We are excited to reveal the final three members of DC’s upcoming Justice League of America comic book series launching in February 2017: Batman, Black Canary, and, believe it or not, Lobo. These three characters complete the roster that will make up the team’s initial lineup, joining already-revealed members Vixen, Killer Frost, The Atom (Ryan Choi), and The Ray.
Take your first look at the cover to Justice League of America #1 by artist Ivan Reis, who will be drawing the series.
Justice League of America #1 cover by Ivan Reis. (DC Comics)
Whereas Batman and Black Canary are two of the most renowned heroes from DC’s pantheon, Lobo is a loud-mouthed, cursing, cigar-smoking, motorcycle-riding, alien bounty hunter, so him joining the team comes out of left field.
“For some people, Lobo will be a hero. For others, he'll be an anti-hero. It's moving past these black and white definitions and realizing that you have to have a malleable idea to serve everyone instead of just the people in the mainstream. Lobo, I think there's more to him than ever before,” said series writer Steve Orlando in a phone interview.
The New 52 Lobo design by Kenneth Rocafort. (DC Comics)
You’ll notice that Lobo has been reverted back closer to his original character design rather than the New 52's thin, clean-shaven version deemed “Twlight Lobo” by fans.
“I like to think that we're giving people the Lobo that made him famous and as time goes on hopefully we can get into how we got there a little bit more,” Orlando teased.
The reversion extends to Lobo’s personality, too.
“He's the Lobo we all love, causing mayhem. He'll be giving people what they want but at the same time he does have a code. The main man's word is his bond, man. I think that's important. That's one of the things that guides him through life. We find out a little bit what's behind this character. Not to soften him, but to give him more depth because he's still the hard partying, bullshit calling, bullshit calling especially, it's what I love about him, but if anyone is there to remind them that they're taking themselves too seriously to remind people that they're hypocrites, it's him,” Orlando said. “I mean, he's on a team with Batman, he's not going to exploding people's brains all over the place, but that's not to say that that's not going to cause conflict and he's not going to want to.”
Batman is already a member of the Justice League proper, and Orlando confirms he’ll be pulling double duty with membership on both teams.
Batman’s inspiration for joining the team will come from a pivotal scene he shares with Killer Frost during Justice League vs. Suicide Squad (Rebirth's first big event, out on December 21), according to Orlando.
“Without giving too much away, I would say that the inspiration of this scene, perhaps paradoxically, comes from the events that happen between Batman and Frost, to show him that the world changed and heroism has to change with it. It's a reality check for him. Batman is someone who thinks that he always has everything under his thumb and under control but he has a moment where he realizes he has to rebuild, he has to change, he has to redefine heroism. The callout is that he's not the only one. There's maybe people that he can help do it, and even more importantly, there's people he can surround himself that can help him do that for himself,” Orlando said.
Orlando emphasized to us that Black Canary earns her spot on the team not only for being one of the best hand-to-hand fighters in the DC Universe, alongside Batman, but for how she provides a different perspective from being on the ground with Green Arrow fighting for social justice and understanding what hope and justice mean for different people.
“She doesn't lord above people with a mask. She's in Seattle, she's seen by people, she talks to people, she listens to people. She's there, as Batman says, to keep him honest, to keep him in line. He knows what he wants to do, but it's a bit out of his comfort zone. Honestly, she's there because of the immense amount of respect he has for her and what she does,” Orlando said.
The team’s initial roster is set, but it’s long been the tradition of superhero team books to have a constantly-changing roster, and because Orlando is also writing Supergirl’s solo series, we asked if she might find her way to the team one day.
Supergirl #1 cover by Michael Atiyeh and Brian Ching. (DC Comics)
“Eventually, sure. I love Kara. She is 16, so her peers might be found in a team like the Teen Titans before the Justice League. But at the same time, I always love a character that rises to the occasion, like when Wally West first joined the JLA class. There's always a spot for her on the team because of the unique point of view she brings in the DC universe. What team she's on will depend on whenever the chance arises. I'd love to bring those books together,” Orlando said.
Orlando explained the difference between the Justice League (whose ongoing series is written by Bryan Hitch with art by Tony S. Daniel) and the Justice League of America.
“They also have completely different points of view. I think that's important. Bryan and Tony are doing amazing work in the biggest mainstream comic you can find. We are still doing things that are insane and exciting but I think that just by virtue of who's on the team, the points of view and the lanes they will travel in will be different. The places the Justice League of America go will be different because they're tuned in to the different communities. They're tuned into people that have never thought that they would see a superhero before, that they never thought they'd be thought of or heard by them,” Orlando said. “And besides the fact that they have a different face and a different roster, there's an emotional quality that I think is different. This is about reinvention. It's about rebuilding and it's about putting heroism out in this world that matches the needs of the world today. And we're going to do that on every page as much as we possibly can.”
Finally, Orlando teased that the new JLA book will pick up on mysteries set up in DC Universe: Rebirth #1 and he wants it to be a centerpiece of the DC Universe going forward.
“The other thing that I'm excited to do is to meet these teams and unwrap the mystery of Rebirth and other events coming up, to really have JLA be the book that the DC Universe rotates around. All these changes are happening in the book because I wanted it to be vital. I wanted it to matter. I want the DC Universe to orbit around the Justice League of America,” Orlando said.
Joshua is IGN’s Comics Editor. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
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