The Justice League panel at the New York Comic Con included Justice League and Justice League of America writer Geoff Johns, outgoing Justice League artist Jim Lee, and new JLA artist David Finch.
There was talk from Johns about the upcoming “Throne of Atlantis” Aquaman/Justice League crossover and about the cover to Justice League #16 which sees the League battling each other. Before that, Justice League #13 will kick off a story featuring the Cheetah and introducing her to the DCU in a new way. Scripts for Justice League and the other books get shared around the DC offices to make sure everybody is on message. However, we can expect the integration to get a little tighter in the upcoming year. Shazam will join the Justice League where his story will continue.
In a widely reported quote, Johns said that the new [JLA] book would “make Martian Manhunter the most dangerous hero in the DC Universe”. The character has previously been seen in the New 52 as a member of Stormwatch. Johns later described him as “one-man illuminati”. The Injustice Gang were hinted at for JLA #1. Also “Everyone is saying who the hell is Vibe? The other characters will be saying that too” In response to a question Johns joked that “He feels like he’s a Red Shirt, as soon as they meet a villain or another hero he [thinks], ‘I’m gone!’”
Geoff Johns kept Stargirl out of Earth 2 as he wanted to write the character himself (he created her and based her on his late sister). The JLA Stargirl is “like an anti-Paris Hilton, anti-Amanda Bynes character. She’s the one everyone looks up to, she operates out of Hollywood now…she’s kind of the face of America.”
The Flash will feature Gorillas, Orion of the New Gods will become a supporting character in Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern Baz will find a mentor in an existing, but underused Green Lantern character. Booster Gold, who vanished at the end of the JLI Annual, will not “not-exist” for too long. Lee and Johns will be meeting with “people in charge of” the Milestone characters soon.
Newsarama had a video interview with Dan Didio where he described the new JLA book as a “counter point” to the main Justice League book and that the too teams would be at odds from the start. Steve Trevor had a very deliberate reason for picking everybody on the team.