Justice League vs. Suicide Squad Comic Event Will Be a Fun, Big-Budget Blockbuster

In December, DC Comics will have its two most popular teams battle each other in a blockbuster-style winter event that will change the landscape of the DC Universe. Justice League vs. Suicide Squad will be a six-issue mini-series featuring DC's greatest heroes taking on a group of villains working for the American government.

Joshua Williamson will be writing the book alongside six recently announced artists: Jason Fabok, Tony S. Daniel, Jesus Merino, Fernando Pasarin, Robson Rocha, and Howard Porter. Each artist will work on one of the six issues.

Williamson talked to us during New York Comic Con about what fans can expect for this epic battle between superhumans. "It's a lot of pressure. It's challenging," explained Williamson. "I try to have fun with it and not get lost in the idea of the pressure of this gigantic event. I just want to make a fun, big-budget blockbuster sort of comic."

He went on to explain this is a story of redemption and corruption, and it will be a big part of Rebirth, the recent event that was a soft-reset of the DC Universe. Something happens with the Suicide Squad where the Justice League needs to step in and stop them.

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"If you found out that your villain was running around with a government badge, you'd be like, 'You can't do that.' These are criminals," explained Williamson. "You have to think about it from Batman's perspective. There's a moment in issue #1 where Aquaman says--and he doesn't know Black Manta was on Suicide Squad--'If I found out Black Manta was out there doing this, I would go after him.' Something happens where they [Batman and the Justice League] have to put a stop to this."

The event will have an effect on the rest of the DC Universe, but it's unclear, at this point, how large that will be. Williamson vaguely stated that certain character's minds will be changed about some things. In addition, this just isn't another story revolving around good guys fighting bad guys. "This isn't about saving people from you; this is about saving you from yourself," Williamson concluded.

The first issue of Justice League vs Suicide Squad goes on sale on December 21.

Is the Suicide Squad their second most popular team now? Lol.

@amendment50: They wanna promote characters related to that awful movie

Oh god. Hopefully this event is actually worth it . I was hoping Fabok would be on art duties across all issues =/

@nerevarine_11: Yep, I can see that Killer Croc is a full fledged member now even though he has literally never been on that team before :P

Also I am interested to see how they are going to try and make this a fair fight, considering... y'know... it's the Suicide Squad vs. the freaking Justice League

@casper4690: Would be a waste of Fabok's talent but some of the others are almost equally good.

What do you guys feel about Batman, Black Canary, Vixen, Atom, Killer Frost and Lobo forming the new Justice League Of America? I love all of the team members but I really feel that there should be no way that Batman has the time to pull triple duties across Gotham, the JL and JLA.

Don't like Batman. Don't like Canary. Don't like this version of Lobo. The rest are fine by me, but I already know DC is going to probably make this a Bat-Centic book, with possibly Killer Frost as the second most pushed character if not Lobo, for whatever reason.

Ray, Frost, and Vixen seem pretty cool to me, but I probably won't buy this book. There's really nothing in it for me. And if you think Batman can't do it all, prepare to be surprised. Most of the DCU is just the Greater Gotham Area, and much like Gotham proper, Batman can and will be everywhere.

And to be fair, instead of looking at things from Batmans' point of view, I think it'd be interesting to look at it from Aquamans' point of view. I don't think that kind of thing happens enough.

@staticdwanyemcduffie: Yup, Ryan will be the atom. Also, I love Batman but I can totally get the hate for him as he is certainly overexposed. But yall have to understand that he has been the only prominent factor that keeps DC competitive for the past decade. Other superhero books have not been anywhere as successful

You mean the actual Lobo?

You mean the one that got killed by the real Lobo? Yeah. Not a fan.

The guy that will show up in JLA is the real Lobo, you're free to like the New-52 version but you're literally the only person who likes him that I've comes across and I'm not even joking.

The main man is back,death to the emo bastich, good riddance to rubbish. Even Palmiotti called him the biggest mistake of the New-52 and that's saying something because there was no dearth of mistakes during the New-52

I know. A lot of people seem to like old Lobo. I suppose there's no accounting for taste.

Man, that n52 Lobo was disgustingly garbage. Good riddance to that fool. Hopefully we don't see him again.

Glad to have the real Main Man bak!

@nthmetalwarrior: It should be interesting

Artists: Jason Fabok, Tony S. Daniel, Jesus Merino, Fernando Pasarin, Robson Rocha, and Howard Porter

I would like to know how rest of JLA except Batman and Killer Frost will be part of this event. Because most of them never been on JL or dont have close friendship with JLA.

@scouterv: For a team like this Vixen and Black Canary are must for this team.

CW, Danielle Panabaker, lol.

How is Black Canary a must?

I would have read this if Fabok was on all issues. Ooh well...
Maybe the TPB?

@nthmetalwarrior:

Except for Batman, I like all members of JLA. I probably wouldn´t think about Lobo, Killer Frost and The Ray for first run of this team but they could bring something new to the team. It´s nice to see Vixen being used aside from guest appearances and I would like to some characters being members like swamping Batman for Martian Manhunter maybe a Green Lantern maybe John Stewart or Guy Gardner (John because I feel like he suit better for the team but Guy on this team could hilarious mainly because Lobo and Killer Frost and maybe Black Canary). Zatanna and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman would be also good members as well Plastic Man and Firestorm. I would say Captain Atom but how he was portrayed and OP he was on his N52 solo that could be tough to join this team. Hawkman would be cool as well but since his miniseries is Death of Hawkman, something says that it something bad is coming in his way. Doctor Light would be also nice but I don’t know if she exists on this continuity.

At least I can see why these teams would be fighting...

@scouterv: Because in the team full either heroes with no experience like The Atom and The Ray or character that aren’t exactly heroes like Lobo and Killer Frost, you need someone that has hope and can guide this team with social skills and leadership skills and Vixen and Black Canary have both and Black Canary is one of the nicest characters in Justice League. Of course her costume could be better.

@amendment50: most recent SS issue has Waller talking about adding Zod to her ranks. He's currently sedated and she wants to have him part of her disposal. I could see that playing into this, if they end up moving forward with that idea.

I think i'm gonna stop reading the comments in the news articles, becusce it's nothing, but complaining and it's the same complaints that peoples common sense should have answered if people bulled their heads out of the sand.

I would be more excited for this if it was the real JLA vs. the real Suicide Squad.

@nightfang3: Comicvine can be really, REALLY negative sometimes.

After seeing Captain Boomerang on the promotional/cover art and now in Fabok's art here, I am really curious to see how they bring him back into the fold after the way Suicide Squad #2 ended.

@nickschuff: Same. Zod incinerated him. So unless he was pulled into the Phantom Zone somehow immediately prior to being zapped by Zod, I can't think of any logical way he comes back.
Actually as I typed that, I just remembered the end of the last issue talking about Hack and how she can turn physical material into data, maybe she saved Boomerang and he's in a floppy disk lol

Can't wait!!

Can't wait to see that Howard Porter art!

Bats should leave. He really does not need to be in another team and it comes across as desperate trying to get the big A lister to bring in readers.

As you said guy cannot be doing all this stuff at once and still be at his best.

That's a pretty good theory, I wouldn't be surprised if they go that route.

Unless ........... BATBORGS!!!!!!!!!!

Yep Bruce is just making robotic copies of himself, just so more can be done across the world, in Bruce's way of doing things. All while he's chilling in the shadows of Gotham, pummeling some low time thug into pulp, without a worry of teams, bat-family issues, etc.

*groan*

Would be hard to tell a robotic being and Batman apart, both are stiff and lifeless.

NOT SORRY!

*runs*

Ammmm.... I am confused

How is this a fair fight when the JL has so many powerhouses while the Suecide squad is mostly street level characters??

Sometimes, it's better to just ignore the comments.

@amendment50: Well Cheetah was part of the team for a while, idk if she still is, but they did recently acquired Zod if I am not mistaken.

@tantani this is in response to your post as well...

They are trying to make Zod part of the Squad. He's currently sedated and a group of scientists are trying to figure out how to put a bomb in his head. He's currently a lot bigger than usual and, as I understand, more powerful because of this "Black Vault" which seems like a synthetic Phantom Zone or a condensed version? I didn't fully grasp if it was man made or another way to access the Zone, but either way it altered Zod and that's how they captured him.

How is this even fair? Superman, WW, Flash, Aquaman can each solo the this team.

Vs. comic events/storylines always end with both sides fighting a bigger villain. Very tired cliche but that is almost guaranteed to happen.

DC desperately needs a creative team that can make SS work, because it's just so much wasted potential..

The Suicide Squad is being built up right now. They've just added Zod, and they're still expanding. Eventually they'll be well rounded enough to face the League.