So far, the art looks gorgeous. The preview looks nice so far…

– CQ Staff

It is good start to a universe.  This comic has a lot of responsibility.  It not only has to serve as the first introduction to a new comic, but it also has to be an introduction to the whole DC universe.  It has to set up the characters and setting like a typical #1 issue, but also has to serve as a launch pad for the whole line of related comics.  All that and be a self-contained entertaining story.  That is a lot for one comic to take on.

It is a good thing that it some top talent to make it happen, otherwise it could get too bogged down.  Jim Lee is great.   At his worst he can still draw everything very good, and every issue he always delivers at least a couple of shots that make me marvel at his technique.  1) The expressions he give Batman make it easy to see the grim determination without being told explicitly ‘Batman is grim & determined’.  2) I really liked the 5th page close up of the Darkseid minion, the lights in the eyes and mouth are great.  3) The football scene was really well done, it’s a great angle and Jim Lee can really bring out the sense of speed and collision.  4)  All the extra light lines he gave to Green Lantern, that is a lot of extra work, but it really adds to drama.

I know it is blaspheme, but I do have some quibbles with the art.  1) Why so many firetrucks?  Does Jim Lee have a firetrucks fixation? or is he saying that GL has one?  2) And I don’t really like the way he draws the helicopters – they kind of look organic and not mechanical.  They need more hard angles 3) Why the flame out of the minions butt?  The shot is great, but I can’t see flaming butts and not giggle.  Come on, I know you giggled too.

Jeff Johns’ script is always solid.  But it did suffer from trying to introduce the world we are already familiar with.  1) Did Green Lantern have to tell Batman that he is part of a whole Corp or space cops?  (I’m sure Batman saw the movie this summer like everyone else.) No, but it had to be told to new readers.  2)  I loved the scene where Batman steals the ring.  3) I liked how Green Lantern did not know about Batman, but Batman knew everything about GL, and even was tracking Superman’s power levels.  So thorough, so paranoid.

Finally, what is up with Superman’s costume.  I was okay with the ‘no colored underwear’ until I saw the last page.  It just seems off.  And why does his sleeves go down to his knuckles?  Superman does not need the extra warmth!  Why not just give him mittens.  And that collar?  It would not be so bad if it did not have the red accentuation – now he looks more like a Milan runway model than an Alien Invader.

Overall I give it a A- mostly because the art is so good.

— Don

This issue seems like it would have been better served as double-sized, or at least beginning with a non-flashback scene of the League together. As it stands, this is more like an issue of the Brave and the Bold with Batman and Green Lantern. Not that that’s a bad thing – I’d buy any issue of B&B by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. The art is very detailed, which is especially nice when it comes to seeing some of Green Lantern’s ring constructs. Since it’s a “five years ago flashback” it’s before the League members ever officially met each other, so they act a little more “immature” toward each other (though not at the overly crazy All-Star Batman issues). That can make for fun dialogue, but there’s no real character growth yet – most of the dialogue is either expository seems meant for the characters to “show each other up.” Lots of references toward where the story is going – I’m glad they’re starting with a pretty epic antagonist, but it also means it will inevitably draw comparisons to Grant Morrsion’s “Rock of Ages” run, and I’d be scared to try to compete with most of his run on the title.

That said, I’d still rank Johns’s and Lee’s worst work much higher than most books I can think of, and this isn’t anywhere close to what I’d call their worst. It feels like the next issue or two (or however long it takes to finish the first act of what I presume to be a three-act structure) can either help or hurt the first issue by context, and I’m expecting that with the talent involved it will be for the better.

Given my initial expectations, I’m giving this a “B” for now, but I won’t be surprised at all if it gets extra credit in retrospect when future issues come out. It’s okay to have a slow intro, but I’d like to see the entire League in the first issue of a brand new JLA book, even if it’s just an in-story glimpse before they take their time with introductions. It’s good enough to make me want the second issue, and with the work I’m already familiar with from Johns and Lee, I’d likely buy a few issues more after that even if they were just blank pages because they’ve earned my trust in their putting out quality material.

– Ed

I liked it! How’s that for a simple review? Okay, now for the details. This is a good 1st issue – good set up for the rest of the series. It takes place 5 years in the past, before the JL heroes met and got together. Which presumably we will see in future issues. I rather enjoyed seeing Batman, Green Lantern and Superman behaving differently that we are used to. It was fun. I thought the story was basic, solid, good. Art by Jim Lee is typical Jim Lee and I thought that the details of Green Lantern’s ring powers were great and really helped to understand the action. I’m looking forward to the next issue. So far a good start. Like Ed said, I imagine that my review may change dependent on how the story’s future acts play out. Now I’d rate it a B+.

—Kelly