What's your roster for the returning Justice League?

[phonogram12]

My first book would simply be titled JLA and would feature a rotating lineup of the following:

Superman
Batman
Wonder Woman
Aquaman
Green Lantern
Flash
Martian Manhunter
Green Arrow
Black Canary
Atom
Hawkman
Hawkwoman
Zatanna
Steel

My second would be JLI (whose lineup makes it obvious where I'm drawing from):

Blue Beetle
Booster Gold
Fire
Ice
Guy Gardner
Rocket Red
Power Girl

[InfamousBG]

Superman
Batman
Wonder Woman
Green Lantern (Hal)
Aquaman
Flash (Barry)
Manhunter
Hawkman
Green Arrow
Black Canary
Atom (Ray)
Zatanna

[BatmanJones]

Is it though?

This was DC’s genuine trinity. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman didn’t share adventures except in a larger group.

The main thing that links Superman, Batman, and WW (as well as I can remember) is that they were the only three DC superheroes that made it through the loss of interest in superhero comics directly following WWII well enough to avoid cancellation.

That certainly indicates a certain popularity or status the three shared (in the 40s at least) but the idea that there’s more to it than that except that we’re told there is? I don’t see it. We are told that a lot, they devote occasional minis to them, they put their statues together, stuff like that but it all feels pretty superficial to me.

If WW is somehow on an equal playing field with Superman and Batman, why hasn’t she had more great stories? If that were the metric by which we determined which characters were major ones, Green Lantern and The Flash and probably ‘Shazam’ would have her beat. I’m not saying I like it, I don’t. I’m not crazy about the fact that DC’s most successful superheroes are all straight white men.

And she has had a handful of very good runs, including the current one which I’m really enjoying a lot. I just don’t see her as being in the same ballpark as Superman or Batman. Or Robin. Especially from the 40s-80s, half of the time the characters have existed.

[married guy]

I'm gonna try something different. Yes, the JLA can and should change it's roster to whatever present threat dictates, but I'd have sets of main groups.

Earth team:

GL (Kyle)
Flash (Wally)
Atom (Ryan)
Wonder Woman (Diana)
Vixen
Captain Marvel
Black Canary
Nightwing

Universe team:

GL (Guy)
Superman
Martian Manhunter
Adam Strange
Starfire
Troia
Supergirl
Orion

Multiverse team:

Flash (Barry)
Mr Terrific
Atom (Ray)
Booster Gold
Captain Atom
Takion
Hawkman

[Mutant God]

Wonder Woman
Supergirl
Vixen
Hawkgirl
Dr. Light
Zatanna
Mera
Mary Marvel
Madame Xanadu
Booster Gold

[Brian Adkins]

Just happened to be looking at some sales data and even though I wouldn't want them to do it this way, it's interesting to see what it would look like if their top selling characters made up the team.
That would be-

Batman
Superman
Wonder Woman
Nightwing
Robin- from the Batman And Robin book sales
And Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Yes, it does typically feature other GL's in the stories but he is, of course, the main character.
These were from top 50 sales from both units and dollars.
The Flash was just a little below the Top 50.

[All Star Superman]

I couldn't sleep the other night and thought about some new team dynamics for a JL franchise.

Justice League: (big cosmic threats)

Superman

Wonder Woman

Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)

Green Lantern (rotating)

Flash (Wally)

Dr. Light

Starman (Will Payton)

Justice League of America (adventures within the US)

Captain Atom

Black Lightning

Green Arrow

Black Canary

Steel

Huntress

Gypsy

Justice League Infinity (adventures beyond...)

Martian Manhunter

Flash (Barry Allen)

Supergirl

Booster Gold

Hawkgirl

Firestorm

Metamorpho

Red Tornado

Zatanna

[El_Gato]

This was DC’s genuine trinity. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman didn’t share adventures except in a larger group.

The main thing that links Superman, Batman, and WW (as well as I can remember) is that they were the only three DC superheroes that made it through the loss of interest in superhero comics directly following WWII well enough to avoid cancellation.

That certainly indicates a certain popularity or status the three shared (in the 40s at least) but the idea that there’s more to it than that except that we’re told there is? I don’t see it. We are told that a lot, they devote occasional minis to them, they put their statues together, stuff like that but it all feels pretty superficial to me.

If WW is somehow on an equal playing field with Superman and Batman, why hasn’t she had more great stories? If that were the metric by which we determined which characters were major ones, Green Lantern and The Flash and probably ‘Shazam’ would have her beat. I’m not saying I like it, I don’t. I’m not crazy about the fact that DC’s most successful superheroes are all straight white men.

And she has had a handful of very good runs, including the current one which I’m really enjoying a lot. I just don’t see her as being in the same ballpark as Superman or Batman. Or Robin. Especially from the 40s-80s, half of the time the characters have existed.

lol Robin… be for real! The Trinity is Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman! No one else! It’s quite irritating that on X/Twitter people want to dispute her as being a part of the Mount Rushmore of superheroes (in favor of Iron-Man, Hulk, Wolverine or Flash lol) but now people are saying she’s not a part of the Trinity because of Robin, a sidekick who never had his own title until the successor got one in the 90’s. Yeah no…

[daBronzeBomma]

Great topic for a thread!

Ok, let's get my most controversial requirement out of the way:

Absolutely no one from the World's Finest families is allowed on the team.

No Superman, Batman, Nightwing, Power Gal, Robin, Superboy, Damian, Jon, Mon-El, Huntress, Steel, Azrael, Duke, Krypto, Ace, Batgirl, Supergirl, Lois, Selina, Jimmy, Alfred, etc.

SuperFam and BatFam do not need the Justice League and have enough exposure within the DCU to be sucking the oxygen outta the room for others.

My ideal JL roster: (MM Overall lead, 6-man squads forTeam Blue and Team Red)

Martian Manhunter

Doctor Fate
Wonder Woman
Aquaman
Green Lantern Jo Mullein
Flash
Vixen

Plastic Man
Black Canary
Atom
Hawkwoman
Shazam
Zatanna

[Brian Adkins]

I once came up with a Justice League roster for fun.

It was

> Superman (Kal-El)

> Wonder Woman (Diana Prince)

> Kid Quick

> Green Lantern Jessica Cruz

> J'onn J'onzz

> Accomplished Perfect Physician

> Zatanna Zatara

> Aquaman

> Jenny Mei Sparks

... So I guess that line-up.

I don't know Kid Quick. Has the character been on another team?

You included the 1 character I was gonna use from the Great Ten. Still think it's amusing his initials are A.P.P.

[Brian Adkins]

Yeah, that's the way to go, IMO. All the greats and near-greats in one book. Why would anybody want a handful of just their favorites over that?

It's too unwieldy. At least for just 1 book.
More than 1 book can make it seem like you're overdoing the idea.
And someone somewhere will get lost in the shuffle.

[The Darknight Detective]

It's too unwieldy. At least for just 1 book.
More than 1 book can make it seem like you're overdoing the idea.
And someone somewhere will get lost in the shuffle.

That's fine if you want to have a separate group. The Justice League, IMO, should be the elite team with the greatest superheroes. Again, the Trinity doesn't have to be in every single story, but having at least one of them and some of the other popular characters popping up frequently enough is a good draw to attract good sales and have the less popular superheroes be seen by those readers, too.

[Brian Adkins]

That's fine if you want to have a separate group. The Justice League, IMO, should be the elite team with the greatest superheroes. Again, the Trinity doesn't have to be in every single story, but having at least one of them and some of the other popular characters popping up frequently enough is a good draw to attract good sales and have the less popular superheroes be seen by those readers, too.

If they're an elite team, it would not include that many characters.

[Brian Adkins]

One interesting thing- and also kind of disappointing- is that the only newer characters are those with an already established name- e.g. all of the different G.L.'s.
There's really no new original characters that have caught on enough in the past...oh, 20 years or longer.

[The Darknight Detective]

If they're an elite team, it would not include that many characters.

The Navy Seals are the most elite US military force, yet there are about 2,500 of them currently. I'm pretty sure the JL could handle a per cent or two of that without any problem.