By: Geoff Johns (writer), Jim Lee (penciller), Scott Williams (inker), Alex Sinclair (colorist)
The Story: I have only one question—what happened to everybody’s underwear?
The Review: Funny. It doesn’t feel like a new age of comics. But DC insists one has come, and seeing the enormous slate they’ve just wiped clean, we must take their word for it. This relaunch sets out to reinvigorate their company line as a whole, and also invite a whole new audience to the table. So suppose I was a virgin comics reader, convinced to pay for this glimpse into the wonders of the DCU. Does the issue convince me this world is worth my time and imagination?
Of course, just because you’re a virgin doesn’t mean you have zero experience of what you’re about to get into. Movies have made certain figures familiar, even household names, and DC heroes are icons to begin with. Small wonder we begin with the most recognizable and current of those: Batman, Green Lantern, and, of course, Big Blue himself (even more blue now that his underpants have been removed—from sight, anyway).
For those of us all too familiar with the many iterations of these heroes, their characterizations may seem raw and shallow indeed. G.L. has all his trademark cockiness (“Note to self, Batman: Green Lantern can handle anything.”) and Batman comes across less gritty than just plain grouchy (“Take your flashlight and go home.”). But from the eyes of a new reader, the scenes effectively show us the characters’ core personalities, powers, and mission statement.
We also get a nice introduction to Vic Stone, of Cyborg fame, one of the more exciting choices for the League, as he adds not only diversity to the team, but youth. Make no mistake, this Cyborg is greener than Green Lantern, as at the onset, he has no cybernetic accessories (not even a laser canon!) to speak of. But as the freshest face on this title, he’ll serve an important role as our guide to this updated universe, and the herald of its new generation of go-getters.
We should take some time to discuss the story’s structure. You have two schools of thought for how to launch a team: gather them up and let them at it, or just get into the thick of things and ask questions later. John goes for the former, and executes it well, but he doesn’t quite succeed in producing an immediately striking issue. He gets burdened with having to introduce everyone to us and to each other, and that makes for slow going on the plot itself.
Each character interaction or intro essentially stalls the action, and the world at large remains hidden from us. We have only a vague idea of what our leading conflict will be, though we can safely assume it’ll have cosmic proportions (“Ping”). The issue really only manages to give us a promising storyline with some interesting characters, but hardly the groundbreaker you’d expect
Lee won’t get awards for inspired storytelling artistry, but he is a crowd-pleaser. You can’t deny his appeal: the lush settings, the confident, energetic strides of his lines, his blockbuster sense of paneling, and the sheer boldness of his character designs. He’s refined out most of the superfluous qualities from his early work, so what he does now looks eye-catching (in no small part thanks to Sinclair’s colors), but still tasteful.
Conclusion: Here’s my fresh-eyed, baby-faced impression. It may capture my interest enough to keep me following the title, in a “wait and see” kind of way, but it doesn’t quite succeed in me to empty my wallet for the slew of new titles and characters very soon to come.
Grade: B
- Minhquan Nguyen
Some Musings: - Equally heated as the Wonder Woman pants/no pants debate is the question of Superman’s underwear: outside or inside? Call me irreligious, but I happen to think the underpants outside thing was always at least a little dumb even when it was popular, and never failed to make DC’s biggest hero look somewhat goony. Consider this my vote for his new look.
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Filed under: DC Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Alex Sinclair, Batman, Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Cyborg, DC, DC Comics, Geoff Johns, Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, Jim Lee, JLA, Justice League, Justice League #1, Justice League #1 review, Justice League of America, Scott Williams, Superman, Vic Stone
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An OK and fun book, but just fun and OK. Not BIG and GRAND. It doesn’t blow your mind. If Darkseid is the reason for a global threat that causes the heroes to come together, then we should have seen an open and obvious global threat. Not a single parademon trying to plant a bomb in downtown Gotham and another parademon (if not the same one) planting a Mother Box in a Metropolis sewer. They are also putting way too much emphasis on Batman, using him as the one who brings the Justice League together. A street crime fighter. That’s just not big and grand. It should have been Green Lantern coming to earth to warn its heroes of an oncoming threat. Compare this Justice League # 1 issue to the Kurt Busiek and George Perez Avengers # 1. It’s not even close. Yeah DC can say something like, “Well they’re the Justice League and not the Avengers and we’re not Marvel”, or something. But you know that comic fans are going to compare the two and if you want us continue to spend our money on every issue …
You see, DC Comics should have established the characters for us first before bringing them together as a team. The Justice League # 1 should have been the last book on the stands for us to buy. Not the first. I don’t know these characters. To have Superman hit Green Lantern as hard as he did, and not knowing Green Lantern’s power because they never met? What if he hit Batman like that? That was actually a killing blow. It’s a clear indication that this is NOT the Superman that we know. Superman didn’t determine Green Lantern’s power level before the blow. In that, it read more like a cross between the Brave and the Bold and the Teen Titans. The Justice League # 1 should have been big and grand but it was a bit too intimate for that to happen. It should have been amazing. Maybe it should have been Justice League # 0 as an introduction rather then the actual first issue. Well let’s see what happens in the second issue. They’ve already started the infighting again. But don’t worry, we all know what’s going to happen again. I’m sure that Batman is going to again find a way to defeat Superman again. Again. Am I nit-picking here? Probably but it’s because I want to book to continue with top sales every month …
As has been said…this was too much a Batman issue and Hal Jordan was a bumbling boob. I understand these guys are now meant to be “new” to their games but rank amateurism shouldn’t be part of someone like Green Lantern’s character. Then you’ve got to shoe horn Stone/Cyborg into the League, still in high school and not even Cyborg yet but we know he’s going to be a member of the Justice League. A highschool kid? I know..I know..he was (can I say “was” now) a teen titan but the Justice League is meant to be the best of the best..the hero’s heroes, is it really a “learn on the job” gig now? I prefered the Cyborg from Flashpoint, top of his game, potent and serious. It’s only issue number one but things have started with a whimper more than a bang. The same collar style on the uniforms is a a bit silly Lee should know better..this isn’t X-Men where the uniform denotes the group. I like the articulated neck on Batman’s cowl..but even that’s not original, it’s an idea from Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight movie. So far, Grant Morrison (yes that guy’s name keeps coming up) did a better relaunch of Justice League without “star power” like Lee’s art. I’ll give it a few more issues and see where it goes.
Sorry but this book wasn’t good by any stretch of the imagination. Johns is on a massive downswing.
incidentally, who says, “note to self,” and then says someone ELSE’s name? does he not understand the word, “self”? that line of dialogue made everyone a little stupider.
I wasn’t super bothered by that because I personally know at least a couple people in real life who do that, in the same, know-it-all manner Hal applies in the issue. That doesn’t exactly change the idiotic quality of it, but perhaps that’s why Batman says a few moments later he has no confidence Hal can think at all.
i didn’t have huge expectations going in, so i suppose i can’t say i’m particularly disappointed (plus, my completely awesome LCS gave the comic away for free, so i *really* have no grounds for complaint). i like Batman, don’t particularly care for the other six, and this was largely a Batman book.
that said, i would really have preferred an issue that highlighted for new readers some of the particular storytelling potential unique to comics. for example, the way panel size and shape can be altered for dramatic effect; the way color can be used expressionistically, or over/under-saturated; the way the art style itself can be used and changed to tell a story. these are all rhetorical tools specific to comics that might have been really interesting to a new reader, and may have made that new reader finish the book feeling a lot smarter about how comics work.
it sounds like i’ve just described a tech demo. what i expect i’ve really described, however, is the first issue of JHW3′s Batwoman. now, i’m not saying DC made a mistake in opening its relaunch with Justice League, but i do think they erred by not opening it with Batwoman as well.
I think Lee’s middle-of-the-road approach is probably the most appropriate style if the goal is to be as accessible to as many readers as possible. If the readers can get into it, then they can easily find titles that show more of the art form of comics.
You know, honestly I think they made the right move here by not doing anything too interesting with the art right off the bat. I’ve tried showing of really good art to friends who don’t read comics, J H Williams III in particular, actually, only to be met with blank faces. Its like showing little kids the Venus de Milo, or reading them Shakespeare; (that’s potentially an exaggeration, but the point remains that) without an understanding and grasp of the medium, really good stuff goes under appreciated. On the other hand, while I now find Jim Lee a little gaudy, most of my friends who don’t read comics really like his work, as I did back when I was first getting in to them. So I think this was a good move on their part to appeal to new readers. Let them come for Lee, and stay for JHW3.
I’ve occasionally said that Jim Lee is the Michael Bay of comics. I’m curious, does any one else think they have a good comparison for him, or other writer/artists?
okay, i could be completely wrong.
i just feel i wouldn’t have put all my eggs in the one Justice League basket. release that book on the opening wednesday, sure, but *also* release something that shows a little more of the medium’s artistic potential.
James, i think the showing-little-kids-Shakespeare analogy is inapplicable for two reasons: (1) the readers DC is trying to attract may be new to comics, but are not necessarily unsophisticated about fine art or film or literature, and (2) i believe there’s a widely held belief that superhero comics are juvenile and unworthy of being taken seriously as art, or — to use your analogy — that comics doesn’t have its Shakespeare or Venus de Milo to begin with. i mean, if Jim Lee is going to go on NPR to do an interview — as he did this week — and you have the attention of the NPR audience for a few days, release something that might actually keep their interest. sure, release the user-friendly book, but release your best book too.
just my $0.02.
I can definitely see the merits of releasing a “pop” issue and something more sophisticated. At least that would’ve brought some appeal to the comics veterans, too. That’s also why I feel that if DC wanted to really place their bets on the one issue, they should’ve made certain that it was just absolutely the very best it could possibly be, instead of “merely” good.
What I’m wondering is how Grant Morrison’s going to come back to Batman Incorporated with potentially some of Batman’s closest allies no longer in this current universe. Outsiders, Black Bat (Cassandra Cain)..etc. Stephanie Brown Batgirl gone. Oracle gone (now Batgirl) I know Batwing is it’s own title indicating something of the old status quo has remained but doesn’t this all pose something of a dilemma for Morrison in trying to reconcile “Batman the Return” and the issues already published of Batman Incorporated with next year’s Batman “Leviathan” (Incorporated)? Will he just ignore the current revamp and use the characters he was working with already? You have the potential of the first half not “jiving” with the second half of his story. It’s my understanding that the less a book was selling the bigger the changes DC made…hence Superman is almost a complete overhaul and Batman closer to what’s already been taking place. I especially like Wildstorm characters in the DCU now..I’d really like to see Wetworks and Cyberforce in there. I’m not a purist for canon…a good story is a good story but when you’ve been with a character for so long, you do invest in what’s made that character who he or she is today and what got them there. This all hit me after reading Justice League 1. Couldn’t DC have just given us their version of the Ultimate line instead of messing it all up like this on a big gamble? I’d be interested in what other commenters have to say on this.
Yeah, this was pretty much my only hang up going into the DCnU. I have no problem with any characters/continuity changes other than their potential for screwing up Morrison’s final Batman chapter. But as I see it, there’s reason to be optimistic.
First off, if there ever was an author who could take massive shift in continuity and have it not wreck an on-going story, or even use it to improve an ongoing story, it would be Morrison. I mean, the guys lives for this stuff.
Second, there’s the possibility that it won’t matter at all, because the DCU might have reset itself by the time we get the rest of Batman, Inc. Think about it, Detective Comics just hit #881, there is NO WAY that DC is going to miss out on the opportunity to sell issue #900 with that number on its cover. So that gives them about a year and a half before they go back to the way things have been. Maybe Batman Inc will finish up right as everything goes back to “normal.”
Either way, it’ll be interesting to see.
I agree about Morrison..only he could do something with the cartoony 50′s Batman stories like the Superheroes Club and Man of Bats (heck he even used Batmite) and come up with Dr. Hurt and this current “Incorporated” story line. He could certainly play in this new sandpit but it would be a lot of “suspension of disbelief” involved. I have a suspicion you’re right though..I think DC will “revert” back to old numbering in a year or so (especially with the door open with this “3 universes in 1″ that was revealed in Flashpoint #5). Again…why couldn’t DC just go with their own “Utlimates” line if they wanted “contemporary and diverse” stories?
As I see it, there are two reasons they aren’t making this an “Ultimate” line of comics to go along with the mainstream…one is the issue of branding. DC already has an alternate-contemporary-universe, slow and steady as that project might be, under the “Earth One” banner. Now, clearly the Earth One effort isn’t half of what the Ultimate Comics is, but it’s a much clearer allegory; new books that start right from the beginning, with no limits on continuity, where as this effort is more based around re-shaping the very nature of the DC universe as a whole. It would be a marketing and branding nightmare to keep the regular DCU publishing alongside Earth One and also have this DCnU, not to mention the confusion it would cause readers, new and old alike. But why not just drop Earth One and let this DCnU take its place? Well, because Superman: Earth One sold really surprising well. Why haven’t there been any follow-ups to it? Probably because they don’t want to compete with themselves for the attention being put into the relaunch. But once the dust settles, next year DC will be all like, “Hey! You guys all liked Superman: E1, remember? Well, check out Batman: E1!” If they can pull this off, it’ll be a pretty smooth maneuver.
The second reason is money. When you get right down to it, this is an attempt to boost sales with a gimmick and also raise awareness for their digital comics. As much as everyone hates to admit it, digital comics are the future, and DC wants to get ahead of the game. They can still play nice with the all the local stores by keeping prices the same for physical for now, but once they feel that enough readers have tried out their online store, those prices are going drop steeply.
Also on the money front, by making this relaunch apart of the main continuity, DC hopes they can keep the regulars invested and create a really good jumping-on point for the readers, while not having to commission 52 entirely new titles along all the titles they were publishing, without getting the new readers confused about what books they’ll understand when they pick them up, and what they won’t.
Anyway, that’s my take. Other thoughts?
I’m not sure I agree with the digital comics argument. Comic book readers really love their funny books and being able to go back and read them (it’s almost trite to say anything Grant Morrison writes you need to read a couple times to see all he’s got in there). Trades may be the “compromise” with simply the enterprise titles (X-Men, Batman, Green Lantern, Superman..etc) being your “regular” comic book on the shelf..maybe…but I can’t see comic books disappearing anytime soon. I don’t believe a lot of readers will bother with the digital aspect. Younger readers? Honestly, if it’s not in their face, they won’t go looking for it maybe that’s where DC Entertainment comes in? A kid (of any age) loves to hold a toy or a book in their hands. They like to put it by their dresser at night. It’s basic psychology…you like to have a tangible representation of what you’re attached to that you can hold and interact with. It’s far too early to speculate but I believe your first theory to be what takes place. In a year or so the door left open in Flashpoint #5 gets used and DC goes back to normal numbering. Seriously…can you see Jim Lee staying on this book more than 6 issues and an action figure line? Then watch it plummet. What I think will happen is the more successful titles (not countring the enterprise ones) will be brought over to the normal numbering continuity. I still think a more Marvel-esque “Ultimates” line would work for DC. Then again..look what happened with “All Star”..so I may be wrong there.
I understand your point about the importance of the tangible nature of comics, and I don’t think that printed comics will ever completely disappear, but I do think that is where the medium is heading…or, I should say, where the profit is heading. Digital comics make more business sense because they mean less overhead in terms of actually printing the comics, and not having to go through the vendors as middlemen; so long as the publisher passes a good portion of the savings on to the consumer, it allows the reader to buy more for their buck, allowing them to become more invested in the comic universe than under the strictly printed model.
This also makes it much easier to follow dense continuity, which DC is so infamously rife with, because getting access to back issues becomes so much easier. This benefits the publisher, the reader, and, I believe, the collector; the publisher can manage to reap more revenue off old properties which have not been in print in for years, or perhaps decades; the reader gets access to material which otherwise would be and hard to find (which, again, may in turn invest the reader even more and make them want to purchase more); and the growing awareness of the value of back issues gives the physical back copies greater worth. I mean, lets face it, given the fragile nature of printed comics (yet another point in favor of digital copies) if you’re buying a comic older than thirty years, odds are you aren’t buying it so you can keep reading it. You’re keeping it sealed, maybe taking it out once or twice, if ever, after the first read, and you just know that every time you take it out, it can suffer damage. This means fewer people even know about it, decreasing the demand for the property and slowly shrinking the people who care about the history of comics.
Imagine if books or movies had this business model, where thirty years after a book came out, only collectors had access to it. And even those collectors knew they had a pretty limited lifespan they could get out of it. It would be pretty sad, right? I know that DC and Marvel have been releasing large tomes of old comics in anthologies, but I think the digital market allows users to be more selective about this process, giving them the choice where and when to spend their coin and making it a more personal experience.
I also disagree that younger readers will not bother going online to check out comics, but that they will make the drive down to comic store to browse and buy there. I think a model like Netflix has, where you can rate issues and have a system which recommends new books and help you follow the work of artist and writers would suite younger generations well. It’s kind of sad, don’t get me wrong, but I think people feel more comfortable taking advice from a computer than a person in some cases.
This all depends on whether or not DC does decide to pass on their savings from this digital move to the reader; if they don’t, and keep prices the same for physical copies as well as digital, then they have completely missed the f***ing point and deserve their venture to fail.
The question boils down to whether or not comics moving forward will prove they have more in common with books, do to their physical design, or TV shows, in terms of the continuing nature of their stories. if the former, digital comics will slowly begin to have a growing audience while demand for the physical copy drops off. If the later, I the digital appeal will have a massive impact on publication and the way we read and buy comics.
Well, I’ve gone on way too long, and I can only imagine what this will look like when it gets squished up against the border of this column. The bottom line is, it will be very interesting to see what happens in the industry in the nest ten years. I hope that it future than makes it easier to get access to the goods, while still treasuring artifacts from its storied past. After all, we’re writing our generations mythology, right? It would be a shame to lose it.
Getting back to you’re other point, I do agree that a real concerted effort by DC to have Ultimate like imprint would be very cool…but sadly, I don’t see them making that decision. For while, anyway. Here’s hoping…
Great point on the archive issues being made available digitally. Even I’d take advantage of that. Then again…trades seem to be making a surge in the reader community. I’m seeing “trades” being bandied about a lot now (alternatively..”graphic novel”). I’m a purist in the sense that I like having the original issues and their covers, ads..etc of my favourite arcs, artists and writers but for catch up I’ll pick up the trades or indeed for convenience I’ll pick up the trade knowing I already have the original printing stored away. Price as you said will be the determining factor as to the success or failure of digital comics.
It’ll be interesting to see.
well, i believe the idea is to *simplify* continuity to attract new readers. creating yet another universe is not simplifying.
i could be wrong, but i recall reading that the two issues previously scheduled as Batman Inc. nos. 9 and 10 will be published in a single issue sometime later this year, and that said issue will take place in the pre-relaunch universe.
You are correct. It is a one shot(issue 9-10) called Batman Inc: Leviathan Strikes.You can thank Morrison for being slow on that. He’s always not finishing work on time.
As the first issue of Justice League, I’m alright with it; I’m not salivating for the next issue, but I’m not throwing my hands up in disgust. But as the first comic to welcome in a brand new DCU?
…I’m pretty underwhelmed.
That said, I think quite a good number of new readers liked it. I met several people at the Midnight Madness party at my comic book shop who were buying comics for the first time because they wanted to wade into the DC relaunch, and they were pretty happy with what they got out of it. We’ll see how that works in the long term.
As I said, from the perspective of a new reader, the issue was very enjoyable, but I think it really should’ve been much more than that.
Glad to hear new readers liked it, I hope the quality stay high enough that they can get into the medium. If you can, please keep us posted on they like the entrie relaunch and how many stick around!
It was ok, Most likely trade waiting for me. I rather give books like Animal Man and Swamp Thing a shot.
I’ll be honest; I feel the same way. I look forward to getting those reviews up in the next few weeks.
I’m with you too. I’m looking forward to Batwoman, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Justice League Dark, Batman, and even Action. I’ll get more of a satisfaction out of those 6 books than JLA or any Johns’ book.
I’m pretty sure we’ll be covering all those titles here, so yeah, check them out when they come, and let’s discuss.
awesome, Can’t wait there are other books that been on the fringe on. Mostly like Stormwatch, Frankestein, most of the dark books. I find those more intersting. also all star western
yes, *very* psyched for all-star western. i had pretty much no interest in i,vampire until i saw the amazing art. but now i definitely plan on picking up all four issues before it’s axed.
I was going to pick up I Vampire based on what I’ve read with Bennett as the vampire..but this book looks too “Twilighty”. I wanted a visceral Steve Niles-esque book and it appears I’ll be getting the same old “clans..fops..and complicated love story” instead. Justice League Dark looks the better bet and I’ll give Frankenstein a shot too.