This Day in Comic Book History: July 22
This Day in Comic Book History: July 22
July 22 is a day to celebrate superhero teams — the groups of heroes whose combined stories have produced some of the greatest runs in comics history, and whose dynamics continue to drive the most popular entertainment franchises in the world.
The Avengers: Marvel's Greatest Team
The Avengers Assemble
First appeared September 1963 · Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Ant-Man, Wasp · Stan Lee and Jack Kirby · The team that became the MCU
The Avengers debuted in The Avengers #1 in September 1963, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as a team of Marvel's already-established heroes: Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. The book became Marvel's answer to DC's Justice League and launched what would become the most commercially successful superhero franchise in film history. The roster has changed hundreds of times over six decades, but the core premise — Earth's Mightiest Heroes assembled against threats too great for any one hero — remains as powerful as it was in 1963.
The Justice League: DC's Iconic Team
Justice League of America
First appeared Brave and the Bold #28 (1960) · Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman · Julius Schwartz
DC's Justice League of America debuted in The Brave and the Bold #28 in March 1960, created by editor Julius Schwartz and writer Gardner Fox. The concept of gathering DC's greatest heroes in one team directly inspired Stan Lee to create the Fantastic Four in 1961, which in turn launched the Marvel Age. The Justice League — Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter — represents the ur-text of superhero team storytelling, and their adventures have produced some of DC's most important and beloved stories across six decades.
The Greatest Superhero Team Stories
Essential Team Comics
JLA: Tower of Babel · Avengers: The Kree-Skrull War · Secret Wars · New X-Men · Justice League International
The superhero team format has produced some of comics' finest moments. Grant Morrison's JLA (1997–2000) restored the Justice League to mythological grandeur. Roy Thomas and Neal Adams' Kree-Skrull War (1971) was the first true Avengers epic. Kurt Busiek and George Pérez's Avengers (1998–2002) won multiple Eisner Awards while honoring six decades of continuity. Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis' Justice League International (1987–1992) proved superhero teams could be hilarious. The team format remains the most flexible and entertaining structure in superhero comics.
🏆 Top 10 Essential Superhero Team Comics
- Avengers #1 (September 1963) — The debut of Earth's Mightiest Heroes by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; the team that became the MCU's foundation.
- JLA #1 (January 1997) — Grant Morrison and Howard Porter's landmark JLA relaunch; restored the Justice League to mythological scale.
- Avengers #89–97 ("Kree-Skrull War", 1971) — Roy Thomas and Neal Adams' epic; the first genuinely cosmic Avengers story and a landmark of the Bronze Age.
- Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975) — The "All-New, All-Different" X-Men debut; one of the greatest team launches in comics history.
- Justice League International #1 (May 1987) — Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis' comedic masterpiece; proved superhero teams could be genuinely funny without sacrificing their heroism.
- Avengers: The Children's Crusade (2010) — Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung's Young Avengers epic; a modern Avengers story of unusual emotional depth.
- Infinity Gauntlet #1 (July 1991) — Jim Starlin's Thanos epic with every hero in the Marvel Universe; the story that became Avengers: Infinity War.
- JLA: Tower of Babel (2001 collection) — Mark Waid's story of Batman's contingency plans used against his teammates; one of the defining JLA stories of the modern era.
- New Avengers #1 (January 2005) — Brian Michael Bendis' decade-long Avengers relaunch; the most commercially successful Avengers run of the modern era.
- Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961) — The team that launched the Marvel Age; the Fantastic Four as dysfunctional family remains the purest expression of the superhero team concept.
Find Avengers, Justice League, and X-Men classics at Epic Panels Comics!