30 years after DC Comics made headlines by killing off Superman, they're poised to do it again. And this time they're taking out the entire Justice League for good measure.
As revealed by Entertainment Weekly, the current Justice League series will end with April's Justice League #75, which is written by Joshua Williamson and drawn by Rafa Sandoval There won't be an immediate replacement on the way, however, because most of the team will be killed in that story battling a team called the Dark Army. That finale is intended to serve as the foundation for an ongoing storyline that sees the DCU come to terms with the loss of so many beloved heroes.
This new storyline is intentionally designed to echo the infamous "Death of Superman" crossover from 1992, which culminated with the Man of Steel losing his life in a battle with Doomsday in Superman #75. Though Superman did eventually return to life, it was only after a prolonged absence and the rise of four temporary replacements in the follow-up crossover "Reign of the Supermen."
"I remember the experience of reading the build-up to 'The Death of Superman' and then waiting in the rain for my copy of issue #75." Williamson told EW. "I think one reason that story was so powerful was that after the 'Funeral for a Friend' story, there were no Superman comics for three months. That's part of what led us to make the decision that this is the last issue of Justice League. But then three months later, there's still not gonna be a Justice League comic. It's gonna be a while, and that's gonna be a major part of what the DCU looks like after this story: There is no Justice League."
Though Justice League #75 marks Williamson's first and, apparently, only issue of the series (current writer Brian Michael Bendis is leaving with March's Justice League #74), he confirmed this twist is part of a larger storyline that began in 2021's Infinite Frontier #0 and will continue to play out in many corners of the DCU going forward. Williamson is also currently writing the monthly Batman and Robin titles and co-writing Justice League Incarnate.
"Ever since Infinite Frontier #0, we've been building to this story," Williamson said. "Last year was a lot of fun and games, but when this story starts, it's the beginning of the third act. We're going to see things get darkest before the dawn. The Justice League gets called in to fight this Dark Army that's been building on the edge of the multiverse. They go up against this Dark Army and they lose."
Of the current Justice League roster - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern John Stewart, Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Black Canary and Zatanna - only one member will survive their battle with the Dark Army and bring news of this tragedy to Earth. Presumably, this will force a younger generation of heroes like Jon Kent, Yara Flor, Jace Fox and Naomi McDuffie to step up and fill the void left by their mentors. This would also seem to suggest a number of other ongoing DC books will either be canceled or revamped to feature new lead characters.
Be sure to check out our full breakdown of what's coming from DC in 2022. And let us know which Justice League member will survive the events of issue #75 by voting in the poll below:
Continue reading...
As revealed by Entertainment Weekly, the current Justice League series will end with April's Justice League #75, which is written by Joshua Williamson and drawn by Rafa Sandoval There won't be an immediate replacement on the way, however, because most of the team will be killed in that story battling a team called the Dark Army. That finale is intended to serve as the foundation for an ongoing storyline that sees the DCU come to terms with the loss of so many beloved heroes.
This new storyline is intentionally designed to echo the infamous "Death of Superman" crossover from 1992, which culminated with the Man of Steel losing his life in a battle with Doomsday in Superman #75. Though Superman did eventually return to life, it was only after a prolonged absence and the rise of four temporary replacements in the follow-up crossover "Reign of the Supermen."
"I remember the experience of reading the build-up to 'The Death of Superman' and then waiting in the rain for my copy of issue #75." Williamson told EW. "I think one reason that story was so powerful was that after the 'Funeral for a Friend' story, there were no Superman comics for three months. That's part of what led us to make the decision that this is the last issue of Justice League. But then three months later, there's still not gonna be a Justice League comic. It's gonna be a while, and that's gonna be a major part of what the DCU looks like after this story: There is no Justice League."
Though Justice League #75 marks Williamson's first and, apparently, only issue of the series (current writer Brian Michael Bendis is leaving with March's Justice League #74), he confirmed this twist is part of a larger storyline that began in 2021's Infinite Frontier #0 and will continue to play out in many corners of the DCU going forward. Williamson is also currently writing the monthly Batman and Robin titles and co-writing Justice League Incarnate.
"Ever since Infinite Frontier #0, we've been building to this story," Williamson said. "Last year was a lot of fun and games, but when this story starts, it's the beginning of the third act. We're going to see things get darkest before the dawn. The Justice League gets called in to fight this Dark Army that's been building on the edge of the multiverse. They go up against this Dark Army and they lose."
Of the current Justice League roster - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern John Stewart, Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Black Canary and Zatanna - only one member will survive their battle with the Dark Army and bring news of this tragedy to Earth. Presumably, this will force a younger generation of heroes like Jon Kent, Yara Flor, Jace Fox and Naomi McDuffie to step up and fill the void left by their mentors. This would also seem to suggest a number of other ongoing DC books will either be canceled or revamped to feature new lead characters.
Be sure to check out our full breakdown of what's coming from DC in 2022. And let us know which Justice League member will survive the events of issue #75 by voting in the poll below:
Continue reading...