In 1986, Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis launched Justice League International which became a popular series – see the reading order for more information. A decade later, the commercial success of the series was becoming history, and the titles were canceled. DC tried to revamp the League with the help of Mark Waid and Fabian Nicieza. They launched the miniseries Justice League: A Midsummer’s Nightmare. But it was in 1997 when Grant Morrison reformed the Justice League with artist Howard Porter in the new JLA series that the team found success again.
Grant Morrison wrote JLA for the first four years and treated the superheroes as gods who had to fight villains who threatened the World (and/or the Universe). Now based on a Watchtower on the moon, the JLA took on revamped versions of classic threats including the White Martians, the Injustice Gang, and the Key; along with new foes like Prometheus and Mageddon.
Here is the official synopsis: In a world where superhumans live side-by-side with mortals, the people of Earth can take comfort that some of these powerful beings are on the side of good. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter are the world’s first line of defense against alien invaders and supernatural entities. Time and again the JLA has rallied to save humankind from the brink of extinction. These are the adventures that have made them living legends.
Grant Morrison’s JLA Reading Order: Collected Editions
JLA Omnibus
- JLA by Grant Morrison Omnibus
Collects JLA #1-17, #22-26, #28-31, #34, #36-#41, JLA One Million, and JLA: Earth 2.
JLA Deluxe Editions
- JLA: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1
Collects JLA #1-9, JLA Secret Files #1. - JLA: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 2
Collects JLA #10-17, New Year’s Evil: Prometheus, JLA/Wildcats. - JLA: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 3
Collects JLA #22-26, 28-31, #1,000,000. - JLA: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 4
Collects JLA #34, #36-41, JLA: Classified #1-3, JLA Earth 2.
JLA Paperbacks
- JLA, Vol. 1: New World Order
Collects JLA #1–4. - JLA, Vol. 2: American Dreams
Collects JLA #5–9.- JLA #1-9 are also collected in JLA: New World Order (DC Essential Edition).
- JLA, Vol. 3: Rock of Ages
Collects JLA #10–15. - JLA, Vol. 4: Strength in Numbers
Collects JLA #16–23, JLA Secret Files and Origins #2, New Year’s Evil: Prometheus (one-shot). - JLA, Vol. 5: Justice for All
Collects JLA #24–33. - JLA, Vol. 6: World War III
Collects JLA #34–41. - JLA Earth 2
Grant Morrison’s JLA Reading Order: Issue by Issue
Even if Grant Morrison’s JLA run can be read alone, the characters continued to evolve in their own ongoing series. Changes affected the Justice League and here is what you need to know:
- JLA #1–4 “New World Order”
- Superman Blue Vol. 1: Superman loses his traditional powers and transforms into a being of electromagnetic energy.
- JLA #5 “Woman of Tomorrow”
- JLA #6–7 “Fire in the Sky”
- JLA #8–9 “Imaginary Stories”
- JLA Secret Files & Origins #1 “Star-Seed”
- JLA/WildC.A.T.s (one-shot) – a DC/Image crossover event with art by Val Semeiks.
- Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #125 “Deathwatch” collected in Wonder Woman by John Byrne Vol. 3 – The members of the JLA come to say goodbye to one of their own as Wonder Woman got her soul incinerated by Neron. For more, take a look at our Wonder Woman Reading Order.
- Aztek the Ultimate Man – Short series from Grant Morrison and Mark Millar introducing Aztek, aka Uno who was raised from childhood by a secret organization named the Q Society to be the champion of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl to battle their enemy, the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca. Aztek joined the Justice League in Aztek, The Ultimate Man #10.
- JLA #10–15 “Rock of Ages”
- Prometheus (one-shot)
- JLA #16–17 “Prometheus Unbound”
- The short Superman Blue era concluded in Superman Vol 2 #135.
- JLA #22–23 “Conquerors”
- For a short period of time, Hippolyta was Wonder Woman. Diana is back at the end of Wonder Woman Vol 2 #136 taking place at the end of the JLA #23 main story but before the epilogue. Collected in Wonder Woman by John Byrne Vol. 3.
- JLA One Million (one-shot)
- DC One Million: The event (see reading order here) takes place after JLA #23, as the final two pages of this issue lead into the story.
- JLA #24–26 “Executive Action”
- JLA #28–31 “Crisis Times Five”
- JLA #34 “The Ant and the Avalanche”
- JLA #36–41 “World War III”
Grant Morrison’s run officially ended here, but he wrote two more JLA Stories after that.
- JLA: Earth 2 (graphic novel)
- JLA Classified #1–3: “Ultramarine Corps”
After Grant Morrison’s JLA
Once Grant Morrison left the title, Mark Waid took over and wrote one of the most famous JLA storylines, The Tower of Babel. With Joe Kelly, Waid stayed on the series until #90, then switched to a series of rotating writers until its cancellation with #126.
- JLA: The Tower of Babel
Collects JLA #18-21, #32-33, and #43-46, and two stories from JLA Secret Files #3.
Last Updated on September 30, 2022.
