JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #1 is a crowd-pleasing debut

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THIS WEEK: The world’s greatest superhero team reunites in grand fashion in Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s Justice League Unlimited #1.

Note: the review below contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdict.

Justice League Unlimited #1

Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: Dan Mora

The Justice League is back. In the aftermath of the Absolute Power event, the premiere superhero team of the DC Universe has re-formed, with an expanded roster that now includes 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 debut issue for the series is a real crowd-pleaser of an opener.

Mark Waid is no stranger to the Justice League, having written, among other high-profile DC titles, a memorable run on the ongoing JLA series back in 2000-01. One of Waid’s greatest strengths as a writer is his character interaction, and that’s on full display in this issue, with a pairing of Black Lightning and Star Sapphire taking center stage during a mission against a mysterious new enemy. It’s an unexpected duo to focus on, particularly with big-name heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman also on the scene, but the tighter focus, in particular Star Sapphire’s fight to save a life as only she can, gives the issue its emotional core in a powerful way.

The Black Lightning/Star Sapphire pairing, as well as the initiation of new member Air Wave to the League, both ground the issue nicely against what is otherwise a massive backdrop. Air Wave’s tour of the new JL Watchtower comes courtesy of The Flash, and it’s a superspeed info-dump of all the relevant information newcomers to the League’s current status quo could need. It’s economical storytelling on Waid’s part, two pages of exposition that don’t feel overly expository, and even if they did they’re over quickly and readers are returned to the issue’s main action.

That action is brought to the page in stunning fashion by Dan Mora and colorist Tamra Bonvillain. Coming off of Absolute Power you might think Mora would have wanted to draw something a little smaller in scale, but between his work here and on Superman – that’s right, he’s drawing two monthly titles right now – it’s unclear if he’s ever even heard of taking it easy, and his reunion on JLU with his Batman/Superman: World’s Finest colorist should be more than enough evidence that they’re one of the best superhero art teams working in comics. Each panel of this book is packed with details that reflect the issue’s overwhelming scope, and Mora and Bonvillain do an expert job of keeping the storytelling clear and easy to follow. Leaguers like Superman and Wonder Woman leap off the page like the icons of pop culture that they are, while quieter moments for characters like Star Sapphire and Air Wave are captured with their due weight and emotion. Letterer Ariana 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. It’s a masterclass in comics art from a team of creators at the peak of their craft.

Justice League Unlimited #1 also immediately gets to work sewing compelling seeds for future stories. From the shadowy organization that’s already setting itself at odds with the League, to a mystery Batman and Blue Beetle are investigating on the other side of the world, to a final-page twist I don’t think anyone will have seen coming, Waid, Mora, and co. are making sure there’s plenty of reason for readers to want to come back for more more. This is as close to a perfect first issue for an ongoing series as this reviewer has read in a long time, and it’ll be exciting to see where this stellar creative team goes from here.

Final Verdict: BUY.

Round-Up

It’s a week of launches from DC, and the other biggest this week is Tom King, Ryan Sook, Dave Stewart, and Clayton Cowles‘s Black Canary: Best of the Best #1. The miniseries finds Dinah in Las Vegas, taking part in a televised title fight against Lady Shiva. This issue wastes no time getting to the fight, while also jumping around in time to show some of the events leading up to the match. King uses the match commentators as narration during the fight, which sets the tone for those sequences well. Sook’s artwork is solid as always, with visceral fight sequences and solid characterization in the quieter moments.
Jeff Parker, Lukas Ketner, Marcelo Maiolo, and Pat Brousseau‘s Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns #1 kicks off the latest team-up between the Dark Knight and the Jolly Old Elf. Last year’s initial team-up series was a lot of fun, and this year’s looks to be no different, picking up a loose thread from the initial miniseries and broadening the team-up to one between Santa and the rest of the heroes of the DCU. As traditions go this one is turning into a nice little annual event.
After a teaser last month, Green Arrow #18 sees new series creative team Chris Condon, Montos, Adriano Lucas, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou officially take the reins of Oliver Queen’s adventures. After the time-spanning family adventures of the previous run, this issue is a quieter, moodier affair, with Ollie investigating a series of murders in Star City. Condon’s script is tight, his dialogue minimal, letting Montos and Lucas’s excellent visuals shine. An intriguing start to this new run.
And speaking of teasers, Justice League Unlimited #1 also includes a four-page teaser for the upcoming “Hush 2” Batman storyline from the original “Hush” creative team of Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair, and Richard Starkings. It’s more of a tonal teaser than a story teaser, with Hush putting literal pieces in place on a gameboard. If nothing else it reflects the expanded scope of the Bat-family since the original storyline, and presumably then the expanded scope of “Hush 2.” But will Batman’s Mechanic, Harold be there? Probably not.