| xxxxx | The Continuity Pages | - | ||||
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| - | ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ | JulianiDarius | xxxxx | |||
The story of the late 1990s' Justice League relaunch really begins with
the four-issue prestige-format mini-series
Kingdom Come,
published around early summer in 1996. This tense apocalyptic Elseworlds tale took place
several decades in the future and featured the formation of a new Justice League in response to
the deadly and irresponsible actions of both super-heroes and super-villains. This league
assimilated when possible but imprisoned when necessary. Ultimately, almost everyone is killed
and a new era began. It featured the stunning painted artwork of Alex Ross (who had catapulted
to stardom with his painted artwork on the four-issue similar-page-length
Marvels
mini-series for Marvel Comics), as well as a script by Mark Waid based on a plot and on
characters conceived and designed by both. It focused heavily on characterization,
particularly on
Superman,
and proved that Superman was a vibrant character who could be written and depicted well in
Elseworlds tales. During the
Kingdom Come
mini-series, DC cancelled its three Justice League titles and began a three-part mini-series
(Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare) and an ongoing series entitled Aztek:
The Ultimate Man. Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare, partially written by
Mark Waid (from
Kingdom Come),
acted as a vehicle for the formation of a new Justice League. Its roster was the modern
equivalent of the original Justice League of America's:
Superman,
Batman,
Wonder Woman,
Flash,
Green Lantern,
Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter. Aztek: The Ultimate Man, brilliantly cowritten by
Grant Morrison and
Mark Millar, starred a new character. A
couple months after Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare ended, DC offered an
eagerly-awaited new ongoing Justice League title, written by
Grant Morrison,
featuring the roster established in Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare and was
entitled simply JLA. Kingdom Come had become an incredible hit and was read by almost
everyone who read comics. Both Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare and its
successor (despite pre-publication concern that the sometimes terrific
Morrison was too weird to write the league),
JLA, were also very big hits, but Aztek: The Ultimate Man was not and was soon
cancelled. Aztek, however, joined the JLA and elements brilliantly established in in his title
would be used in the JLA's first big epic, "Rock of Ages," before Aztek quit and vanished from
publication. By that time DC began offering additional JLA projects, most notably including
JLA: Year One, a twelve-issue maxi-series cowritten by Mark Waid (who had cowritten
Kingdom Come and Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare). The maxi-series
featured the original team (in post-Crisis continuity) of Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman,
Martian Manhunter, and Black Canary. The stories covered a year's time and referenced but did
not retell the original stories -- which took place between issues. The series was primarily a
character piece, and it was both high in quality and in sales. Following the conclusion of "Rock of Ages" in JLA #15, the team
disbanded only to reform with a new team with more members. This new line-up was designed by
Morrison as a reflection of the ancient Greek
pantheon of major gods. It included:
DC One Million, a four-part crossover mini-series written by
Morrison, premiered the following month. Every
DC Universe title that month had a crossover issue, numbered #1000000, including JLA and
Martian Manhunter. DC One Million featured the 853rd-Century JLA (called Justice
Leagion A) as primary characters and also revealed the survival of the present Superman into
that era. Three months after the DC One Million event, in December of 1998, DC
unveiled the Kingdom event -- a sequel to the popular
Kingdom Come which was comprised of a two-issue
mini-series called The Kingdom along with five
one-shot issues. Written by Mark Waid, this series tossed characters from
Kingdom Come into the main DC Universe and
developed characters only briefly featured in Kingdom
Come. It ended with an (hardly revolutionary) avocation of a return to more fun,
innocent, and wondrous stories in comics, revealing the existence of Hypertime -- parallel
time lines not dissimilar from the multiple Earths that existed prior to
Crisis on Infinite Earths.
In the four months after the Kingdom
event, the JLA teamed up with the Justice Society in a story that revealed the origin of
Justice Society member Johnny Thunder's thunderbolt. During these same months a three-issue
mini-series reinventing the Justice Society member Dr. Midnight was also published. During
this time an ongoing series featuring the Hourman from the 853rd Century, who was a major
player in DC One Million and who shares a name with the Justice Society member, began.
Also during these same months, DC unveiled the Justice Society Returns event -- which took
place during World War II and which was comprised of a two-issue mini-series along with seven
one-shot issues by various creators.
Grant Morrison not only took a lagging fleet of
small ships and transformed them into a flagship, but he infused this with brilliance, albeit
dimmed and limited by corporate politics.
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| JLA: Year One #1 | refers to events depicted as "ten years ago"; 38 pages; wraparound cover; cover-dated January 1998 | |||||
| JLA: Year One #2 | ||||||
| JLA: Year One #3 | Martian Manhunter reveals shape-changing powers | |||||
| JLA: Year One #4 | ||||||
| JLA: Year One #5 | the JLA battles the Brotherhood of Evil with the Doom Patrol | |||||
| JLA: Year One #6 | the battle with the Brotherhood of Evil continues; Michael Bair and John Stokes inks | |||||
| JLA: Year One #7 | the JLA battles Weapon Master; Superman appears | |||||
| JLA: Year One #8 | Locus reveals its master plan and readies for the end of the world; the league deals with Martian Manhunter's secret | |||||
| JLA: Year One #9 | ||||||
| JLA: Year One #10 | Michael Bair and Mark Propst inks | |||||
| JLA: Year One #11 | ||||||
| JLA: Year One #12 | 40 pages; cover-dated December 1998; published on 14 October 1998 | |||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: Year One | collects JLA: Year One #1-12; Kurt Busiek introduction; wraparound cover
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| Legends of the DC Universe #12 | features team comprised of Barry Allen (Flash), Hal Jordan (GL), Aquaman, Hawkman, the Atom, Firestorm, Zatanna, and Red Tornado with Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) and Black Canary on a leave of absence; Superman, Batman, Martian Manhunter, and Snapper Carr appear; has flashback to "four years" previous in which Oliver Queen says he has funded the team for "these last two years"; cover-dated January 1999 | |||||
| Legends of the DC Universe #13 | cover-dated February 1999 | |||||
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| Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare #1 | Superman and Batman escape a dream in which only normal people have powers; cover-dated September 1996 | |||||
| Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare #2 | Superman and Batman are joined by Kyle Rayner (Green Lantern), Wally West (Flash), Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter | |||||
| Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare #3 | features Knowman, who makes his first appearance here as a poorly-written mastermind; the book's team forms new Justice League; cover-dated November 1996 | |||||
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![]() Larger Version Available | Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare | collects Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare #1-3; 134 pages
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| ||||||
| JLA Secret Files #1 | features
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![]() Larger Version Available | Secret Origins Featuring the JLA | collects the main story of JLA Secret Files #1 and other Secret Files of the same year
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| Aztek: The Ultimate Man #1 | contains the first appearance of Aztek; contains the first appearance and death of Bloodtype and Piper; cover-dated August 1996 | |||||
| Aztek: The Ultimate Man #2 | Green Lantern Kyle Rayner appears | |||||
| Aztek: The Ultimate Man #3 | amazingly good story; Aztek battles Death Doll | |||||
| Aztek: The Ultimate Man #4 | Aztek battles Lizard King | |||||
| Aztek: The Ultimate Man #5 | Aztek's origin is revealed; Aztek battles Lizard King | |||||
| Aztek: The Ultimate Man #6 | Aztek battles Joker; Batman cameo; includes an insightful letter by Julian Bukalski | |||||
| Aztek: The Ultimate Man #7 | Batman appears; Aztek battles the Joker; Aztek defeats Fixit; ends with Aztek collapsing after his recent troubles | |||||
| JLA #1 | the Hyperclan makes its first appearance; cover-dated January 1997 | |||||
| JLA #2 | ||||||
| JLA #3 | ||||||
| JLA #4 | the JLA defeats the Hyperclan and gets its moon base | |||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: New World Order | collects JLA #1-4; cover-dated April 1997
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| Aztek: The Ultimate Man #8 | has Aztek with the Q society; Lex Luthor fixes Aztek's life; reveals that Aztek is a potential JLA member | |||||
| Aztek: The Ultimate Man #9 | Lex Luthor's meeting with Aztek continues from last issue; Aztek battles Parasite; Superman (who is having trouble with his powers presaging his transformation) appears | |||||
| JLA #5 | tells the life and death of Tomorrow Woman; features the "new" Superman; | |||||
| JLA: Tomorrow Woman #1 | part of DC's week of one-shots entitled "Girlfrenzy!"; occurs during JLA #5; Tom Peyer script; Yanick Paquette pencils; Mark Lipka inks; cover-dated June 1998 | |||||
| Aztek: The Ultimate Man #10 | final issue; JLA appears and battles Amazo; Aztek gets initiated into the JLA; pages 1-5 occur between pgs 8 & 9 of JLA #5, the remainder of the issue after JLA #5; cover-dated May 1997 | |||||
| JLA #6 | Zauriel, a former angel, asks the JLA for help; Asmodel, an archangel, attacks them; Neron appears | |||||
| JLA #7 | Superman tries to keep the moon from hitting Earth as the rest of team battles Asmodel | |||||
| JLA #8 | ||||||
| JLA #9 | cover-dated early September 1997 | |||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: American Dreams | collects JLA #5-9; cover-dated January 1998
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| JLA Annual #1 | features
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| JLA: Paradise Lost #1 | cover-dated January 1998 | |||||
| JLA: Paradise Lost #2 | ||||||
| JLA: Paradise Lost #3 | cover-dated March 1998 | |||||
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| JLA #10 | participates in DC's Genesis crossover event; Aztek makes his first appearance as a member; the team defeats the evil JLA; Martian Manhunter encounters the Genesis wave; cover-dated late September 1997 | |||||
| JLA #11 | Martian Manhunter and Superman walk through the Joker's brain, Metron appears | |||||
| JLA #12 | ||||||
| JLA #13 | Martian Manhunter's face on the cover | |||||
| JLA #14 | Gary Frank pencils; no ink data known | |||||
| JLA #15 | 39 pages; pencils by Howard Porter, Gary Frank, & Greg Land; inks by John Dell & Bob McLeod; cover-dated February 1998 | |||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: Rock of Ages | collects JLA #10-15
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| ||||||
| JLA Secret Files #2 | features
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| Prometheus (Villains) #1 | cover-dated February 1998 | |||||
| JLA #16 | Prometheus trashes half the JLA; cover-dated March 1996 | |||||
| JLA #17 | features Catwoman, in man-hating fashion, whipping Prometheus's genitals | |||||
| JLA #18 | no artistic data entered | |||||
| JLA #19 | Howard Porter pencils; John Dell & Walden Wong inks | |||||
| JLA #20 | features an Adam Strange appearance | |||||
| JLA #21 | no artistic data entered | |||||
| JLA #22 | ||||||
| JLA #23 | cover-dated October 1998 | |||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: Strength in Numbers | collects Prometheus (Villains) #1, JLA #16-23, and the main story from JLA Secret Files #2
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #0 | Batman and Superman appear; cover-dated October 1998 | |||||
| Martian Manhunter Annual #1 | part of the "Ghosts" storyline, running through DC's annuals; no creator data entered | |||||
| JLA Annual #2 | concludes the "Ghosts" storyline, running through DC's annuals; Ty Templeton script; 38 pages; cover-dated October 1998 | |||||
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| DC One Million #1 | 39 pages; features a nuclear attack | |||||
| DC One Million #2 | ||||||
| JLA #1000000 | published on 16 September 1998 during the third week, in which no DC One Million issue was published | |||||
| DC One Million #3 | published on 23 September 1998 | |||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #1000000 | published on 23 September 1998 during the fourth week (in which DC One Million #3 was published) | |||||
| DC One Million #4 | in this rushed story, Green Lantern discovers the extent of his abilities, Superman's future self is reunited with Lois Lane, and both the future Vandal Savage and Resurrection Man die; published on 30 September 1998 | |||||
![]() Larger Version Available | DC One Million | collects DC One Million #1-4, JLA #1000000, and other material
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| JLA: DC One Million | an edition of DC One Million with a new title; published in April 2004 | |||||
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| JLA #24 | ||||||
| JLA #25 | ||||||
| JLA #26 | ||||||
| JLA #27 | Mark Millar script; Mark Pajarillo pencils; Walden Wong & Marlo Alquiza inks | |||||
| JLA #28 | ||||||
| JLA #29 | features the Quintessence (from The Kingdom) | |||||
| JLA #30 | ||||||
| JLA #31 | ||||||
| JLA #32 | responds to the cordoning off of Gotham City (during the "No Man's Land" meta-storyline in the Batman titles); Mark Waid & Devin Grayson script | |||||
| JLA #33 | the new Flash reveals his identity to Superman | |||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: Justice for All | collects JLA #24-33
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
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| JLA #34 | a prologue to "World War III" | |||||
| JLA #35 | no data entered | |||||
| JLA #36 | ||||||
| JLA #37 | ||||||
| JLA #38 | ||||||
| JLA #39 | ||||||
| JLA #40 | ||||||
| JLA #41 | 38 pages; cover-dated May 2000 | |||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: World War III | collects JLA #34-41
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
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| JLA #42 | ||||||
| JLA #43 | ||||||
| JLA #44 | ||||||
| JLA #45 | ||||||
| JLA #46 | ||||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: Tower of Babel | apparently collects JLA #42-46, plus other material
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| JLA #47 | ||||||
| JLA #48 | art by two teams, the first being Hitch & Neary, the second being J. H. Williams III pencilling & Mick Gray inking | |||||
| JLA #49 | art by two teams, the first being Hitch & Neary, the second being Javier Saltares pencilling & Chris Ivy inking | |||||
| JLA #50 | 38 pages; Batman rejoins and all but Wonder Woman & Aquaman reveal their identities to each other; pencils by Bryan Hitch, Phil Jimeneez, Ty Templeton, Doug Mahnke, & Mark Pajarillo; Paul Neary, Kevin Nowlan, Drew Geraci, & Walden Wong inks | |||||
| JLA #51 | Mike S. Miller pencils, Armando Durruthy inks | |||||
| JLA #52 | ||||||
| JLA #53 | ||||||
| JLA #54 | ||||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: Divided We Fall | collects JLA #47-54; horribly written, both immature and full of reality-warping villains whose defeat restores the status quo; published on Friday, 4 January 2002
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| JLA #55 | ||||||
| JLA #56 | ||||||
| JLA #57 | ||||||
| JLA #58 | ||||||
| JLA #59 | participates in the Joker: Last Laugh crossover; no creator data entered | |||||
| JLA #60 | Mark Waid's final issue; Cliff Rathburn pencils, Paul Neary inks | |||||
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| JLA: Incarnations #1 | ||||||
| JLA: Incarnations #2 | ||||||
| JLA: Incarnations #3 | ||||||
| JLA: Incarnations #4 | ||||||
| JLA: Incarnations #5 | ||||||
| JLA: Incarnations #6 | ||||||
| JLA: Incarnations #7 | ||||||
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| JLA / WildC.A.T.s | Val Semeiks pencils, Kevin Conrad & Ray Kryssing inks; 64 pages; prestige format | |||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: Earth 2 | 98 pages; features brilliant story and art; Frank Quitely art
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
| JLA: Earth 2 [hardcover] | ||||||
![]() Larger Version Available | JLA: Heaven's Ladder | 72 pages; oversided ("treasury"-size); wraparound cover
[REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK] | ||||
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| Martian Manhunter (second series) #1 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #2 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #3 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #4 | features J'emm, Son of Saturn | |||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #5 | Chase appears | |||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #6 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #7 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #8 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #9 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #10 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #11 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #12 | participates in the "Day of Judgment" crossover | |||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #13 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #14 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #15 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #16 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #17 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #18 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #19 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #20 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #21 | Abin Sur appears | |||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #22 | features Batman | |||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #23 | features Spectre | |||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #24 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #25 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #26 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #27 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #28 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #29 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #30 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #31 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #32 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #33 | ||||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #34 | battles Darkseid | |||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #35 | battles Malefic | |||||
| Martian Manhunter (second series) #36 | final issue | |||||
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| Total Justice #1 | ||||||
| Total Justice #2 | ||||||
| Total Justice #3 | final issue | |||||
| JLA 80-Page Giant #1 | features seven 10-page stories, including
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| JLA in Crisis Secret Files #1 | features
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| DC One Million 80-Page Giant #1000000 | features
| |||||
| JLA 80-Page Giant #2 | features seven 10-page stories, including
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| Martian Manhunter Annual #2 | part of the "JLApe" storyline, running through DC's annuals; no creator data entered | |||||
| JLA Annual #3 | concludes the "JLApe" storyline, running through DC's annuals; no creator data entered | |||||
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