Review: “Justice League” #1
Finally, DC’s new 52 launches (or is that relaunches?) today in stores and online with Justice League #1, written by Geoff Johns and pencilled by Jim Lee, with inks by Scott Williams, colors by Alex Sinclair, and letters by Patrick Brosseau. I’m here with my tag-team partner in the caption box, Marc Alan Fishman, and we’re going to review this in real time. I’m writing the introductory information while Marc finishes up a different project and then reads–
OK. I couldn’t help myself. Read it.
Me too. Wasn’t that quick?
Yeah, and not in a good way. That was… terrible.
Wait, wait, wait. There’s a lot to like here, except the portion size.
I’m gonna take a hard stance on this. If I knew nothing of these characters? I didn’t find this appealing.
But seriously, how many people know nothing of Batman and Green Lantern?
That’s kind of my point. There was a lack of substance to the issue that reeks of everything I hate about comics from the 90s. The art is all flash, bangs, pops, pows, and gloriously meticulous fire / lasers / constructs … But seriously? If this were an animated episode? We just got the first 5 minutes.
10 minutes. But yes, it feels like too little, and that’s a problem.
And what exactly did we learn? Batman’s a cocky SOB, and GL is even cockier. And Superman? Even more? It was like the issue was on autopilot. It’s all establishing shots. Fine, I get that. But this issue is supposed to herald this huge coming together of heroes for the superlative team of all comicdom. If I am a new reader? I’m coming back, or more likely? I’m feeling short changed.
So it’s too short— Act 1 of the animated movie. And even the premiere of the Justice League animated series needed three episodes.
Well, being short would be the first of a few big gripes. I don’t mind a quick read comic… Hell, plenty of Ultimates Volume 1 was that way. My bigger concern is the writing. I feel like the whole issue was bullet points. Minus the Cyborg scene. It was the ONLY time where I feel like we stopped, to catch a breath. The first scene, which has been in previews for months (?) plays for its simplicity; we establish the baseline that “5 years ago” heroes weren’t accepted. But then that same sequence just carries us to the logical (as in PREDICTABLE) beats. There wasn’t anytime where the characters stopped to say anything more than “this is what the plot is telling me to do right now.” … “Let’s go do this, and then do that. And hey did you hear about this other obvious plot point?” “Yes. Now, let’s continue to nip at each other while something else blows up.” Is it too much to demand a modicum of depth from these characters?
In 23 pages? That’s a lot to ask for. Granted, out of those 23 pages, we have two full page splashes and a double page splash spread.
Pretty, but look how much that cuts down on just why we’re getting so little to work with. Like I said… the trope of the 90’s reborn… Style over substance. I just picked up my copy of Runaways #1. It’s 24 pages. In 24 pages, I got a beautiful snapshot of 6 different lead characters, their parents, their home lives, their personality, AND it ended on a real cliffhanger, NOT just a splashpage. Don’t get me wrong. I want to like this book. I want to celebrate Johns and Lee pushing themselves. But I read this issue, and just reread it to make sure I wasn’t just being mean for mean’s sake… It just feels sloppy to me.
Compared to The Brave and The Bold #28, the first appearance of the Justice League of America, we had 25 2/3 pages.
Having not read the “first” appearance of the Justice League, I can safely assume it had more going on than Batman and GL having a pissing contest?
Yes. Now, of course, that original story spent no time introducing characters, and only defeated Starro because Snapper Carr was covered in lime.
Maybe that’s something to think about, though. It’s one of the first things I was told in writing classes: Don’t waste time. It’s a safe bet everyone has seen Batman flipping and jumping, and using gadgets. Same can be said about GL ring slinging. Why waste splash pages on it again, here, when Johns could use the space to really challenge the readers with the concept of a NEW universe.
Here’s one simple complaint— where’s Barry, Diana, and Arthur? We see them on the cover, and they’re nowhere inside.
That simple complaint informs my too-complex one. I’d sooner cut two or three pages of the whining and posing for a glimpse of Flash, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. I will point out again, I think the best part of the book was the Cyborg story. It’s the first time … well… ever… that I think I’ve cared about the character. He’s assured the Kyle Rayner position on the team. Now there’s a good thing to go look up. Do you recall what Morrison’s first trade of the JLA was?
Even better: just looked over Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men volume 1. In 24 pages, with a 2 page splash and 1 page splash, we STILL get the entire team, with five of them getting actual… moments.
But now you’re trying to have it both ways. Either introduce the characters and how they interact, or assume the audience already knows and just move forward.
True, true. So, I’ll be direct: This SHOULD have been an introduction.
It is, of a sort. We know the characters, we’re introducing the relationships between them.
With little to no nuance. “They don’t like us.” “I don’t like you.” “What’s your power?” I think if they had started with a different relationship, this issue would have been stronger.
Hey, I’m just happy the first meeting isn’t fighting each other. On the other hand, we’ve also seen that Batman and GL have had a… strained relationship.
I think that could easily have been established in less time than it took in this book. If we’re existing in the era of always writing for the trade… there’s time to continue the animosity. 20 pages worth got a little grating to me. You know the biggest thing this book is missing for me? Hope and Fun. Justice League #1 for me has far too little incentive to feel like sticking around. I won’t buy the issues, but I’ll happily bum them off Matt or Kyle, who are both committing to them. I think my money is better spent elsewhere.
The problem, as with reviews of too many stories today, is that it’s reviewing the first part of a larger story. I’ll read issue #2, but I hope the pacing improves.
What about you? Justice League #1– wanna make something out of it?
Related articles
- Jim Lee And Geoff Johns Hand Out Pizza At Midtown, Scott Snyder Lines Up (bleedingcool.com)
- Has Justice League #1 Sold Out? (bleedingcool.com)
- DC New 52: it’s showtime! (comicsbeat.com)
The guy who reviewerd in pink must be a fucking idiot.
Writng Class? No one cares it’s not as if you’re going to be writing comics anytime soon.
Why is it always the most poorly typed/spelled/punctuated posters that accuse other people of being idiots?
Hey Fu? I am a writer. Here on ComicMix, and Unshaven Comics. I’m not an idiot… but I do accept that you don’t like my opinion. Want a hug?
Bravo Marc. Justice League #1 wasn’t just dumb, it was completely braindead. One of the worst comics I’ve ever read.
Great review. Really enjoyed the back and forth between you two. Made for a much better review than just one person’s take. Hope to see you do more reveiws like this in the future.
@ FuTang ~ Couldn’t disagree more. I read comics more for the stories/writing and less for the artwork. The “guy in pink” is dead on in his assement
@Brandon ~ Great observation. So very true.
Quick question: I see that this article was posted at 7:00 am. Did either of you go to the midnight premier to get a copy? I’m just asking since there was an article that came out showing that the website Pirate Bay leaked the book one hour before the midnight sale. So my question is did we read a pirate or legal copy?
Only one hour before midnight? They\’re slowing down– I knew of downloadable copies before that.
And what happend to ‘drawing the line at $2.99?’
I don’t know what you guys are complaining about. There’s a good solid three pages of story here. Sort of a cereal box insert version of The Brave and the Bold, but with that unique “fuck you” Je ne sais quoin that Batman has mastered ever since they decided to write him as the biggest asshole in all 52 universes.
I wish they simply brought back Wednesday Comics. Hell, if DC wanted to do something new, they could have called it Thursday Comics.
Marc Fishman “likes” this.
In one of Robert B Parker’s “Spenser” books, police Captain Quirk asks his sergeant, Belson, where he gets the nasty cigars he’s always chewing.
Belson takes it out of his mouth, looks at it, puts it back and says “Yeah, well – they’re cheap, but they smell bad.”
Does that sum up your opinion?
I really didn’t think it was that bad. Yea it was short, and GL and Batman seemed to be on the same wavelength a little quick, but really I didn’t think it was bad for a first chapter. It wasn’t great but I think it’ll help build the rest of the arc.
Kyle, the entire story could have run in place of today’s Beetle Bailey strip. And Hal seemed to be channelling Booster Gold.
Don’t get me wrong — I like Booster Gold. Liked, I guess.
Oh, good, Johns gets to write Batman and decides to use the characterization from the second-worst-written Batman comic of the past five years.
(That would be All-Star Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder, which ALSO featured an issue full of Batman being a dick to Green Lantern. At least Hal didn’t get his throat cut this time.)
(And, in case you’re wondering: The worst-written Batman comic of the past five years? Batman: The Odyssey.)
As a general rule I don’t read Batman unless he’s written by a writer who can make me give a damn about him, and Frank Miller is one of the few who can do that and I’m one of the few people who loved All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder (except for the use of Robin’s old costume NO artist can make that god damn suit look cool). Miller’s Batman-as-a-prick makes me think Batman is actually cool when everybody else does it I generally hate Batman worse than any of his villains do.
Hal Jordan I have NEVER liked Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern the only time I liked Jordan was when he was the Spectre. No writer has ever written a Hal Jordan Green Lantern that makes me give a damn about Jordan.