JUSTICE LEAGUE #1

Review by: SilverAgeTom

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1763
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Avg Rating: 4.1
 
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Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Variant cover by DAVID FINCH

Size: 40 pages
Price: 3.99

This was supposed to be the flagship comic that launched the New 52, a gateway to the new age of comics. And well… it kind of disappoints.

The “day and date” release fails because the pirated copy of the comic was available hours before it’s 2pm EST release. It practically begs to be stolen.

What I wanted was an action packed intro to the Justice League. What I got was a little pairing of Batman and Green Lantern as they go from Gotham to Metropolis. No spoilers there because there’s barely anything to spoil. I mean, sure, the big bad was mentioned but that’s nothing that hasn’t already been spoiled on the Internet. There’s just hardly anything to sink you teeth into.

Insofar as the art goes I thought it was fine. But there wasn’t anything technically interesting or awe-inspiring about it. Jim Lee re-defined the look of super-heroes in the 90’s. But unfortunately his style has become cliche and he has done anything to make himself stand out from the crowd.

I think there’s was a lot riding on the shoulders of this book. Comic shops all over the nation opened their doors at midnight. This has been the biggest thing to happen in comics in a long time. Not to mention a huge chance for the Justice League to claim their spot as a top tier book.

So, I guess I’m not saying that this is a bad book. It just doesn’t live up to the hype at all. I think the coming weeks will tell if there truly is a renaissance of comics but Justice League #1 isn’t the flagship we all wanted.

Story: 2 - Average
Art: 3 - Good
 

Comments

  1. Avatar photo JNewcomb says:
    August 31, 2011 at 12:30 pm

    I don’t remember the last time anything ever lived up to the hype.

  2. Avatar photo ctrosejr says:
    August 31, 2011 at 12:50 pm

    “The “day and date” release fails because the pirated copy of the comic was available hours before it’s 2pm EST release. It practically begs to be stolen.”

    @SilverAgeTom: You are, without question, 100% wrong. The fact that pirates had the issue online first does not make day and date a failure. Honest people will buy their books. People who are tired of storing floppies will buy digital copies. And, no one who puts this much effort into their product *deserves* to have it stolen. And, what, may I ask, does that have to do with the quality and content of the comic? Nothing. Try to stick to what’s on the page. Thanks.

    • Avatar photo SilverAgeTom says:
      August 31, 2011 at 2:17 pm

      But when the only option available is illegal that’s not a good sign.

    • Avatar photo ctrosejr says:
      August 31, 2011 at 3:42 pm

      No, you have the option of waiting a few hours and being an honest person. Are you seriously trying to justify theft by saying that the product was not available for purchase earlier? Why not just break-in to the DC offices and steal it off the printer?

  3. Avatar photo yyzKyle says:
    August 31, 2011 at 5:16 pm

    Maybe you got sucked up into the hype machine and that spoiled/ruined your experience but I do not agree with your criticisms of the book. I loved the art, and am glad Jim Lee is on this flagship title. This first issue included 4 of the characters on the cover out of 7, and I think that is a smart tactical decision. The best part of this book is that it sets the tone for the DCNU.

  4. Avatar photo Tork says:
    September 1, 2011 at 3:26 am

    Aside from the Day and Date Release comments (as somebody where the last comic shop in 20 miles shut down a couple years ago, I LOVE the idea of digital books), I agree with this review. The look is very 90’s and that doesn’t endear itself to me. I’m also just a tad tired of governments hunting superheroes and superheroes not getting along. It’s not a bad first issue per se but I don’t think this issue is very engaging either.

  5. Avatar photo Urthona says:
    September 2, 2011 at 12:20 am

    I agree with the reviewer. I don’t think I’m a “Hatah”, but the whole thing seemed like more of the same to me. What was different other than this being issue #1 and they don’t know each other. I think about how Ultimates #1 by Millar/Hitch felt much more ground-breaking, that they really re-examined and re-invented the Avengers…I guess I was hoping for something similar for DC…I like these characters separately but I still have yet to read a good Justice League story other than Kingdom Come…and Johns doesn’t even tell a Justice League story here, this read like Brave and the Bold #1, didn’t it??

  6. Avatar photo SilverAgeTom says:
    September 6, 2011 at 3:05 am

    Oh, I meant to rate the book a 3 / 3. But apparently I can’t edit anymore.

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