Wednesday Comics: My Ultimate Justice League

Wednesday Comics: My Justice League

Instead of a review this week, I thought I would share with you my fantasy line up for the Justice League.

This is the premiere hero team of the DC universe. It should only be populated with A-listers or people who can rise to the occasion and become an A-lister. I was never a big fan of the League from the mid 80's to mid '90's. That's not to say that there weren't some great stories told. But it wasn't until Waid and Morrison brought together the “Big 7” that the JLA felt like they took their preeminent place in the world of comics.

A good team shouldn't be too lean or too unwieldy 7 is minimum, but not more than 12. And you have to diversify your team because of the varied problems that could arise to threaten the universe.

So, with that in mind, here is my Justice League:

From Right to Left: The Riddler, The Flash, Zatanna, Batman, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg, Stargirl, The Atom, Superman, Blue Lantern, Green Lantern, Booster Gold

1. Superman. This is, of course, a no-brainer. He is the leader both morally and in terms of battle.
   
   
2. Batman. There is no one who comes close to being as necessary to the strategic life of the League.
   
   
3. Flash (Wally West). While he may be MIA right now in the comics, he is one of those sidekicks that got bumped up the majors. He's lived his whole life as a hero and can bring that perspective.
   
   
4. Green Lantern (Hal Jordan). While Kyle Rayner is my favorite, Hal can take more of a leadership position in the League and he handles the ring better than anyone.
   
   
5. Zatanna. You need a magician on the team to deal with supernatural threats. Dr. Fate would be a more obvious choice, but I think Zatanna has a much more level head and she has more power than she lets on.
   
   
6. Martian Manhunter. His telepathy makes him an ideal communications person on the team to allow for better coordination. He also is as strong as Superman
   
   
7. Cyborg. Whether we like it or not, more and more of our lives are governed by computers. You need someone who can master them and use them to your advantage.
   
   
8. Blue Lantern (St. Walker). The team needs a healer. St. Walker can help and protect the team not only with his power ring but also his unfailing hope.
   
   
9. Booster Gold. The Justice League often finds itself facing threats from the future and the past. You need someone who can handle time travel with the greatest of ease. And that would be Booster Gold.
   
   
10. The Atom. You need someone a pure science mind. Ray Palmer can tackle all of the challenges that are in the field of scientific inquiry. Mr. Terrific was the alternate for this spot, but Palmer's ability to go sub-atomic could be invaluable (see what he and Green Arrow did to Darkseid in JLA #14)
    
    
11. Stargirl. She represents the next generation of heroes. She comes with a unique perspective, but she does not need on-the-job training. She is already the hero she should be.
    
    
12. The Riddler. He is the wild card. The Riddler has always skated the line between hero and villain. The League can use this to their advantage. He not only has contacts that the heroes do not, but he can get inside the heads of the bad guys better than them because he often is one of them. Batman will have to keep an eye on him.

The Ultimate Justice League of America

You may notice I left off two important JLA mainstays: Wonder Woman and Aquaman. They are both great characters, but I was never able to find a specific area where Wonder Woman had a unique necessity. And with Aquaman, I just ran out of room.

Thoughts?