Justice League #1 review
Wow. Justice League #1 is a lot to take in. It’s a little bit of everything that makes DC Comics so great in 23 pages. This was a book that since its announcement has been highly anticipated. With just one issue writer Scott Snyder and artist Jim Cheung serve up a major statement that Justice League is about to be DC’s top title. Consider yourself warned.
There’s so much to be excited about and to break down here. As usual, Snyder digs deep and shows his vast knowledge and love for the DC Universe. Between Dark Nights Metal and this, Snyder is proving he’s operating on a level we haven’t seen since Geoff Johns or Grant Morrison in their DC heydays.
The Morrison comparison is especially appropriate as I haven’t seen a Justice League kick-off since JLA. And if this first issue is any indication, Snyder’s run might eventually challenge Morrison’s as the best era of the League.
Something is approaching Earth, but no one is sure if it’s friend or foe. In a subtle throwback to the early days of the team, the newly formed Justice League is dealing with a threat on various fronts. I liked Snyder’s approach in showing that the League isn’t some elitist club as the members are teaming with numerous allies. This leaves the door open for more characters to get ‘promoted’ to the main team.
Snyder made his mark on Batman, but the characters sound like he’s been writing everyone for years. Martian Manhunter had been missed and Snyder re-positions him as the heart and soul of the League. And J’onn allows for some unique ways for the team to communicate. There’s a great double spread that shows the camaraderie of the team and how well Snyder knows the characters’ voices.
While the team readies for a new challenge, a far more dangerous threat emerges via Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom. For fans of Challenge of the Superfriends, this collection of characters is very exciting.
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Cheung is going to impress a lot of readers with his dynamic artwork. Every page was a treat and he really delivers on highly detailed action-packed pages. Cheung has a good feel for the body language of the characters. From The Flash assuming runner stances to Wonder Woman’s aggressive melee fighter style, Cheung has them down. Mark Morales’ ink work is sharp and Tomeu Morey’s color choices are just right and are neither too washed out or too vibrant.
A page near the end slyly teases some of the events in store, including some characters fans have been clamoring to see return for a while. Justice League #1 is everything I wanted from this book. With a creative team of top talent and a lineup of DC’s top guns, this is a no-brainer pick-up. This finally feels like the Rebirth of the Justice League that I’ve wanted all along.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Photo Credit: DC Comics