Justice League Elite #1
Collecting the four-issue miniseries from 2005, this volume follows a covert branch of the Justice League that operates outside traditional superhero boundaries. Led by Green Arrow and featuring members like Manitou Raven and the reformed villainess Cheshire, the Elite takes on morally gray missions that the main League cannot handle. Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke craft a gritty, espionage-driven take on the DC Universe's premier team.
In Justice League Elite #1, written by Joe Kelly and illustrated by Doug Mahnke with inks by Tom Nguyen, the team is sent on a covert mission to Changsha under the guise of assassinating Richard Atwa—only to discover the true, horrifying objective behind the Blood Brothers' orders. With cover art by Doug Mahnke and Tom Nguyen, this 2005 issue sets a tense, morally complex tone as the elite operatives confront a mission that challenges everything they believe about justice and duty.
In "What's So Funny about Truth, Justice & the American Way?", a new breed of superhumans emerges, unafraid to use extreme measures to fight crime—pushing the limits of morality in the process. When their methods clash with Superman’s ideals, he’s forced to prove that justice doesn’t have to come at the cost of principle.
In "Elitism," Vera Black commands the Justice League Elite against a global threat, pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable in the name of survival. As the Justice League fractures over how to respond, some members find themselves drawn to her ruthless methods—leaving the line between hero and villain dangerously thin.
In "Grand Experiment," Sister Superior assembles a tight-knit team for the Justice League Elite, recruiting Green Arrow and Naif al-Sheikh to take on the deadly Blood Brothers. Disguised as Deathstroke, Vera infiltrates the assassin group alongside Kasumi, setting the stage for a high-stakes mission where trust is as dangerous as the enemy.
In "Candle in a Hurricane," Deathstroke, Kasumi, and Wolfwood are sent on a mission to Changsha under the guise of assassinating Richard Atwa, a man the Justice League Elite believe should be eliminated. As they infiltrate the border region between Cambodia and Changsha, the team uncovers a chilling truth: the Blood Brothers' real objective isn't just one man's death, but a brutal act of genocide meant as a warning.
In "Candle in a Hurricane," the Justice League Elite faces a deadly crisis in Changsha as Sister Superior clashes with Wolfwood, while Kasumi is wounded by a Blood Brother and Manitou Raven takes on the other. Coldcast works to revive fallen soldiers as the team works to prevent casualties, ultimately capturing the assassins and detaining the terrorist target, Richard Atwa. But even as order begins to return, a sudden moment of darkness sees the president of Changsha, Hi-Shan Bhat, fall—leaving the team’s victory bittersweet.
In "The Right Thing," Sister Superior digs into her Justice League Elite teammates to uncover who killed Hi-Shan Bhat, unraveling tensions within the group as Green Arrow contemplates leaving—only to be convinced to stay by Dawn. When confronted by the JLA, Sister Superior names Wolfwood as the killer, setting the team on a dangerous path of suspicion and secrecy.
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Action Comics #775 (2001), JLA #100 (2004), Justice League Elite #1 (2004), Justice League Elite #2 (2004), JLA Secret Files 2004 #1 (2004), Justice League Elite #3 (2004), Justice League Elite #4 (2004)
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