JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
Part One

October 2011

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Jim Lee

Inks by Scott Williams

Covers by Jim Lee and David Finch

Synopsis

Five years ago…. The Gotham police are chasing Batman, who in turn is chasing a suspect.  Batman catches the suspect, a creature with mechanical parts.  Just then, Green Lantern appears.  He is hunting the same suspect.  The Gotham police open fire on Green Lantern, who creates a shield to deflect the bullets.  The suspect attacks Green Lantern and Batman, then attacks the police.  Green Lantern and Batman help the police, but the suspect escapes.  They follow it to the sewers, where it plants a bomb in the name of Darkseid.  It explodes.  Green Lantern protects them, but the creature dies.  It leaves behind a piece of alien technology.  They wonder if it is connected to the alien in Metropolis.  Elsewhere, Vic Stone excels on the football field, but his father misses the game, but to Vic’s dismay. Meanwhile, Green Lantern takes Batman right to Superman’s current location.  There, Superman punches Green Lantern, then confronts Batman, wondering what he can do. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

“You’re not just some guy in a bat costume are you? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?”

This was very enjoyable.  I enjoyed the earlier versions of the characters, especially Green Lantern’s cockiness.  I also liked the way he dismissed Batman’s lack of powers, demonstrating that he doesn’t really know the Dark Knight at all.  It is an excellent portrayal of the clash of these strong personalities.  I also liked the fact that name of Darkseid was misunderstood (a rock band! HA!) and the extra-terrestrial artifact was immediately connected to the only known alien on the planet.  His appearance, though brief, was handled well and sets up the traditional confrontation of the super powered against the normal guy, a scene that has been repeated ad nauseum over the years.

The thing about that scene, however, is that it is both fresh and stale, new and old.  It is a scene that we have seen before, a scene that fan boys argue over and over, who would win:  Superman or Batman (see this issue for a great take on the idea).  So, yes, familiar.  But it isn’t quite the same because this is the first time, at least it chronological sequence, that this particular moment as occurred in the DC universe.  So, in that sense it is new.  Will Batman be ready?  Will Superman even fight him?  It is a great moment, built upon years of stories in various DC books, but a scene that is really appearing for the very first time.  If that makes sense. 

The biggest drawback, I think, to this issue is the pacing.  Well, not the pace of the issue which moves pretty quickly through the plot, but the pacing of introducing the members of the Justice League.  This is the issue that is meant to restart the new DC universe (or the DCnU as it has been dubbed), but it doesn’t really showcase the core of the Justice League.  It is really more of “Brave and the Bold” with Batman teaming up with Green Lantern.  And while I like the way Johns manages to make this first team-up seem fresh and exciting while making it fit in with the established characters that we know and love, I have to wonder how other readers will react to the 3 of the cover characters missing (Aquaman, Flash, and Wonder Woman), the fourth appearing for only one page (Superman), and the fifth appearing only in his pre-hero identity (Cyborg).  Will this be enough to rope in new readers?  Or will the pace turn off new readers because they don’t want to wait 6 issues to see how the team comes together. Frankly, we’ve done this before so I can’t blame anyone for turning away. 

I really hope that Johns doesn’t immediately go for Darkseid as the Big Bad for this story.  I would be happier if it is one of his minions or some other conflict that has Darkseid behind it all, but still not visible to the team.  I like the fact that the formation of the Justice League is tied to perhaps the biggest DC villain available, but for the first story I wouldn’t want Darkseid defeated so quickly and easily.  Darkseid is one of those villains that justifies a large-scale story (such as Final Crisis) rather than something like this. 

Strange Sighting

Page 18, middle panel, to the right of the rest of the crowd watching Vic Stone play football. 

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