Justice League writer confirms he's leaving title, but will wrap it up "in high style"

Justice League #72 excerpt (Image credit: Emanuele Lupacchino (DC))

Brian Michael Bendis has opened up about his upcoming finale on DC's Justice League title. Bendis' finale issue will be March 2022's Justice League #74 - nearly one year to the day after his run launched with Justice League #59 as part of the 'Infinite Frontier' line-wide relaunch.

Justice League #72 cover (Image credit: Yanick Paquette (DC))

"First of all, as some of you saw the DC solicitations for March are out and Justice League #74 will be my last issue on the main series," the writer explains on his newsletter. "But, we’re going to wrap up our run in high style.

"First off, we have the Justice League Annual fully illustrated by Eisner award-winning Bitter Root co-creator Sanford Greene," Bendis continues. "This gorgeous annual brings Wonder Woman back to the Justice League and starts a cosmic disturbance that will send the DC universe in chaos and bring us some OMAC! There are lots of surprises in this double size spectacular."

Originally titled Justice League Annual 2021, the book was delayed into 2022 and will thus be renamed Justice League Annual 2022. Bendis says the delays aren't related to the creative team or even supply chain issues, but instead due to "some DC editorial shifts."

That would seemingly refer to the DC departure of Justice League editor Jamie S. Rich in June 2021, and his replacement Mike Cotton leaving five months later.

Justice League #74 cover (Image credit: Yanick Paquette (DC))

"After that, for our wrap up, from Justice League #72 to #74 you’re getting a different kind of Justice League book," Bendis continues. "For the last couple of years there’s been a main Justice League story with a Justice League Dark back up by another team. Instead, in 72 to 74, you’re getting three double-sized issues in a row that compile a giant Justice League/Justice League Dark crossover event illustrated by the really talented Emanuele Lupacchino and Szymon Kudranski. "All authored by myself as my last statement on the book," Bendis concluded.

While Bendis' Justice League run is ending, he's not done with the team itself. These upcoming Justice League stories will be setting up the upcoming crossover event Justice League vs. Legion of Super-Heroes, as well as the upcoming return of the Naomi series - a Bendis co-created character he added to the Justice League in early 2021.

"Thank you all for supporting the book. I got to make some comics with some really cool people," Bendis adds. "I get to say I wrote Avengers and Justice League (and Legion and X-Men) and that’s pretty cool."

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Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)