On James Robinson's Justice League

Commentor Nhexmia's recent comments on my review of Justice League Elite crystalized some things I've been thinking about the announcement of James Robinson's new Justice League project. Now, constant readers know I'm not the sort to rant against a project before it's even been released, but Justice League, the latest "proactive super-group" in a string of proactive super-groups that also included Justice League Elite and Extreme Justice, strikes me as an unnecessary idea, something that would be far more appropriate as a miniseries than an ongoing.

We already have Batman and the Outsiders, Batman's own proactive super-group. Do Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen really need their own, too? Will Wonder Woman be starting her own as well? One thing I thought DC learned post-Zero Hour when Justice League of America, Extreme Justice, and Justice League Task Force all became JLA is that the less you dilute the wellspring, the better it sells -- hence the current reduction from four Superman titles to two. Now Justice League of America will have another partner out there, Justice League.

And the name is just like nails on a chalkboard to me. Justice League of America and ... Justice League. Not even Justice League Task Force, which is wordy but at least has distinction. I understand the nuance Dan Didio's trying to describe, that on one hand we have a Justice League of America and on the other hand we have a Justice League, but come on -- along with JLA and Justice Society of America, Justice League hardly sounds like the third corner of the triangle.

What sells me here, of course, is James Robinson, who I trust to write a paper bag and make it interesting. We have finally Batwoman in a regular title; Robinson's use of Congorilla sounds ingenious; and having James Robinson write an ongoing Green Lantern/Green Arrow title is pure heaven. So my judgment is ultimately reserved, but when I hear that DC's trying this "proactive" concept again, after they've tried it so many times before, I do begin to think maybe fewer titles is the better idea.

Avi Green also shares his thoughts on Justice League over at Four Color Media Montior.