stumbling in the dark

[ratcreature]

I tried to look into the Justice League comics, that is post-Crisis but before the current JLA series, to see what prior JL incarnations there have been, and whether any look interesting, etc. and I didn't even get as far as to look up which titles there were before becoming confused. I knew that at one time the team split into Justice League Europe and Justice League America, but what is this Justice League International? And is there more than one of those? And something with the issue numbers is confusing, too.

* Some research (mostly here and here) later. *

Okay, so in 1987 the series started as "Justice League", the members seem to have been: Batman, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary II, Captain Marvel, Dr. Fate, Blue Beetle II, Guy Gardner, and Mister Miracle.

Then with #7 still in 1987, it became "Justice League International", and there were some changes to the team, Captain Marvel and Dr. Fate quit, Captain Atom, Booster Gold and someone named Rocket Red with various, probably significant, numbers ("Rocket Red #7"? "Rocket Red #4"?) join. That series lasts until issue #25. Then it became "Justice League America" in 1989 but the issue number continue with #26, and the new "Justice League Europe" starts as its counterpart and lasts until #50.

Then in June 1993 the "Justice League Europe" starts to go by "Justice League International" but the issue numbers also continue, that being the reason why the issue numbers of the series called "Justice League International" don't match, but go only from #7-25 and #51-68, which are really two different series/teams. In June 1993 another series/team starts, the "Justice League Task Force" and I'm not sure how that team relates to either of the others (but looking at the descriptions that one has Nightwing in it).

As an aside, these various Justice League teams start to look as complicated to keep track of as the gazillion of different X teams and titles from Marvel...

So basically it's like:

               JLA
JL --> JLI --<         
               JLE --> JLI
                      \?
                       JL Taskforce 

Anyway, the new "Justice League International" lasted till September 1994, so I guess Zero Hour had an impact on it? I'm still not sure how the "Justice League Quarterly" title that ran from 1990 to 1994 fits into it. Both the JL Taskforce and the Justice League America series lasted summer 1996. Then in September a "Midsummer's Nightmare" started the lastest JLA series with the Justice League in its current configuration.

I still have no clue which (if any) of these might be worth reading. (I mean, do I really want to know about the numbered Red Rocket guys?) The one comforting thing is that I don't really have to worry about it yet, because I for now I can catch up on the current series first, if I want more Justice League, and that series seems to be straightforward enough, if you don't look at the ton of available specials.

Comments

where to begin...

[chicago-h.livejournal.com]

Okay, I had written you a little history up through JLA #50 and then lj ATE MY POST! ARGH.

So first issue: economics. And not the trite "this is what sells" type. In the mid 1980s the comics industry shifted over from newstand sales to direct marketing and specialty shops. This changed the entire lay of the land, creating a different kind of a consumer who could and would get every issue of a book produced (a hit or miss proposal in the newstand days). Rather than formulaic stories, you start getting a push for continuity. You get writers like Alan Moore and Frank Miller on the scene, pushing the limits of the comics code (and opening the door for Vertigo). This created a lot of strain on the team books like the JLofA, which had to compete with/incorporate established character continuities in solo books and increasing pressure to come up with threats worthy of a team of their status.

So the JLofA (the first series), around issue 230, went through a massive revamp. Their satellite headquarters were destroyed, and Aquaman, then acting chairman, disbanded the League, pointing out that everyone was so busy with their own affairs that there was no point in them being in the League anymore. He then reformed the League demanding that anyone who joined must be able to give the League priority. It ends up him and Martian Manhunter, Batman sort of, and a bunch of newcomers.

The newbies are kids, up and coming superheroes (and pointedly ethnically and racially diverse). They end up stationed in Detroit, and the focus of the book is as much on the internal dynamics of this new team and their relationship to the embattled inner city as it is about anything else.

(LJ has just informed me this entry is TOO LONG, so I'll continue in a new post).