Jordan T. Maxwell
Feb 21, 2005, 08:54 pm
<img src=http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/top10dcteams.jpg align=left alt="Top Ten DC Teams of All Time">TOP TEN DC TEAMS OF ALL TIME
By: (Nick Costanzo, Raul Grau, Jon Hancock, Matt Lazorwitz, Jordan T. Maxwell, Dylan McKay)
When a threat rises that no one hero can face alone, when a fight looms on the horizon that would consume an individual, when sales are needed that no mere solo title could generate...these are the times that give birth to great teams. And from iconic team-ups like Superman/Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow to vast armies like the Legion of Superheroes, DC is home to some of the greatest teams the comic book medium has ever known.
But what makes a great team? Is it simply mathematical, the cumulative greatness of its individual members? Perhaps that is part of it. After all, as cool as it is to see Wonder Woman defeat a monster threatening to destroy the world, there is a sense of wonder and awe to see her do so with the help of the Flash and Green Lantern. But there is something more that raises a team above a mere collection of people gathered together in the same place. Relationships. The cornerstone of great drama. Watching people work together, fight together, live together...even die together. It is in these relationships...friends and rivals, lovers and brothers-in-arms...that we most clearly see the essence of their characters. And in the heightened reality of a comic book world, the intensity of these relationships are often as high as the stakes for which the characters fight.
Regardless of what makes them great, the message they convey is clear: by putting aside our differences and working together for the greater good, we can make this world a truly finer place. Or at the very least save it from extraterrestrial monstrosities. Ladies and gentlemen, we present for you now...the ten greatest teams in 70 years of DC's history!
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#10 "BIRDS OF PREY"
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/10.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/10t.jpg" align=left alt="Birds of Prey"></a>First appearance: Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey #1
Created by: Chuck Dixon and Gary Frank
Oracle is the DCU’s all knowing information broker, helping heroes find what they need to when it’s time to save the day. But what happens when Oracle needs something done? She calls on her own set of agents: the Birds of Prey (okay, no one actually calls them that outside of the book. But just go with it). Needing help to solve a terrorist plot, Oracle calls on Black Canary. Deciding they work well as a team, Oracle continues to send Canary on assignments. And recently, a new element has been added to the mix. With Canary kidnapped, Oracle is forced to contact Huntress. With Canary’s urging, Huntress becomes a full time agent of Oracle, and the three have become more than teammates, they've become friends. And this is part of why the Birds are so special. If the JSA are mentors, the JLA are icons, the Titans are family, the Birds are friends. From their first appearances together, the evolution of the relationships between Oracle, Black Canary, and Huntress have evolved naturally and true to character. They are also important for being the first all-female super hero team to have their own title, and a long lasting one at that. In an industry so dominated by male heroes and male readers, this in itself is a truly heroic accomplishment.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#9 TEEN TITANS
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/9.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/9t.jpg"" align=left alt="Teen Titans"></a>First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #54
Created by: Bob Haney
Reimagined by: Marv Wolfman and George Perez
In their first incarnation, the Teen Titans were little more than a collection of the sidekicks of some of the most popular characters at the time. Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Aqualad and Speedy. Free and independent of their adult counterparts, the kids would team up as friends and fight whatever dastardly deeds they happened upon. So really, the team was little more than an unchaperoned after school program for latchkey sidekicks. It was not until the team was revamped in the 1980s under Wolfman and Perez that the title really found its legs. Suddenly, more than just superhero daycare, the team's ranks were filled not only with sidekicks but all new characters as well who weren't all just smiling in their tights. These characters were much more angsty, tragic, rebellious. Teenagers. As individuals and as a team that captured the turmoil and drama of adolescence, when every event seems like the end of the world. And in the Titans' world, it very possibly could have been. The teen audience latched on to the team's darker emotions and themes (death, betrayal, self doubt, insecurity), giving even the marvelous competition's merry mutants a run for their money. The team went through several permutations over the years, none even coming close to tasting the popularity and success of the New Teen Titans. But now it seems as though the legend may live again as Geoff Johns has brought the team somewhat back to form...or rather the team's two earliest forms, reuniting Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy as they mentor a new generation of teen heroes: Superboy and the new Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash and Speedy.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#8 SUICIDE SQUAD
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/8.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/8t.jpg" align=left alt="Suicide Squad"></a>First appearance: The Brave and the Bold #25
Created by: Robert Kanigher & Ross Andru
Reimagined in: Legends #1
Reimagined by: John Ostrander & Luke McDonnell
Why can't criminals be heroes too? Seems like a silly question, but in the Suicide Squad, they can be. The idea is simple: criminals can get their sentences reduced or considered served if they participate in high risk covert operations for the American government. Led by veteran soldier Rick Flagg, they travel the world dealing with the more morally ambiguous situations that superheroes choose not to. The beauty of the team's dynamic is that it can include members who don't like each other, members who actively hate each other, and even members who love each other. And in an inversion of convention, the teammates who love each other are often more of a burden than the ones who hate each other! Impressively, the team's roster has contained virtually no well known characters yet still managed to sustain its own book for an extended run. By putting villains and criminals into situations where heroics are required, readers are treated to new and unique insights into the characters' psyches. Who's selfish? Who's noble? Who's capable of redemption? Who's just looking to save their own necks? More than anything, the Suicide Squad proves that name brand characters aren't always needed, that mission based superhero books can work, that a team with an ever changing roster can still be distinctive and that there are few better dramatic devices than the internal conflict of the immoral who are forced to be moral.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#7 HALO, INC.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/7.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/7t.jpg" align=left alt="Halo, Inc."></a>First appearance: Wildcats (v2) #12
Created by: Joe Casey and Sean Phillips
Can a battery change the world? Perhaps, but it can certainly change a team. When Jim Lee debuted his original WildC.A.T.S., they were a unique premise inside a familiar structure. An assemblage of aliens, hybrids, and humans united to end an intergalactic war on the side of good. However, the membership consisted of guy with claws, guy with guns, strong guy, energy blast guy, bad girl, hot girl... X-tremely unoriginal. Alan Moore, scribe supreme, came along and removed their purpose, and though they won their war, the C.A.T.S. did not feel much like celebrating. They were adrift, lost without meaning, trying to help humanity, but not quite sure how. Fortunately, a sudden death brought new opportunity. The passing of their founder gave an android both his own identity and his own empire. Rechristened Jack Marlowe, Spartan evolved from energy blast guy into corporate mogul, still fighting to make the world a better place, but through business dealings, not spandexed battles. While the gunslinging Grifter, the other hold-out from the C.A.T.S. days, still held on to his 'might makes right' philosophy, Jack saw commercialism as the means to mold minds. Halo, Inc was born, a collection of old allies and new employees, with the express purpose of building a better battery. A mercenary, an android, a federal agent, an arms dealer, an accountant...as individuals, they were flawed; as a unit, they were profitable. Society has become defined by capitalistic corporations, so can an altruistic force for global change clothed in business suits enact the sweeping changes denied to other superteams? Well, with the cancellation of Wildcats 3.0, we may never know for sure, but it was definitely intriguing to see them try.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#6 LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/6.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/6t.jpg" align=left alt="League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"></a>First appearance: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (v1) #1
Created by: Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill
On the dark and smoggy streets of Victorian London, there are still crimes that only people of special abilities can handle. To fight such crimes, the crown calls on the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Led by Mina Murray (government agent and former victim of Dracula), the League of the Nineteenth century consists of Allan Quatermain (adventurer and hunter), Captain Nemo (the Indian inventor of the Nautilus submarine and many other devices), Hawley Griffin (the Invisible Man), and Dr. Henry Jekyll (and more importantly his alter-ego Edward Hyde). The League fights many threats of the time, including The Doctor (also known as Fu Man Chu), their own former boss in British intelligence M (Sherlock Holmes’s arch-rival Professor James Moriarty), and the threat of invaders from Mars. Not all the members survive their adventures, but it seems that in a time of need, a new League will rise. The fascination with the League comes from Alan Moore’s brilliant use of classic literary figures and their interpretation here. The fate of Captain Nemo is never known, so he could work for the crown. Mina Murray and Allan Quatermain were never lovers in their original works, but who’s to say they wouldn’t have been? The dynamic between League members draws the reader in, making them care about these figures that date back a century, and makes this team something quite extraordinary.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#5 THE INVISIBLES
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/5.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/5t.jpg" align=left alt="The Invisibles"></a>First appearance: The Invisibles (v1) #1
Created by: Grant Morrison, Steve Yeowell and Jill Thompson
King Mob. Ragged Robin. Lord Fanny. Boy. Jack Frost. They don't sound like your average everyday superheroes. Nor do they look, feel or act like them either. Because they're not. As members of the Invisible Army, they are a cell of occult terrorists and anarchists devoted to destroying a conspiracy to enslave all of humanity under the yoke of a terrible extradimensional authority. And they look damn good doing it. A testosterone fueled assassin living out his own personal spy show, a psychic girl from the future, a shamanic transvestite from Brazil, a former cop from New York City and a punk kid from Liverpool who might just be the next Buddha (but you can call him Dane, ta). Their missions are strange, ranging from astral time travel to fetch the Marquis de Sade to infiltrating an underground government facility to try and liberate God. They've talked with aliens, played chess with the Devil, joked with the gods and seen what the world looks like if you pull back the curtain. They don't fight clean or fair (though they are nice and smooth). And in a world where the sides are uncertain, they're not always even certain if they're the good guys. But they are great friends and look out for one another. Watching Robin and King Mob fall in love or Dane become good friends with a "poof" like Fanny is as cool as seeing the team take on the diminuitive evil of Mr. Quimper or try to figure out just what the hell the Hand of Glory does (if anyone can help me out with that one...cuz I'm stumped). Plus, since they're in an army of sorts, their ranks are often swelled with an ecelectic bunch of supporting players...hip hop voudoun Jim Crow, the ultra cool Mister Six, one eyed lesbian Jolly Roger, multibillionaire and pop culture conspiracy buff Mason Lang. The list goes on and on...into the future and the past. They're not always right. They're not always good. But they are always, always cool and have influenced their fans and the culture around them in ways both small...and quite large (are you ready to know what The Matrix really is?).
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#4 THE AUTHORITY
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/4.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/4t.jpg" align=left alt="The Authority"></a>First appearance: The Authority (v1) #1
Created by: Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch
Name every criticism you've ever heard about superheroes. That they're too goody-goody. That they never kill even if it seems abundantly justified. That they only respond to the same threats over and over again. Well in 1999, Warren Ellis answered all these complaints with the Authority. The Authority began like many past super teams: A collection of powerful super-heroes, banding together to make the world a better place. And yet, the Authority is very different from the teams that have come before. They are ruthless, efficient, and unstoppable. Their adversaries never come back to haunt them again. They're all a little too dead for that. A big part of the team's charm lies in the brilliance with which they use their powers, the way they work together and their knack for unconventional problem solving. Even when caught by surprise, they always find a way to handle any situation while trading quips and banter that give the impression that they're having the time of their lives. Their influence throughout the comic book industry when they first hit the scene was impressive, popularizing the style of "widescreen" comics. The Authority has evolved from a benevolent protective force to a preemptive strike team that espouses hyper-liberal politics while using fascist means to apply them and into the leaders of the free world, having usurped the power of the American government. And yet, the Authority retains the reputation that made them so engaging to begin with. They're the team that does all the things superheroes aren't supposed to do, only to make them seem like the norm by the time they're done.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#3 JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/3.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/3t.jpg" align=left alt="Justice Society of America"></a>First appearance: All Star Comics #3
Created by: Gardner Fox & Everett E. Hibbard
The Justice Society of America. Formed to combat those threats to the nation which required more than one mystery man. Spawned by FDR’s wishes and given a name by the divine hand of Vengeance, the team was the first of its kind, a grouping of superheroes already featured in their own solo adventures to fight against mutual threats...and thus gave birth to the concept of the superteam. It also established for the first time in DC's comic books that all of these characters existed in a shared universe and continuity, establishing a convention of the genre that has become an absolute staple for most publishers. Their adventures not only spawned fun tales but sold plenty of comics. But the Justice Society were more than a collection of a DC reader’s favourite characters. They were the first step in forging DC’s legacy tradition. Their children became Infinity, Inc. and their successors became the Justice League. The team’s most turbulent period, during the McCarthy era of the United States, saw them disband after being ordered by HUAC to unmask rather than reveal their identities to a public that no longer trusted them. Currently the JSA have reformed as a collection of veterans and rookies, originals and successors working together to help each other grow. While many readers see the JLA as DC’s premier team, the JSA are viewed as the best team to be part of within their own universe, the heroes' heroes. America’s strongest heroes look out for each other, grow together and reinforce the idea of lineage that is so central to the DC.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#2 "THE WATCHMEN"
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/2.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/2t.jpg" align=left alt="The Watchmen"></a>First appearance: Watchmen #1
Created by: Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Just as this work probes into the psychological motives behind people who dress in costumes and beat up criminals, so too does it peer into the reasons a group of such people would come together as a team in the real world. The first attempt during the Golden Age of this world, the Minutemen, is little more than a publicity stunt and soon disbands in the wake of rumors and scandal. The second, the Crimebusters, ends before it even begins as Captain Metropolis' naive hopes are literally sent up in flames by the Comedian's cynical world view. And the "Watchmen" aren't even actually a team, as Moore has a little joke at the reader's expense: the book's title sounds like it's about a team of superheroes named the Watchmen, but the only mention of them is the constant graffiti of Juvenal's critique of authority figures, "who watches the Watchmen?" Yet in the end, the book seems to favor such individuals teaming up with each other, coordinating their efforts. Each attempt by a character to go it alone ends in tragedy and failure. It is only together that they find victory and fulfillment. Daniel's life is empty and meaningless until he and Sally team up and it is through working with and relating to other humans that Doc Manhattan is able to exhibit any touch of humanity left within himself. Rorschach's attempts to stand aloof from his fellows results in his easy manipulation and capture, and ultimately his demise, while Veidt's megalomania surely would have been curbed and tempered by more rational influences...and if not, then they at least could have seen the signs beforehand and stopped him. The book does not feature a solid team, but it is important for its critical commentary on the concept of the team, that our only chance in this world is to work together. Who watches the Watchmen? Hopefully, each other.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#1 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/1.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/1t.jpg" align=left alt="Justice League of America"></a>First appearance: The Brave and the Bold #28
Created by: Gardner Fox
Okay, if anyone is actually surprised by this, you're in the wrong thread. The JLA are the team supreme of the DC universe, a collection of the finest it has to offer. Not merely a social club for the most powerful heroes, the League utilizes a wide range of talents, skills and abilities. Not merely Superman's strength, but his moral compass. Not just the might and majesty of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but their diplomacy and martial skills as well. Batman's fighting abilities come in just as handy as his knack for detection and unconventional problem solving. The Flash's quick feet serve him just as well as his quick wit. Green Arrow's quiver of trick shafts are as plentiful and as sharp as his questioning and defiance. And the Atom can think big as he's growing small. It's watching the interplay of these powers and abilities as the League faces off against unimaginable danger that stimulates the reader's imagination and sense of wonder, leaves jaws dropped and keeps pages turning. This isn't a team about overly deep characterization or introspective journeys. Their headquarters have included an orbiting satellite station and the moon. Their opponents are the deadliest and most dangerous around. The outcome of their battles isn't just a building or a city, but the entire planet. And that kind of scale doesn't leave much room for meditation and discourse. For the heroes, this team is about joining forces with others to protect the world. For the readers, it's the fun and joy of seeing such incredible characters all in one place. I mean, just imagine the myth writers in ancient Greece (yes, I know, oral tradition...just go with it) sitting around a fire and saying, "okay, let's get Jason, Hercules, Orpheus and these other great characters...and put em all on a boat together! The kids'll eat it up!" That's the kind of scope and impact we're talking about. Don't believe me? How many of us as kids were exposed to these characters the first time not through a comic book, but through a little show called the Superfriends? A show that was basically a Saturday morning JLA. And with the great success of the more recent Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons, a new generation of kids are being exposed to them as well.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
And there you have them...the top ten greatest DC teams of all time (all time meaning, of course, the last seven decades. Because if there was a better DC team before that, it's probably just a continuity glitch). Thanks to all the hard working staff who nominated, argued, voted, argued, ranked, argued, wrote and then for variety decided to do some arguing in song. And, of course, thank you dear reader for teaming up with us on this look at some of the leagues, legions, squads, societies, coalitions, cadres, alliances and armies that make DC so great. For more 70th anniversary goodness (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=32203) , stick with ComiX-Fan, all month long!
<center><hr width=75%></center>
Teen Titans, The Invisibles, The Watchmen, Justice League of America: Jordan T. Maxwell
Birds of Prey, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Matt Lazorwitz
The Authority: Nick Costanzo
Halo, Inc.: Raul Grau
Justice Society of America: Jon Hancock
Suicide Squad: Dylan McKay
Contributors: Zeb Aslam, Lia Brown, Mitch Brown, Jennifer de Vries, Martin Dudek, James Groves, Alex Groff, Al Harahap, Trent Hosking, Kent Miller, Omar A. Safi, Tom Toner
Editor: Jordan T. Maxwell
Columns Editor: Joel Phillips
Editor in Chief: Al Harahap
Co-Publisher: Brian Wilkinson
Publisher: Eric J. Moreels
<center>All characters, titles, and likenesses thereof ™ © DC Comics (http://www.dccomics.com) or its licensors,
and are used without permission, not for profit. All other content © original author and ComiX-Fan (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan).</center>
<br>
<br>
<br>
By: (Nick Costanzo, Raul Grau, Jon Hancock, Matt Lazorwitz, Jordan T. Maxwell, Dylan McKay)
When a threat rises that no one hero can face alone, when a fight looms on the horizon that would consume an individual, when sales are needed that no mere solo title could generate...these are the times that give birth to great teams. And from iconic team-ups like Superman/Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow to vast armies like the Legion of Superheroes, DC is home to some of the greatest teams the comic book medium has ever known.
But what makes a great team? Is it simply mathematical, the cumulative greatness of its individual members? Perhaps that is part of it. After all, as cool as it is to see Wonder Woman defeat a monster threatening to destroy the world, there is a sense of wonder and awe to see her do so with the help of the Flash and Green Lantern. But there is something more that raises a team above a mere collection of people gathered together in the same place. Relationships. The cornerstone of great drama. Watching people work together, fight together, live together...even die together. It is in these relationships...friends and rivals, lovers and brothers-in-arms...that we most clearly see the essence of their characters. And in the heightened reality of a comic book world, the intensity of these relationships are often as high as the stakes for which the characters fight.
Regardless of what makes them great, the message they convey is clear: by putting aside our differences and working together for the greater good, we can make this world a truly finer place. Or at the very least save it from extraterrestrial monstrosities. Ladies and gentlemen, we present for you now...the ten greatest teams in 70 years of DC's history!
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#10 "BIRDS OF PREY"
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/10.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/10t.jpg" align=left alt="Birds of Prey"></a>First appearance: Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey #1
Created by: Chuck Dixon and Gary Frank
Oracle is the DCU’s all knowing information broker, helping heroes find what they need to when it’s time to save the day. But what happens when Oracle needs something done? She calls on her own set of agents: the Birds of Prey (okay, no one actually calls them that outside of the book. But just go with it). Needing help to solve a terrorist plot, Oracle calls on Black Canary. Deciding they work well as a team, Oracle continues to send Canary on assignments. And recently, a new element has been added to the mix. With Canary kidnapped, Oracle is forced to contact Huntress. With Canary’s urging, Huntress becomes a full time agent of Oracle, and the three have become more than teammates, they've become friends. And this is part of why the Birds are so special. If the JSA are mentors, the JLA are icons, the Titans are family, the Birds are friends. From their first appearances together, the evolution of the relationships between Oracle, Black Canary, and Huntress have evolved naturally and true to character. They are also important for being the first all-female super hero team to have their own title, and a long lasting one at that. In an industry so dominated by male heroes and male readers, this in itself is a truly heroic accomplishment.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#9 TEEN TITANS
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/9.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/9t.jpg"" align=left alt="Teen Titans"></a>First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #54
Created by: Bob Haney
Reimagined by: Marv Wolfman and George Perez
In their first incarnation, the Teen Titans were little more than a collection of the sidekicks of some of the most popular characters at the time. Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Aqualad and Speedy. Free and independent of their adult counterparts, the kids would team up as friends and fight whatever dastardly deeds they happened upon. So really, the team was little more than an unchaperoned after school program for latchkey sidekicks. It was not until the team was revamped in the 1980s under Wolfman and Perez that the title really found its legs. Suddenly, more than just superhero daycare, the team's ranks were filled not only with sidekicks but all new characters as well who weren't all just smiling in their tights. These characters were much more angsty, tragic, rebellious. Teenagers. As individuals and as a team that captured the turmoil and drama of adolescence, when every event seems like the end of the world. And in the Titans' world, it very possibly could have been. The teen audience latched on to the team's darker emotions and themes (death, betrayal, self doubt, insecurity), giving even the marvelous competition's merry mutants a run for their money. The team went through several permutations over the years, none even coming close to tasting the popularity and success of the New Teen Titans. But now it seems as though the legend may live again as Geoff Johns has brought the team somewhat back to form...or rather the team's two earliest forms, reuniting Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy as they mentor a new generation of teen heroes: Superboy and the new Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash and Speedy.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#8 SUICIDE SQUAD
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/8.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/8t.jpg" align=left alt="Suicide Squad"></a>First appearance: The Brave and the Bold #25
Created by: Robert Kanigher & Ross Andru
Reimagined in: Legends #1
Reimagined by: John Ostrander & Luke McDonnell
Why can't criminals be heroes too? Seems like a silly question, but in the Suicide Squad, they can be. The idea is simple: criminals can get their sentences reduced or considered served if they participate in high risk covert operations for the American government. Led by veteran soldier Rick Flagg, they travel the world dealing with the more morally ambiguous situations that superheroes choose not to. The beauty of the team's dynamic is that it can include members who don't like each other, members who actively hate each other, and even members who love each other. And in an inversion of convention, the teammates who love each other are often more of a burden than the ones who hate each other! Impressively, the team's roster has contained virtually no well known characters yet still managed to sustain its own book for an extended run. By putting villains and criminals into situations where heroics are required, readers are treated to new and unique insights into the characters' psyches. Who's selfish? Who's noble? Who's capable of redemption? Who's just looking to save their own necks? More than anything, the Suicide Squad proves that name brand characters aren't always needed, that mission based superhero books can work, that a team with an ever changing roster can still be distinctive and that there are few better dramatic devices than the internal conflict of the immoral who are forced to be moral.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#7 HALO, INC.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/7.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/7t.jpg" align=left alt="Halo, Inc."></a>First appearance: Wildcats (v2) #12
Created by: Joe Casey and Sean Phillips
Can a battery change the world? Perhaps, but it can certainly change a team. When Jim Lee debuted his original WildC.A.T.S., they were a unique premise inside a familiar structure. An assemblage of aliens, hybrids, and humans united to end an intergalactic war on the side of good. However, the membership consisted of guy with claws, guy with guns, strong guy, energy blast guy, bad girl, hot girl... X-tremely unoriginal. Alan Moore, scribe supreme, came along and removed their purpose, and though they won their war, the C.A.T.S. did not feel much like celebrating. They were adrift, lost without meaning, trying to help humanity, but not quite sure how. Fortunately, a sudden death brought new opportunity. The passing of their founder gave an android both his own identity and his own empire. Rechristened Jack Marlowe, Spartan evolved from energy blast guy into corporate mogul, still fighting to make the world a better place, but through business dealings, not spandexed battles. While the gunslinging Grifter, the other hold-out from the C.A.T.S. days, still held on to his 'might makes right' philosophy, Jack saw commercialism as the means to mold minds. Halo, Inc was born, a collection of old allies and new employees, with the express purpose of building a better battery. A mercenary, an android, a federal agent, an arms dealer, an accountant...as individuals, they were flawed; as a unit, they were profitable. Society has become defined by capitalistic corporations, so can an altruistic force for global change clothed in business suits enact the sweeping changes denied to other superteams? Well, with the cancellation of Wildcats 3.0, we may never know for sure, but it was definitely intriguing to see them try.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#6 LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/6.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/6t.jpg" align=left alt="League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"></a>First appearance: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (v1) #1
Created by: Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill
On the dark and smoggy streets of Victorian London, there are still crimes that only people of special abilities can handle. To fight such crimes, the crown calls on the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Led by Mina Murray (government agent and former victim of Dracula), the League of the Nineteenth century consists of Allan Quatermain (adventurer and hunter), Captain Nemo (the Indian inventor of the Nautilus submarine and many other devices), Hawley Griffin (the Invisible Man), and Dr. Henry Jekyll (and more importantly his alter-ego Edward Hyde). The League fights many threats of the time, including The Doctor (also known as Fu Man Chu), their own former boss in British intelligence M (Sherlock Holmes’s arch-rival Professor James Moriarty), and the threat of invaders from Mars. Not all the members survive their adventures, but it seems that in a time of need, a new League will rise. The fascination with the League comes from Alan Moore’s brilliant use of classic literary figures and their interpretation here. The fate of Captain Nemo is never known, so he could work for the crown. Mina Murray and Allan Quatermain were never lovers in their original works, but who’s to say they wouldn’t have been? The dynamic between League members draws the reader in, making them care about these figures that date back a century, and makes this team something quite extraordinary.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#5 THE INVISIBLES
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/5.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/5t.jpg" align=left alt="The Invisibles"></a>First appearance: The Invisibles (v1) #1
Created by: Grant Morrison, Steve Yeowell and Jill Thompson
King Mob. Ragged Robin. Lord Fanny. Boy. Jack Frost. They don't sound like your average everyday superheroes. Nor do they look, feel or act like them either. Because they're not. As members of the Invisible Army, they are a cell of occult terrorists and anarchists devoted to destroying a conspiracy to enslave all of humanity under the yoke of a terrible extradimensional authority. And they look damn good doing it. A testosterone fueled assassin living out his own personal spy show, a psychic girl from the future, a shamanic transvestite from Brazil, a former cop from New York City and a punk kid from Liverpool who might just be the next Buddha (but you can call him Dane, ta). Their missions are strange, ranging from astral time travel to fetch the Marquis de Sade to infiltrating an underground government facility to try and liberate God. They've talked with aliens, played chess with the Devil, joked with the gods and seen what the world looks like if you pull back the curtain. They don't fight clean or fair (though they are nice and smooth). And in a world where the sides are uncertain, they're not always even certain if they're the good guys. But they are great friends and look out for one another. Watching Robin and King Mob fall in love or Dane become good friends with a "poof" like Fanny is as cool as seeing the team take on the diminuitive evil of Mr. Quimper or try to figure out just what the hell the Hand of Glory does (if anyone can help me out with that one...cuz I'm stumped). Plus, since they're in an army of sorts, their ranks are often swelled with an ecelectic bunch of supporting players...hip hop voudoun Jim Crow, the ultra cool Mister Six, one eyed lesbian Jolly Roger, multibillionaire and pop culture conspiracy buff Mason Lang. The list goes on and on...into the future and the past. They're not always right. They're not always good. But they are always, always cool and have influenced their fans and the culture around them in ways both small...and quite large (are you ready to know what The Matrix really is?).
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#4 THE AUTHORITY
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/4.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/4t.jpg" align=left alt="The Authority"></a>First appearance: The Authority (v1) #1
Created by: Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch
Name every criticism you've ever heard about superheroes. That they're too goody-goody. That they never kill even if it seems abundantly justified. That they only respond to the same threats over and over again. Well in 1999, Warren Ellis answered all these complaints with the Authority. The Authority began like many past super teams: A collection of powerful super-heroes, banding together to make the world a better place. And yet, the Authority is very different from the teams that have come before. They are ruthless, efficient, and unstoppable. Their adversaries never come back to haunt them again. They're all a little too dead for that. A big part of the team's charm lies in the brilliance with which they use their powers, the way they work together and their knack for unconventional problem solving. Even when caught by surprise, they always find a way to handle any situation while trading quips and banter that give the impression that they're having the time of their lives. Their influence throughout the comic book industry when they first hit the scene was impressive, popularizing the style of "widescreen" comics. The Authority has evolved from a benevolent protective force to a preemptive strike team that espouses hyper-liberal politics while using fascist means to apply them and into the leaders of the free world, having usurped the power of the American government. And yet, the Authority retains the reputation that made them so engaging to begin with. They're the team that does all the things superheroes aren't supposed to do, only to make them seem like the norm by the time they're done.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#3 JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/3.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/3t.jpg" align=left alt="Justice Society of America"></a>First appearance: All Star Comics #3
Created by: Gardner Fox & Everett E. Hibbard
The Justice Society of America. Formed to combat those threats to the nation which required more than one mystery man. Spawned by FDR’s wishes and given a name by the divine hand of Vengeance, the team was the first of its kind, a grouping of superheroes already featured in their own solo adventures to fight against mutual threats...and thus gave birth to the concept of the superteam. It also established for the first time in DC's comic books that all of these characters existed in a shared universe and continuity, establishing a convention of the genre that has become an absolute staple for most publishers. Their adventures not only spawned fun tales but sold plenty of comics. But the Justice Society were more than a collection of a DC reader’s favourite characters. They were the first step in forging DC’s legacy tradition. Their children became Infinity, Inc. and their successors became the Justice League. The team’s most turbulent period, during the McCarthy era of the United States, saw them disband after being ordered by HUAC to unmask rather than reveal their identities to a public that no longer trusted them. Currently the JSA have reformed as a collection of veterans and rookies, originals and successors working together to help each other grow. While many readers see the JLA as DC’s premier team, the JSA are viewed as the best team to be part of within their own universe, the heroes' heroes. America’s strongest heroes look out for each other, grow together and reinforce the idea of lineage that is so central to the DC.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#2 "THE WATCHMEN"
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/2.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/2t.jpg" align=left alt="The Watchmen"></a>First appearance: Watchmen #1
Created by: Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Just as this work probes into the psychological motives behind people who dress in costumes and beat up criminals, so too does it peer into the reasons a group of such people would come together as a team in the real world. The first attempt during the Golden Age of this world, the Minutemen, is little more than a publicity stunt and soon disbands in the wake of rumors and scandal. The second, the Crimebusters, ends before it even begins as Captain Metropolis' naive hopes are literally sent up in flames by the Comedian's cynical world view. And the "Watchmen" aren't even actually a team, as Moore has a little joke at the reader's expense: the book's title sounds like it's about a team of superheroes named the Watchmen, but the only mention of them is the constant graffiti of Juvenal's critique of authority figures, "who watches the Watchmen?" Yet in the end, the book seems to favor such individuals teaming up with each other, coordinating their efforts. Each attempt by a character to go it alone ends in tragedy and failure. It is only together that they find victory and fulfillment. Daniel's life is empty and meaningless until he and Sally team up and it is through working with and relating to other humans that Doc Manhattan is able to exhibit any touch of humanity left within himself. Rorschach's attempts to stand aloof from his fellows results in his easy manipulation and capture, and ultimately his demise, while Veidt's megalomania surely would have been curbed and tempered by more rational influences...and if not, then they at least could have seen the signs beforehand and stopped him. The book does not feature a solid team, but it is important for its critical commentary on the concept of the team, that our only chance in this world is to work together. Who watches the Watchmen? Hopefully, each other.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
#1 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/1.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10dcteams/1t.jpg" align=left alt="Justice League of America"></a>First appearance: The Brave and the Bold #28
Created by: Gardner Fox
Okay, if anyone is actually surprised by this, you're in the wrong thread. The JLA are the team supreme of the DC universe, a collection of the finest it has to offer. Not merely a social club for the most powerful heroes, the League utilizes a wide range of talents, skills and abilities. Not merely Superman's strength, but his moral compass. Not just the might and majesty of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but their diplomacy and martial skills as well. Batman's fighting abilities come in just as handy as his knack for detection and unconventional problem solving. The Flash's quick feet serve him just as well as his quick wit. Green Arrow's quiver of trick shafts are as plentiful and as sharp as his questioning and defiance. And the Atom can think big as he's growing small. It's watching the interplay of these powers and abilities as the League faces off against unimaginable danger that stimulates the reader's imagination and sense of wonder, leaves jaws dropped and keeps pages turning. This isn't a team about overly deep characterization or introspective journeys. Their headquarters have included an orbiting satellite station and the moon. Their opponents are the deadliest and most dangerous around. The outcome of their battles isn't just a building or a city, but the entire planet. And that kind of scale doesn't leave much room for meditation and discourse. For the heroes, this team is about joining forces with others to protect the world. For the readers, it's the fun and joy of seeing such incredible characters all in one place. I mean, just imagine the myth writers in ancient Greece (yes, I know, oral tradition...just go with it) sitting around a fire and saying, "okay, let's get Jason, Hercules, Orpheus and these other great characters...and put em all on a boat together! The kids'll eat it up!" That's the kind of scope and impact we're talking about. Don't believe me? How many of us as kids were exposed to these characters the first time not through a comic book, but through a little show called the Superfriends? A show that was basically a Saturday morning JLA. And with the great success of the more recent Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons, a new generation of kids are being exposed to them as well.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
And there you have them...the top ten greatest DC teams of all time (all time meaning, of course, the last seven decades. Because if there was a better DC team before that, it's probably just a continuity glitch). Thanks to all the hard working staff who nominated, argued, voted, argued, ranked, argued, wrote and then for variety decided to do some arguing in song. And, of course, thank you dear reader for teaming up with us on this look at some of the leagues, legions, squads, societies, coalitions, cadres, alliances and armies that make DC so great. For more 70th anniversary goodness (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=32203) , stick with ComiX-Fan, all month long!
<center><hr width=75%></center>
Teen Titans, The Invisibles, The Watchmen, Justice League of America: Jordan T. Maxwell
Birds of Prey, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Matt Lazorwitz
The Authority: Nick Costanzo
Halo, Inc.: Raul Grau
Justice Society of America: Jon Hancock
Suicide Squad: Dylan McKay
Contributors: Zeb Aslam, Lia Brown, Mitch Brown, Jennifer de Vries, Martin Dudek, James Groves, Alex Groff, Al Harahap, Trent Hosking, Kent Miller, Omar A. Safi, Tom Toner
Editor: Jordan T. Maxwell
Columns Editor: Joel Phillips
Editor in Chief: Al Harahap
Co-Publisher: Brian Wilkinson
Publisher: Eric J. Moreels
<center>All characters, titles, and likenesses thereof ™ © DC Comics (http://www.dccomics.com) or its licensors,
and are used without permission, not for profit. All other content © original author and ComiX-Fan (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan).</center>
<br>
<br>
<br>