Warning: contains spoilers forJustice League Unlimited#1
Rest in peace to theBatcave, asDCunveils the revolutionary new headquarters of theJustice League–and there is no going back. InJustice League Unlimited#1, a new era begins for the team. Patterned after the critically acclaimed cartoon series of the same name,this new incarnation of the League has their own Watchtower, and it puts other superhero headquarters to shame.
Justice League Unlimited#1 is written by Mark Waid and drawn by Dan Mora. The Flash is giving Airwave a tour of the new Watchtower, explaining the concept of the team along the way. The League, realizing that “unlimited integration” was the right way forward, created living quarters for every single hero on Earth, if needed. The Flash then shows Air Wave something even cooler: “the Golden Room” ameeting place for the Justice Society.TheFlash explains the Watchtower has several “auxillary hqs,” including one for the Titans as well as the Super Family.
Justice League UnlimitedWas an Influential Cartoon, and This New Comic Proves It
DC’s NewJustice League UnlimitedTitle is a Love Letter to the Cartoon
DC’s newJustice League Unlimitedtakes its cues from the show that aired on Cartoon Network in the mid-2000s.In the wake of a Thanagarian invasion, the Justice League’s seven members opened membership up to more heroes, including Supergirl, Captain Atom, the Question, Mister Terrific and many more. For the first time ever, the Justice League seemed like just that: a league. TheJustice League Unlimitedcartoon also adapted the Watchtower, from Grant Morrison and Howard Porter’sJLA.Originally on the moon, this new Watchtower was a satellite, in a homage to a beloved era in the Justice League’s history.
The Justice League’s Happy Harbor base would later become the headquarters for the Young Justice team.
And now history is repeating itself in the DC Universe. The new Justice League Unlimited team formedin response to Amanda Waller’s assaulton Earth’s metahuman community. At the time of Waller’s attack, the League was on hiatus, which the heroes realized was a horrible idea in retrospect. The Thanagarian invasion spurred the League to grow its ranks, and Waller’s actions duringAbsolute Powerhave forced them into a similar course of action.The Justice League is now an army, and any good army needs a headquarters.Enter the League’s new Watchtower.
Some of the Best Justice League Bases Have Been in Outer Space
The Justice League’s Watchtower is an impressive headquarters, and it continues a trend for the team when it comes to bases. The League’s first headquarters, in a cave in Happy Harbor, was where the “Big 7” came together to form the team. This base served the League through its first decade of existence, but by the 1970s, a change was needed. In 1970s’Justice League of America#78, the team’s famous satellite base debuted. Located in geosynchronous orbit, it would be the League’s meeting place for the entire decade, and even into the 1980s.
A conscious attempt to inject fun and wonder back into superhero comics,JLAtook elements of the League’s history, such as a headquarters in outer space, and brought them into the modern era.
After the Satellite Era, the League’s headquarters were less than impressive, but that changed in 1996 with the publication ofJLA.A conscious attempt to inject fun and wonder back into superhero comics,JLAtook elements of the League’s history, such as a headquarters in outer space, and brought them into the modern era. At the same time, these tropes and themes lost none of the impact they originally had. If anything, Morrison and Porter made ideas and concepts like the Watchtower cool again.JLAwould go on to become one of the most influential comics of the 1990s.
The Justice League’s New Watchtower Breaks the Headquarters Mold
The Justice League Acknowledges Other Superhero Teams Exist
TheJustice League’s new Watchtower is sure to set a new standard for superhero bases.The Watchtower from theJustice League Unlimitedcartoon contained living quarters, conference and training rooms, as well as support staff to help oversee it all. The new Watchtower has all of these amenities, and so much more. Bigger than its cartoon counterpart, the Watchtower drives the concept of this new Justice League home even further. Flash was not kidding when he said “unlimited integration” was important, and the various perks on the Watchtower, such as the aforementioned living quarters, show this commitment.
Justice League Unlimited Team Teases the Crew’s Surprising Members
The Justice League’s exciting new era is about to begin, and some unexpected heroes will be joining the team’s roster alongside the mainstays.
While every hero on Earth is now a member of the Justice League, the fact remains there are still other teams still active in the DC Universe, such as the Justice Society or the Titans.
The“auxiliary headquarters” scattered throughout the Watchtower are perhaps its coolest feature. While every hero on Earth is now a member of the Justice League, the fact remains there are still other teams still active in the DC Universe, such as the Justice Society or the Titans. The League’s new headquarters acknowledges this, giving those teams their own individual meeting spaces. Other teams present on the Watchtower include the Challengers of the Unknown, who are its support staff. While the Flash did not mention Justice League Dark,Constantine’s presence in thefirst issue suggests they are soon to appear.
Move Over Batcave, You Have Serious Competition
The Justice League’s Watchtower Has Upped the Ante for Superhero Bases
For many years, the Batcave was considered to be the coolest base inDCComics, but theJustice League’snew Watchtower is giving it a serious run for the money. TheBatcavecontains everything Batman needs to do his job. The Watchtower does this too, only on a grander scale, giving support to every hero on Earth. This support comes in various forms, be it a chance to hone their powers, get medical care, or simply have a place to crash. TheLeague’s new Watchtower not only represents a new era for the team, but the idea of superhero bases too.
