SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Dark Nights: Metal #6, by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion and FCO Plasencia, on sale now.
At WonderCon 2018, during the DC Publishers panel, we learned from one of the masterminds behind Dark Nights: Metal, Scott Snyder, that a longtime staple of the Justice League would soon rise from Metal’s ashes: the Hall of Justice.
Originally created for the popular 1970s Super Friends cartoon, the Hall of Justice finally made the jump to the comics in 2007’s Justice League of America #7. After the previous Watchtower was destroyed during Infinite Crisis, a new orbiting Watchtower satellite was constructed, along with the Hall of Justice back on Earth in Washington DC. Designed by John Stewart and Wonder Woman, built by Superman and paid for by Batman, the Hall of Justice served as something of a museum for the public, though it also contained a portal called slideways that could transport the League directly to the Watchtower.
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The last appearance of the Hall of Justice was in 2011’s Justice League International #1. Taking exception to the idea of foreign heroes assembling in a United States landmark, the public began to protest the JLI, and they eventually succeeded in destroying the Hall altogether. However, in the closing pages of Dark Nights: Metal #6, we’re given a pretty clear indicator as to how and why the Hall of Justice is making its triumphant return.
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In the aftermath of the battle to defeat Barbatos, Bruce invites his fellow heroes to Wayne Manor for a well-deserved celebration dinner. It isn’t just wining and dining, though, as there’s also business to attend to as well. The Multiverse-shattering proportions of Metal caused the destruction of the Source Wall, after all, which means it likely won’t be long until Earth ends up in the crosshairs of anything and everything living on the other side of that Multiversal barrier.
Of course, with Bruce being a master at hiding his emotions, he’s able to keep the rest of the League relatively calm after dropping this major bombshell, allowing them to enjoy what could be their last peaceful evening for the foreseeable future. However, the two people he’s not able to fool are the ones closest to him, Clark and Diana.
Reflecting on the ramifications of their predicament while the other heroes dance the night away, Bruce takes Clark and Diana aside. He tells them not to worry as the trio makes its way into Bruce’s study, and when Clark asks him why not, Bruce simply replies, “I have a plan.”
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Here, draped across Bruce’s desk, we see a set of blueprints with the words “HALL OF JUSTICE” emblazoned across the top in big, bold letters, sitting just above the unmistakable silhouette of the iconic building.
The timing is fortuitous, as well, because with the Watchtower falling out of the sky in Christopher Priest and Pete Woods’ current Justice League run and several new iterations of the team spinning out of Justice League: No Justice, the heroes (and Darkseid) are going to need all the room they can get.