DC Comics Announces New Creative Team for "Justice League United"

[Psistorm4472]

One of the parts I dislike is how writers instantly and directly insert their own favorite superheroes into series.

Animal Man and Green Arrow were for Jeff Lemire as he wrote them, and now Jeff Parker seems to be gutting Lemire's team and putting his own favorites in. And then the next writer will gut Parker's team and put his own guys in.

I don't like this.

This has been DC's modus operandi since day 1 of the New 52, and it's distracting and annoying. Justice League International and Justice League Dark both had substantial and wholly unnecessary cast shake-ups after their very first arcs, and Justice League of America became Justice League United and jettisoned a whole bunch of characters I was interested in. I am sure there were other books that I am not remembering that did the very same thing. It seems long gone are the days when teams were actually teams for many months, they grew and gelled together as a unit. Team books have always had cast members leave and new members introduced, but DC seems to think that the wholesale dismantling of a team to add characters that are their current flavor of the month is a good idea.

[Maxpower00044]

Part of me wants to try this out again, because it will be my Swamp Thing and Animal Man fix (and Foreman will probably kill it on art), but if Lemire couldn't get me interested in this book, I don't think Parker can.

[Rakzo]

I commented already in Twitter about this but this is a quite appropriate choice and replacement.

[Zero Hunter]

Hi all, DC Comics has reached out for clarification on the original version of our "Justice League United" article, which has since been edited.

The main lineup of the book is Equinox, Stargirl, Alanna Strange, Animal Man and Adam Strange. They'll be joined by rotating guest stars based on individual missions, with Mera, Poison Ivy, Swamp Thing and Etrigan appearing in issue #11.

That kind of makes it worse. Get rid of the interesting big name characters (Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, and Hawkman) and keep the leftovers that most people don't care about? That is almost a setting the book up for failure from the start no matter how many guest stars you run in and out of the book.

[GlennSimpson]

That kind of makes it worse. Get rid of the interesting big name characters (Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, and Hawkman) and keep the leftovers that most people don't care about? That is almost a setting the book up for failure from the start no matter how many guest stars you run in and out of the book.

Sounds like the usual back-and-forth swing we see with team books like this over time. The struggle over the fact that the writer of the team book can't do anything drastic with the bigger characters who have their own books too. So he changes the format just to characters who only appear in the team book, and then sales go down, so then they have to bring back the big names to bring the readers back. Then a new writer eventually comes on, rinse, repeat.

[SJNeal]

Well, initially the artist were supposed to be Travel Foreman and Paul Pelletier. Maybe they will rotate every few issues/every arc.

Really?! I'm all for tag-teaming art duties to keep a book timely, but such drastically different styles would be a big negative...

[Zero Hunter]

Sounds like the usual back-and-forth swing we see with team books like this over time. The struggle over the fact that the writer of the team book can't do anything drastic with the bigger characters who have their own books too. So he changes the format just to characters who only appear in the team book, and then sales go down, so then they have to bring back the big names to bring the readers back. Then a new writer eventually comes on, rinse, repeat.

That is why I have always thought it is better to have a good mix of characters. You get 2 or 3 big names and the rest are there for the writer to use as they want. I think that is why I have never been a fan of the Big 7 approach tot he Justice League. Your right though that it is a sad pattern.

In the end it all comes down to the combination of characters used.

[Lee Stone]

Sounds like the usual back-and-forth swing we see with team books like this over time. The struggle over the fact that the writer of the team book can't do anything drastic with the bigger characters who have their own books too. So he changes the format just to characters who only appear in the team book, and then sales go down, so then they have to bring back the big names to bring the readers back. Then a new writer eventually comes on, rinse, repeat.

That's when the writer makes a core team that he can do things with and adds the bigger characters as supporting members.

[GlennSimpson]

That's when the writer makes a core team that he can do things with and adds the bigger characters as supporting members.

You would think, but it seems like writers either want to do mostly characterization or mostly plot, without the mix that would enable them to have both kinds of characters.

I mean, there's no reason not to have Animal Man and Stargirl having all the personal problems and then have Martian Manhunter show up when it's time to hit something and then leave again...

[Dr. Poison]

Sounds like the usual back-and-forth swing we see with team books like this over time. The struggle over the fact that the writer of the team book can't do anything drastic with the bigger characters who have their own books too. So he changes the format just to characters who only appear in the team book, and then sales go down, so then they have to bring back the big names to bring the readers back. Then a new writer eventually comes on, rinse, repeat.

I'd have to agree that's what seems to be going on. The big problem here is that Justice League United wasn't a colossal seller before Convergence and now, I fear it will be rebooted and/or relaunched within the next year with a lackluster line-up like this. Most of them aren't terrible characters but I don't see them bringing in massive sales anytime soon.

[BCya]

This has been DC's modus operandi since day 1 of the New 52, and it's distracting and annoying. Justice League International and Justice League Dark both had substantial and wholly unnecessary cast shake-ups after their very first arcs, and Justice League of America became Justice League United and jettisoned a whole bunch of characters I was interested in. I am sure there were other books that I am not remembering that did the very same thing. It seems long gone are the days when teams were actually teams for many months, they grew and gelled together as a unit. Team books have always had cast members leave and new members introduced, but DC seems to think that the wholesale dismantling of a team to add characters that are their current flavor of the month is a good idea.

This isn't a New 52 thing. This has been going on since the dawn of superhero team books.

[Cowboy Ninja Viking]

This book has been a pretty big disapointment for me. I may have to check it out with this creative team though. However I'm afraid it will be just another justice league dark, where the creative team switches before you can get attached to the characters.

[Starchild]

On Twitter, someone asked if Supergirl is off the book and Jeff Parker responded "for now"

So this has me thinking: 1. Maybe the members are busy with another mission or something.

2. This will be the roster for one arc and then the regulars will return.


I really wish people will actually consider other alternatives before panicking.

[upgrayedd]

I really wish people will actually consider other alternatives before panicking.

meh, posts would be rather boring if they were calm and rational..... kind of like this one.

[Starchild]

meh, posts would be rather boring if they were calm and rational..... kind of like this one.

You should work on your insults a little more. If you're going to do it, then do it right. Just some advice.


Oh and by the way, I was only using common sense. Something that is nonexistent on this thread.


Edit: And if you were being sarcastic, (I'm pretty sure you weren't) then I apologize.