Summary
In the years since theJustice Leaguemade its debut, the heroes have headlined some of the best-written and most action-packed sagas in DC Comics history, from multiversal wars to epic company crossovers. While many of their best stories are from decades gone by, the modern age of DC has also delivered several great storylines fans shouldn’t miss out on.
In 2016, DC rebooted its line in the Rebirth event, which reverted to a status quo closer to the pre-New 52 continuity, and restored some of the best heroes to their prime. Since the seminal event, the company has produced a range of excellent stories befitting the iconic team of heroes. These comics stand out as some of the best of the last eight years, uniting superstar creative teams to deliver fun adventures.
10Justice League: Justice Lost
Christopher Priest, Philippe Briones & Pete Woods
Towards the end of the 2016 volume ofJustice League, Christopher Priest took over as the main writer, exploring the tensions between the League and society, as well as within the team. “Justice Lost” follows the team as they try and salvage their reputation whenmistakes by Batman lose him the leadership role and cast the League into a crisis of confidence.
“Justice Lost” features some great League moments, from the continuing friendship between Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz to the introduction ofDC’s Black Panther pastiche, Red Lion. With Wonder Woman mortally injured in the midst of a conflict in a foreign land, the other heroes are left in a philosophical dilemma regarding their role in the world. The story is a great exploration of the ethics behind the team.
9Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong
Brian Buccellato & Christian Duce
Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kongfollows the arrival of the MonsterVerse’s two leading titans to the DCU, where the King of Monsters pursues Superman. After a battle between the two pop culture icons leaves the Man of Steel immobilized, the League turns to King Kong to assist them in defeating the Kaiju menace.
Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kongis a fantastic blend of superhero action and Kaiju terroras new alliances are formed to try and save the world from the atomic monster. Concluding with a fight against Mechagodzilla, the miniseries is pure fan service for enjoyers of both franchises, merging the threats of both worlds for the League to overcome.
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8Justice League: Last Ride
Chip Zdarsky & Miguel Mendonca
Justice League Last Ridefollows the team into the future aftermath of a devastating battle with Darkseid that resulted in the death of Martian Manhunter. Now charged with escorting Lobo to stand trial and protect him from other forces, like the Manhunters, the remaining Leaguers dig in on another planet, where they make a stand.
Justice League Last Rideserves as one of many attempts by DC writers to explore the JLA’s fate in the future, and concludes with a nail-biting final match against Darkseid. The series pulls from many chapters in the team’s history, borrowing from the DCAU line-up, including a variety of cosmic characters and answering the question of what becomes of the heroes.
7Black Hammer/Justice League
Jeff Lemire & Michael Walsh
Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston’sBlack Hammerhas entrenched itself as one of the best new independent superhero comic books of the last decade. Focusing on a team of heroes trapped on a farm,things were turned on their head inBlack Hammer/Justice League, which saw the Black Hammer team trade places with the JLA.
Black Hammer/Justice Leaguefollows the two teams as the DC heroes adjust to life on the farm while Lemire’s signature team navigates the DCU. When Mxyzptlk is revealed as the source of the switch-up, the Black Hammer team joins forces with some of Prime Earth’s characters to set things right.
6Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths
Joshua Williamson & Daniel Sampere
As the sequel to DC’sCrisis On Infinite Earths(Marv Wolfman & George Perez),Dark Crisisfollows the return of Pariah, who manipulates the Great Darkness to kill the Justice League. Afterthe death of the main Justice Leaghue roster, Nightwing, Jon Kent and other heroes reconstitute the League, taking the fight to Deathstroke’s army of villains – all under the influence of Pariah and the Darkness.
Dark Crisisis a highlight of DC’s legacy heroes, showing readers that the world would be in good hands with the next generation. The event showcased some of the best action in modern DC, while also exploring what the core heroes mean to the world. In addition, the event set up a new future for DC, leading into Dawn of DC.
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5Dark Nights: METAL
Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo
Shortly after Rebirth, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo helmed the DCU’s first major event of the new continuity inDark Nights: Metal. The story follows the arrival ofthe Nightmare Batmen, a team of Elseworlds-style Bruce Waynes from the Dark Multiverse. Led by The Batman Who Laughs at the behest of Barbatos, the villains wage war on Earth, leading to all-out multiversal mayhem.
Dark Nights: Metalfeatures some fan-favorite moments, including Batman and Joker teaming up to bring down The Batman Who Laughs. The connecting tie-ins also added great context to the story, exploringthe tragic origins of the Nightmare Batmenand the effects around the world of their war.
4Justice League Dark: The Lords of Order
James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno & Raul Fernandez
Justice League Darkfollowsa supernatural version of the League led by Wonder Woman, one composed of DC’s best magical users, such as Zatanna, Constantine and Doctor Fate. However, with the balance of magic affected by their battle with the monstrous Otherkind, Fate and the Lords of Order challenge the JLD, threatening certain doom to restore the power of magic.
“The Lords of Order” showcases some brilliant action and supernatural sequences, with the titular beings forced to take on Mordru for control of magic. The story is a pivotal chapter for Doctor Fate, as Kent Nelson stepped away from the mantle and passed it down to Khalid Nassour. Here, readers are shown the potential of Nabu and his fellow lords.
3Dark Nights: Death Metal
Dark Nights Death Metalserves as the conclusion to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s story that began in 2017’sMetal. Set in the aftermath of Perpetua’s decimation of the multiverse and The Batman Who Laughs' victory, it follows the remaining Justice Leaguers in their war against the Nightmare Batmen. Living in the fallout of the apocalypse, aGrim Reaper-inspired Dark Knightbuilds his army to reclaim the world.
Death Metaltook every element of the first story to extremes, landing the League in an apocalyptic wasteland, where they use undead heroes to build an army to save reality. As The Batman Who Laughs plots to ascend to godhood using Doctor Manhattan, Wonder Woman takes center stage.The story is one of DC’s most action-packed epics to date, and has plenty of enjoyable tie-ins that explore the multiverse.
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2Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour & War
As the Justice League Dark continued their mission, it was revealed that Wonder Woman unwittingly played host to an evil goddess, Hecate. With Diana’s mind banished to another plane, the remaining magical heroes are forced to stand against the dark goddess, as Circe plots against them. What begins in “The Witching Hour” with the defeat of Hecate comes full circle in “The Witching War,” when Circe ascends to become the goddess of magic.
“The Witching Hour” and its follow-upadds some great history to Wonder Woman’s lore, exploring the Greek gods' place in the DCU and showcasing the heroine’s will power and mastery of magic. With the introduction of the Injustice League Dark and the return of Eclipso, the story is a fantastic entry point to the magical side of DC, and is one of Diana’s best stories of the last decade.
1Justice League: Justice/Doom War
Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Howard Porter, Bruno Redondo, Daniel Sampere, Francis Manapul & Jorge Jimenez
As the middle story in Scott Snyder’s epic four-yearMetalsaga, “Justice/Doom War” follows the League’s last stand against Apex Lex’s army of upgraded villains for the fate of the multiverse. With Perpetua approaching, the League builds an army of heroes from across time, recruiting the JSA, three generations of Starmen, Kamandi and even some villains. The two factions lead the fight for the hearts of the multiverse, one trying to tilt the scales towards justice, the others towards doom.
While not the blockbuster seller of its predecessor or conclusion,the “Justice/Doom War” does stand out as the most gripping, all-star story in modern League history. The story was especially brilliant for how it delved into the lore behind the creation of the multiverse itself, casting the Monitor, Anti-Monitor and World Forger into an alliance. As Perpetua begins to destroy worlds within the multiverse, Apex Lex tilts the world towards Doom.
