Justice League #1
Justice League #1 (cover date May 1987) launched what became known as the Giffen-DeMatteis-Maguire era — the first time DC's flagship super-team book had been relaunched at #1 — and did so with a deliberately comedic, character-driven approach that ran directly counter to the grim revisionism then dominating the medium. By trading in the marquee 'Big Seven' roster for a mix of second-tier and recently acquired characters, the series proved that personality, interpersonal friction, and wit could sustain a top-selling team book just as effectively as raw power. It also delivered the first appearance of Maxwell Lord, the morally ambiguous billionaire whose shadow would fall over DC continuity for decades. The cover composition became so culturally embedded that more than a dozen DC titles — and several from other publishers — directly homaged or parodied it in subsequent years.
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The series spun directly out of DC's 1986–87 crossover event Legends, which was conceived in part to relaunch stalled titles in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Editor Andy Helfer assembled the creative team after DeMatteis had just finished writing the final arc of the struggling Justice League Detroit run; Giffen, then best known as a plotter and for Ambush Bug, originally intended to script the book himself but brought DeMatteis aboard to handle dialogue, with each contributing distinct sensibilities — Giffen's absurdist plotting and DeMatteis's more literary character work. Access to the classic 'Big Seven' was effectively closed off because Superman, Wonder Woman, and Flash were all in the middle of high-profile solo relaunches whose editorial teams were reluctant to share them, forcing the book toward second-string talent that paradoxically became its greatest strength. Even DC President Jenette Kahn had reservations about the Giffen-led direction, but Helfer successfully championed the team's unconventional vision.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Maxwell Lord (Maxwell Lord IV), the billionaire entrepreneur who secretly finances a terrorist incident to legitimize and control the new Justice League — his latent psionic ability to influence minds is not revealed until Justice League International #12.
- The story, titled 'Born Again,' is written by Keith Giffen (plot and breakdowns) and J.M. DeMatteis (script), penciled by Kevin Maguire, inked by Terry Austin, colored by Gene D'Angelo, lettered by Bob Lappan, and edited by Andrew (Andy) Helfer.
- The founding lineup consists of Batman, Black Canary, Blue Beetle (Ted Kord, a former Charlton Comics property recently acquired by DC), Captain Marvel, Doctor Fate, Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi), Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), Martian Manhunter, and Mister Miracle — with Oberon also present; Martian Manhunter is the sole member carried over from the disbanded Justice League Detroit.
- Editor Andy Helfer's specific suggestion to use Guy Gardner rather than the better-known Hal Jordan proved pivotal; Giffen re-characterized Gardner as a macho, loudmouthed hothead, establishing the personality that would define him for years.
- The series was published under the title 'Justice League' for only six issues before being renamed Justice League International with issue #7, reflecting the team's expanding U.N.-sanctioned international mandate.
- The cover — the roster posed together against a plain background with Gardner's belligerent challenge 'Wanna make somethin' of it?' — was subsequently homaged or parodied by more than a dozen DC titles including Justice League Europe #1, Formerly Known as the Justice League #1, and Justice League: Generation Lost #1.
- The issue has been reprinted in numerous collected formats, including Justice League: A New Beginning (1989), a DC Millennium Edition (July 2000), JLA: The Greatest Stories Ever Told (2006), the Justice League International Omnibus Vol. 1 (2017), and Justice League International: Born Again (2020).
- The Giffen-DeMatteis-Maguire run earned the Eisner Award and inspired reunion miniseries, including Formerly Known as the Justice League (2003) and I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League (2005), both by the original creative team.
Cast · 28 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
A new Justice League forms amidst public controversy and dissention in the ranks. A terrorist threat to the U.N. is averted as their first act.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).