Posted in Comics, DC Comics: The New 52, My Geeky Life
The New DC Universe: Week 0 Reviews
The day is finally upon us. After months of hype. Hours of conversations with my friends. The new DC universe is launched. Let me put out a little disclaimer here. I know many loyal DC fans are up in arms about the reboot and I admit I have some concerns about some of their choices. Having said that if I was in charge of the world (and really I am not sure why this power hasn’t been granted to me yet) I would reboot the DC and Marvel universe about every ten years on principle. I think it is healthy for the industry.
When you make the back story of your comic so complicated that new readers don’t want to pick it up then you are hurting the industry. I love comics. I have been reading them for 36 years. I want the industry to thrive. Rebooting the universe does not take away the joy or memory of any great stories I have read before. Instead it gives creators a chance to deliver new and interesting stories. To think outside the box and not be confined by what we know has gone on before. I am really hoping DC does this right. I am excited to see what new adventures they take us on. I am hoping I can hook my wife, brother, and a myriad of other people into reading comics.
A brief side note about digital releases. I live in a small town. It has been over twenty years since I have been able to read a comic from Marvel or DC on the day it was released. Hitting the download button on my iPad today sent a childhood thrill through my body. Alright onto the first review. This week’s review and power ranking will be easy. DC only released one comic. Next week my challenge ramps up with multiple releases.
Justice League #1
Written by GEOFF JOHNS; Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
I have not always been a huge fan of either Johns or Lee. They both have done things I really like but sometimes lack the little subtleties which really stick with me weeks after reading a comic. My first impression upon scanning the page is Lee can draw Batman. The overall art in the book is fairly standard comic book art but it is crisp and clean. Scott Williams does an excellent job with the inking.
The story itself left me a little cold for a first issue. The dialog itself was all over the place. It made me laugh in a few places (one interaction between Green Lantern and Batman is still bouncing around in my head) but sometimes it hit with a giant thud. I know they are trying to set up a new universe in a very limited time but I thought the pacing was too fast. You are starting everything over, take your time. The book primarily is a Green Lantern and Batman story. I never jumped onto the Green Lantern train so I was hoping for something to convince me to like him. I appreciated the attempt at humor but it didn’t quite connect this first time out.
My overall impression with the first issue is it’s a pretty standard fair. It hit the reset button. It started a story but I wasn’t completely wowed. I admit I was maybe hoping for a little more from the launch issue. My main disappointment was the writing. It didn’t feel fresh or interesting. I have hope though. I was interested and will willingly buy the second issue to see where it goes.
Justice League will be one of those books which is in no danger of being cancelled. It’s also a tricky book because it is a team book and I think they are a little harder to write. This book really felt like a love letter to traditional fans though. A sort of, “see we didn’t mess with anything to bad.” I hope the next books out take bigger chances. Why hit the reset button and do basically the same type of story we have seen a thousand times. On a scale of 1 to 10 it is a 7.5 for me (a lot of the seven had to do with Williams inking which was really fantastic).
DC Power Rankings
1) Justice League – It gets to be number one for a week but I am guessing this will not last past next week (I should say hoping with all of my comic book heart).
