Silverwolf’s Den: Justice League of America #1

Because I am from (and love) Connecticut

Welcome back to Silverwolf’s Den for my second installment of Justice League of America Month! Obviously, with a name like that it’d be impossible for me to ignore the main team title, so today we finally have a look at Justice League of America #1 from Geoff Johns and David Finch. With a roster including Green Arrow, Catwoman, Green Lantern Simon Baz, Stargirl, Katana, Martian Manhunter, Steve Trevor, Vibe, Hawkman, and more, this team is set-up to be diverse if nothing else. I’ve been excited about this series since the announcement; could the wildly high bar I’ve set for this series be reached or even exceeded?

The new Justice League of America was billed as “the world’s most dangerous heroes” upon its announcement in August. This issue focuses on team building, using a meeting between Steve Trevor and Amanda Waller as a frame story. Waller notes the necessity of a League sanctioned by the government as a back-up plan in case the Justice League ever goes rogue. She attempts to convince Trevor to share in her plan, while outlining the potential members and the necessity of each.

Geoff Johns is a well-regarded comic writer, and with good reason. This issue has great narrative structure; never before have I read a comic that was almost entirely exposition with such interest. Johns expertly introduces and characterizes almost a dozen characters in just one issue. The dialogue is witty, but works to move the plot forward. I also like that this comic acknowledges events happening in other books in the DCU, such as Aquaman, Green Lantern, and, of course, Justice League.

Green Arrow was initially supposed to take out Batman, but apparently Catwoman “knows” him better…in the Biblical sense! (zing!)

Artist David Finch acts as penciller for JLA. His designs look like a rougher version of Jim Lee’s art which, in this context, works very well. The characters’ facial expressions are sharp and meaningful, and their body language is believable. Colorists Sonia Oback and Jeremy Cox strengthen Finch’s already stellar pencils with a muted palette that informs the darker tone of this book. I will admit, however, that the character models do look strange in a few of the action scenes, though this didn’t detract much from my reading experience.

Overall, Justice League of America #1 is a solid comic and a great introduction to a new series. This issue shows the team has a lot of promise and, with the upcoming DC crossover Trinity War on the horizon, is definitely important to the overall DC Universe. While this comic is by no means edge-of-your seat exciting, it’s still worth picking up.

Rating:

Brett Simon is a twenty-three year old comic enthusiast. He has no idea why Amanda Waller assumes Katana can beat Wonder Woman.