If this first issue of the Lee/Johns Justice League is meant to be the mission statement for the new DCU, I think it’s clear what direction DC wants to take it’s super hero line… Image Comics circa 1993.

Jim Lee is always going to evoke the style of the nineties in his art… but I was surprised at how chaotic and awkward his storytelling was in this issue. The transitions from panel to panel felt awkward, a lot of panels felt cluttered and claustrophobic and a lot of Jim Lee’s choices emphasized flash over substance.

In terms of the writing, Geoff Johns was given a very difficult task. He has to engage and hook a completely new audience, while at the same time servicing a presumptively skeptical existing audience. And I think that Johns has gotten himself stuck between those two goals. When the dialog isn’t carry the heavy weight of exposition, it’s annoucing character traits at a full pitch volume.
BATMAN:”I’M METHODICAL!”
GREEN LANTERN:”I’M ARROGANT!
BATMAN: “I LIKE SHADOWS!”
GREEN LANTERN: “I LIKE LIGHT!”

We’re told everything, never shown it.

And as for the plot, there wasn’t really that much of it. Batman chases a nondescript monster, Green Lantern joins him, the monster kills himself “for Darkseid,” Vic Stone has daddy issues and Superman shows up at the end. For all the flash bang of the action scenes… the entire thing felt fluffy and insubstantial.

In other words it was written just like an issue of WildC.A.T.S. or Cyber Force back in the day.