Justice League Unlimited (2024-) #12

Justice League Unlimited (2024) (Single Issues)

by Mark Waid, Dan Mora (Artist)

As the tournament begins and the transformation of Earth GROWS MORE DIRE, a strange signal is detected at the heart of darkness at the core of the planet—a Terrifictech device?! Michael Holt must put together an elite Justice League squad of the most powerful time-displaced heroes from “We Are Yesterday” to unravel the mystery—and this mission is a one- way ticket. Get ready for a mission to hell and back in this epic tie-in to the DC K.O. event!

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics

Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2025

About the author

Mark Waid is an American comic book writer widely known for shaping modern superhero storytelling through influential runs on major characters at both DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Raised in Alabama, he developed an early fascination with comic books, particularly classic stories featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, whose imaginative scope and sense of legacy would later inform his own writing. He first entered the comics industry during the mid 1980s as an editor and writer for the fan magazine Amazing Heroes, before publishing his first professional comic story in Action Comics. Soon afterward he joined DC Comics as an editor, contributing to numerous titles and helping shape projects across the company. After leaving editorial work to focus on writing, Waid gained widespread recognition with his long run on The Flash, where he expanded the mythology of the character and co-created the youthful speedster Impulse. His reputation grew further with the celebrated graphic novel Kingdom Come, created with artist Alex Ross, which imagined a future DC Universe shaped by generational conflict among superheroes. Over the years he has written many prominent series, including Captain America, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and Superman: Birthright, bringing a balance of optimism, character depth, and respect for comic book history to each project. Waid has also collaborated with notable artists and writers on major ensemble titles such as Justice League and Avengers, while contributing ideas that helped clarify complex continuity within shared superhero universes. Beyond mainstream superhero work, he has supported creator owned projects and experimental publishing models, including the acclaimed series Irredeemable and Incorruptible, which explored moral ambiguity within the superhero genre. He later took on editorial leadership roles at Boom Studios, guiding creative direction while continuing to write extensively. In subsequent years he expanded his involvement in publishing and digital storytelling, helping launch online comics initiatives and advocating for new distribution methods for creators. His work has earned numerous industry awards, including Eisner and Harvey honors, reflecting both critical acclaim and enduring popularity among readers. Throughout his career Waid has remained a passionate student of comic book history, drawing on decades of storytelling tradition while continually encouraging innovation within the medium. His influence extends across generations of readers and creators, and his stories continue to shape the evolving language of superhero comics around the world today through enduring characters imaginative narratives and thoughtful reinventions of familiar myths within popular culture and modern graphic storytelling traditions.

Reviews

[Colin Post · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Waid seems to be having the best time with this book. He gets to assemble a weirdo, deep-cut JL team and then spend the bulk of the issue with deep character moments for heroes taken out of their own time and thrust into an unfamiliar present. JLU hasn’t had a chance to stand on its own for this whole run, since it’s been a glue book between various events and crossovers, but it’s succeeded in becoming a Who’s Who’s of the DCU with action scenes.

[Hannah Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5/5

[Jadyn❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

DC K.O. is here, and it’s already putting my faves in critical condition!
The Terrific Ten are introduced, and it’s an interesting lineup. There’s some time in this issue spent with some of the team members during their spare time before the mission, and while I’m sure it was necessary for certain characters to learn certain things about their current canon-to-this-universe counterparts or other team members, it slowed the usual breakneck pace of this series down a lot.
Two Fire and Ice appearances this week! This one’s better than Harley Quinn #55 by a long shot, but damn, they can’t catch a break!

[Cybernex007 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alongside the DC KO flash issue this week, this confirms that Waid is writing the most interesting DC KO tie in stories. I appreciate so much that instead of spending half the issue recapping DC KO this summed everything up in one line and then got on with the action. We know the world is having to evacuate and this issue gives us a glimpse into the heroes left behind to try and help with it. And during all their chaos what are batgirl (Barbara) and atom (Ray) left to deal with? A stupid bank robbery! Seriously!? Come on who could possibly do this right now, especially if they fail and the money is pointless…as it turns out, polka dot man would. As batgirl and atom arrive and polka dot man tries to warn them off, the two heroes literally play a game to determine who gets to beat him up…Ray looses and delivers a massive punch but polka dot man returns one massive one back. Turns out his warnings of hurting them were not in vain and Barbara and Ray are now in critical condition on the watchtower getting aid from the purple healing ray. All over the world the villains that are left are getting supercharged. Polka dot man was just one example. Fire and ice were no match for captain cold and heatwave. Super-man and the creeper struggled against replicant and matter master. It’s ridiculous out there and they are struggling to balance the villains and evacuation. Which is why mr terrific has a plan to deal with it. He has figured out what is causing this: Neron. An Uber demon who a few years back made deals with villains to amp their abilities for their souls. If the villains aren’t afraid of sticking around when the world ends, they must have made a deal with him to escape when the time was right. So Mr Terrific is going to handle it with his own army from the past, present, and future. Remember all the time displaced heroes from the we are yesterday event, time for them to start chipping in if they can’t return to their times with how unstable the timeline is. In our roster of nine we have Peter David’s Aquaman with a hook, Kara Zor-El aka Power girl right from loosing earth 2, Guy Gardner Warrior, Superman blue, Kthar Gold Hawk of the planet Abdrino, Tim Drake with the batman beyond look (Terry is off on the waverider after all), kingdom come Alan Scott Green Lantern, Sofie Doctor Fatw, and Owlwoman from Justice legion alpha of the 853rd century. QUITE A LINEUP. And Mr terrific has news about them, heres the thing…they aren’t ever going back to their time because they technically never left. They thought the we are yesterday event was because of Grodd, it’s bigger than that and they noticed how none of the original legion of doom kept their injuries when they returned back. No one remembers what happened, and it’s not because of multiversal shenanigans but because each of them is a stand-alone version of themself extracted from their timeline. They are quantum ghosts existing apart from themselves and when time starts back up they will cease to exist and their source self will continue on as if nothing happened. They are remnants on borrowed time and if they need help working through that idea I am sure any of the challengers would be more than willing to talk about it. But Mr Terrific also knows that they are heroes and will not waste their time here when people are counting on them. He had a mission and meetup point for them later in the boom tube room, for now they are free to make use of their time as they see fit.

And this actually leads to some pretty emotional moments. Guy, for instance, takes the chance to fly down and meet back up with Ice. Now he does approach her in a pretty douchey way but he genuinely believes they are still together, and when Ice has to break the news to him that they are not together in the future he flies off with Grace but it’s very clear that all the emotions from their breakup came back up for both of them. Aquaman got me the most emotional as this version decided to go visit aquaman’s quarters in the watchtower where he saw standees of all the different looks he has had over the years but also all of the family and adventures he had built since this darker period in his life, including an image of his daughter. It must be so reliving to see a light at the end of the tunnel and something he is fighting for. J’onn actually catches him in here, and lets him know his daughter’s name. AWWWWW. Doctor Fate Sofia uses her powers to put a translation spell on gold hawk, which allows him to properly communicate with everyone and tell them about the nonviolent species he comes from and how he has developed powers to see the hopes, desires, and pains of others making them unusually empathetic. Power girl takes her time to sit down and record a message for her future self, hot off from loosing her world she has the high likelihood of being filled with anger, but she has found that she is strangely at peace and she hopes that her future self had found that clarity as well and if not she hopes this message is proof that it is achievable.

Strangely the end of the issue actually interrupts us with a broken urgent message from air wave on the waverider sending out a mayday and requesting immediate assistance but I’m not sure anyone saw it. Me specially with where Mr terrific and the rest of the team are going. He rigged the boom tube for a jump in sure it has never made before…taking them all straight to hell! Literally!! They are going to fight Neron after all. Geez, that’s wild.

[Joshua Tompkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ties in right to the start of K.O. While I thought it was going to be action packed, it somehow kept me hooked without really telling me anything. Terrific has a plan and gathers a team and they the story ends with them gathering and ready for the next issue. While it might be an issue issue you can skip, I still enjoyed it.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 3 out of 5]

¿Y por qué en medio de una evacuación global los villanos atracadores no iban a desvalijar a placer? XD

Ya solo eso es una situación estupenda. Pero sí que el "caramelito" argumental de estos personajes variantes de los grandes héroes con su ultimatum existencial permiten a Mark Waid seguir demostrando su conocimiento y buen hacer de todas las cronologías... aunque sea a costa de seguir estrujando los sentimientos de Hielo. Pero muy bueno ese momento Power Girl hablando a su "yo" presente al puro modo Heroes In Crisis.

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot happening all at once. The league’s heavy hitters are fighting Darkside. The villains has a power up. And the time displaced heroes are going to disappear. I miss the simpler stories, but let’s see where this goes.

[Powerman61 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great issue of Justice League Unlimited.
The artwork was superb.
The writer did an excellent job of laying down
a foundation for the preceding issues.
Looking forward to the Terrific Ten in action.

[alejandro galvez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

Always top notch with Mark Waid at the deck. He is on fire right now! Man is singlehandedly making DC into a powerhouse again. Really good stuff. I can't keep up with so many hitters on a weekly basis.

[Jason Holtzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This issue was stronger than some of the more recent ones. It felt very kinetic and engaging, and overall I just had a more fun time with this one than standard super hero romps. This was going to be the end for me but I’ll pick up the next issue.

[Craig Schorling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like a good jumping on point. I do not know much about many of these characters but the writing was great and made me care immediately. Pair that with Mora's art and I am on board for this.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim? shouldn't that be Terry?

i dont know the history between Ice and Guy, but wtf?

[Andy Waldron · Rating 4 out of 5]

awesome

[Arthur Marchetto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boa história secundária do evento DC K.O. que apresenta um grupo de heróis paralelos que, ao lado do Sr. Incrível, vão fazer o possível para ajudar o futuro da Terra.

[Lizzy DeMarco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tie in to the KO event, but stands alone well too.

[Seth Daub · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyable setup for future stories. i liked the formation of the terrific ten.

[Richard A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this DCKO event would be less than, but it is off to such an interesting start that I am hooked and excited to see where it goes.

[Destini Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so fire. I haven’t read comic books in years but, this was really good! It was the “Fall Colors” kindle reading challenge satisfier but now I need to read #13 when it comes out!

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful issue

[Myles Gerber · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

[Landen Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool into to knight fight

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Mora and Waid are always great.

[Mark Cubillos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved seeing the different timeline versions of the characters.

[Dani Robles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cómodo, presencias fugaces que harán su acto, dos números, tres.

[PixieART · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skip. There was too many characters who all had like 2 pages to read about what they are doing while Earth is being evacuated. It's too much and too little at the same time. This is another tie-in issue to DC KO.