion. I was in college before I’d go back and pick up the first issue of that 3-part story. I loved the JLA back then, and these issues have greatly influenced the type of JLA story I want to read about today.
Comment by Howard Stone — February 22, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
My favorite JLA story — for nostalgic reasons — was the origin of the Red Tornado in issues 192 & 193. I remember it for the excellent George Perez art as well as introducing me to Firestorm, who I thought was one of the coolest looking superheroes ever … even if I didn’t know what the hell he did.
My runner-up is the mind-swap story in 166-168. These were my first JLA comic books, and this was exactly the kind of comic book experience I ate up as a kid. For a 6-year-old in the late ’70s who primarily read Spider-Man books, these JLA issues were fantastic discoveries. They introduced me to the Secret Society of Super Villains and these fabulous lesser-known (at least to me at the time) characters like the Wizard, the Reverse-Flash and Star Sapphire! Heck, even the Floronic Man was exotic and fascinating. Like Firestorm, I knew next to nothing about these characters, but these appearances got me interested in finding out more about the DC universe.
Of course, almost two decades later, this storyline was retconned to become a significant part of Identity Crisis. Who knew me and Brad Meltzer were reading the same comics in the ’70s?
Comment by Joe Vince — February 22, 2008 @ 2:04 pm
Back in the ante-deluvian 1960s I bought and read JLA #21 and 22 when they were new (and I still have them). This was the first Justice League/Justice Society team-up which introduced me (and many other fans) to those long gone Golden Heroes who hadn’t been seen since 1949 (about 15 years ago at that point). Now the 1960s JLA seems like the Golden Age because so much has followed, but it was great fun to first encounter these “Earth 2″ characters in THE FLASH (they were shown briefly in Flash #137 as a follow-up to the classic Flash #123 and #129) and see them interact with their “modern day” counterparts. If DC had just left things alone with Earth One and Earth 2 a lot of later problems could have been avoided. I don’t think another artist had to draw as many different characters in one story before as Mike Sekowsky had to do in JLA #21 and 22.
Comment by James Van Hise — February 22, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
You know, it’s kinda cheeze-mo, but The New Frontier really is my favorite JLA-ish story.
Comment by Doug — February 22, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
I purposely scrolled down to put my answer before looking at anyone elses, but would anyone else pick Justice League Quarterly #3, “When you wish…” The Bwah-ha-ha League at it’s finest, with guest appearances by the original JLA and a big pile of Marvel analogs. Guest starring Walt Disney, sort of! It’s probably not the greatest Justice League story ever, but it’s my favorite, and that’s what’s important.
Comment by googum — February 22, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
Earth-2 HC from Morrison and Quitely.
Although it’s tempting to vote for JLA vs. Predator, just because of Plastic Man Predator!
Comment by Travis W. Howard — February 22, 2008 @ 2:51 pm
New Frontier is my fav. I haven’t read much else, though.
Comment by Thomas — February 22, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
The first arc the Morrison re-launch. Watching the team get clipped one by one using Batman’s secret files was rad.
Comment by ed — February 22, 2008 @ 2:59 pm
I really dug JLA: Earth 2 and all the Morrison stuff, but I’d say New Frontier is hands down my favorite.
Comment by Matt — February 22, 2008 @ 3:13 pm
That first meeting with the JSA, which I first read reprinted in that great “100-Page Super Spectacular, with a Neal Adams wraparound cover featuring JLA and JSA members standing as if for a team photo. This is the one that hooked me. I remember being amazed that there were just so many characters, all with different powers and backstories, and all looking, well, spectacular as drawn by Adams. Inside, along with the JLA story, were golden-age reprints of characters such as The Vigilante, whom I’d never heard of before. Man, I read that thing to death. I’d already been reading JLA, but this big collection was on a new level of awesome. I read that thing until the pages fell off of the staples. Oh, to have it back!
Comment by Mike Anderson — February 22, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Not sure of the issue number, but the JLA/JSA team-up when Mr. Terrific was killed by the Spirit King was my first real exposure to the multiverse, and nothing was ever the same again. I’ve loved all versions of the League, even the Detroit years.
There’s also a place of extra fondness in my heart for JLofA #0, “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” for its celebration of the Trinity at the heart of the League!
Comment by Greg — February 22, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
Oooh, tough one. The one where they were doing a telethon while Anachronus threatened Snapper was good. Rock of Ages was MIND-BLOWING at the time. And I have to put in a vote for the Starro story that was in, I think, a Secret Files, that launched the Morrison team, as it’s what got me back into superhero comics.
Comment by jesse — February 22, 2008 @ 4:45 pm
My favorite is the first appearance, fighting Starro in Brave & Bold 28. I read it in one of the Silver Age Classics reprints when I was a kid, one of the very first comics I ever owned, period. Ever since then, whenever I come across an old copy in a cheap bin, I’m a kid again.
And you still can’t beat Starr the Conqueror.
Comment by Martin Allen — February 22, 2008 @ 4:57 pm
If you wanna get really technical, this probably doesn’t qualify as a JL story, but all the principal members are there: Kingdom Come. And yes, I realize it was an ‘Elseworlds’ story, but screw it! KINGDOM COME!
Comment by Lloyd — February 22, 2008 @ 4:58 pm
Justice League animated, season 2, episodes 11 and 12: A Better World.
Unlike the Crime Syndicate of the comics, the parallel universe Justice Lords aren’t an unflinching group of evildoers. They see their world spinning out of control and assume more authority to make it safe.
Would the League’s Superman have stopped Doomsday? Probably — but after a much longer, more destructive rampage that might have killed people. The Lords’ Superman did it effectively, quickly, efficiently, saving lives in the process. As Luthor himself points out, it is true that Superman could have stopped Luthor’s machinations a long time ago, if only he would cross the line from hero to enforcer.
This is not an abstract comic book dilemma: these are the decisions we make every day. Do we accept expansion of power in order to keep ourselves safer? Restrictions of liberty that might save our lives? Lobotomy — or torture — that might, in the end, keep anybody else from dying the way the Flash did. The death penalty, to save the world from villains like Luthor?
Is Poison Ivy more frightening as a terrorist? Or as a docile, lobotomized gardener?
It is, as always, Batman who serves as the moral anchor. “You grabbed power!”
And the Lords’ Batman replies: “And with that power, we’ve made a world where no eight-year-old boy will ever lose his parents because of some punk with a gun!”
The League’s Batman is speechless, for this story is is no simplistic indictment of moral dilemmas. For once, we see into the heart of dictatorship and tyranny and we begin to understand why the League — full of broken hearts and fallen companions — might, in such a world, seize power the way that they do. Many great novels fail to explore evil so thoroughly. This is no longer a children’s cartoon; this is no longer even a comic book — this is an exploration of good and evil in a way that most people will never fully understand: our heroes become our villains when they decide they can’t accept the world as it is — when they decide to remake the world in their own image.
And yet the story refuses to end on such a moral ambiguity — because there is good, and there is evil, and an understanding of evil is no justification for it.
“They’d love it here, don’t you think?” the League’s Batman asks.
“Who?”
“Mom and Dad.”
And with that, we’re reminded that there are more important things than safety and security. That they betray the memories and the spirit of those they would seek to protect. As much as we understand why the Lords have become dictators, we must, too, reject their reasoning. In the end, it is the Leaguer who has lost the most who first learns to accept those losses — and the world that they come in.
The Lords are defeated, finally — by Lex Luthor. I have wrestled with this choice ever since I saw the episode, but in the end, his appearance is a story about the means and the ends. One Superman turns to tyranny to stop Luthor; one Superman turns to Luthor to stop tyranny. Is this a moral compromise, too? Yes — because sometimes, compromise is the only way to check our own uncontrolled aggression.
This is no one-time event. The legacy of the Justice Lords echoes throughout the rest of the series — fear from the people, from the government, and even from each other.
And it has echoed through my own life as well: the Justice Lords are my reminder to accept loss, to remember that some things are greater than safety, and that some means can never be justified, no matter the ends. I have learned this above all: sometimes we must compromise with villains, because the greatest tyrant of all lives within our own hearts.
Comment by Mike — February 22, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
Yes, Waid wrote Tower of Babel.
I am going with DC One Million. Morrison’s story, Vandal Savage, Solaris, the Superman dynasty - what a ride.
Comment by Mike — February 22, 2008 @ 5:06 pm
I like Justice League: The Nail. But my favorite is probably the Grant Morrison, White Martian story (is that Tower of Babal?).
Comment by Marcus — February 22, 2008 @ 5:29 pm
When it comes to classic Justice League of America, it always comes down to the annual crossover with Earth 2.
Justice League of America 123 & 124 introduced me to the Justice Society for the first time. (And Earth Prime and Julie Schwartz, to boot!)
Justice League of America 135 - 137 introduced me to the Fawcett characters. It was just awesome seeing a full page splash of Bulletman and Bulletgirl, Spy Smasher, etc. and learning who they were from the captions.
And finally, Justice League of America 147 & 148 introduced me to the Legion of Super-Heroes.
The rest is history.
Comment by John Steib — February 22, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
My favorite JLA story is tower of babel by waid. The sense of betrayal just leapt off the page. The bitterness of plastic man towards batman is something i’ll never forget. Also how cool was watching batman’s protocols against the JLA. i had such pity for Batman at the end but i understood where each character was coming from.
Comment by jonathan soweidy — February 22, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
Justice League of America 64 & 65. I read the covers off of those issues when I was a kid.
Comment by Christopher Z. — February 22, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
My favorite JLU story is “The Greatest Story Never Told” from the first season of JLU. Hot on its heels for that Number 1 spot are “Far From Home” (Supergirl & the Legion) and the two-part “The Call” from Batman Beyond.
Comment by Michael — February 22, 2008 @ 7:12 pm
JLA #195
Comment by Jeff Wetherington — February 22, 2008 @ 7:52 pm
I like “Rock of Ages.”
Comment by Crowley — February 22, 2008 @ 8:19 pm
The most immediately memorable one for me is the Hyperclan storyline from the beginning of Morrison’s run. Batman talking smack on white martians is one of the awesomest things I’ve ever seen my favorite superhero do.
Comment by Dean Trippe — February 22, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
Being a big fan of Ra’s Al Ghul, I have to ignore my recent distaste for Grant Morrison and say it was the Tower of Babel storyline. Just seeing all of the JLA taken out by plans that prove just how badass Batman can be was amazing.
Comment by Mathias — February 23, 2008 @ 1:49 am
The new frontier the only JL story I’ve read
Comment by John Redpath — February 23, 2008 @ 6:47 am
Rock. Of. Ages.
Nuff said.
Comment by rolando — February 23, 2008 @ 11:29 am
Grant Morrison’s “JLA: Strength in Numbers.”
Comment by Caryn T. — February 23, 2008 @ 2:54 pm
Tough one, but I’d have to go with World War III - the culmination of Morrison’s run. Seeing the entire population of the Earth fighting Mageddon was pretty mindblowing for me at the time. New Frontier is a close second, though.
Comment by Ulf — February 23, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
Pretty much any where Aquaman is a focus character… though I still have a very soft spot in my heart for Brave and the Bold #28. Just because.
Comment by Laura G — February 23, 2008 @ 10:12 pm
Justice League International #24.
Comment by John — February 23, 2008 @ 11:45 pm
i gotta say New Frontier. I got the absolute edition and read it one sitting. freaking amazing.
Comment by eddie — February 24, 2008 @ 12:38 am
Sorry to sound like a broken record, but New Frontier has to be my favorite Justice League story. Darwyn Cooke is amazing.
Comment by Terry Peterson — February 24, 2008 @ 2:50 pm
I liked the JLS/JSA Virtue & Vice hardcover book.
Comment by Luke — February 24, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
My favorite was the end of the first season of Justice League Unlimited, with an all-out attack on the satellite while The Question tries to kill Lex before Superman can (to prevent a future where the League are overlords of the Earth). Then it became a stupid Brainiac battle and speeches and Terry McGuinness’s dad having Batman balls, but at least Wally almost got sucked into the Speed Field or whatever it’s called.
Comment by Kyle — February 24, 2008 @ 6:54 pm
Justice League of America #200–quite possibly the best thing Gerry Conway ever managed to write during his run on the title, and a nearly perfect blend of 1980s storytelling sophistication with 1960s nostalgia. A high point in Perez’s career, as well. There’s one very serious flaw in the story–Hawkgirl’s total absence, especially in the face of the Adam Strange and Phantom Stranger cameos, was just galling.
Runner up might be Morrison’s “Rock of Ages,” if only for the brilliant craziness of having Atom and Green Arrow take down Darkseid–and making it work.
Third place would be Alan Moore’s use of the people who live in the house over the world early in his Swamp Thing run.
Comment by George Grattan — February 24, 2008 @ 9:04 pm
Really tough trying to come up with a single story. I guess the closest I can get was the one issue of JLA done by Mark Millar where the JLA face off against Amazo and they essentially call in every reserve they have which only goes to make the android a god. It’s then the Atom comes up with a plan and has Superman officially disband the JLA. Amazo, taken off-guard by the remark, is easily brought down and the Atom is again nominated for league membership on a science advisor status. Being a big Atom fan, it was a really fun story.
Comment by Jerry Whitworth — February 24, 2008 @ 9:40 pm
JLA: Earth 2
Comment by Chris Lim — February 25, 2008 @ 7:44 am
JLA/HITMAN… maybe not my favourite, but the best in recent memory…
Comment by Patrick Gauthier — February 25, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
So many–but I’m going with the introduction of the Extremists from Giffen and DeMatteis. After so much fun, the threat was palpable because you knew these were second-tier characters and they could die.
Comment by Rod Miller — February 26, 2008 @ 7:52 am
Cooke’s New Frontier is definitely my favorite JL story. It’s an instant classic.
Comment by Elio García — February 26, 2008 @ 8:53 am
Kingdom Come is far and away my favorite Justice League story.
Comment by Scott — February 26, 2008 @ 9:49 am
New Frontier is my favorite– haven’t read all of them though
Comment by karin — February 26, 2008 @ 10:04 am
A League of One. I know, it’s practically cheating because it’s really a Wonder Woman story with a series of League cameos, but it’s so very good. Gorgeous art, affecting story, wonderful Diana, and those League cameos are really good. Great work all around.
Comment by Rebecca — February 26, 2008 @ 4:25 pm
I think any JLA story written by Grant Morrison pretty much floats my boat. I’m not sure I can pick one story arc that I like better than another.
Comment by Rob Nipe — February 26, 2008 @ 7:58 pm