The new 52 is finally here with its flagship title: Justice League by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. Justice League is available through print and digital.
I myself have switched to digital more for the lack of room for comic than anything else so this reading experience is entirely new too me.
The problem with most introduction team books is the entire first issue is focused on putting the team together and giving the reader some understanding to who that character is. It’s rarely a fun read. However, it gets through all the unexciting parts so they can have the team go off on an exciting adventure for the rest of the series. Justice League instead focuses on two characters: Green Lantern and Batman and the series of events that are going to lead them to all the other character.
This style isn’t bad, actually I prefer it, it’s just it isn’t executed that well. We are thrown right into a middle of a chase between Batman and a robot when Green Lantern interrupts. What follows is of awkward conversions that don’t quite hit the note Johns was going for and bunch of sequences that just go by way to fast. If the issue would have instead focused on Batman and Green Lantern meeting without having a conflict, the story would have had breathing room to tell an engaging plot that felt natural.
Batman and Green Lantern still sound and act that same which will give some confront to the fans who were worried about the relaunch. The best happens half way through after Green Lantern makes fun of Batman’s lack of powers. The scene unlike what preceded didn’t feel forced. After that only the cliffhanger really did anything for me. Though who the villain is intrigues me about were this story is going.
As for the rest of the team, we get a few panels of Cyborg but if you have never read DC before or nothing involving Cyborg you probably had no clue who that was and why he his football game took up a few pages. Basically I’m an issue in and I have no idea what the Justice League is and who is in it. That isn’t a good sign.
Jim Lee pencils and cinematic flare keep some of the duller bits from boring the reader’s but I feel a lot more credit needs to go to Scott Williams inking which really made the issue pop. If the colors for the most part weren’t black or green and I would probably have more to say but the art is simply above average and constantly clear. Really all I ask for. As for the digital part, I find the Comixology double page spreads for non double page panels to be odd to look but it in no way hinder my experience and hopefully get an Ipad so I can mimic the comic book layout.
FINAL SCORE: 70%
You must be logged in to post a comment.