The Justice League is the most important super team of them all. They were the first big super team of the Silver Age. Now a days, Marvel's Avengers get more attention and love from the fans, but without the Justice League, there probably never would have been an Avengers team. The sales success of the concept made aping them a priority for Marvel and Silver Age Marvel was full of super teams.
Over the years, there have been lots of rosters of the team. Some of them have been great and are fondly remembered by fans. Others are best forgotten. This list is going to look at the best rosters of the team.
10 The Early 90s League
In the early 90s, Dan Jurgens was given the Justice League America book. He would cut down the roster of the team to Superman (whose book he was writing and drawing), Guy Gardner, Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Ice, and Bloodwynd, a very 90s cliche character.
Not exactly a bad group of heroes, they were from a time when the team was in its twilight. The team would go up against Doomsday in the "Death Of Superman" story line and get completely devastated by the monster.
9 The Original League
When the team debuted in The Brave And The Bold #28, there were only five members- Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, the Flash, and Martian Manhunter. They were a rather powerful incarnation of the League, but there was definitely something missing. Two somethings, actually.
There's nothing really wrong with this incarnation of the team. It was a dry run for the concept of a team of the biggest stars of DC Comics and was a big enough success for the team to get their own book. However, against some of the rosters to come, this one can't really stand up.
8 The New 52 League
The New 52 would completely reboot the DC Universe. The debut book of this new timeline was Justice League and would introduce a "new" version of the League while also being the debut of superheroes in universe. This League would be made up of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Aquaman, and, in a departure from past versions of the group, Cyborg. Later, reformed villains like Lex Luthor and Captain Cold would join up.
The biggest departure for this League was the addition of Cyborg to the team instead of Martian Manhunter. The later, post-Forever Evil additions of Luthor and Captain Cold also made the team stand out, but like most New 52 concepts, this version of the team doesn't get a lot of love.
7 The Rebirth League
DC Rebirth #1 heralded a back to basics approach for the DC Universe, bringing back a lot of post-Crisis concepts that the New 52 had chucked to the wayside. This would mean another "new" Justice League team. It was basically the New 52 League, but instead of Hal Jordan as the team's Green Lantern, rookie Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz would fill the team's Green Lantern role.
This League was very cool. They would clash with the Suicide Squad, meet their future children, and deal with the Dark Multiverse incursion. Adding Baz and Cruz to a team of people who were very familiar with each other added a new dynamic to the group.
6 The Meltzer League
Post-Infinite Crisis, best selling author Brad Meltzer would be given the reins of Justice League Of America. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman would be joined by Hal Jordan, Black Canary, Red Arrow (Green Arrow's old sidekick Roy Harper), Red Tornado, Vixen, Black Lightning, and Hawkgirl.
This was a solid roster for the team, one that Meltzer based on the old Satellite League. It has a nice mix of powerhouses and less powerful but still skilled heroes. It ranks so low because after Meltzer left the book, the run sort of fizzled out.
5 The Scott Snyder League
Scott Snyder would relaunch the Justice League after Dark Knights: Metal. This new incarnation of the team would take a page from the Justice League cartoon of the early 00s. Hawkgirl was on the team, Martian Manhunter would return to the group, and John Stewart would take over the Green Lantern role. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Aquaman were all there as well, with the team rounded out by Jarro, one of Starro the Conqueror's face hugging offspring, and the Will Payton version of Starman.
This is easily the best lineup of the team in the 21st century. Snyder mixed fan favorites with new characters and brought the League back to prominence.
4 The Satellite League
The team referred to as the Satellite League, because of their satellite headquarters, would be the first big expansion of the Justice League's roster and would host a who's who of DC superheroes: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Red Tornado, Elongated Man, Black Canary, Zatanna, and Firestorm.
With a roster like that, it's easy to see why this is one of the greatest incarnations of the League.
3 The Morrison League
After a lot of failed restart of the concept in the mid-90s, DC would turn to Grant Morrison. Morrison would relaunch the team with a back to basics approach, bringing back the Big Seven of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash (Wally West), Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), and Martian Manhunter. Later in his run, he would expand the team, adding members like Big Barda, Orion, Plastic Man, Zauriel, Steel, and Oracle.
Morrison would use this League to tell some of the greatest Justice League stories of all team, treating the team like the pantheon of Greek Gods in the way he structured it.
2 The Justice League International
Post-Crisis, J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, and Kevin Maguire would take over the team and create one of the most well loved Justice League rosters ever. The team would consist of Batman, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, Elongated Man, Guy Gardner, Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Fire, Ice, Mister Miracle, Captain Marvel, and Captain Atom. Maxwell Lord would act as the team's financier.
What makes this roster one of the best is just how entertaining they were and how well the creative team played them off each other. They might not have been the most powerful League ever, but every issue of this League's run was a barrel of fun.
1 The Big Seven
After their debut in The Brave And The Bold #28, the Justice League would get their first ongoing series and the roster from their debut would be joined by two of the biggest heroes in all of comics- Superman and Batman. They would later be joined by Hawkman, the Atom, and Green Arrow, but it was the main seven that turned heads and grabbed readers.
This roster is the best because they would be the inspiration for every other group on this list. They're the gold standard of superteams- the best that DC had to offer.