Eye on Comics
  • About/Submissions

A New 52 Review: Justice League #1

  • Reviews - DC
  • The New 52 Review Project

Variant coverJustice League #1
“Justice League, Part One”
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Jim Lee
Inks: Scott Williams
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Patrick Brosseau
Cover artists: Lee & Williams (regular)/David Finch & Richard Friend (variant)
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99 US (comic only)/$4.99 US (digital combo pack)

We already know Justice League #1, from a sales perspective, is a huge success. Its initial orders topped 200,000, and its sales will likely remain strong as long as DC keeps its two top talents on the book. But the question is: the story any good? While this comic book appears set to break sales records for 2011, the story’s not going to blow anyone’s mind. There’s no moment in the first issue that’s going to keep people talking non-stop until the next issue. Nevertheless, Johns turns in an entertaining first issue that focuses more on how the characters interact, and that’s a good thing. But the really good news is just how accessible this first issue is. The whole point of “the New 52” is to attract new and lapsed readers to comics, and this initial step in the relaunch initiative is one that’s headed in the right direction to achieve that goal.

The Batman chases some kind of monstrous would-be bomber across the rooftops of Gotham City, and he has the city’s police department nipping at his heels, ready to riddle his body and that of his prey with bullets. Once the Dark Knight catches up with his opponent, though, he quickly finds he grabbed onto more than he can handle, which makes the timing of another costumed hero’s appearance quite fortuitous. As Batman and Green Lantern compare notes and try to piece together what the inhuman, malevolent creature is plotting, elsewhere, young Vic Stone dazzles the crowds and college scouts at a hometown football game, but his success is for naught. The one person he wanted to witness his victory is nowhere to be seen.


The most fun aspect of this comic book is the interplay between Batman and Green Lantern. It seems fitting that the comic book leading up to this New 52 line, Flashpoint #5, was essentially a Flash/Batman teamup, and the first in the New 52 line amounts to a Green Lantern/Batman teamup. What makes the character interaction so much fun is what the two characters represent and how different they are. Johns take on Hal Jordan as a rookie Green Lantern in this story is to present him as the cockiest son of a bitch who ever lived. That contrasts nicely with Batman, who’s the most confident and prepared bastard who’s ever lived. Both are arrogant, but in different ways. GL jumps headfirst into any situation, convinced his power means he can’t be touched, whereas the Batman carefully considers every situation before taking action. Honestly, the diametrically opposed personalities here make for an unlikely comedy team. The dynamics between these two characters in their new interpretations had me smiling several times.

What I enjoyed most about Jim Lee’s artwork as well stemmed from the contrast between those two characters. Lee does a great job of conveying the two heroes’ different styles in the visuals. He immerses the Batman in a dark, gritty, urban world, but Green Lantern is all about light and attention, as opposed to the Caped Crusader’s stealthy approach. Lee is assisted tremendously in that effort by colorist Alex Sinclair, who does a great job of conveying the blinding, garish energy of GL’s ring. There’s a wondrous, magical quality to the ring effects in this comic book thanks to Sinclair’s colors, and the bright, loud green tones mirror GL’s brashness and overconfidence. Lee also does a good job of presenting these familiar characters as younger than we’re used to seeing them, especially when it comes to GL and Superman. The one aspect of the artwork that didn’t quite work for me was the double-page spread of the Batman in mid-leap. The figure doesn’t quite look right. Batman looks slightly distorted somehow.

The first thing I did after I read this comic book was to go back and count the number of pages featuring story and art. I was disappointed when my count ended at 24. Furthermore, two of those pages make up a double-page spread of an overly familiar visual (Batman dodging bullets) and two others were single-page splashes. And all three of those splashes simply serve to introduce characters. Mind you, it works with the single-page splashes as a means of emphasizing a moment and granting a mythic status to these colorful heroes. But 24 pages of story and art, with a few pages featuring character designs and cover roughs — the package doesn’t seem to be the kind of value DC promised its audience not so long ago with its “Drawing the line at $2.99.” This read like a $3 comic, not a $4 one.

Breaking up the over-the-top super-hero action is a scene introducing Vic Stone, the once and future Cyborg. In his original incarnation, he was a founding member of the New Teen Titans, fresh from his reluctant transformation from man (or teen, anyway) to machine. I was surprised this new interpretation of the hero starts out as a high school jock as well. I had expected Johns would cast off the teen part of this former Teen Titan, but his new origin seems to starting out around the same point as his old one. Still, I appreciated the fact that Johns opts for a more detailed introduction to the more obscure character to join the title team’s inaugural lineup. His inclusion was no doubt in part due to DC’s effort to offer a more diverse array of characters to its readership. That Cyborg will be differentiated from the rest of the Justice League by his age as well is… well, I don’t know what to think about it yet. Maybe combination of the age and race distinction will be handled well, offering some strong characterization possibilities. Or maybe it’ll seem like the one character of color in the series is getting the short shrift.

Johns’ script isn’t exactly cutting edge. The issue is made up of mostly standard super-hero genre fare, but it’s executed capably. But what the script does offer is the best of both worlds in terms of reaching its audience. It’s thoroughly accessible, using appropriate shortcuts (such as giving the audience credit for knowing Batman’s deal), incorporating exposition into the dialogue (such as GL’s explanation to Batman about the Green Lantern Corps) and offering a grounded introduction and complete origin for a lesser-known character. At the same time, Johns offers something to the longtime DC reader, and that’s discovering the small and big ways in which he’s tweaked these iconic heroes. Johns and Lee don’t reinvent comics here (as has been suggested by all of the hyperbole leading up to the New 52), but they do offer some fun comics. 7/10

“New 52 Reviews” on Eye on Comics are sponsored by All New Comics, Happy Harbor Comics and Strange Adventures. Show your support for Eye on Comics by supporting these retailers.

Follow Eye on Comics on Twitter.

August 31, 2011 Don MacPherson

Post navigation

Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s Aluminum Siding Salesman → ← An Almost New 52 Review: Flashpoint #5

3 thoughts on “A New 52 Review: Justice League #1”

  1. Adam says:
    September 1, 2011 at 7:37 pm

    Since the series will fast-forward five years after this initial storyline, Cyborg will gain half a decade of age for himself. His teenage years should be firmly in the rear view mirror then, even if he does remain younger than everyone else.

  2. Don MacPherson says:
    September 1, 2011 at 8:44 pm

    Still, starting him out as a teen hero on a team of adult heroes would seem to make him the defacto junior member of the League. After seeing him portrayed as America’s pre-eminent hero in Flashpoint, the Junior Justice Leaguer status would seem to be a demotion.

  3. Paul says:
    September 3, 2011 at 7:19 pm

    I don’t mind paying $4 for a 24 pg comic of high quality. It’s dificult to make a profit from print these days.

Comments are closed.

Recent posts

  • Burnt-out Ends of Smoky Days
  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off
  • Scar Issue
  • Of Gods and Monsters
  • Genre Splicing
  • A Mouthful of Dollars
  • Striking the Wrong Chord
  • Extra! Extra! Bleed All About It!

Categories

Archives

Categories

  • Announcements
  • Editorials
  • Features
  • Original Comic Art
  • Reviews – Action Lab
  • Reviews – AfterShock
  • Reviews – AiT/PlanetLar
  • Reviews – Archie
  • Reviews – Black Mask
  • Reviews – Boom! Studios
  • Reviews – Dark Horse
  • Reviews – DC
  • Reviews – DC/Vertigo
  • Reviews – DC/Wildstorm
  • Reviews – Devil's Due
  • Reviews – Drawn & Quarterly
  • Reviews – Dynamite
  • Reviews – Fantagraphics
  • Reviews – IDW
  • Reviews – Image
  • Reviews – Indy/Small Press
  • Reviews – Legendary
  • Reviews – Lion Forge
  • Reviews – Marvel
  • Reviews – Miscellaneous
  • Reviews – NBM
  • Reviews – Oni Press
  • Reviews – Other Media
  • Reviews – Quick Critiques
  • Reviews – Radical
  • Reviews – Slave Labor
  • Reviews – Titan
  • Reviews – Tokyopop
  • Reviews – Valiant
  • Reviews – Zenescope
  • Reviews- Humanoids
  • The New 52 Review Project

Search

Recent Posts

  • Burnt-out Ends of Smoky Days
  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off
  • Scar Issue

Recent Comments

  • Marcelo Soares on Coming Clean
  • Perry on Scoop
  • R Phillips on “Fixed… With Tape”
  • Leslie on Avengers… Disassemble Those Guys
  • Perry Beider on 2018 Glass Eye Awards – Creators
March 2021
S M T W T F S
« Jan    
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

Archives

  • March 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • April 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
Powered by WordPress | theme cats456