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Justice League International Reading Order, by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis

After what is known as the Justice League Detroit era (or the Detroit League), the crossovers event Crisis on Infinite Earths and Legends, came a new kind of Justice League team. Written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, the Justice League International (JLI) Comics was created in 1987. It was not a team of A-listers. As a matter of fact, it was considered as a joke and–with what they got to work with–Giffen and DeMatteis developed a sitcom-like version of the Justice League. One that is still quite unique to this day.

With most of the usual big Justice League characters unavailable, this new league introduced new characterizations to old characters like Guy Gardner (Green Lantern) and Booster Gold, but also a major new character named Maxwell Lord who was behind the creation of this new league. They fight alongside (and with) Batman, The Black Canary, The Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Doctor Fate, Doctor Light, The Martian Manhunter, Mister Miracle, Big Barda, Green Flame, Ice Maiden, Rocket Red, and more.

But here is the official synopsis from DC Comics: The world’s greatest super-team, the Justice League, are Earth’s greatest and last line of defense against all manner of world-threatening villains… assuming they don’t wipe each other out first! Find out what happens when Batman, Superman and the rest of the gang face a galactic invasion fleet known as the Cluster, exchange harsh words with crazed bounty hunter Lobo and track Mister Miracle back to the hell planet that is Apokolips, and then battle yet another invasion fleet…because that’s how they roll.

Justice League International Reading Order:

Need More Justice League Comics? As the Justice League team has been active since the sixties, you can obviously explore the team’s history, with our Complete Justice League reading order.

What you need to know about the Justice League International comics:

  1. After the first 6 issues, the Justice League comics was retitled “Justice League International”.
  2. After issue #25, the Justice League International comics ended. It was replaced by a Justice League America comics and a Justice League Europe comics.
  3. Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis wrote Justice League / Justice League International / Justice League America #1-60, Annual #1-5, Justice League Europe #1-35, Annual #1.

Justice League International Reading Order Giffen DeMatteis

Justice League International Omnibus Editions:

For a long time, the Justice League International comic book run by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis has been hard to find, but you can now find it in three big omnibuses. That’s the easiest way to go on reading it for the moment.

  • Justice League International Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Justice League #1-6, Justice League International #7-25, Justice League America #26-30, Justice League Annual #1, Justice League International Annual #2-3, Justice League Europe #1-6 and Suicide Squad #13.
  • Justice League International Omnibus Vol. 2
    Collects Justice League America #31-50, Justice League Europe #7-25, Justice League America Annual #4, Justice League Europe Annual #1, Justice League Quarterly #1, and Justice League International Special #1. 
  • Justice League International Omnibus Vol. 3 new
    Collects Justice League America #51-60, Secret Origins #33-35, Justice League America Annual #5, Green Lantern #18, Justice League Quarterly #2-5, JLA 80-Page Giant #1, Formerly Known As The Justice League #1-6, JLA: Classified #4-9, Justice League Europe #26-36, DC Retroactive: JLA–The ’90s #1, Justice League Europe Annual #2, and Justice League International Special #2.

The Justice League International Trade Paperback Editions:

Of course, there are other options beyond the omnibus edition to read Giffen and DeMatteis’ Justice League International comics.

Justice League International Comics: The 2020 edition

This is not the complete run, as you may quickly notice, but those relatively big trade paperbacks are being kept in print at a reasonable price, there’s hope DC Comics could resume publication of new volumes soon (or maybe not).

Justice League International Reading Order Giffen DeMatteis

Justice League International Comics: The Standard edition

This run of Justice League International Comics has been collected like many others in traditional trade paperback. Once again though, not a complete run is available in that format.

Justice League International #9-10 are tie-ins in the “Millennium” crossover storyline (no reading order yet). It’s about the Manhunters. They were created as a force for good three-and-a-half billion years ago by the Guardians of the Universe. However, they have turned against their masters and are now gunning for Earth’s heroes and for ten special “chosen ones” that have been selected by the Guardians. 

 

Justice League International #22-23 are tie-ins in the “Invasion!” crossover storyline (reading order here). An alliance has formed between the fiercest, most calculating alien races to pursue a single goal: the elimination of Earth’s guardians. As war erupts all over the world, Superman leads the charge against these would-be alien conquerors.

Not fully collected either, the Justice League Quarterly was a quarterly American series started by Giffen and DeMatteis centered on short stories featuring a differing number of characters, often solo stories. Various creative teams worked on the title.

Justice League International by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis Reading Order issue by issue

If you are collecting your Justice League International comics issue-by-issue, here is your roadmap to explore Giffen and DeMatteis’ run:

  • Justice League #1-4
  • Justice League Annual #1
  • Justice League #5-6
  • Justice League International #7-13 (#9-10 are tie-ins in the “Millennium”, but you don’t need to read the event)
  • Suicide Squad #13
  • Justice League International #14-15
  • Justice League International Annual #2
  • Justice League International #16-25 (#22-23 are tie-ins in the “Invasion!” crossover, but you really don’t need to read the event)
  • Justice League Europe #1
  • Justice League International Annual #3
  • Justice League Europe #2
  • Justice League America #26
  • Justice League Europe #3
  • Justice League America #27
  • Justice League Europe #4
  • Justice League America #28-30
  • Justice League Europe #5-6
  • Justice League America #31
  • Justice League Europe #7
  • Justice League America #32
  • Justice League Europe #8-9
  • Justice League America #33
  • Justice League Europe #10
  • Justice League America #34-36
  • Justice League Europe #11-12
  • Justice League America Annual #4
  • Justice League America #37
  • Justice League Europe #13-14
  • Justice League Europe Annual #1
  • Justice League America #38-40
  • Justice League Europe #15-19
  • Justice League America #41
  • Justice League International Special #1
  • Justice League America #42-44
  • Justice League Europe #20
  • Justice League Quaterly #1
  • Justice League Europe #21
  • Justice League America #45
  • Justice League Europe #22
  • Justice League International Special #2
  • Justice League America #46-50
  • Justice League Quaterly #2
  • Justice League Europe #23-28
  • Justice League Quaterly #3
  • Justice League America #51
  • Justice League Quaterly #4
  • Justice League America #52-53
  • Justice League Annual #5 (part of the Armageddon 2001 crossover)
  • Justice League Europe #29
  • Justice League America #54
  • Justice League Europe #30
  • Justice League America #55
  • Justice League Quaterly #5 (can be read earlier, after JLQ #4, in order to avoid interrupting the story, but the Global Guardians story takes place after JLE #30)
  • Justice League Europe Annual #2 (part of the Armageddon 2001 crossover)
  • Justice League Europe #31
  • Justice League America #56
  • Green Lantern #18
  • Justice League Europe #32
  • Justice League America #57
  • Justice League Europe #33
  • Justice League America #58
  • Justice League Europe #34
  • Justice League America #59
  • Justice League Europe #35-36
  • Justice League America #60

After Justice League International by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis

Once Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis left the Justice League International comics, the new writer was Dan Jurgens. He worked on Justice League America #61–77, Justice League Spectacular #1, Justice League International (vol. 3) #1–12. Some of those comic books are collected here:

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