This week: The world’s greatest superhero team reunites in a big way in Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s Justice League Unlimited #1.
Note: The following review contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation for the comic in question, check out the final verdict at the bottom of the article.
Justice League Unlimited #1
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillein
Author: Ariana Maher
Cover artist: Dan Mora
The Justice League is back. In the aftermath of the Absolute Power event, the DC Universe’s premier superhero team reunites and expands its roster to include every hero in the world as a member. The new Justice League Unlimited series comes from the Absolute Power team of Mark Waid and Dan Mora, and this week’s series debut issue is a real crowd-pleaser as the season opener.
Mark Waid is no stranger to Justice League, penning his memorable work on the ongoing JLA series between 2000 and 2001, among other high-profile DC titles. One of Wade’s greatest strengths as a writer is character interaction, and that’s on full display in this issue, as Black Lightning and Star Sapphire pair up during a mission against a mysterious new enemy. It is the main character. In particular, big-name heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman make an appearance, making for a notable and unexpected pairing, but the focus is particularly on Star Sapphire’s fight to save lives in a way only she can. This gives the issue an emotional core. A powerful method.
The combination of Black Lightning and Star Sapphire, as well as the addition of new member Air Wave to the League, both successfully solve larger-scale background problems. The new JL Watchtower Air Wave Tour, courtesy of Flash, is a lightning-fast compilation of all the relevant information a newcomer to the league’s current situation needs. It’s Mr. Wide’s economical storytelling, a two-page exposition that isn’t overly descriptive, and even if it is, it’s over quickly and the reader is brought back to the main action of the issue.
The action is beautifully captured on the page by Dan Mora and colorist Tamra Bonvillein. Coming from Absolute Power, you might think Mora might have wanted to draw something a little smaller in scale, but between his work here and his work with Superman – yeah, He’s currently drawing two monthly titles – it’s unclear if he’s even heard of making a movie before, It’s Easy and Batman/Superman: World at JLU Reuniting with the Finest colorists should be proof enough that they are one of the best superhero art teams working in comics. Each panel of this book is packed with detail that reflects the overwhelming scope of this issue, and Mora and Bonvillain do an expert job of making the storytelling clear and easy to understand. Leaguers like Superman and Wonder Woman jump off the page like pop culture icons, while the quieter moments of characters like Star Sapphire and Airwave are captured with the weight and emotion they deserve. Letterer Arianna Maher ties everything together nicely, with text and sound effects work that captures and enhances the energy and excitement of the rest of the visuals. This is a masterclass in comic book art from a team of creators who have reached the pinnacle of their craft.
Justice League Unlimited #1 also immediately begins to sew tantalizing seeds for future stories. From the shadowy organization already at odds with the League, to the mystery Batman and Blue Beetle are investigating on the other side of the world, to the twist on the final page, I don’t think you’ve seen anything like this, Wade, Mora. and his friends. We make sure there are enough reasons for readers to want to read more. This is as close to a perfect first issue of an ongoing series as this reviewer has read in a long time, and it’ll be exciting to see where this excellent creative team goes from here.
Final verdict: Buy.
round up
This week is a week full of DC releases, and the other biggest one this week is Black Canary: Best of the Best #1 from Tom King, Ryan Sook, Dave Stewart, and Clayton Cowles. The miniseries sees Dinah participating in a television title match against Lady Shiva in Las Vegas. This issue jumps around in time to show some of the events leading up to the match without wasting any time leading up to the match. King uses match commentators as voice-overs during the matches, which sets the tone for those sequences nicely. Suk’s artwork is solid as usual, with visceral combat sequences and solid characterization during quieter moments. Batman/The Santa Clause: Silent Knight Returns #1 from Jeff Parker, Lucas Kettner, Marcelo Maiolo, and Pat Brussaux begins the latest team-up between the Dark Knight and the Merry Old Elf. Last year’s first team-up series was a lot of fun, and this year’s look is no different, picking up the loose threads from the first miniseries and expanding the team-up into one between Santa and the rest of the DCU’s heroes. Ta. . As per tradition, this is becoming a nice little annual event. After last month’s teaser, Green Arrow #18 sees the new series’ creative team of Chris Condon, Montos, Adriano Lucas, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou officially take the reins of Oliver Queen’s adventures. After the timeless family adventure of the previous issue, this issue features a quieter, moodier affair as Olly investigates a series of murders in Star City. Condon’s script is tight, with minimal dialogue, and allows Montos and Lucas’ excellent visuals to shine. An interesting start to this new initiative. Speaking of teasers, Justice League Unlimited #1 includes a preview of the upcoming “Hush 2” from the original “Hush” creative team of Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair, and Richard Starkings. Also included is a four-page teaser for the Batman storyline. . This is more of a tonal teaser than a story teaser, with Hush placing literal pieces into place on the gameboard. More than anything, it reflects the expansion of the Bat-Family’s scope since the original storyline, and perhaps the subsequent expansion of “Hush 2.” But will Batman’s mechanic Harold be there? Probably not.
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