Last summer it was announced we'd be seeing a future take on the Justice League. We talked to writers J.M. DeMatteis and Keith Giffen back then (click HERE for that interview). We recently had the chance to try to find out more from artist Howard Porter, who is making his return to the Justice League. Only it's a different League than what he's used to.

COMIC VINE: Is it a familiar feeling working on this Justice League book or completely different due to the time period?

HOWARD PORTER: It is a familiar feeling, sort of like a home coming but the school has changed so much you can hardly recognize it anymore. It’s a great feeling. You know how find yourself saying, “I wish I knew then what I know now” when you reflect on the past you? Well, I get to revisit things and I have quite a few more tricks up my sleeve than I did the first go around.

CV: How involved were you with the character designs?

HP: I was very involved, I was fortunate enough to get to design their visuals completely. When I was approached the way the heroes were going to act and interact had been very well defined, but I wasn’t presented with much direction as far as how they wanted them to look. With the exception of Green Lantern’s cloak they were all pretty much blank slates. It was a very enjoyable process, I felt like a fan again, getting to mess around with some of my favorite characters in a sketchbook.

CV: There's been a mention of the series being a little dark. Can you shed some light on what the tone will be?

HP: The situations our heroes are thrown into are very dark and twisted but their actions and interactions hold the moments that make you chuckle. So, it is dark and serious, but humor also plays a huge part in the book. I really wish I could give some specific examples but I am afraid it would spoil the stories!

CV: Will the team already be formed when we come in with the first issue or will we see how and why they formed?

HP: The Justice League is indeed fully formed and we see them thrown into some pretty intense action by the time you get through the first 6 pages. We are however jumping in relatively close to the beginning of their adventures together, so there are still more than a few kinks to work out. you can rest assured that we will find out the "how and why" not too far down the road. From what I have been told, it's pretty crazy!

CV: Are there any team members that really jump out at you and are a blast to draw?

HP: Honestly, I really enjoy drawing each of them pretty equally. Batman’s “toys” are particularly fun to draw and I really like playing with Green Lanterns cloak quite a bit. Wonder Woman is just plain old savage, which is always fun. At this point I can’t pick a favorite, each one has an element to them that is a blast to draw.

CV: Do you feel you have more freedom in drawing this series given the time period? I'm assuming the DCU landscape has drastically changed.

HP: Absolutely! Complete freedom. There are no rules or continuity to follow, which is an amazing fuel for creatively. I am encouraged to play around as much as possible as we build this world and I can’t express how much I enjoy it. But I will try anyway. On rainy afternoons as a kid, I would sit on the living room floor drawing on the huge sheets of paper my father would bring home from work. I would get lost drawing one continuous scene that would span across the huge page. Towards the top of the page It would show things things happening up in space, aliens, planets and fighter ships. As you moved farther down there would be cities and armies on the land and even get into deep under water battles as you got toward s the bottom of the page. Forty years later, this is that same kind of fun for me.

CV: Sounds cool! What's your favorite thing about being on board with this series?

HP: The answer to that question is a no brainer: the people I am working with.

You can prepare to journey to the future when JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 goes on sale December 11, 2013.

Should be good, I love how Green Lantern and Flash look.

I'm excited for this after just a few pages of art

Wait, they're in the future, yet Batman STILL uses a grapple? That's dedication.

I'm really looking forward to this series.

I'm pretty sure they would have made a big deal out of it if that were Wally as the Flash, and according to the recent Didio whiteboard thing with Donna and Wally he'll be showing up in Flash...but I really want that to be Wally West Flash. xD Red hair. I mean c'mon.

I just want this book to come out already, I've been waiting long enough!

The only Howard Porter art I've really seen was his JLA stuff with Morrison and this is way different. For the better. I might have to pick this book up for the art if nothing else.

So excited for this series, cannot wait to read that first ish.

So would this be before or after the Legion of Superheroes

@bonzi161: They retconned the Legion for this title. Currently, in the New 52, the Legion don't nor never existed (except that they did according to Morrison's Action Comics run... but that is neither here nor there). At least that seems to be the case. One gets a sense they "wiped the slate clean".

Can't wait to see if that is I fact a decendent of Kal-El

I do not have high hopes for this comic. Giffen is treading water at DC trying to stay afloat and if Legion did not do well and was cancelled why should this be any different?

@grandharrier: How does that work with the Legion Lost?

i couldn't have this thought fast enough that i've already seen someone putting it into a post... well done mate!

@jonny_anonymous: The Legion Lost will just be hand waved away. With the Legion seemingly shunted off to Earth 2, the existence of the Legion Lost are a logical inconsistency. Don't expect them to ever be mentioned again.

(Gah. Apparently if you accidentally click "delete" while editing, there's no confirmation. I hit stop on the browser as soon as I could and everything looked fine when I saved, but now it's gone. Well, let's try to rewrite that lost post from scratch.)

I love these costume designs. They're flashy, they kind of follow the streamlined look from the DC Beyond stuff, they have a common theme across all uniforms (something I appreciate in team books) but still provide a unique look to each character, they're familiar but unique takes on the old look (with interesting variations on the logos for WW and Supes (who pretty much just have outlines), and damn but that is a fantastic Wonder Woman design. Bad-ass. And one of the few that successfully combines the gold and silver into her uniform (by splitting it top and bottom on the design).

Gallery

All that said, I'm a little surprised that, given these are supposedly all-new characters from the year 3000, the artist creates an all-white cast. Sure, we have to assume with Green Lantern there, but if the only POC character is entirely covered I'm not sure how inclusive that is. It's just odd to me that when presented with a chance to create a new Justice League that's not weighed down by Golden Age era properties, they create one that still has a racial diversity issue. Especially when every other aspect of these characters designs is so good, why wasn't that made a priority?

It doesn't reduce my appreciation for the costume designs and I don't think it will affect my reading of the book, but it will always feel like a wasted opportunity to me.

I'm looking forward to this. Giffen talked about a twist early on in the story that'll explain why the JL is in the future that has me interested.

Green Lantern looks epic.

I never dug Howard Porter's art on Morrison's JLA run (love the stories, don't like the art), he seemed to have some issues with foreshorting and proportions. However this art is fantastic, I'm really excited for this book.

@fodigg said:

(Gah. Apparently if you accidentally click "delete" while editing, there's no confirmation. I hit stop on the browser as soon as I could and everything looked fine when I saved, but now it's gone. Well, let's try to rewrite that lost post from scratch.)

I love these costume designs. They're flashy, they kind of follow the streamlined look from the DC Beyond stuff, they have a common theme across all uniforms (something I appreciate in team books) but still provide a unique look to each character, they're familiar but unique takes on the old look (with interesting variations on the logos for WW and Supes, who pretty much just have outlines), and damn but that is a fantastic Wonder Woman design. Bad-ass. And one of the few that successfully combines the gold and silver into her uniform (by splitting it top and bottom on the design).

Gallery

All that said, I'm a little surprised that, given these are supposedly all-new characters from the year 3000, the artist creates an all-white cast. Sure, we have to assume with Green Lantern there, but if the only POC character is entirely covered I'm not sure how inclusive that is. It's just odd to me that when presented with a chance to create a new Justice League that's not weighed down by Golden Age era properties, they create one that still has a racial diversity issue. Especially when every other aspect of these characters designs is so good, why wasn't that made a priority?

It doesn't reduce my appreciation for the costume designs and I don't think it will affect my reading of the book, but it will always feel like a wasted opportunity to me.

Well said.

@patrat18 said:

@fodigg said:

(Gah. Apparently if you accidentally click "delete" while editing, there's no confirmation. I hit stop on the browser as soon as I could and everything looked fine when I saved, but now it's gone. Well, let's try to rewrite that lost post from scratch.)

I love these costume designs. They're flashy, they kind of follow the streamlined look from the DC Beyond stuff, they have a common theme across all uniforms (something I appreciate in team books) but still provide a unique look to each character, they're familiar but unique takes on the old look (with interesting variations on the logos for WW and Supes, who pretty much just have outlines), and damn but that is a fantastic Wonder Woman design. Bad-ass. And one of the few that successfully combines the gold and silver into her uniform (by splitting it top and bottom on the design).

Gallery

All that said, I'm a little surprised that, given these are supposedly all-new characters from the year 3000, the artist creates an all-white cast. Sure, we have to assume with Green Lantern there, but if the only POC character is entirely covered I'm not sure how inclusive that is. It's just odd to me that when presented with a chance to create a new Justice League that's not weighed down by Golden Age era properties, they create one that still has a racial diversity issue. Especially when every other aspect of these characters designs is so good, why wasn't that made a priority?

It doesn't reduce my appreciation for the costume designs and I don't think it will affect my reading of the book, but it will always feel like a wasted opportunity to me.

Well said.

Thanks! Thoughts always flow better on the second draft, but man, it's annoying when you take the time to insert pics and CV eats your post.

Saw those concept pictures on Deviantart a while ago, then saw em on here and thought they looked familiar haha. Didn't realize when I favorited em on DA that they were actually gonna be used, awesome.

Well it makes for a great core workout.

I don't know i am looking forward to this, we might possibly get Donna Troy and Wally West back thanks to this, and we might get a batman that is not useless compared to the other members since there technology is better and they don't have cyborg, i just kind of want an aquaman 300, i mean if the amazons still exist the atlantians must be alive as well.

I'm kinda depressed there is no aquaman

Thank the Lord they changed Superman's hair. He looked weird with the lone tuft in front.

nobody can see what race green lantern is...everybody save your finest spike lee impression for later.

The flash looks either scared or crazy. Not saying that it is bad, but just a thought that I had.

Flash and Green Lantern look so damned sick!

I will get this because it looks interesting.

would be nice if they took this opurtunity to make a , I dunno, Bat or Super woman, & a Wonder Man. I have no real interest in a future retread of a pre-existing character. How about a female GL or Flash.

Will the team already be formed when we come in with the first issue or will we see how and why they formed?

I also do care much about the origin of a character/ team. Big deal, they decide to do something to crime. Yes, now move on. you dont need an entire movie or X-part arc explaining why. People either care, or like me, they dont. I doubt there is much middle ground.

I also dont care much about a JL in the legion's era. Sure, thats far enough that every one familiar is gone, but that also is the problem. Superman is, was, & always will be Clark/Kal-El. Not this JL3000 guy. Same with WW. The only OTHER batman is Terry.

That Green Lantern suit would be great for Martian Manhunter.

The Wonder Woman is nothing special

@cobramorph: Okaay since you seem to agree about the Superman thing question for you. Do you think that guy is Clark or someone else? Because really couldn't Superman still be alive? Could that be him or do you think he'd be to old?

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Beat me to it.