Justice League #1

Justice League #1

Geoff Johns, writer & Jim Lee, artist

DC Comics

The big event is here, and the new DCUniverse has now hit the shelves. I picked it up and I flipped through it a few times before I sat down to read it. And I read it a few times before writing these comments. I wanted to love it. I went into this whole reboot with my arms wide open, but the book didn't make it easy for me.

Don't get me wrong: there are things to like here. There are things not to like here. But ultimately, the issue falls squarely in the middle of both. It's not just average, it's aggressively average, as if Johns and Lee came out and said "Let's make the safest, best, safest, most dynamic, safest, and safest comic that we can." And, as far as I'm concerned, they hit that mediocre nail right on the head.

Things to like:

• First meetings. It's always fun to see characters meet each other for the "first" time. Green Lantern doesn't believe Batman is real, Batman deduces the source of GL's powers, and none of them have any idea what Superman is all about.
• Mystery plotline. There is a little mystery developing about who is behind the attacks that Batman is investigating. Of course the ultimate answer is revealed to the audience (although the heroes don't recognize the bad guy's name), it seems that Johns might be setting up a mystery among the fist-pounding heroics.
• Final splash. The final splash page is excellent. Sure it sets up a scene that we've seen thousands and thousands of times in the last six years of comics, but it's a great page. I'd hang the poster on my wall.

Things not to like:

• Set-ups. And nothing but set-ups. The whole book is setting up a long story arc that will play out over the next six months, if not longer. And this is the first part of that story, so characters and plot points are being set-up for the future. As a result, not a whole lot happens that doesn't make me wish I had the next issue (or the trade) in my hands so I could keep reading.
• Most of Jim Lee's art. Jim Lee has great character designs, and I might be screamed at by the comics community for saying this, but: I don't care for his art in this issue. It's all a little busy, a little hyper, and more than a little unclear. His characters always look great, but sometimes it's hard to tell what they are doing. But the Green Lantern constructs are fun, as is a single panel of GL half-changing back to Hal Jordan. And I already mentioned that final splash.
• (Too) Familiar ground. A friend of mine mentioned this to me, and my next read really brought it out for me. This book relies on my previous knowledge of the DC Universe, as much as Johns and Lee want to pretend it's a fresh start for new readers. It's not. It's actually a terrible way to introduce characters we've never met before (like my experience with Vic Stone), but it's a standard way to introduce characters we haven't seen in a while (think: Casino Royale or Batman Begins). I can't help but feel that the issue's content is not well-matched to the relaunch's intention.

Things in the middle:

• Everything else. Okay, maybe that's a little snarky, but seriously, there weren't many things that stood out about this book, either good or bad. A lot of it felt very... functional.

Ultimately, it's a solid issue. Is it exciting enough that I'll pick up the next one? Sure, I guess... And that's the biggest problem. I wanted that answer to be a resounding "HELL YES!" but it isn't. At the moment, I'm committing myself to the first story arc. But if it keeps going like this, I'll have to play it by ear for the second. Good? Yes. Great? No.

NEXT TIME: Superman in "Action Comics #1..."

Thoughts on the DCnU

Sitting on the couch next to me is a signed copy of Justice League #1, the first comic book released by DC Comics as a part of their company-wide relaunch. If you haven't heard, DC has completely re-branded their line of comic books, starting every series over with a new #1 issue. Many characters (Superman included) are getting an all-new backstory, history, costume, everything. They are hoping to reinvigorate their comics, as well as grab new readers. And in a post in May, I laid out the circumstances that would bring me back to monthly comics. In that post, I challenged DC to put out something that I wanted to buy, and now they have. So I am there. I subscribed to my books today at my local LCS.

And now, with the first step of the DCnU in my hands but still unread, I'm still excited. Are there some press releases that make me nervous? Yes. Do I think I might be switching to the trade paperbacks in a year? Maybe. But do I think they have "ruined" Superman with this move? Not at all. Comics are a fluid medium, and the Superman from two years ago bears almost no resemblance to the Superman from the 1940s. So the changes don't really scare me. I'm ready for them. Hell, I'll even buy the action figure! (That costume is growing on me...)

What I'm worried about are the stories. If they are good stories, well-told and captivating, then I will be a part of the series. If the stories aren't compelling, then this will seem like a publicity stunt to attract attention. If the writers and creators use this opportunity to capture a new spirit of adventure, it will be perfect. But with Geoff Johns involved, I'm afraid that the "new" universe is going to be largely derivative of the old one. But if these stories and books keep the feel of the characters while giving them a whole new coat of paint, I'm in. To me, at this point in DC history, the worst thing for these books would be if they merely recycle the old material and try to pass it off as something new.

Well, time to break the book out and see which way the nU goes....

Look, Up in the Sky

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman! I'm sure I didn't have to finish that phrase. Just as I'm equally sure that I didn't have to hyperlink his name. If you don't recognize the name, then this blog post is not aimed at you. But what I do want to address, briefly, is one of the reasons that I love the Man of Steel - what he represents. Sure, I like his powers, his cape, the fact that he wears glasses in his secret identity. But in a much larger sense, Superman is the ultimate symbol of hope. And that's why I love him. He's not a hero because of a deep secret or because of a hidden trauma; he's a hero because it is literally the right thing to do. It's how his parents raised him, and he is a living example of what everyone could be if they chose to.

To illustrate this point, I will share a recent moment on Smallville that really worked for me. It showed how the writers of the show really understand the character, and I have complete confidence in their season finale when Clark puts on the suit. The following exchange is between Clark Kent and his mother Martha, when Clark is wondering if he should reveal his face as a hero.

Martha: What's real is your strength and integrity and compassion. As long as you remain honest to those things, it doesn't matter what you wear or what name you go by.

Clark: So, you're saying I should become that hero and step into the light?

Martha: Clark, you are the light.

This exchange perfectly illustrates the true nature of Superman. He is not one standing at the head of the path, the man who has stepped into the light and allow others to line up behind him. He is the light in which all the others are bathed, and the other characters of the DC Universe

There is a reason that Superman's intro starts with the hopeful phrase "Look, Up in the Sky!" We look up to him, we aspire to be like him, and we know that if we had powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, we hope we would use them in the service of good. There is no reason for him to be a hero, and yet he is one. He does the right thing, simply because it is the right thing to do.

Podcaster Michael Bailey expressed the opinion that Superman is like religion. You either understand him and you get him, or you don't; and if you don't understand the appeal of Superman, it can't be explained to you. And it is something that I completely understand. And not just because I wear glasses.

An Open Letter to DC Comics

Dear DC Comics,

I have been reading comic books since I was 7 years old, picking up some of the John Byrne Superman issues when they came out in the mid-1980s. And to quote Bibbo, Superman was always my fav'rit. I was never much of a collector as a kid, even though I picked up the odd issue here and there when the covers interested me. Oh, sure, I was there for the death of Superman and his marriage to Lois Lane, but I tuned out a lot on the individual issues as I went to high school, college, and the work force. But even though I didn't follow the comics, I have always been a fan of the characters in the DC Universe, from Superman to The Spectre, Batman to Booster Gold. I followed them through the various animated adventures, feature films, and even the paperback books that were released over the last decade.

But please understand that I love comic books. I like the way the story-telling them employ, I like the unique marriage of words and art, I like the feel of holding them in my hand, and I like the cliff-hanger based pacing within the larger context of world-building and long-running subplots. A single splash page from Action Comics capture my imagination for over twenty years before I could find the issue that continued the story. The issues were exciting, each one feeding into the ones before it, and the title marched forward with one continuing story.

However, this brings me to my problems with the way you present your comic book titles. In the last five years, I've tried to jump onto the DC Superman titles a total of three times. I waited for major events to finish/end/disappear, and then I started picking up the Superman titles. I like the crossover between Superman and Action Comics, and I'm willing to purchase both titles to follow the story. But within mere months of me re-joining the comic-book-buying community, another major event came along that required me to buy tie-in titles, a miniseries, as well as other crossover titles just to get the full story that started (and sometimes ends) in Superman. I don't have the money or the patience to collect half a dozen titles just to get a single story.

And so, DC Comics, in order to get this comic book reader back to the monthly schedule, please lay off the major crossover storylines that take place across multiple books. At least two years. If I have a story that runs through only the Superman title, or only in Action Comics, then I am far more likely to become invested in the larger universe and follow multiple characters. The Black Ring storyline in Action was a great start, but it's been undermined by the entire Doomsday story that I have no interest in. Following Superman from book-to-book is not a burden I am willing to take up. One title, one story.

I enjoy the stories. I enjoy comic books. But I no longer buy them. I want to. I really want to find a monthly book that I can pick up, purchase, and love. So the burden is on you to give me something I want to buy. And I promise, I'll be there when you do.

Sincerely,

Script in Hand