What the hell, Batman!? Starting a new Justice League with "people not Gods" and then remaining on the old Justice League? That takes guts. "Oh, but Raffi! It's okay! He's Batman, he's just preparing for when Doctor Manh-". No! No spoilers. For once. Sigh. Most of you probably don't understand what I'm talking about. But-since I love making teams and doing pitches-I might as well use Batman's recent activities to launch my idea for a new JL book. Here is my pitch for "Justice League Task Force"!
Okay, here's the short version of this. After the comic event "Justice League vs Suicide Squad"-wow, wonder how that idea came up-Batman decided to establish a new Justice League that people could trust. A League of "normal people". "Mostly normal" is more like it. Batman got ex-villain Killer Frost, Black Canary, the new Atom, The Ray, Vixen, and Lobo (the guy who isn't human or normal) and set up shop on Mount Justice. And throughout the first few issues Batman spouts about "inspiring people" and showing "anyone can be a hero". Where did this even come from!? Okay, okay, I'll save my opinions for a "Current Issues" post later.
I've had this idea for a JL roster for a while, ever since "Uncanny Avengers" gave us an Avengers team with members from different corners of the Marvel Universe. I thought "what if DC did something like that". You see, where Marvel's variety in characters comes from backgrounds, DC Comic's variety comes from integration and imprints. Some of your favorite DC characters may have started as 3rd party comic book characters. Originally, I was going to have Superman be the leader and represent DC Comics, but I decided to throw a character a bone and change that. Let me begin by pitching my team.
Representing DC Comics is The Martian Manhunter. This poor, green bastard cannot catch a break. His last solo series had like twelve issues before it was canned. MM really works when he's on a team, unless that team book gets cancelled too. I chose him because A. he is a founding JL member from the 60's and hasn't done anything important in like five years and B. he first premiered in "Detective Comics". Martian Manhunter is a character with a cult following, and if he's the leader and mentor of the team I feel his popularity could regenerate as well as he can! Now, representing Fawcett Comics is-no duh-Shazam. Again, give this guy something to do! Ever since the New 52 he's been poorly characterized. Just use that one episode of "Justice League Unlimited" and go from there. Shazam fills in a Superman-type role alongside MM and being a kid in a superhero body on a team of superheroes could spark funny interactions. Then we have The Question, hailing from Charlton Comics. The Question is a retro detective with an interesting gimmick. Not just his face (which is a mask), but the fact that he's a skeptic and a conspiracy theorist. Crop circles, radio-waves, the plastic ends of shoelaces. All terrors to the American people. Rounding out the "I'm human, but I'm clever" side of the team. He's just a fun character to shove next to these godlike heroes, especially because he has poor social skills. Representing the garbage that was the Wildstorm Imprint is Caitlin Fairchild. Based on the old canon and the current canon, Caitlin was a member of a group called Gen 13 which was a team of teenagers with scientifically grafted superpowers. Caitlin seemingly worked for the evil corporation that created Superboy, but she had been a mole the entire time. Ugh, Wildstorm characters can be annoying. The short is that she's super strong, invulnerable, and very intelligent. A more familiar face is Static (or Static Shock, I'm not picky). Static got the shaft in the New 52 so he's our representative for the Milestone Media Imprint. Base him off the show everyone loved and go from there. Also, I know that makes two electricity-based characters on the team, but here is my logic: Superman and The Flash have super-speed, but because Superman has so many other powers The Flash can use speed in ways Superman cannot. Thus justifying Flash's inclusion. Shazam = Superman, Static = The Flash. Next we have Animal Man representing the Vertigo Imprint. Swamp Thing and Constantine aren't exactly superheroes, so Animal Man takes it. He can use the abilities of any animal on Earth thanks to his connection to a mystical force called "The Red". Thanks to Grant Morrison, Animal Man has had weird, gruesome, inter-dimensional adventures, so he's just weird enough to rep Vertigo. And finally, from Quality Comics, Uncle Sam. Okay, so the comic version of Uncle Sam is a being created from patriotism. No joke. He exists and lives off of the American people. If the country is weak, he is weak. If the country is proud, he is the most powerful thing on the planet. He hasn't really done anything in DC recently, so I'd love for him to be brought out of hiding because his country needs him again. Like an old warhorse Uncle Sam is past his prime, but will try again and again to make America great again. Hmm. Phrasing.
Superman would recruit this team with Uncle Sam's guidance and ask Martian Manhunter to lead it. As Superman sees it, he doesn't need to stick around and boss the team around because he trusts MM. Superman and a UN representative named Hannibal Martin would give this "Justice League Task Force" missions based on occurrences around the world. Not just super-villains attacking cities, but earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanoes, natural disasters in general. Any threat too big for the authorities and armies, the Task Force can handle. Having an on-the-call group of heroes could really help the world, which is why Superman founded the team. "Because no one hero can be everywhere". Superman could even have a bit of a rivalry with Batman. I mean, Batman makes a team to show superheroes can be people, Superman makes a team to respond to danger as soon as it comes. Batman leads his new team so they can properly function, Superman trusts his allies enough to let them handle themselves. And while Batman's JLA has a dinky mountain, the JLTF gets The Hall of Justice. You know, the iconic building in Washington that everyone recognizes! Also, I want them to fight a new version of Composite Superman named The Composite Man who is a combination of the seven founding JL members (circa 2011) and fight a new Legion of Doom. Just some extra thoughts.
So, yeah. DC Comics? Pull the trigger already. Two Justice Leagues are cool, but three? Maybe bring back Justice League Dark, and maybe give Wonder Woman a team of female JL members? Just let the JL be for everyone again. It's not like you have any popular teams right now other than the JL and Teen Titans (two of em'). So expand the roster, get more characters interacting, and show some respect for your properties. Having a team featuring characters from different publications and having unite under one of your company's most beloved characters (and Martian Manhunter (;D) and people will buy it. Because-and this will blow your mind-you don't need Batman on the cover to sell a book. Especially a book with as much fanfare as this one!
Thanks for reading!
I've had this idea for a JL roster for a while, ever since "Uncanny Avengers" gave us an Avengers team with members from different corners of the Marvel Universe. I thought "what if DC did something like that". You see, where Marvel's variety in characters comes from backgrounds, DC Comic's variety comes from integration and imprints. Some of your favorite DC characters may have started as 3rd party comic book characters. Originally, I was going to have Superman be the leader and represent DC Comics, but I decided to throw a character a bone and change that. Let me begin by pitching my team.
Representing DC Comics is The Martian Manhunter. This poor, green bastard cannot catch a break. His last solo series had like twelve issues before it was canned. MM really works when he's on a team, unless that team book gets cancelled too. I chose him because A. he is a founding JL member from the 60's and hasn't done anything important in like five years and B. he first premiered in "Detective Comics". Martian Manhunter is a character with a cult following, and if he's the leader and mentor of the team I feel his popularity could regenerate as well as he can! Now, representing Fawcett Comics is-no duh-Shazam. Again, give this guy something to do! Ever since the New 52 he's been poorly characterized. Just use that one episode of "Justice League Unlimited" and go from there. Shazam fills in a Superman-type role alongside MM and being a kid in a superhero body on a team of superheroes could spark funny interactions. Then we have The Question, hailing from Charlton Comics. The Question is a retro detective with an interesting gimmick. Not just his face (which is a mask), but the fact that he's a skeptic and a conspiracy theorist. Crop circles, radio-waves, the plastic ends of shoelaces. All terrors to the American people. Rounding out the "I'm human, but I'm clever" side of the team. He's just a fun character to shove next to these godlike heroes, especially because he has poor social skills. Representing the garbage that was the Wildstorm Imprint is Caitlin Fairchild. Based on the old canon and the current canon, Caitlin was a member of a group called Gen 13 which was a team of teenagers with scientifically grafted superpowers. Caitlin seemingly worked for the evil corporation that created Superboy, but she had been a mole the entire time. Ugh, Wildstorm characters can be annoying. The short is that she's super strong, invulnerable, and very intelligent. A more familiar face is Static (or Static Shock, I'm not picky). Static got the shaft in the New 52 so he's our representative for the Milestone Media Imprint. Base him off the show everyone loved and go from there. Also, I know that makes two electricity-based characters on the team, but here is my logic: Superman and The Flash have super-speed, but because Superman has so many other powers The Flash can use speed in ways Superman cannot. Thus justifying Flash's inclusion. Shazam = Superman, Static = The Flash. Next we have Animal Man representing the Vertigo Imprint. Swamp Thing and Constantine aren't exactly superheroes, so Animal Man takes it. He can use the abilities of any animal on Earth thanks to his connection to a mystical force called "The Red". Thanks to Grant Morrison, Animal Man has had weird, gruesome, inter-dimensional adventures, so he's just weird enough to rep Vertigo. And finally, from Quality Comics, Uncle Sam. Okay, so the comic version of Uncle Sam is a being created from patriotism. No joke. He exists and lives off of the American people. If the country is weak, he is weak. If the country is proud, he is the most powerful thing on the planet. He hasn't really done anything in DC recently, so I'd love for him to be brought out of hiding because his country needs him again. Like an old warhorse Uncle Sam is past his prime, but will try again and again to make America great again. Hmm. Phrasing.
Superman would recruit this team with Uncle Sam's guidance and ask Martian Manhunter to lead it. As Superman sees it, he doesn't need to stick around and boss the team around because he trusts MM. Superman and a UN representative named Hannibal Martin would give this "Justice League Task Force" missions based on occurrences around the world. Not just super-villains attacking cities, but earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanoes, natural disasters in general. Any threat too big for the authorities and armies, the Task Force can handle. Having an on-the-call group of heroes could really help the world, which is why Superman founded the team. "Because no one hero can be everywhere". Superman could even have a bit of a rivalry with Batman. I mean, Batman makes a team to show superheroes can be people, Superman makes a team to respond to danger as soon as it comes. Batman leads his new team so they can properly function, Superman trusts his allies enough to let them handle themselves. And while Batman's JLA has a dinky mountain, the JLTF gets The Hall of Justice. You know, the iconic building in Washington that everyone recognizes! Also, I want them to fight a new version of Composite Superman named The Composite Man who is a combination of the seven founding JL members (circa 2011) and fight a new Legion of Doom. Just some extra thoughts.
So, yeah. DC Comics? Pull the trigger already. Two Justice Leagues are cool, but three? Maybe bring back Justice League Dark, and maybe give Wonder Woman a team of female JL members? Just let the JL be for everyone again. It's not like you have any popular teams right now other than the JL and Teen Titans (two of em'). So expand the roster, get more characters interacting, and show some respect for your properties. Having a team featuring characters from different publications and having unite under one of your company's most beloved characters (and Martian Manhunter (;D) and people will buy it. Because-and this will blow your mind-you don't need Batman on the cover to sell a book. Especially a book with as much fanfare as this one!
Thanks for reading!
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