Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Justice League

I shouldn't oversell. It was far from the best comic I have ever read, but as a collection of small moments of potentially great future import, it was enjoyable. I have really soured on Johns the last few years. His epics are too straightforward and anticlimactic, and I think he is better with small, character moments. All I really remember as good in the bloated silliness of the Sinestro Corps War was Hal's family refusing to be afraid and leave Coast City. So, I'm strangely encouraged that JL #1 was made up much more of the things I like in Johns's writing.

Van only comment on the few pages I have seen in the previews on the wec, and they do not impress me much.

Sure, the art is nice...but looks like an average Jim Lee comic. Not that that is a bad thing.

Characters seem more hard edged...not a big fan of what I have read/seen with that so far. I probably will not read it until the local library gets a copy of the trade, or I find it in a cheap bin.

To me, the first book out of the gate should have been an extra paged, cheaper than normal issue to grab your attention. Get in there, introduce a few characters and get out. Tell a story that has an ending...even if it teases things to come later. But that's just me and my growing frustration with writing for trades.

I thoroughly enjoyed Justice League #1!
The art was big, splashy & colorful, while the story was straightforward, entertaining & could be easily followed by someone who knows nothing about these characters.
Good job!

I liked the story but it seemed like it should've been like 8 pages of story, but that's my gripe about all comics these days.

Let me make something clear here. I think it's great that people are liking it. I just have no desire to red about another iteration of the same characters (yet with tweaked personalities (and I am not liking what I have read so far. It's a personal thing for me.

I'm hoping the new Legion books are alright. The Shade by Robinson is really his baby (character wise, he really defined the Shade) so I think that should be alright. I have hopes for the JSA...Robinson has done them right on several occasions already.

The new hipper DCnU I guess is just not really for me.

My comic shop had a bunch of Justice League #1 on the shelves Wednesday. I went back today to pick up a copy for a friend and they were sold out.

Yep... per sources on Facebook it is already on a THIRD printing.

I understand people's criticisms of the first issue, but I still enjoyed it. I probably would have preferred a more epic start, like how "Kingdom Come" blew the door off its hinges by the end of the first issue, but I'm a huge GL fan, so Hal getting a big spotlight makes me happy. I don't mind the tweaked characterization too much. It makes sense (though I hope he doesn't refer to himself in the third person every issue) and while it reminded me a bit of "All Star Batman and Robin" I believe Johns of all people will give Hal respect by the time this is done.

Aside from being a big GL fan, showing Bats and Hal is a nice change from the recent focus on "the trinity." I expect and hope for new combinations of Leaguers interacting that we haven't seen much of before.

So... this was it? The brand new start into a new era?

Sorry, not good enough. What did we get apart from Jim Lees artwork and some colourful splash pages? Batman and Green Lantern hunting for aliens - and a short look at the updated origin of Vic Stone. Well, this might have worked as an issue of "Brave and the Bold" or "Worlds Finest" - both of which I would NOT have bought - but this was the Justice LEAGUE, and we did not get Flash, not get Aquaman, not get Wonder Woman. they were all on the cover, but not inside the book.

And hey, did anybody notice that we only did get about 24 pages of story, followed by four pages of useless sketch showcasing??? For 3,99 $??? Does this not somehow conflict with the "Drawing the line at 2,99" policy of the company?

No, I have to say that I'm slightly disappointed. I did not expect to get the whole origin story in one issue (to be true, I did not expect to get an origin issue at all). But a little more than the current movie cashcows Batman and Green Lantern bickering would have been nice.

I'm glad that apart from GL and Superman (only due to George Perez being involved), I only did preorder titles from the "rim" of the new DCU like Voodoo or Resurrection Man. I guess DC is going heavily towards creating some kind of "Ultimate DC" feeling - but is going to fail in the end.

Now, you wanna read a REALLY GOOD Justice league book, get the JLA 1990s RETROACTIVE.

The BwaHaHa Boys are back-- Giff, DeMatteis and Maguire, and they are in tip-top form!

Some extremely odd coloring going on in the lead story though, in places. I know Kevin Maguire expressed disappointment over it on Facebook. It's really only majorly distracting in two instances where it is WAY too dark.

The backup reprint was also thoroughly enjoyable, the final Giffen/Dematteis/Maguire outing from BREAKDOWNS.

It also reminded me of someone... whatever happened to Catherine, the League's European branch CEO? She had a big role in the reprint story.

Anyhoo, the new tale features the Injustice League at their most ridonkulous but actually serves to give some backstory on just how they became JLAntarctica!

Grade: A If you loved the original version then you will love this. If you hated the original version, this won't change your mind.

Someone should have started a new topic for the latest Justice League relaunch; I have a few things I want to say about the last few issues of the previous incarnation of the League before moving on.

The 6-issue Eclipso arc was at least three issues too long, given the amount of actual story content involved (some might argue that it was six issues too long, but then, I was already rather sick of Eclipso before this arc started ); another unfortunate example of "writing for the TPB". It didn't help that Robinson had to shoehorn in Doomsday for an issue to serve the Doomsday crossover storyline that ran through the Super-titles earlier this year.

It occurs to me that Robinson may have chosen Eclipso for his last major JLA storyline just as an excuse to feature the Shade in a few more issues, as free publicity for the upcoming Shade miniseries.

Ah, but the last issue (JLA 60) ... this was more the sort of thing that I had looked for from Robinson: fascinating character interaction, and several imaginative plot ideas (in the "untold tales") -- pity we couldn't have had a couple of those instead of Eclipso.

Aaaaand moving on: Justice League # 1

I winced at the mention of the name "Darkseid", but then I remembered that this story is set in the past. I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that ol' Granite-Face is still dead in the present-day post-Flashpoint DCnU (and boy is it hard to type with my fingers crossed ) and that after this new JL origin story is completed we won't see him again for a looooong time (like, when he wakes up for the Great Darkness saga).

I thought the first issue was a decent read with pretty pictures, but nothing really special. I tend to agree with those who wished for fewer splash pages and a little more story content.

I can see merit in both sides of the argument over whether it would have been better to launch the new series in the present, so we could have seen the entire membership in the first issue (or at least the first storyarc), and then go back and tell the origin story later. One possible explanation for starting with the origin occurred to me which I haven't seen anyone else mention, so I'm suggesting it here: maybe the editors felt that starting with a present-day DCnU JL adventure would have "spoiled" certain info which the writers of the titles featuring the individual members of the League wanted to reveal over the course of *their* first storyarcs.

The way Cyborg was used here makes me pretty confident that the Wolfman/Perez Titans have been erased from the history of the DCnU ... just in time for the "Masks" Graphic novel!! :rolleyes:

I'm right there with ya, Rhino... I didn't have high expectations for the book... I think Johns and Lee are pretty much hacks, but even hacks can be entertaining and this was... I'm going to stick around for a while...

So yesterday I was able to hit up the comic book shop and actually felt quite a bit of excitement picking up DC’s new #1 titles. So, score one for DC. I figured I’d start with Justice League, since that was intended as their ‘introductory’ title; it also has the most (over?) hyped creative team in comics, so what I plan to do is review it, and then henceforth throughout September whenever I review another title, add in “was it better than Justice League #1?”. Is that fair? Probably not, but I’ve never cared much for fairness.

So, Justice League by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. There was a lot of good and a bit of bad, so it was a little of a mixed bag. But overall, I thought it was more good than bad.

The art by Jim Lee was fantastic in my eyes. I’ve always been a fan of Lee, so this was very enjoyable. He’s certainly going for it in his composition and grandiose pencils. The final splash page of Superman is one of the best Superman pages I’ve seen in many years. While there may have been a few too many splash pages and three panel pages, I do appreciate the “summer action film” sense he’s installing here. He’s clearly trying to make things fun, which is something he’s always done well, from X-Men to Image to Hush.

Inker Scott Williams always does a good job aiding and abetting Lee. I do think the new costumes, in their attempt to look like futuristic armor, come off as very scratchy at times though. As if they are still spandex albeit with added lines on them. But it isn’t too distracting. The coloring on the comic was fantastic as well, enough to make it noticeable, which enhanced that big action feel.

As to the writing, I thought it was certainly satisfactory, although it wasn’t anything to write home to Mom about. Like most of us, I’ve read hundreds (thousands?) of “everyone meeting for the first time stories” and so everything in this issue was a little by the numbers. I didn’t mind so much that it was only Batman & Green Lantern this issue but what grated on me is I’ve already seen Johns do this before with GL and Bats. Unfortunately, I think Johns continues his decline from one of the comic industry’s best and brightest to being one more mediocre, by the numbers writer who specializes in big editorial moves but stumbles in execution.

I do think the issue was too padded for the launch point of the entire new universe. Certainly Johns is taking his time and plotting it for a 6 issue trade. In that respect, Jerry’s prior mention of a similarity to Ultimate Spider-Man is dead on (when that title first started 10 years ago). I had the same issue with that series for its first 12 issues: it read fantastic as a trade but was too slow as a monthly. That series changed its pacing around #13 or so; I hope JL doesn’t take that long to do so.

Did I LOVE it? No. Did I like it? Well, yeah, I did like it! When it comes right down to it, the Justice League series has sucked big time for a long, long time now and this is probably the best thing to come since John’s 6 issue “Crisis of Conscience” story many years ago.

The kick-off of Justice League International seems as an attempt to appeal to fans of the original JLI era while also utilizing the never-realized premise of the Global Guardians / JLI of a UN-based, international superhero team. As long as that premise, of showcasing international heroes, is adhered to, that will increase my enjoyment of this series henceforth.

Overall, I thought the plotting, pacing, dialogue of the first issue was a very traditional team superhero approach that was seen numerous times in the 80’s and 90’s. In that sense, it felt was at the same time like revisiting an old friend, but also a little too familiar. Meaning it makes JLI not the most original or ground-breaking title, but also one that does contain several factors that I already know I enjoy. Jurgens has always been a better artist than writer, but in recent years he’s proven to have matured a bit more in his writing, so perhaps as time goes on, we’ll see how it goes.

The above means the actual roster and mix of superheroes will be all the more important. So far it appears to be the “usual suspects” of JLIers with Batman, Godiva from Global Guardians, Vixen and August General in Iron. I’d have liked something a bit more surprising but its only #1 and the roster isn’t likely set in stone yet. It will definitely be nice to see these characters on an ongoing basis though. Especially Rocket Red who appears to be the same character from that last bi-weekly JLI mini.

Batman really works here for me, even though his inclusion is the exact same thing as Spider-Man and Wolverine in Avengers. What I like is his full support of Booster as leader; he even plays the supportive deputy leader role here. This leads me to believe a lot of Booster’s recent history remains in tact. I’m certainly curious about that, and Rip Hunter’s status.

The rest of the cast besides Guy & Booster just seem to have one-liners so we’ll see what happens from here. For some reason I can’t help but suspect Godiva is being set-up to get killed off. I can’t put my finger on why but instinct from all these years is kicking in.

The page with all the candidates for membership reveal that the Creeper, B’Wana Beast and others are still around, which is cool. I really hope Ted Kord is still in continuity (and Dan Garrett actually)! I guess the Blue Beetle book will let us know soon enough. I suspect not.

UN picketers felt like a forced plot element. The “Signal Men” already sound lame but I’ll give Jurgens the benefit of the doubt to see what he has in store for us. I wonder if he should have gone the route of reintroducing a classic JLA villain like Despero or Starro or something, or at least creating a full-on brand new big bad type.

Cobie Comparison: Did I enjoy it more than Justice League #1? Actually, not quite as much. It wasn’t bad by any means but it felt very average with potential for greatness to come (and an equal amount of potential to be even more vanilla). It’s a wait & see for me as I continue to collect but if someone said they were dropping it, I couldn’t argue against them for it.

[tangent]
Ever since reading about them in Super Friends (shut up!), I've found the characters now referred to as the Global Guardians fascinating, but, with the exception of the renamed Fire and Ice (who are more likely to be shoehorned in to fill gender quotas, it seems), they mostly seem to appear only to get killed off.

I'd kinda love to see a real Global Guardians series. The idea of an international 'Justice League' that is directed from the shadows by Dr. Mist kinda appeals to me. Of course, I'd want to deboot them back to being alive and having consistent origin stories (getting rid of the conflicting backstories for Ice Ice Maiden) and not suffering from whatever sorts of being skinned (Taz) or scalped (Godiva) or made crazy (Olympian) business has happened to them in the past decade...

I never really 'got' Little Mermaid or Seraph, but most of the others have some coolness potential.
[/tangent]

^ Global Guardians are absolutely my #1 favourite concept at DC Comics that has never been given the opportunity to prove itself.

This team has so much potential I sometimes lie awake at night dreaming about the stories I could tell with them. I love them all - Dr Mist, Impala, Godiva, Rising Son, Tuatara, Olympian, Wild Huntsman, Little Mermaid, Cascade, Bushmaster, Tasmanian Devil... all of them.

If Global Guardians had been one of the books in the new 52 I might actually still be buying a monthly DC book.

Godiva, huh? She did appear in Flashpoint, but I have to say I'm surprised. Owlwoman, Jack O'Lantern, Tazmanian Devil and the Rising Sun have all gotten much more exposure in the past. And living hair isn't THAT powerful. Still, why not? I hope they don't kill her off...

And since this series is meant to be a UN-based team, I hope they bring in Doctor Light. I applauded when they brought her back in the most recent run; it's too bad they weren't really able to use her to her full potential.

She's a big favorite of mine too, IB so I agree she'd be a welcome addition!

Likewise on the Dr. Light love. I'm surprised, given the premise and her connection, that she WASN'T part of the JLI. Perhaps she'll join up later?

With how eager the UK's representative was about the JLI concept, I wouldn't be surprised if something happened to Godiva for dramatic purposes. If not death, perhaps she goes MIA or takes a stroll down Evil Lane?

I completely agree with Cobie's thoughts that:

JLI felt okay/average with potential to be really really good

and

It feels like Godiva is being set up to be killed off (or possibly to be comic relief?). I would prefer the comic relief angle. Her "Sod, off Bats..." line made me giggle.

As JLI was the book I saved for last to read, meaning it was the book I was most looking forward to, I did feel a little let down overall.

Here's hoping it reaches its full potential!

PS/ book I should have saved for last this week: I am thinking it should have been ANIMAL MAN. It will be next month!

It seems this CBR Month has a theme though .... 'better than JL #1'

EVERYthing I read was better than JL # 1 to me, except Hawk & Dove.

After JL # 1, I was worried every title would be full of 2-page splashes and little to no story... I am glad I was wrong for the most part!

Alright. I read this issue. Then after the three minutes was up, I did glance back at some of the pictures. Glad I did not spend the money on this...while it's not a bad comic, it left me massively underwhelmed. Thank you Barnes and Noble for having comics to flip through.

For it's flagship launch into the new DCU, I wish they had done more with it. Had more interaction with other characters. Batman and Green Lantern being snarky with each other and then finding a snarky Superman was kinda blah to me. It was a bit to decompressed for my tastes, but then again, a lot of comics are these days. To me, they could have covered the same ground in about half the time and given a full Superman confrontation and moved them towards the next member. But, that's just me.

JLI #1 is my first impulse buy of the new DCU (Legion Lost, LoSH, Legion: Secret Origins and Legion / Star Trek were must-buys, everything else is optional!), and I'm interested in learning more about August General in Iron, since he's a total cypher to me. The rest I recognize from other stuff, although I've lost track of what Fire's powers are this week...

Godiva seems pretty low-power for this group. Dr. Light (Kimi) might be a better choice. (Or Jet or Gloss or Cascade or Solstice or Belphegor or something.) On the other hand, Godiva clearly has the power to manipulate her hair telekinetically, so she *should* be able to fly under her own power, and not require Booster to carry her around (unless, clever girl, she just *wanted* Booster to carry her around...).

The bird-like fire aura around Vixen while she's using her power to fly might be a useful visual aid, but I really don't like the way it is depicted. I like the idea, but I think it works better in Animal Man than it does here.

Indeed, I'm not loving the art. I'm shallow enough to want Vixen and Fire and Ice to be sexier looking, and August General in Iron and Rocket Red's armors to look better than they do here.