The Justice League got its start in the 1960s as a successor to DC’s original superhero team, the Justice Society of America. The comics pull together some of the imprint’s biggest heroes to take on the biggest threats in the DC Universe. The best Justice League comics are typically cornerstone moments that bring together narratives from whatever solo books are running at the time. These are some of DC’s most iconic moments, and no fan should miss out.

Best Justice League comics as of 2025

Narrowing down the best Justice League comics is tough since there have been many different incarnations of the team. Our list has a slight recency bias, as many of DC’s best stories were written within the last 30 years or so. However, our collection isn’t exhaustive. Read these and then use them as a springboard into more Justice League classics.

The Doom Metal / Death Metal Sagas

Across Justice League #53–57, the Doom Metal saga was written by Joshua Williamson in 2020, with art by Xermanico, Robson Rocha, and other stellar artists. Think of this as a funky side quest tie-in where we get a misfit League made up of Nightwing, Hawkgirl, Starfire, Detective Chimp, and even Lex Luthor. This ragtag group sets out to rescue the original Legion of Doom, imprisoned by Perpetua, in hopes of turning the tide against the all-powerful Darkest Knight (formerly the Batman Who Laughs). 

Meanwhile, the Death Metal saga is the big one, written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo. This one stars the heavy hitters: Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. These heroes band together to save a twisted version of Earth from the Batman Who Laughs and prevent the total collapse of existence itself. Both sagas are great reads and offer a bit of everything, but they should be read because the main line is good, but who doesn’t love a side quest? Additionally, this whole saga is set in a bizarre, dark world that’s very entertaining. 

I couldn’t pick between the two, so I just decided to include both. Apologies to the editors.

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Obsidian Age

One of the most underrated Justice League arcs, Obsidian Age is a 2002-2003 storyline written by Joe Kelly with art by Doug Mahnke. Following Kelly’s first arc on JLA Vol. 1, “Golden Perfect,” Obsidian Age (JLA #68–75) deals with the disappearance of Aquaman and Atlantis after Our Worlds at War. It’s arguably the best JLA story not written by Morrison or DeMatteis.

After the Our Worlds at War storyline, a time paradox (things are getting sci-fi over here) threatens reality. The Justice League must travel back in time to rectify the situation, but they become trapped in the past. Now presumed dead, a new Justice League forms to fill the void. Batman leads the new team, which includes other heroes like Green Arrow, Hawkgirl, Firestorm, and Nightwing.

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Last Ride

Even the strongest alliances sometimes fall, and that’s precisely what we get in Justice League: Last Ride, where the world’s most powerful team breaks apart after a tragic loss. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are no longer on speaking terms. But when the Green Lantern Corps capture an intergalactic bounty hunter and mass murderer, they need someone to transport and protect him until trial. With few options left, they turn to the one team that might still be willing to take on the job. This forces the Justice League to reunite and escort Lobo to Apokolips, now a derelict world. And of course, nothing goes as planned. A cosmic war is brewing.

One of the newer Justice League feature stories, the Last Ride arc was published in 2021. One of the most entertaining Justice League stories, The Last Ride is also incredibly accessible. Even if you haven’t spent much time with these heroes, there’s not much continuity knowledge required. It does a pretty good job of bringing you up to speed as needed. Plus, Chip Zdarsky’s writing is always a blast.

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Kingdom Come

From Mark Waid and Alex Ross comes Kingdom Come, a 1996 published story about what happens when superheroes get it wrong. While it’s technically not part of Justice League continuity (it falls under DC’s Elseworlds imprint), it’s still an excellent pick for newcomers to the League, as long as you have a little familiarity with the core characters. It’s pretty easy to catch on, though, so don’t be afraid to go for it. It’s terrific.

Set in a not-so-distant future, the classic Justice League heroes we know and love, including Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, have retired or gone into hiding. The world is left in the hands of a new generation of reckless metahumans. When a devastating event destroys much of the American Midwest, Wonder Woman convinces Superman to come out of retirement and rebuild the Justice League to restore order. He gathers a force of veteran heroes, but their strict enforcement quickly sparks conflict. Still, when the world is falling apart, someone’s got to step up. Kingdom Come is one of those classic comic book stories from the ’90s you have to get your hands on.

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Justice League (Vol. 2) #1-50

I have to include a Geoff Johns run here, because if there’s one modern Justice League era that redefined the team for a new generation, it’s this one. As part of the New 52 relaunch, Justice League (Vol. 2) started in 2011 and gave these iconic heroes a fresh start with new energy, slick redesigns, and a serious boost in cinematic flair. Johns wrote issues #1–39 (2011–2015), and a few others joined the team after that, but his creative direction defines the tone and direction of the run.

The series begins with a modern reimagining of how the League first forms, set in the early days of the new continuity. So if you’re unfamiliar with this version of the League, or even the Justice League in general, this is a perfect entry point. The first arc gives you the core team, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. These heroes face off against a full-on invasion from Darkseid. The writing and style is loud and in-yer-face, with fantastic visuals from Jim Lee in those early issues. And despite being part of a reboot, it’s surprisingly accessible. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer, you can jump in here and get a satisfying Justice League experience.

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How we chose the best Justice League comics

Picking the best Justice League comics isn’t easy, since this team has been rocking and rolling in some form since 1960. They’ve been rebooted, reimagined, and rewritten more times than we can count. Narrowing it down meant looking for stories that felt like character-defining moments, gave us the best team dynamics, and have come from work by comic writing legends that have redefined heroes for new eras.