They might not be calling themselves the Justice League of Canada and they might not all be Canadian citizens, but DC Comics’ latest superhero team-up is a wholly Canadian production.

Just ask Jeff Lemire, the book’s award-winning Toronto writer, who says that Justice League United’s unlikely inception was the direct result of his proud Canadian heritage.

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“I was working on Justice League of America and I sent my pitch to Dan DiDio, the publisher of DC Comics, and in the subject heading of my email I put ‘Justice League of Canada’ as a joke because I’m always sneaking a bunch of Canadiana into my stuff,” said Lemire. “He took it quite seriously and I ran with it.’”

Hoping that a change of scenery would bring more attention to the monthly series, DiDio agreed to relocate the Justice League of America — a government-sanctioned superhero team — to Canada following the events of Forever Evil, a brand-wide crossover event in which the villains of the DC Universe take control of Earth.

People to Watch: Jeff Lemire brings Justice League superheroes to Canada

While the series was initially announced as Justice League of Canada at last August’s Fan Expo, it was later renamed Justice League United to make it more inclusive to readers outside Canada.

“It’s kind of an offshoot of the Justice League of America team,” said Lemire. “They’ve recently disbanded in the DC Comics Universe and a couple of members find themselves north of the border and embroiled in a brand new adventure. Out of that they kind of form this Canadian-based Justice League.

“Most of their adventures are based in Canada, but they also spend a lot of time hopping around the galaxy and in space in these big cosmic adventures.”

Largely based in Toronto and the James Bay area, the new series will follow a team mostly made up of characters from the New 52’s existing Justice League of America series, which is not to be confused with DC’s similarly titled Justice League series featuring the likes of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.

The DC characters making the move north include Stargirl, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman and Supergirl as well as Green Arrow and Animal Man, two characters whose monthly solo titles Lemire pens for DC.

Additionally, Adam Strange, a Silver Age space-travelling adventurer reimagined as a University of Toronto science professor, will join the team alongside Equinox, a brand new Canadian hero that Lemire spent months creating for the series.

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“I’ve put so much work into creating (Equinox) and so much passion into it and so much time researching and trying to get it right,” he said. “She’s clearly become my favourite on the team and I have high hopes for her to exist in the bigger DC universe beyond this story.”

The result of more than six months of research and trips to Moosonee and Moose Factory, Ont., Equinox is a 16-year-old Cree from Moose Factory.

During Lemire’s trips to the area, the 38-year-old writer spent a lot of time in local schools interacting with the town’s youth and talking to them about the importance of storytelling. Although Equinox’s powers and history are based on different Cree myths and legends, her age, appearance and personality were inspired by the schoolchildren he met and the feedback they gave him.

Even Delores D. Echum Composite School, one of the high schools Lemire visited in Moose Factory, is prominently featured in the book as the school that Equinox’s alter-ego, Miiyahbin, attends.

“One thing I really wanted to do was create a positive role model for First Nations kids because I feel like in the media First Nations are often overlooked,” he said. “When they are not overlooked what we do hear are negative stories or stories about hardships they are facing so I thought it would be great to create a character that represented all of the positives. That’s what I’ve tried to do with this character.”

When he wasn’t spending time in classrooms, Lemire was exploring the local scene to learn more about the area’s distinct culture and landscape.

Everything from the abandoned NATO radar base that serves as the new Justice League’s headquarters to the small towns that get obliterated by galactic villains are completely authentic.

“Every region has its own identity and its own culture, and for me to try and capture all of that in one story would be pretty much impossible, so I instead decided I’d pick one and focus on that and try to capture it as best I could,“ he said. “I’m going to try and capture as much of the country as I can over the course of the series.”

Released on April 23, Justice League United’s inaugural zero issue will establish exactly what brought these heroes north of the border.

“(Animal Man and Stargirl) are actually doing a celebrity superhero signing at a comic book convention in Toronto as the book opens and Adam Strange’s fiancée and graduate student have gone missing in Northern Ontario, and he comes to them seeking help and they get embroiled in this story that sort of snowballs from there.”

While Justice League United might not have the marquee characters that have dominated the box office in recent years, Lemire is adamant the series will be accessible to long-time fans and anyone looking for a fun adventure story.

“If you’ve never read comics before, or you’ve only marginally read a few here and there, you can pick up the first couple of issues and by the end of them you can fully understand who each of these characters is,” he said. “I think a lot of time superhero comics can take themselves too seriously, and get a little too grim and serious, and it’s good to remember that they are supposed to be these big fun stories and that’s what this is: big, over the top cinematic fun.”

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Meet the Justice League United

Justice League United #0, the first issue in the series, comes out April 23.

Stargirl

Chosen to be the public face of the Justice League of America, Courtney Whitmore is one of the team’s younger members. Having stumbled across the cosmic staff and cosmic belt, which imbued her with enhanced speed, flight and the ability to shoot blasts of energy, she has proven to be one of the team’s most powerful heroes.

Animal Man

Being able to temporarily take on the abilities of animals, Buddy Baker fights crime as the costumed hero Animal Man. Lemire describes the father and happily married family man as the book’s everyman and comic relief. “Animal Man is character that I’m sure most people haven’t heard of, but he’s a character whose solo book I have been writing for a few years,” said Lemire. “He’s almost my surrogate in the DC Universe in a lot of ways.”

Martian Manhunter

The leader of the government-sponsored Justice League of America, J’onn J’onzz has similar powers to Superman, including superhuman strength, speed and the ability to fly. Originally from Mars, J’onzz is also an incredibly powerful telepath and can shape shift. He “is almost a surrogate father figure, the stoic leader” of the team, according to Lemire.

Hawkman

Hailing from the planet Thanagar, Hawkman dishes out his own brand of justice. Equipped with a mace that grants him enhanced strength and artificial wings that allow him to fly, his thirst for violence and personal code of justice makes him one of the world’s greatest and most dangerous heroes.

Supergirl

Like her cousin Kal-El (Superman), Supergirl, a.k.a. Kara Zor-El, was sent to Earth from the planet Krypton. Possessing the same powers as Superman, the Girl of Steel lacks her cousin’s self-restraint, still learning to control her powers all the while acclimatizing to her new home planet. She was played by Toronto-born actress Laura Vandervoort on the WB superhero drama Smallville.

Adam Strange

A charismatic scientist/space adventurer who traditionally dons a suit with a built-in jetpack and energy gun, Adam Strange has yet to appear since DC’s New 52 relaunch in 2011. All we know about him is that Lemire’s version of the character is a science professor at the University of Toronto.

Equinox

An original character created by Lemire for the series, Miiyahbin, a.k.a. Equinox, is a 16-year-old Cree from Moose Factory, Ont. Not much is known about her other than the fact her powers and origin story stem from Cree myths and legends.

Green Arrow

A modern-day Robin Hood, Oliver Queen was a spoiled billionaire before a botched sailing trip stranded him on an island. Fighting for his life, Queen survived by mastering a bow and arrow. After returning from the island, he dedicated his life to protecting the innocent. He is played by Toronto-born actor Stephen Amell on the CW superhero drama Arrow. “Green Arrow is the hot head, headstrong kind of guy,” says Lemire.