Justice League Elite
Encyclopedia
Justice League Elite was a twelve-issue comic book
limited series
published monthly by DC Comics
in 2004
and 2005
. The title was created by writer
Joe Kelly
and penciller
Doug Mahnke
.
The Justice League Elite was formed to attempt black op
s that would not be acceptable for the JLA
to "sully their hands" with.
The team was formed at the end JLA #100 from most of the second incarnation of The Elite
(only missing Hat), members of the JLA and a couple of spies/assassins. They operated out of Somerset, New Jersey
.
:
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published monthly by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
in 2004
2004 in comics
-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....
and 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
. The title was created by writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Joe Kelly
Joe Kelly (comics)
Joseph "Joe" Kelly is an American comic book writer, penciler and editor who has written such titles as Deadpool, Uncanny X-Men, Action Comics, and JLA...
and penciller
Penciller
A penciller is an artist who works in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms.The penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. These artists are concerned with layout to showcase...
Doug Mahnke
Doug Mahnke
Douglas "Doug" Mahnke is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Mahnke's first prominent work was for The Mask, and he has since worked for DC Comics on JLA, Batman with writer Judd Winick, and Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein with Grant Morrison...
.
The Justice League Elite was formed to attempt black op
Black op
A black operation or black op is a covert operation typically involving activities that are highly clandestine and often outside of standard military protocol or even against the law.-Origins:...
s that would not be acceptable for the JLA
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
to "sully their hands" with.
"The Justice League Elite are a not-exactly-sanctioned, don't-ask-don't-tell, covert operations unit-- newly formed to hunt and eliminate extra-normal threats to the earth before they go public." (JLA Secret Files and Origins 2004)
The team was formed at the end JLA #100 from most of the second incarnation of The Elite
The Elite
The Elite is a team of super-powered anti-heroes appearing in stories published by DC Comics. The team took early influences from The Authority....
(only missing Hat), members of the JLA and a couple of spies/assassins. They operated out of Somerset, New Jersey
Somerset, New Jersey
Somerset is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located at the easternmost section within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey. At the 2000 United States Census, the CDP population was 23,040...
.
Membership
- Sister SuperiorVera BlackSister Superior is a fictional character from DC Comics. She is the sister of British anti-hero Manchester Black, and a member of the JLA offshoot known as Justice League Elite.-Fictional character biography:...
, sister of the Elite's first leader Manchester BlackManchester BlackManchester Black is a fictional character, and an antihero in the DC Comics universe. He was created by Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke in Action Comics #775, .-Fictional character biography:...
, sees the Elite as a means of atoning for her brother's actions. - ColdcastColdcastColdcast is a fictional anti-hero that as appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. He was a member of both incarnations of the The Elite before joining Justice League Elite...
, the only original member of the Elite in the JLE, and inspired by Superman to fight for right after his earlier actions in the Elite. - Menagerie, joined with an alien weapon crèche (formerly bonded to her comatose sister) which drove her insane, now in a metahumanMetahumanMetahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
prison facility. - Manitou RavenManitou RavenManitou Raven is a fictional character and superhero from DC Comics. Manitou Raven was known to shout "Inukchuk!" when he cast spells. This is a reference by writer Joe Kelly to Apache Chief from the Super Friends animated series. Like Apache Chief, Manitou would shout this phrase in order to...
and his wife Dawn (who later becomes Manitou DawnManitou DawnManitou Dawn is a fictional superhero character in the DC Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Dawn and her late husband Manitou Raven hail from the Obsidian Age of Atlantis, circa 1000 BC. They were born in North America, from a tribe which would one day become the Apache Tribe. Few...
after her husband's death), serving as the team's magical expert. - Green ArrowGreen ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
(Oliver Queen), serving as the team's tactical expert and left-winger, commonly coordinating their battles from the base; has a brief affair with Dawn. - FlashFlash (comics)The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
(Wally WestWally WestThe Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
), working in the Elite after recent events caused him to question the League's policy of only reacting to threats; he was a member of both teams simultaneously, but used a new, dark costume for his time with the Elite. - Major DisasterMajor DisasterMajor Disaster is a former DC Comics supervillain and reluctant amoral superhero. He debuted in Green Lantern # 43.-Fictional character biography:Paul Booker was nothing more than a cheap crook...
, a former supervillain who reformed and went on to join the Justice League. - Kasumi, supposedly an assassin who killed two hundred men before she was sixteen, but actually an undercover BatgirlBatgirlBatgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman...
(Cassandra CainCassandra CainCassandra Cain is a fictional character in the , one of several who has served as Batgirl, an important character in the Batman comic book franchise. Cassandra's backstory presents her as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her...
), sent by Batman to monitor the Elite. - Naif al-SheikhNaif al-SheikhNaif al-Sheikh is a fictional character, a Saudi superhero in the DC Comics universe and a former member of Justice League Elite. Created by Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke, the character first appeared in Justice League Elite #1 ....
, an Arab expert in international espionageEspionageEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
who was brought in by Vera BlackVera BlackSister Superior is a fictional character from DC Comics. She is the sister of British anti-hero Manchester Black, and a member of the JLA offshoot known as Justice League Elite.-Fictional character biography:...
because she believed his hatred of metahumans would keep the team in check.
Collected editions
The group's appearances have been collected in two trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Justice League Elite:
- Volume 1 (collects: Action Comics #775, JLA #100, JLA Secret Files 2004, and Justice League Elite #1-4, 208 pages, 20052005 in comics- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
, TitanTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
ISBN 1-84576-191-X, DCDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
ISBN 1-4012-0481-3) - Volume 2 (collects Justice League Elite #5-12, 192 pages, 20072007 in comics-January:*January 10: Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predator released.*January 24: The Boys is canceled with issue #6.-February:*February 2: Newsarama reports that The Boys has been picked up by Dynamite Entertainment....
, TitanTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
ISBN 1-84576-632-6, DCDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
ISBN 1-4012-1556-4)
- Volume 1 (collects: Action Comics #775, JLA #100, JLA Secret Files 2004, and Justice League Elite #1-4, 208 pages, 2005
External links
- Details of the 12 issue limited series
- Review of Justice League Elite #1
- Not Just the JLA: Joey Kelly on JLA Elite, NewsaramaNewsaramaNewsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
, July 6, 2004 - Joseph League Elite - Joey Kelly Talks JLE, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, September 20, 2004