Justice League (2011) #1
What once was old is new (52)…
DC Comics gives its most definitive team the superstar creative team treatment as the publisher launches a new era.
Written by Geoff Johns
Artwork by Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair
Published by DC Comics
Released on August 31, 2011
“The New 52” is upon us, and kicks off with the first issue of DC’s new, flagship title: Justice League.
I’m sure many of you that are interested in DC’s new initiative will probably be adding this title to your pull list or digital download queue, and even before being released this issue has managed to become the bestselling comic of 2011. This book will get read by a lot of people. It seems though, that the established comic fans that are “hold-outs” seem to be Batman fans.
Well, let me tell you: if you were worried about Batman’s involvement here, don’t be. Not only is he front and center in this issue, but it may turn out that he’s the tactician that brings The League together in the first place. Whether or not he wants to or is inclined to at the end of this issue is debatable, but either way for Bat-Fans, this should prove to be an interesting book.
Justice League #1 begins “five years ago,” and is considered by DC CO-Publisher Dan DiDio to basically be “DC Universe Year One” (in his words). At the beginning of this story, people are apparently wary of superheroes, have heard of Superman, Hal Jordan’s been operating as a Green Lantern for a very slight amount of time, and The Batman is basically known as an urban legend and nothing more. While being pursued by the police, Green Lantern happens upon The Dark Knight while investigating an extraterrestrial presence in Gotham and is shocked to learn that Batman is, in fact, real.
The series begins with DC’s two most visible characters at the time: Batman, and then-recently new movie star Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern.
From here, there’s an amusing bit of dialogue between Batman and Jordan about what Batman’s “powers” are — as well as an underestimation of a certain Last Son that will prove to be a pivotal player in the team destined to be the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes.
For fans that have been reading comics for a while and know these characters, the story won’t be too shocking. But, Justice League #1 has a great deal of promise and possibility waiting for the (hopefully) slew of neophytes that will be brought into comics for the first time, and the story here seems to promise us an interesting re-imagining of how these characters from across the DC Universe are brought together on this one team.
The age-old question from some about, “Why would Batman be on a team like the Justice League?” will apparently be definitively answered by story’s end, and I have to commend Mr. Johns for using that tagline of sorts to create interest about not only the new Justice League, but the new DC Universe.
When reviewing the artwork by the incomparable Jim Lee and his collaborators Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair, there are very few ways I can say what hasn’t already been said about the dedication and detail applied of their craft. Several of the costume designs, however, have yet to grow on me. While I like Batman’s quite a bit, I’m still wary of Superman’s and wonder what more it could possibly add to the character that his traditional costume hadn’t. Apparently, the origin story for the costume will be the thrust of Grant Morrison’s opening arc in the new Action Comics, so I’ll hopefully have that question answered after the concluding issue there.
Justice League #1 is a blockbuster in every sense of the phrase. While its storytelling isn’t exactly blowing me out of the water in this “opening shot” of the DCnU, it does quite a bit in showing that this really is a new world with a new set of rules and endless possibilities, so the ball is fully in DC’s court now. I hope they take this opportunity to show us that this is a whole new ball game because while it would be easy to settle into the methods of old, Justice League #1 pretty much succeeds by making one of the oldest ideas in comics — DC’s definitive team of its major heroes — seem brand new.
I didn’t think that this was possible. If the new DC Universe can continue to show us not only that this is a new world, but that they can reinvent the old and transform it into a set of new ideas and possibilities, then the DCnU will be an exciting place well worth the time of fans everywhere. A lot of interest has been created in these “new #1’s.” Can they keep the excitement up for the new #10’s?
It’s on you now, DC. I’m interested, and I imagine a lot of others will be too. Now you just have to keep us there.