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Justice League (2011)
Justice League, Volume 1: Origin
As a part of the monumental DC Comics—The New 52 event, comics superstars Geoff Johns and Jim Lee bring you an all-new origin story for the Justice League!
In a world where inexperienced superheroes operate under a cloud of suspicion from the public, loner vigilante Batman has stumbled upon a dark evil that threatens to destroy the earth as we know it. Now, faced with a threat far beyond anything he can handle on his own, the Dark Knight must trust an alien, a scarlet speedster, an accidental teenage hero, a space cop, an Amazon Princess and an undersea monarch. Will this combination of Superman, The Flash, Cyborg, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Aquaman be able to put aside their differences and come together to save the world? Or will they destroy each other first?
In one of the most game-changing titles in comic industry history, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee re-imagine the classic heroes of the DC Universe for the 21st century.
Collecting: Justice League 1-6
In a world where inexperienced superheroes operate under a cloud of suspicion from the public, loner vigilante Batman has stumbled upon a dark evil that threatens to destroy the earth as we know it. Now, faced with a threat far beyond anything he can handle on his own, the Dark Knight must trust an alien, a scarlet speedster, an accidental teenage hero, a space cop, an Amazon Princess and an undersea monarch. Will this combination of Superman, The Flash, Cyborg, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Aquaman be able to put aside their differences and come together to save the world? Or will they destroy each other first?
In one of the most game-changing titles in comic industry history, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee re-imagine the classic heroes of the DC Universe for the 21st century.
Collecting: Justice League 1-6
192 pages, Hardcover
First published May 8, 2012
323 people are currently reading
10475 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,716 books2,410 followersGeoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,062 reviews
January 15, 2019
Reread 2019
You know what? Fuck it. I liked this even better the third time around!
So, yeah...I'm giving it ALL the stars!
I still think Wonder Woman comes across as a bit of an idiot, but considering how much fun I had re-reading it, I'm gonna give it a pass.
If you're not a fan of DC, then this one may not give you the warm fuzzies, so take that into consideration.
My favorite part?
I'm glad you asked...
FUCK YEAH, AQUAMAN!
Original Review 2012
Ahhhhhh, it was soooo good!
Well, except.
But I'll get to that later. For right now, let's just focus on the good. And there was plenty of good.
Most of the characters seem like an improved-on version of themselves.
Superman was probably the best in that regard. Finally you see what he should have been like all along. Very cool.
Batman was super-cool. Then again, he always was. I think you have to actively try in order to turn him into a douche.
Example: All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, Vol. 1
*It can be done, folks. It just takes a special person to do it.*
Aquaman was the biggest surprise for me. Wow! I wanna read more about that guy! He popped outta the water and just stole the show from there on out. Seriously. Couldn't take my eyes off of him.
Hal Jordan was not what I was expecting, but his interactions with Bruce provided quite a bit of comic relief.
The Flash. He was...The Flash.
He's never been my favorite, and I doubt that's going to change any time soon. Still, he wasn't annoying. I can live with it.
Cyborg? How awesome is it that they stuck Cyborg in there?
Let me tell you. Very . I wouldn't have thought it would have worked, but it did.
Ok. So you put all these guys together, add some great dialogue by Johns, and some incredible artwork by Lee...
Ta-da! Perfection! 5 stars!
Oh. Wait. I'm forgetting someone, aren't I?
Ah, yes. Wonder Woman.
And here comes the above mentioned Except.
She was so stupid that I wanted to cry. Cry! As in, big fat tears rolling down my face. What the hell were they thinking?! Not only is she still clad in The World's Most Recognizable One-Piece, but she also evidently has the mental capacity of a child!
Hm. Ice cream is wonderful.
Steve! Have you ever had ice cream? You must try it. This cook is truly blessed.
Steve, this place, you home is filled with so many wonderful things. Ice cream and rock and roll and...many wonderful things.
And...
Greetings warriors. I followed these things from your capital city. I saw you and saw you needed help.
Ok. Maybe that last one wouldn't have sounded so bad, but everyone else was so...not using stilted dialogue.
Sooooo. Yeah. Wonder Woman is retarded.
I don't get it. Maybe Geoff Johns had his heart broken by a chick who liked to dress up like the Amazon princess?
Sure, I'm reaching here, but why else would he hate her so much? And he must. There is no way he accidentally made her sound so...Gah!
Jim Lee did a great job making her look incredible (while she spouted nonsense), but in the end...
sigh
I knocked a star off for making the only girl look like an idiot.
Boo! Shame on you, Johns!
Get this review and more at:
You know what? Fuck it. I liked this even better the third time around!
So, yeah...I'm giving it ALL the stars!
I still think Wonder Woman comes across as a bit of an idiot, but considering how much fun I had re-reading it, I'm gonna give it a pass.
If you're not a fan of DC, then this one may not give you the warm fuzzies, so take that into consideration.
My favorite part?
I'm glad you asked...
FUCK YEAH, AQUAMAN!
Original Review 2012
Ahhhhhh, it was soooo good!
Well, except.
But I'll get to that later. For right now, let's just focus on the good. And there was plenty of good.
Most of the characters seem like an improved-on version of themselves.
Superman was probably the best in that regard. Finally you see what he should have been like all along. Very cool.
Batman was super-cool. Then again, he always was. I think you have to actively try in order to turn him into a douche.
Example: All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, Vol. 1
*It can be done, folks. It just takes a special person to do it.*
Aquaman was the biggest surprise for me. Wow! I wanna read more about that guy! He popped outta the water and just stole the show from there on out. Seriously. Couldn't take my eyes off of him.
Hal Jordan was not what I was expecting, but his interactions with Bruce provided quite a bit of comic relief.
The Flash. He was...The Flash.
He's never been my favorite, and I doubt that's going to change any time soon. Still, he wasn't annoying. I can live with it.
Cyborg? How awesome is it that they stuck Cyborg in there?
Let me tell you. Very . I wouldn't have thought it would have worked, but it did.
Ok. So you put all these guys together, add some great dialogue by Johns, and some incredible artwork by Lee...
Ta-da! Perfection! 5 stars!
Oh. Wait. I'm forgetting someone, aren't I?
Ah, yes. Wonder Woman.
And here comes the above mentioned Except.
She was so stupid that I wanted to cry. Cry! As in, big fat tears rolling down my face. What the hell were they thinking?! Not only is she still clad in The World's Most Recognizable One-Piece, but she also evidently has the mental capacity of a child!
Hm. Ice cream is wonderful.
Steve! Have you ever had ice cream? You must try it. This cook is truly blessed.
Steve, this place, you home is filled with so many wonderful things. Ice cream and rock and roll and...many wonderful things.
And...
Greetings warriors. I followed these things from your capital city. I saw you and saw you needed help.
Ok. Maybe that last one wouldn't have sounded so bad, but everyone else was so...not using stilted dialogue.
Sooooo. Yeah. Wonder Woman is retarded.
I don't get it. Maybe Geoff Johns had his heart broken by a chick who liked to dress up like the Amazon princess?
Sure, I'm reaching here, but why else would he hate her so much? And he must. There is no way he accidentally made her sound so...Gah!
Jim Lee did a great job making her look incredible (while she spouted nonsense), but in the end...
sigh
I knocked a star off for making the only girl look like an idiot.
Boo! Shame on you, Johns!
Get this review and more at:
August 25, 2016
A weak beginning
I collected this story arc on its single issues but I am doing the review using the TPB edition to make easier to give an overall review of the whole story.
Creative Team:
Writer: Geoff Johns
Illustrator: Jim Lee
Inker: Scott Williams
TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME...AGAIN
Hold on a second... You're not just some guy in a bat costume, are you? Are you freaking kidding me?!
This is a "reboot" of the Justice League, part of the DC Comics editorial movement known as "The New 52" where they "reboot" all the comic book titles and establishing 52 different titles.
About the title of Justice League, it presents the first time that the super-heroes met and acted as a team responding to a sorpresive invasion of hundreds of parademons from Apokolips lead by Darkseid himself.
The super-heroes don't known each other and everybody distrusts of the others.
It was priceless (and easily one of the best moments on the story) the shocking of Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) that after hearing so many stuff about the mysterious and fearsome vigilante of Gotham City, finally he realizes that Batman basically is just a man without super powers costumed as a bat.
Obviously, any of us know that hardly knowing that is a reason to underestimate him. THAT can be the last mistake of your life.
SUPER FRENEMIES
However, it was really interesting to watch the first "fight" between Batman and Superman, since they don't know much about each other, but a key element is that since Batman doesn't know much about Superman, it's clear that he has no way of knowing about kryptonite, so after shooting anything on his utility belt, Batman realizes that his only option is to reason with Superman or he will be a dead bat.
This "New 52" universe presents a new origin to Victor Stone a.k.a. Cyborg where now his cybernetic parts are of technology from Apokolips and he is now Justice League material and not a Teen Titan. This is vital to this "new" Justice League since now Barbara Gordon is Batgirl again so they haven't an Oracle to help them with the computer stuff, so enter Cyborg to fill this crutial tactical need.
CLICHE ENDING
So far, you may be wondering so why "a weak beginning" at the start of my review.
Well, that's because that while the art by Jim Lee is excelent along the whole arc, the writing of Geoff Johns after the interesting grouping of the seven super-heroes...
...the story degrades to a brainless "climax" of a cliché joint fist fight.
Honestly I expected more to the way of ending this "first" encounter against Darkseid in the "New 52" reality.
Still, the story is full of action and having Jim Lee as artist is a key factor to make this arc quite enjoyable.
I collected this story arc on its single issues but I am doing the review using the TPB edition to make easier to give an overall review of the whole story.
Creative Team:
Writer: Geoff Johns
Illustrator: Jim Lee
Inker: Scott Williams
TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME...AGAIN
Hold on a second... You're not just some guy in a bat costume, are you? Are you freaking kidding me?!
This is a "reboot" of the Justice League, part of the DC Comics editorial movement known as "The New 52" where they "reboot" all the comic book titles and establishing 52 different titles.
About the title of Justice League, it presents the first time that the super-heroes met and acted as a team responding to a sorpresive invasion of hundreds of parademons from Apokolips lead by Darkseid himself.
The super-heroes don't known each other and everybody distrusts of the others.
It was priceless (and easily one of the best moments on the story) the shocking of Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) that after hearing so many stuff about the mysterious and fearsome vigilante of Gotham City, finally he realizes that Batman basically is just a man without super powers costumed as a bat.
Obviously, any of us know that hardly knowing that is a reason to underestimate him. THAT can be the last mistake of your life.
SUPER FRENEMIES
However, it was really interesting to watch the first "fight" between Batman and Superman, since they don't know much about each other, but a key element is that since Batman doesn't know much about Superman, it's clear that he has no way of knowing about kryptonite, so after shooting anything on his utility belt, Batman realizes that his only option is to reason with Superman or he will be a dead bat.
This "New 52" universe presents a new origin to Victor Stone a.k.a. Cyborg where now his cybernetic parts are of technology from Apokolips and he is now Justice League material and not a Teen Titan. This is vital to this "new" Justice League since now Barbara Gordon is Batgirl again so they haven't an Oracle to help them with the computer stuff, so enter Cyborg to fill this crutial tactical need.
CLICHE ENDING
So far, you may be wondering so why "a weak beginning" at the start of my review.
Well, that's because that while the art by Jim Lee is excelent along the whole arc, the writing of Geoff Johns after the interesting grouping of the seven super-heroes...
...the story degrades to a brainless "climax" of a cliché joint fist fight.
Honestly I expected more to the way of ending this "first" encounter against Darkseid in the "New 52" reality.
Still, the story is full of action and having Jim Lee as artist is a key factor to make this arc quite enjoyable.
March 17, 2016
Well, that was… um… uh… colorful? Not much of a story, but I guess it served its purpose of relaunching the Justice League amidst non-stop explosions and wisecracks. If you’ve always wondered what the DC Universe would look like had it been invented by contemporary fan favorites Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, here’s your answer: our heroes would have bigger muscles and get more opportunities to show them off on splash pages. As far as new ideas are concerned, that’s pretty much it. Once the smoke has cleared, the only meaning we are left with is the old never-doubt-your-super-powered-authority-figures-they-really-mean-well message. That and explosions-are-awesome, of course. Which is all well and good, but does this story really call for a relaunch? I don’t want to annoy anybody with words like “substance,” but how about a little contemporary relevance, at least? I mean, when these characters were originally created in the late 1930s and early 1940s, they actually had something to say! Oh well, I guess I’m just getting old...
October 31, 2014
The more I read the New 52, the more pointless an endeavor it seems. Take this volume (Please!), where the Justice League first comes together to battle the threat of Darkseid (Apparently, Starro was all booked up). Darkseid wants to turn Earth into a hellish theme park. The theme: Hell.
The general consensus amongst Joe Public is that super heroes are bad. Super bad. Now, shut your mouth! None of the heroes have worked together and don’t realize there’s no "I" in team. Yada yada yada. Now, they have to work together to prevent Earth from being turned into a big barbeque pit.
So, who are the Justice League:
Superman – He’s an alien. Aliens are bad. Lex Luthor said so.
The Flash – He’s real fast and he wears red. Never trust a guy who wears red. Ladies, am I right?
Green Lantern – This one should be self-explanatory. He’s a Green Lantern and he’s an ass. Construt a big green hand and punch yourself in the face, Hal Jordan.
Aquaman – *sigh* He talks to fish and tells them what to do. He has a trident. It’s sharp and pointy. Ouch!
Cyborg – Hey kid, you just had nanobot-stuff surgically attached to you and it sure looked painful, now go and get your ass kicked by Darkseid.
Batman – Apparently, nobody believed he was real. An urban legend. The same was said of Aquaman, but with him, nobody cared.
Wonder Woman – She’s hot and she’s ready to kick some ass. What’s not to like?
What’s not to like?
Where do I start?
The Super Friends story line.
Jim Lee, how many years have you been drawing comics? I still can’t follow a story and some panels take up an entire page!! Thanks for all the panels sans dialogue. It made this read that much quicker.
What’s to like?
Batman.
Did I mention Wonder Woman was hot and likes to kick ass? Oh, I did….
The general consensus amongst Joe Public is that super heroes are bad. Super bad. Now, shut your mouth! None of the heroes have worked together and don’t realize there’s no "I" in team. Yada yada yada. Now, they have to work together to prevent Earth from being turned into a big barbeque pit.
So, who are the Justice League:
Superman – He’s an alien. Aliens are bad. Lex Luthor said so.
The Flash – He’s real fast and he wears red. Never trust a guy who wears red. Ladies, am I right?
Green Lantern – This one should be self-explanatory. He’s a Green Lantern and he’s an ass. Construt a big green hand and punch yourself in the face, Hal Jordan.
Aquaman – *sigh* He talks to fish and tells them what to do. He has a trident. It’s sharp and pointy. Ouch!
Cyborg – Hey kid, you just had nanobot-stuff surgically attached to you and it sure looked painful, now go and get your ass kicked by Darkseid.
Batman – Apparently, nobody believed he was real. An urban legend. The same was said of Aquaman, but with him, nobody cared.
Wonder Woman – She’s hot and she’s ready to kick some ass. What’s not to like?
What’s not to like?
Where do I start?
The Super Friends story line.
Jim Lee, how many years have you been drawing comics? I still can’t follow a story and some panels take up an entire page!! Thanks for all the panels sans dialogue. It made this read that much quicker.
What’s to like?
Batman.
Did I mention Wonder Woman was hot and likes to kick ass? Oh, I did….
August 9, 2016
Most of my Goodreads friends hated this, or said that this was mediocre at best. There are multiple reasons why I loved this new 52 JL volume.
The artwork was fantastic. Probably one of my favorites ever. The characters were very detailed and everything looked splendid. The characters didn't look like some cheap garbage. I've read other Justice league graphic novels and the artwork of the others were crappy. So for me the strongest point of this amazing first volume would be the artwork. Nothing beats this.
The plot was very simple. No plot twists anywhere, and it was a bit underwhelming to be honest. I've been watching Justice League ever since I was a kid. JL was my favorite TV show, and I loved the movies, even the toys. Anything JL then brought a smile to my face, and it's still apparent now that I'm 19. JL will never be boring for me, but bad artwork would surely ruin my reading experience, and maybe a cheesy over predictable plot would too. I'm sure that the next volumes of this series would improve vastly. If not, then I would be terribly sad because why ruin a fantastic artwork with bad writing.
I may have to add in that Geoff Johns is one of my favorite comic book writers. The Blackest Night series will always be my favorite DC series. It was the series that really made me addicted to graphic novels. GJ will always be my answer to "who's your favorite comics/GN writer of all time?"
5/5 stars. It had some flaws, but I can't stomach to rate this anything lower than a 5. Amazing artwork, and a decent plot. Will read the rest of the series very soon.
The artwork was fantastic. Probably one of my favorites ever. The characters were very detailed and everything looked splendid. The characters didn't look like some cheap garbage. I've read other Justice league graphic novels and the artwork of the others were crappy. So for me the strongest point of this amazing first volume would be the artwork. Nothing beats this.
The plot was very simple. No plot twists anywhere, and it was a bit underwhelming to be honest. I've been watching Justice League ever since I was a kid. JL was my favorite TV show, and I loved the movies, even the toys. Anything JL then brought a smile to my face, and it's still apparent now that I'm 19. JL will never be boring for me, but bad artwork would surely ruin my reading experience, and maybe a cheesy over predictable plot would too. I'm sure that the next volumes of this series would improve vastly. If not, then I would be terribly sad because why ruin a fantastic artwork with bad writing.
I may have to add in that Geoff Johns is one of my favorite comic book writers. The Blackest Night series will always be my favorite DC series. It was the series that really made me addicted to graphic novels. GJ will always be my answer to "who's your favorite comics/GN writer of all time?"
5/5 stars. It had some flaws, but I can't stomach to rate this anything lower than a 5. Amazing artwork, and a decent plot. Will read the rest of the series very soon.
April 20, 2019
Parademons are scattered on the Earth causing trouble.
The Earth's heroes face them and the one who sent them Darkseid.
Justice League Origin wasn't very good. The artwork looked nice, but the story was weak at best. Everything is going to hell and the government is still fighting their own heroes. Darkseid shows up and some punches are thrown. BAM BOOM our heroes are the winners and loved by all. That's pretty much it. Half the team revealed their secret identity's to at least someone else. The story just lacked anything interesting.
I haven't read many Green Lantern stories, but I have to wonder if he was always such an annoying character. He whines and complains while believing he's the undoubted best.
Justice League Origin didn't do anything for me. I'll still give the next volume a try to see if it gets better.
The Earth's heroes face them and the one who sent them Darkseid.
Justice League Origin wasn't very good. The artwork looked nice, but the story was weak at best. Everything is going to hell and the government is still fighting their own heroes. Darkseid shows up and some punches are thrown. BAM BOOM our heroes are the winners and loved by all. That's pretty much it. Half the team revealed their secret identity's to at least someone else. The story just lacked anything interesting.
I haven't read many Green Lantern stories, but I have to wonder if he was always such an annoying character. He whines and complains while believing he's the undoubted best.
Justice League Origin didn't do anything for me. I'll still give the next volume a try to see if it gets better.
August 25, 2020
Yesssss this is what I needed in my life.
I definitely needed a comic like this in my life. I've been so burnt out on prose and I knew that I needed to escape back to my comics. I've been trying to follow Comic Book Herald's guide to reading DC New 52 (yes I know this is probably their worst reboot to date, but hey I enjoy some of them) and this felt like a good starting place and it did not fail me. Justice League, Volume 1: Origin provides readers with the opportunity to examine the origins of the Justice League. While it only goes into the specifics of Cyborg's origin, this comic is mainly about how all of the super heroes get together. Of course, my least favorite out of the group is Batman, but I was so surprised by Green Lantern! He's an ass. Haha! I didn't realize that, but he definitely added a good dose of humor to the entire volume. I absolutely loved the artwork and I'm so excited to see where this series is going to go!
I definitely needed a comic like this in my life. I've been so burnt out on prose and I knew that I needed to escape back to my comics. I've been trying to follow Comic Book Herald's guide to reading DC New 52 (yes I know this is probably their worst reboot to date, but hey I enjoy some of them) and this felt like a good starting place and it did not fail me. Justice League, Volume 1: Origin provides readers with the opportunity to examine the origins of the Justice League. While it only goes into the specifics of Cyborg's origin, this comic is mainly about how all of the super heroes get together. Of course, my least favorite out of the group is Batman, but I was so surprised by Green Lantern! He's an ass. Haha! I didn't realize that, but he definitely added a good dose of humor to the entire volume. I absolutely loved the artwork and I'm so excited to see where this series is going to go!
September 11, 2012
5 years ago...
The world is just getting used to the sight of superheroes, colourful beings with magical powers who have appeared seemingly out of nowhere. What are their intentions - are they good or evil? When more superheroes appear, they begin to cross paths and meet each other for the first time. The Batman of Gotham. The Superman of Metropolis. An Amazonian Princess. The intergalactic policeman called Green Lantern. A red guy called Flash. Then monsters appear and begin abducting people, chanting "Darkseid", and these superheroes have to learn real quick how to work together as a team to defeat this new powerful evil and save the world. That team is... the Justice League!
If you don't know about these characters then you might be a bit out of your depth with this book. Batman appears. Then Superman. Then Green Lantern. There's no explanation of their backgrounds but they're so famous most readers are likely to know anyway who and what their motivations are. The only character here who's given a backstory is Cyborg - who needs it the most, not having a book of his own in the "New 52" line-up.
But despite its non-stop action, the book works really well as an entertaining read and even a plausible set-up for a movie. All of the characters have individual personalities and interact well. Wonder Woman especially comes off as a brilliant character, her gung-ho attitude to life and guilelessness makes her very likeable as does Green Lantern's arrogant confidence in the face of every threat. Superman is quietly in charge but not overly dominant despite being the most powerful of the 7. Flash and Aquaman could have had a few extra scenes to make them stand out as it didn't seem like they contributed much, but then this is Volume 1 - there's plenty of time to give them space in future books.
Batman is probably the one character I would say was not just underwritten but also strangely out of character. I still don't know why he unmasked in front of Green Lantern or why he continued after without the mask - it just doesn't seem like something Bruce would do. But I suppose as this is the early days of Batman when he's just starting out, he might be more trusting than the more weathered/experienced figure of later books.
Geoff Johns and Jim Lee have done a fantastic job setting up this improbable team for a new and fresh 21st century audience. I had my doubts, especially with the characters of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but they managed to write them without making them seem contrived or ill-fitting to the story. Suddenly a Justice League movie seems not just feasible but also something that could be as huge as The Avengers was earlier this year. "Origin" is an excellent start to this flagship series for the New 52 and a bombastic, rollicking read for all fans of superhero stories.
The world is just getting used to the sight of superheroes, colourful beings with magical powers who have appeared seemingly out of nowhere. What are their intentions - are they good or evil? When more superheroes appear, they begin to cross paths and meet each other for the first time. The Batman of Gotham. The Superman of Metropolis. An Amazonian Princess. The intergalactic policeman called Green Lantern. A red guy called Flash. Then monsters appear and begin abducting people, chanting "Darkseid", and these superheroes have to learn real quick how to work together as a team to defeat this new powerful evil and save the world. That team is... the Justice League!
If you don't know about these characters then you might be a bit out of your depth with this book. Batman appears. Then Superman. Then Green Lantern. There's no explanation of their backgrounds but they're so famous most readers are likely to know anyway who and what their motivations are. The only character here who's given a backstory is Cyborg - who needs it the most, not having a book of his own in the "New 52" line-up.
But despite its non-stop action, the book works really well as an entertaining read and even a plausible set-up for a movie. All of the characters have individual personalities and interact well. Wonder Woman especially comes off as a brilliant character, her gung-ho attitude to life and guilelessness makes her very likeable as does Green Lantern's arrogant confidence in the face of every threat. Superman is quietly in charge but not overly dominant despite being the most powerful of the 7. Flash and Aquaman could have had a few extra scenes to make them stand out as it didn't seem like they contributed much, but then this is Volume 1 - there's plenty of time to give them space in future books.
Batman is probably the one character I would say was not just underwritten but also strangely out of character. I still don't know why he unmasked in front of Green Lantern or why he continued after without the mask - it just doesn't seem like something Bruce would do. But I suppose as this is the early days of Batman when he's just starting out, he might be more trusting than the more weathered/experienced figure of later books.
Geoff Johns and Jim Lee have done a fantastic job setting up this improbable team for a new and fresh 21st century audience. I had my doubts, especially with the characters of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but they managed to write them without making them seem contrived or ill-fitting to the story. Suddenly a Justice League movie seems not just feasible but also something that could be as huge as The Avengers was earlier this year. "Origin" is an excellent start to this flagship series for the New 52 and a bombastic, rollicking read for all fans of superhero stories.
October 18, 2021
Reread: 18/10/2021
This volume was so epic and I love the way Johns shows this characters as humans when they are gods and its natural the way the team comes together and fights their arch enemy Darkseid and I love the banter Hal has with everyone and the grim nature of Batman is quite awesome plus whatever is going on with the future threats being established plus the art of Lee is too good!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Probably one of the greatest introductions to a superhero team ever and possibly the defining team, this volume was so good and just shows how the world's mightiest heroes come together, it starts with Hal and Batman and then parademons coming in and before you know it Superman, Flash, Aquaman and Diana all come in and then the origin of Cyborg and how their ultimate enemy Darkseid comes and how its upto these heroes to team up and defeat this new god and sent him back to his Apokolips and save their planet..the first of many to come! Epic volume and the art was too good by Jim Lee!! Geoff Johns gets this characters so well and he sets up a lot of stuff to come ahead in the series!
This volume was so epic and I love the way Johns shows this characters as humans when they are gods and its natural the way the team comes together and fights their arch enemy Darkseid and I love the banter Hal has with everyone and the grim nature of Batman is quite awesome plus whatever is going on with the future threats being established plus the art of Lee is too good!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Probably one of the greatest introductions to a superhero team ever and possibly the defining team, this volume was so good and just shows how the world's mightiest heroes come together, it starts with Hal and Batman and then parademons coming in and before you know it Superman, Flash, Aquaman and Diana all come in and then the origin of Cyborg and how their ultimate enemy Darkseid comes and how its upto these heroes to team up and defeat this new god and sent him back to his Apokolips and save their planet..the first of many to come! Epic volume and the art was too good by Jim Lee!! Geoff Johns gets this characters so well and he sets up a lot of stuff to come ahead in the series!
July 1, 2017
I keep waffling between 4 and 5 stars but I don't care I'm giving it 5.
The art is fantastic, the writing is great, and I actually chuckled at some of Green Lantern's quips, plus Batman and Wonder Woman remain favorites.
Speaking of Wonder Woman ...
She's the best.
The art is fantastic, the writing is great, and I actually chuckled at some of Green Lantern's quips, plus Batman and Wonder Woman remain favorites.
Speaking of Wonder Woman ...
She's the best.
November 24, 2015
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths
I’m not big on origin stories. I’ve just read to many of them. So I didn’t expect to love Justice League: Origin, but even with my expectations set low, this book underwhelmed.
The set up for this one is fairly straightforward. Superheroes have begun to appear across the world. The mysterious Batman is in Gotham City. The flying dude dubbed Superman is in Metropolis. An Amazonian princess is newly arrived from Paradise Island. There is the guy with a green ring called Green Lantern. The Flash is running around in red tights. Cyborg is the athlete turned machine man. Aquaman is the Man from Atlantis. And the normal people of the world are understandably scared of these god-like beings. Sure, they seem benevolent, but you never know when demigods are gonna turn on you.
Then something happens which forces all these super beings to unite. Strange monsters appearing out of nowhere, stealing innocent people away, and repeating “Darkseid” over and over to themselves and everyone in hearing distance. And, voila , the Justice League is born!
What is fantastic about this book is the art. Jim Lee is one of my favorite artists ever, so anything he does is gold to me, but he exceeded my expectations in this volume. Every character has never looked better; the action scenes kicked ass; and there is real motion and emotion in the panels. This exceptional art is the main reason I kept reading when the story would take a turn for the worst here and there.
As for that story, the whole Darkseid-invading-the-earth plot was pretty cool. No, it wasn’t terribly original, but it was suspenseful and, at least, gave the formation of the Justice League some plausible reason for happening. The bantering between the superheroes was fun. (Hell, there were even a couple laugh out loud moments.) I also liked how Green Lantern and Flash’s prior history was acknowledged, and everyone was amazed Batman didn’t have any super powers. But every time I’d feel myself beginning to warm up to the book the plot would turn into yet another brawl-fest or yet another ridiculous verbal pissing contests that would ruin the story momentum.
The thing that really irked me, however, was Geoff Johns’ characterization of the League members. Okay, okay, they weren’t all bad, I’ll admit. Batman was actually cool; Superman was surprisingly interesting; and Aquaman was damn amazing. However, the rest of the JL were not to my liking. Green Lantern was a wisecracking idiot most of the time; Flash was just not very appealing; Cyborg was more machine than man; and Wonder Woman . . . well she deserves her own paragraph.
It really is hard to put into words Johns’ portrayal of Wonder Woman. I mean, this warrior princess is an iconic character; she has been around long enough to have survived more than a few rough patches in her portrayal, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one as bad as Johns. Actually, bad isn’t a strong enough descriptive term. Her portrayal sucked. Every time she appeared on the page I cringed to see what she was going to do or say next. It was bad. Really bad. I won’t say anymore.
Overall, this book was just a mixed bag: great art, so-so story. Ultimately, it was good enough for me to want to see where it all went, but I’m not sure my desire to continue was due to this volume or just because I’m a Justice League fan.
I’m not big on origin stories. I’ve just read to many of them. So I didn’t expect to love Justice League: Origin, but even with my expectations set low, this book underwhelmed.
The set up for this one is fairly straightforward. Superheroes have begun to appear across the world. The mysterious Batman is in Gotham City. The flying dude dubbed Superman is in Metropolis. An Amazonian princess is newly arrived from Paradise Island. There is the guy with a green ring called Green Lantern. The Flash is running around in red tights. Cyborg is the athlete turned machine man. Aquaman is the Man from Atlantis. And the normal people of the world are understandably scared of these god-like beings. Sure, they seem benevolent, but you never know when demigods are gonna turn on you.
Then something happens which forces all these super beings to unite. Strange monsters appearing out of nowhere, stealing innocent people away, and repeating “Darkseid” over and over to themselves and everyone in hearing distance. And, voila , the Justice League is born!
What is fantastic about this book is the art. Jim Lee is one of my favorite artists ever, so anything he does is gold to me, but he exceeded my expectations in this volume. Every character has never looked better; the action scenes kicked ass; and there is real motion and emotion in the panels. This exceptional art is the main reason I kept reading when the story would take a turn for the worst here and there.
As for that story, the whole Darkseid-invading-the-earth plot was pretty cool. No, it wasn’t terribly original, but it was suspenseful and, at least, gave the formation of the Justice League some plausible reason for happening. The bantering between the superheroes was fun. (Hell, there were even a couple laugh out loud moments.) I also liked how Green Lantern and Flash’s prior history was acknowledged, and everyone was amazed Batman didn’t have any super powers. But every time I’d feel myself beginning to warm up to the book the plot would turn into yet another brawl-fest or yet another ridiculous verbal pissing contests that would ruin the story momentum.
The thing that really irked me, however, was Geoff Johns’ characterization of the League members. Okay, okay, they weren’t all bad, I’ll admit. Batman was actually cool; Superman was surprisingly interesting; and Aquaman was damn amazing. However, the rest of the JL were not to my liking. Green Lantern was a wisecracking idiot most of the time; Flash was just not very appealing; Cyborg was more machine than man; and Wonder Woman . . . well she deserves her own paragraph.
It really is hard to put into words Johns’ portrayal of Wonder Woman. I mean, this warrior princess is an iconic character; she has been around long enough to have survived more than a few rough patches in her portrayal, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one as bad as Johns. Actually, bad isn’t a strong enough descriptive term. Her portrayal sucked. Every time she appeared on the page I cringed to see what she was going to do or say next. It was bad. Really bad. I won’t say anymore.
Overall, this book was just a mixed bag: great art, so-so story. Ultimately, it was good enough for me to want to see where it all went, but I’m not sure my desire to continue was due to this volume or just because I’m a Justice League fan.
January 17, 2014
There have been many “Origin” or “First meeting” stories for the Justice League, including what is arguably my personal favourite, the limited series reimagining The New Frontier (DC: The New Frontier, Vol. 1/DC: The New Frontier, Vol. 2). For the New 52 reboot DC has provided yet another one. I’m a bit torn about this review. The story has moments of sheer brilliance, to be sure, and yet there are bits that are so melodramatic and Hollywood-worthy it’s to cringe of.
I will say this: it was clever to cast Darkseid as the villain. With his army of para-demons he is a substantial threat. I hate it when writers put a lot of overpowered characters in a story to fight some lame-ass bad guy with a pop gun; what’s the point of that?
If I really wanted to gripe I would start with a question: Why does it always have to turn into a pissing contest?
Is it to establish a pecking order? Is it to showcase each characters “unique” skillset to justify their inclusion in the Justice League? The problem with all of this is that you have your superheroes fighting one another for the first few issues and not concentrating on the job at hand. On the flip side: it does make for one or two cool scenes. I quite liked the tiff between Flash and Superman. In fact, throughout this story Flash (Barry Allen) is arguably the most fun to read; his dialogue is ridiculously entertaining.
A running joke is the fact that Batman doesn’t have any superpowers. One of the funnier scenes has Barry Allen confessing that he thought Batman was a “Vampire or something”. DC buffs will also be pleased with the “prior history” of Flash and Green Lantern. They’re the only two characters who already know each other when this story opens, and there are numerous references to events they were involved with together.
Geoff Johns and Jim Lee are longtime DC stalwarts, so on the level of spectacle this doesn’t disappoint. The story takes the meaning of over the top to a whole new level. As in stratospheric.
Including Vic Stone / Cyborg (formerly of the Teen Titans) is another clever move. His story is the more touching of the bunch and brings some humanity into this outing. Interestingly, according to this version of his Origin, the metal he is infused with is derived from the technology of Drs Magnus and Morrow (refer DC’s The Metal Men). This inclusion in the Justice League, as a founding member no less, is a considerable “upgrade” for the character and I wonder what plans the writers have in store for him.
Lastly, it’s at least worth a mention that Superman isn’t nearly as goody two-shoes here as what we’ve come to expect. This is a good thing. One scene even has him attacking U.S. Army helicopters for shooting at him. Great Scott!
It’s big. It’s bold. It’s busy. It’s the New 52 Justice League.
I will say this: it was clever to cast Darkseid as the villain. With his army of para-demons he is a substantial threat. I hate it when writers put a lot of overpowered characters in a story to fight some lame-ass bad guy with a pop gun; what’s the point of that?
If I really wanted to gripe I would start with a question: Why does it always have to turn into a pissing contest?
Is it to establish a pecking order? Is it to showcase each characters “unique” skillset to justify their inclusion in the Justice League? The problem with all of this is that you have your superheroes fighting one another for the first few issues and not concentrating on the job at hand. On the flip side: it does make for one or two cool scenes. I quite liked the tiff between Flash and Superman. In fact, throughout this story Flash (Barry Allen) is arguably the most fun to read; his dialogue is ridiculously entertaining.
A running joke is the fact that Batman doesn’t have any superpowers. One of the funnier scenes has Barry Allen confessing that he thought Batman was a “Vampire or something”. DC buffs will also be pleased with the “prior history” of Flash and Green Lantern. They’re the only two characters who already know each other when this story opens, and there are numerous references to events they were involved with together.
Geoff Johns and Jim Lee are longtime DC stalwarts, so on the level of spectacle this doesn’t disappoint. The story takes the meaning of over the top to a whole new level. As in stratospheric.
Including Vic Stone / Cyborg (formerly of the Teen Titans) is another clever move. His story is the more touching of the bunch and brings some humanity into this outing. Interestingly, according to this version of his Origin, the metal he is infused with is derived from the technology of Drs Magnus and Morrow (refer DC’s The Metal Men). This inclusion in the Justice League, as a founding member no less, is a considerable “upgrade” for the character and I wonder what plans the writers have in store for him.
Lastly, it’s at least worth a mention that Superman isn’t nearly as goody two-shoes here as what we’ve come to expect. This is a good thing. One scene even has him attacking U.S. Army helicopters for shooting at him. Great Scott!
It’s big. It’s bold. It’s busy. It’s the New 52 Justice League.
January 2, 2015
In 2015 I’m planning to dive more fully into the DC (and Marvel) Universes, and I’m pretty excited about trying out all the comics that I can find (and hopefully through my library). I saw JUSTICE LEAGUE, VOLUME 1: ORIGIN and decided to enter the DC universe a little early, and you know what, I liked this.
I’ve seen some mixed reviews, but as a complete newbie to the world, it was good. The writing was fine, and, for the most part, I liked the art.
There’s that one weird image of Barry though in it, where he’s missing half his face, but the shading isn’t really dark enough to warrant half a face missing, so that was an awkward panel to me...but that was my ONE issue with the art.
I really liked meeting the Justice League members here (except Hal...I didn’t like him at all. Cocky son of a...).
Again, because I’m new to the universe, I’m not sure if any backstories were changed, but poor freaking Cyborg. I had no idea that was how he became the man he is, but I got pretty emotional during his transformation. It was devastating to the character, and I thought that Geoff Johns did an excellent job writing it with all the feels that story seemed to have to offer. I’d love to read more on just Cyborg now.
Of course, there was Batman, and honestly, I was just happy to see him and read about him and meet him again in a comic setting. I love me some freaking Batman.
Now, in the TV shows, I really liked Hawkgirl, so I was hoping to see her, but I didn’t. I did get Wonder Woman, which is always a plus, but I’d like to see Hawkgirl. I guess I’ll have to search for her stories.
Oh yeah, and there was Superman, The Flash, and Aquaman. I did read Flashpoint in 2014, and I got to meet The Flash, and that was pretty neat. I preferred that Barry Allen to this one though, but I’m not sure if that’s just because I didn’t really get to see The Flash shine in ORIGIN.
I wouldn’t mind reading up more on Aquaman either. From the TV show he seems like a BAMF, but again, I don’t feel like he was really in this story, or not enough for me to form an attachment to the character.
And then, there was Superman. For me, I’ve never been a die hard Superman fan. I haven’t watched all of the movies, and I didn’t watch the TV show either. I’m not sure why. Maybe he seems too good to me, but this Superman had a darker side, so I’m honestly curious now who Superman really is.
Anyway, overall I really enjoyed reading ORIGIN, and I’m looking forward to trying out a few more comics from this universe. I will probably stick with the New 52, just because it’s where I started, but who knows. I’m sure I’ll end up trying out whichever comics my library has to offer.
I’ve seen some mixed reviews, but as a complete newbie to the world, it was good. The writing was fine, and, for the most part, I liked the art.
There’s that one weird image of Barry though in it, where he’s missing half his face, but the shading isn’t really dark enough to warrant half a face missing, so that was an awkward panel to me...but that was my ONE issue with the art.
I really liked meeting the Justice League members here (except Hal...I didn’t like him at all. Cocky son of a...).
Again, because I’m new to the universe, I’m not sure if any backstories were changed, but poor freaking Cyborg. I had no idea that was how he became the man he is, but I got pretty emotional during his transformation. It was devastating to the character, and I thought that Geoff Johns did an excellent job writing it with all the feels that story seemed to have to offer. I’d love to read more on just Cyborg now.
Of course, there was Batman, and honestly, I was just happy to see him and read about him and meet him again in a comic setting. I love me some freaking Batman.
Now, in the TV shows, I really liked Hawkgirl, so I was hoping to see her, but I didn’t. I did get Wonder Woman, which is always a plus, but I’d like to see Hawkgirl. I guess I’ll have to search for her stories.
Oh yeah, and there was Superman, The Flash, and Aquaman. I did read Flashpoint in 2014, and I got to meet The Flash, and that was pretty neat. I preferred that Barry Allen to this one though, but I’m not sure if that’s just because I didn’t really get to see The Flash shine in ORIGIN.
I wouldn’t mind reading up more on Aquaman either. From the TV show he seems like a BAMF, but again, I don’t feel like he was really in this story, or not enough for me to form an attachment to the character.
And then, there was Superman. For me, I’ve never been a die hard Superman fan. I haven’t watched all of the movies, and I didn’t watch the TV show either. I’m not sure why. Maybe he seems too good to me, but this Superman had a darker side, so I’m honestly curious now who Superman really is.
Anyway, overall I really enjoyed reading ORIGIN, and I’m looking forward to trying out a few more comics from this universe. I will probably stick with the New 52, just because it’s where I started, but who knows. I’m sure I’ll end up trying out whichever comics my library has to offer.
March 30, 2025
My first reading in the DC universe after the Dark Knight series. And the Bat here is much less of a psycho (at least in vol1) compared to Frank Miller's border line crazy Bat.
The art is amazingly inline with what I have expected in super hero comics, as the heroes are gathered with some of them meeting for the first time (in this reboot) the backgrounds and introductions were not seemingly forced or feeling out of sync with the story.
I'm finding myself enjoying the reading more than the movies, as usual with my non comic readings...
MiM
The art is amazingly inline with what I have expected in super hero comics, as the heroes are gathered with some of them meeting for the first time (in this reboot) the backgrounds and introductions were not seemingly forced or feeling out of sync with the story.
I'm finding myself enjoying the reading more than the movies, as usual with my non comic readings...
MiM
February 9, 2015
A perfect example of what superhero stories shouldn't be.
Johns' ideas are incredibly naive and awfully narrated, and his characters are all childish and lame.
With regard to Lee's work, his style hasn't evolved or changed a bit from the Nineties and I'm getting pretty tired of it.
Johns' ideas are incredibly naive and awfully narrated, and his characters are all childish and lame.
With regard to Lee's work, his style hasn't evolved or changed a bit from the Nineties and I'm getting pretty tired of it.
April 17, 2024
A quick, to-the-point introduction to this iteration of the Justice League that sells the characters and dynamics in an action-packed and visually stylish way.
actual rating: 3.5 stars
actual rating: 3.5 stars
April 7, 2018
This first volume might be a great companion read for anyone interested in seeing the new Justice League movie. It seems like the film will be using much of this volume as a jumping off point, with it's inclusion of Cyborg in the League and his updated origin story, the discovery of Motherboxes, and the Darkseid alien invasion. It's a fun read, and continues to set-up the direction that Geoff Johns is trying to take the DC Universe. But the Darkseid character here is really not engaging as a villain, lacking any personality or threat. It seems like the creators focused so much on introducing all of the characters to each other, that they ran out of time to develop an interesting villain for them to fight.
December 29, 2017
Okay, so this is the Geoff Johns Justice League run so many people love. I know I’ll probably be hated by quite a few people for saying this but I don’t know why so many people love this one.
What’s it about?
The Justice League is formed and they have to fight a powerful villain from another world and his s***ton of minions that he has for some reason. So the same storyline that’s in 90% of modern superhero comics.
Pros:
The art is so amazing! Jim Lee does a fantastic job drawing this, I think I might actually take a look at what other comics he’s drawn and read some of those, seriously. Amazing art.
The action scenes are fantastic.
This book’s version of Wonder Woman is freaking awesome! I’m gonna be moving some of those Wonder Woman books up on my reading list, she is bad-a**!
This book can be pretty funny at times.
Cons:
The story... it’s not necessarily bad but it’s nothing that 99% of comic book readers haven’t seen before. I still really enjoy superhero stories and think that there’s always something a writer can do to be creative with it and this one just isn’t creative TBH.
Most of the characters can eat a bag of d**ks. Wonder Woman’s cool and Cyborg’s okay I guess but everyone else is kind of an a**hole. I noticed DC doesn’t necessarily want their characters to team up, they always just have some kind of argument and be total d**ks for the entire book. It eventually got to the point I was kinda hoping that it would just go all Ennis mode (I don’t think that’s a comic book term but it should be) and Wonder Woman would just dismember the rest of them or maybe The Boys would show up. I was just so tired of their bulls***.
This isn’t very suspenseful. Again, this is nothing new.
At one point in this one Bulls***. I hate when he does that. To make it even better Makes no d*** sense.
The dialogue is nothing for Johns to be proud of writing to say the least. I will give him this, Cyborg isn’t a meme-obsessed loser who doesn’t give a s*** about anything that isn’t school, I like that but a lot of the dialogue is pretty bad. Mostly because of the never-ending arguments.
This book feels pretty rushed.
The villain is underwhelming. The villain is who is meant to be a pretty awesome villain, he’s not really different than plenty of other villains from better comics.
Overall:
Not a fan which is disappointing, I was really looking forward to reading this one. It’s not a horrible comic: the art, the action and Wonder Woman are amazing. Most of this book unfortunately is the same story superhero fans have been reading for decades, which isn’t necessarily bad if you do something interesting with it, this book didn’t do anything really interesting unfortunately.
2/5
What’s it about?
The Justice League is formed and they have to fight a powerful villain from another world and his s***ton of minions that he has for some reason. So the same storyline that’s in 90% of modern superhero comics.
Pros:
The art is so amazing! Jim Lee does a fantastic job drawing this, I think I might actually take a look at what other comics he’s drawn and read some of those, seriously. Amazing art.
The action scenes are fantastic.
This book’s version of Wonder Woman is freaking awesome! I’m gonna be moving some of those Wonder Woman books up on my reading list, she is bad-a**!
This book can be pretty funny at times.
Cons:
The story... it’s not necessarily bad but it’s nothing that 99% of comic book readers haven’t seen before. I still really enjoy superhero stories and think that there’s always something a writer can do to be creative with it and this one just isn’t creative TBH.
Most of the characters can eat a bag of d**ks. Wonder Woman’s cool and Cyborg’s okay I guess but everyone else is kind of an a**hole. I noticed DC doesn’t necessarily want their characters to team up, they always just have some kind of argument and be total d**ks for the entire book. It eventually got to the point I was kinda hoping that it would just go all Ennis mode (I don’t think that’s a comic book term but it should be) and Wonder Woman would just dismember the rest of them or maybe The Boys would show up. I was just so tired of their bulls***.
This isn’t very suspenseful. Again, this is nothing new.
At one point in this one Bulls***. I hate when he does that. To make it even better Makes no d*** sense.
The dialogue is nothing for Johns to be proud of writing to say the least. I will give him this, Cyborg isn’t a meme-obsessed loser who doesn’t give a s*** about anything that isn’t school, I like that but a lot of the dialogue is pretty bad. Mostly because of the never-ending arguments.
This book feels pretty rushed.
The villain is underwhelming. The villain is who is meant to be a pretty awesome villain, he’s not really different than plenty of other villains from better comics.
Overall:
Not a fan which is disappointing, I was really looking forward to reading this one. It’s not a horrible comic: the art, the action and Wonder Woman are amazing. Most of this book unfortunately is the same story superhero fans have been reading for decades, which isn’t necessarily bad if you do something interesting with it, this book didn’t do anything really interesting unfortunately.
2/5
September 21, 2014
It took a timely Black Friday sale over the long Thanksgiving weekend for me to take the plunge and bought me some digital trades. That and the fact I could use Paypal for my Comixology purcahses made me pull the trigger. My first purchase was a story-line I've been wanting to read since DC Comics rebooted their superhero line of comic books and that's this inaugural six issue arc of its flagship title Justice League.
There was no reason this book should not be this good, DC assigned its most bankable writer and artist to team up on a book about its seven best superheroes.
Geoff Johns wrote a tale that any new reader should be able to latch on quickly without any encyclopedic knowledge of past continuity. This was the best entry point to get on the new DC 52 and Johns helped made it so. There's a lot of great things about this book but one thing remains inedible in my mind and it's Johns making Aquaman cool. Aquaman may talk to fish but it could be an awesome power as well.
Jim Lee remains the best superhero comic book artist in this century and the last. He brings a whole lot of Wildstorm elements in his redesign of the DC's most iconic heroes. He certainly removed Superman's underpants. Still, his art is as magnificent as ever.
I should have read this book from the start, or at least got the hardcover as soon as it was published, still despite my initial hesitation and delay. the magic of digital comics made it possible for me to catch up on what the rest of comic fandom already know, the new 52 relaunch worked very well for DC.
There was no reason this book should not be this good, DC assigned its most bankable writer and artist to team up on a book about its seven best superheroes.
Geoff Johns wrote a tale that any new reader should be able to latch on quickly without any encyclopedic knowledge of past continuity. This was the best entry point to get on the new DC 52 and Johns helped made it so. There's a lot of great things about this book but one thing remains inedible in my mind and it's Johns making Aquaman cool. Aquaman may talk to fish but it could be an awesome power as well.
Jim Lee remains the best superhero comic book artist in this century and the last. He brings a whole lot of Wildstorm elements in his redesign of the DC's most iconic heroes. He certainly removed Superman's underpants. Still, his art is as magnificent as ever.
I should have read this book from the start, or at least got the hardcover as soon as it was published, still despite my initial hesitation and delay. the magic of digital comics made it possible for me to catch up on what the rest of comic fandom already know, the new 52 relaunch worked very well for DC.
January 16, 2024
If you're going to reboot the Justice League, this is arguably the best way to do it. Geoff Johns makes this look easy. Give each member of the team a distinct personality, put them into scenes that force those personalities to interact in interesting ways (e.g. Batman essentially complaining about how Green Lantern needs to turn down that light because it's counteracting his shadows.) Have them fight against Darkseid, because go big or go home. Retcon Cyborg's origin to tie him more firmly to this version of the JLA (Titans who, now?) And I love the conceit that part of what's keeping the team going is the fact that it's good publicity that helps counteract the public's negative views on superheroes.
Not sure how strongly this will appeal to non comics fans. All the things about it that make me smile and go, “Yes!” do so because of my familiarity with these characters and comics in general. My appreciation for what this book gets right comes from having read so many other books over the years that got it wrong. Does a fresh take on an established character hit the same if it's the only take you've read? I note that this book came out in 2012, about twelve years ago. Ages ago, by comic book standards. Someone who grew up reading this book could be writing it by now. How much of this version of the Justice League is still relevant?
All that said, this particular take on the origin of the Justice League warmed my fannish heart and brought a smile to my face. Highly recommended!
Not sure how strongly this will appeal to non comics fans. All the things about it that make me smile and go, “Yes!” do so because of my familiarity with these characters and comics in general. My appreciation for what this book gets right comes from having read so many other books over the years that got it wrong. Does a fresh take on an established character hit the same if it's the only take you've read? I note that this book came out in 2012, about twelve years ago. Ages ago, by comic book standards. Someone who grew up reading this book could be writing it by now. How much of this version of the Justice League is still relevant?
All that said, this particular take on the origin of the Justice League warmed my fannish heart and brought a smile to my face. Highly recommended!
March 15, 2016
So this is New as in New 52. The JLA members don't know each other and apparently continuity doesn't exist. It's almost like Earth One it's so out there. Take five minutes and come back once that's sunk in.
Yeah, a bit hard to grasp. I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of "let's throw everything out." That being said, this is well done and the characters are still true to form even if they're different. Having just read Final Crisis, however, and knowing a Darkseid War is coming later, how many books do we need about Darkseid? Can we not come up with new villains anymore?
Apart from the shiny newness and the reappearance of Darkseid, a fun, bright, and action packed read overall. Just know this is cut off from the DCU going into it.
April 2, 2016
After watching Batman v Superman I was desperate to find out more about the justice league so decided to start with this. To my delight, it was absolutely amazing and the justice league are my new favourite squad out there!
I loved all the characters and how we subtly got to see some origin from them all. Was surprised at how much I liked Aquaman and I feel like he's extremely underrated in the dc world! I wasn't massively keen on how Wonder Woman was portrayed at times because I felt like they made her seem a little stupid but luckily she did have some badass moments!!
I would highly recommend this read if you're like me and wanted to get to know the justice league more. It is a great story to read after watching Batman v Superman too as they work well together.
Will definitely be reading more in this series as soon as possible!
I loved all the characters and how we subtly got to see some origin from them all. Was surprised at how much I liked Aquaman and I feel like he's extremely underrated in the dc world! I wasn't massively keen on how Wonder Woman was portrayed at times because I felt like they made her seem a little stupid but luckily she did have some badass moments!!
I would highly recommend this read if you're like me and wanted to get to know the justice league more. It is a great story to read after watching Batman v Superman too as they work well together.
Will definitely be reading more in this series as soon as possible!
February 15, 2018
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
The birth of the Justice League. Who wouldn’t want to check out one of, if not THE most epic superhero team out there? Who am I kidding, as a DC fanboy, the Justice League will always remain the BEST superhero team ever. Of course, with Batman among the club, that’s a no-brainer. As part of the New 52 reboot by DC Comics, fans are served with a brand new and completely modern take of this superhero team. Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee, these two legends bring together a blockbuster retelling with one of DC’s most powerful villain soon to appear on the big screen. Collecting issues 1 to 6, Justice League (Volume 1) Origin glues together seven of the most powerful heroes on Earth (and from beyond?) and delivers a brilliant introduction to DC’s almighty squad. It kicks things of with the arrival of some new and mysterious creatures lurking around the shadows, preparing something that could potentially leave a nasty scar on the world. As matters get out of hands, a series of events lead our heroes to cross paths and unite to smooth out the chaos.
If you know your DC superheroes, you won’t be lost jumping into this story. Every single character is introduced from scratch and eventually get a full page panel to showcase their mighty and beautiful aura of mythical Gods. This is actually one of the most awesome moments thanks to Jim Lee artwork. The modernized take of each hero is coupled with a divine touch to each of the characters. Their personalities also wrap the whole package up with a fine layer of charisma and singularity. It offers us a perfect picture of superheroes who carry not only powers of their own but a whole history, a whole comic book legacy of ass-kicking. While the Justice League contains Batman, Green Lantern, Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg, Geoff Johns decides to commence this series by having them all meet up for the first time (except for The Flash and Green Lantern). As odd as it may be, in the end it doesn’t do too much damage to the story that is told. However, this direction also gives way to an interesting formation where their respectful interaction showcases their individual personalities and what makes each of them who they are. While an origin story for each character is not done (how arduous that would have been), fans will at least get a Cyborg origin story that ties in with the main plot.
Justice League (Vol.1) is definitely a beautiful and high-octane beginning to a series run that will probably have (if not already) a bunch of folks hooked. The best part of this volume is the artwork and the interaction between the heroes. There’s nothing like panels after panels of ass-whopping and explosions to demonstrate and amplify every heroes strengths. With Jim Lee’s amazing artwork that excels with brilliant panel transitions and full-scale two-page landscape drawings of action moments of epic proportions, I just couldn’t help myself from being in awe. The excitement and overwhelming feeling of seeing their combined powers were just mind-boggling. The design of our heroes is also unique and meticulously chosen. Colourful, explosive and cataclysmic, this volume doesn’t shy away from showing grandeur in every form possible. One can only imagine how destructive a team of international—even intergalactic—capacity can be.
The cherry on top of the cake has to be the interaction between the heroes. Green Lantern was quite the cocky character in this and somehow managed to keep the pieces glued together; partly thanks to Batman’s wise guidance. The Flash’s quick and straight-forward comedy also enlightened the mood, especially around Green Lantern. At that point, I became quite intrigued by the man with the ring that can form absolutely anything his mind concentrates on. Superman was also brilliantly introduced and quickly showed everyone how no one was on his level. His looks and alien powers were extraordinaire and definitely brought forth a slick and authoritarian persona. Until Wonder Woman shows up, of course. A moment of mutual admiration shines between those two; also hinting at their future (for those who might know what I’m talking about). However, she was probably the most awkward of the bunch. It’s as if Geoff Johns wanted her to lose touch of reality and get lost in amazement whenever something new to her presents itself. He also tried really hard to put this desire to fight at the forefront of her character’s personality. It might have failed a little, but in the end, my inner DC fanboy was just too excited to watch the Justice League in action.
Cyborg’s integration was a great one as his transformation is the result of something integral to the plot. Young and reckless, since he’s still in the middle of understanding the technological strengths he now possesses, Cyborg’s main appeal lies in his hidden powers and his bad-ass looks. Finally, Aquaman’s arrival was also nifty and unexpected. Not that the cover of the trade paperback doesn’t already show it, but within the story you’re driven to expect one thing to happen until you see his sudden and majestic arrival. It was quite nice to see the clash between his sea kingdom royalty and the much-needed leader among the Justice League. Geoff Johns also gives Aquaman a much more powerful introduction; making him much more than what his name might indicate. In the end, the whole team was a marvel to see in action and there’s nothing like a dream come true when you got both Geoff Johns and Jim Lee behind this New 52 run.
The Justice League has never been about a set number of specific characters within the DC Universe. Many variations exists and plenty of them have been thoroughly loved by fans. I’ve personally loved the one that was brought together in the animated TV shows of Justice League that ran from 2001 to 2004. As a kid, the Justice League has always been Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter. With Geoff Johns’ run, I’m probably going to end up loving the new cast and the adventures they have yet to embark on. Justice League (Volume 1) Origin is a great place to start for anyone who wishes to know who they are and what they are capable of. Let’s also not forget about the infamous villain and the trouble he’s bound to bring to Earth. This volume also gives readers plenty of details that will inspire the soon-to-be Justice League (2017) movie. Although the plot was changed, several elements from this volume are also teased and used in Batman v Superman (2016). With an original and unique cast of superheroes, Origin presents fans with an action-packed new beginning to the godlike Justice League.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
____________________________
The birth of the Justice League. Who wouldn't want to check out one of, if not THE most epic superhero team out there? Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee, these two titans bring together a blockbuster retelling with one of DC's most powerful villain. If you know your superheroes, you won't be lost jumping into this story. Even Cyborg gets an origin story that ties in with the main plot. The other characters also acquaint themselves with one another, having never met before (except for The Flash and Green Lantern). This might be odd, but in the end it doesn't do too much damage to the story that is told.
Justice League (Vol.1) is definitely a beautiful and high-octane beginning to a series run that will probably have (if not already) a bunch of folks hooked. The best part of this volume is the artwork and the interaction between the heroes (Green Lantern was quite the cocky character in this). Wonder Woman was also pretty awkward. It's as if Geoff Johns wanted her to lose touch of reality and get lost in amazement by anything new to her. Oh, he also really wanted to put this desire to fight at the forefront of her character's personality. It might have failed a little, but in the end, my inner DC fanboy was just too excited to watch the Justice League in action.
P.S. Full review to come
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
The birth of the Justice League. Who wouldn’t want to check out one of, if not THE most epic superhero team out there? Who am I kidding, as a DC fanboy, the Justice League will always remain the BEST superhero team ever. Of course, with Batman among the club, that’s a no-brainer. As part of the New 52 reboot by DC Comics, fans are served with a brand new and completely modern take of this superhero team. Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee, these two legends bring together a blockbuster retelling with one of DC’s most powerful villain soon to appear on the big screen. Collecting issues 1 to 6, Justice League (Volume 1) Origin glues together seven of the most powerful heroes on Earth (and from beyond?) and delivers a brilliant introduction to DC’s almighty squad. It kicks things of with the arrival of some new and mysterious creatures lurking around the shadows, preparing something that could potentially leave a nasty scar on the world. As matters get out of hands, a series of events lead our heroes to cross paths and unite to smooth out the chaos.
If you know your DC superheroes, you won’t be lost jumping into this story. Every single character is introduced from scratch and eventually get a full page panel to showcase their mighty and beautiful aura of mythical Gods. This is actually one of the most awesome moments thanks to Jim Lee artwork. The modernized take of each hero is coupled with a divine touch to each of the characters. Their personalities also wrap the whole package up with a fine layer of charisma and singularity. It offers us a perfect picture of superheroes who carry not only powers of their own but a whole history, a whole comic book legacy of ass-kicking. While the Justice League contains Batman, Green Lantern, Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg, Geoff Johns decides to commence this series by having them all meet up for the first time (except for The Flash and Green Lantern). As odd as it may be, in the end it doesn’t do too much damage to the story that is told. However, this direction also gives way to an interesting formation where their respectful interaction showcases their individual personalities and what makes each of them who they are. While an origin story for each character is not done (how arduous that would have been), fans will at least get a Cyborg origin story that ties in with the main plot.
Justice League (Vol.1) is definitely a beautiful and high-octane beginning to a series run that will probably have (if not already) a bunch of folks hooked. The best part of this volume is the artwork and the interaction between the heroes. There’s nothing like panels after panels of ass-whopping and explosions to demonstrate and amplify every heroes strengths. With Jim Lee’s amazing artwork that excels with brilliant panel transitions and full-scale two-page landscape drawings of action moments of epic proportions, I just couldn’t help myself from being in awe. The excitement and overwhelming feeling of seeing their combined powers were just mind-boggling. The design of our heroes is also unique and meticulously chosen. Colourful, explosive and cataclysmic, this volume doesn’t shy away from showing grandeur in every form possible. One can only imagine how destructive a team of international—even intergalactic—capacity can be.
The cherry on top of the cake has to be the interaction between the heroes. Green Lantern was quite the cocky character in this and somehow managed to keep the pieces glued together; partly thanks to Batman’s wise guidance. The Flash’s quick and straight-forward comedy also enlightened the mood, especially around Green Lantern. At that point, I became quite intrigued by the man with the ring that can form absolutely anything his mind concentrates on. Superman was also brilliantly introduced and quickly showed everyone how no one was on his level. His looks and alien powers were extraordinaire and definitely brought forth a slick and authoritarian persona. Until Wonder Woman shows up, of course. A moment of mutual admiration shines between those two; also hinting at their future (for those who might know what I’m talking about). However, she was probably the most awkward of the bunch. It’s as if Geoff Johns wanted her to lose touch of reality and get lost in amazement whenever something new to her presents itself. He also tried really hard to put this desire to fight at the forefront of her character’s personality. It might have failed a little, but in the end, my inner DC fanboy was just too excited to watch the Justice League in action.
Cyborg’s integration was a great one as his transformation is the result of something integral to the plot. Young and reckless, since he’s still in the middle of understanding the technological strengths he now possesses, Cyborg’s main appeal lies in his hidden powers and his bad-ass looks. Finally, Aquaman’s arrival was also nifty and unexpected. Not that the cover of the trade paperback doesn’t already show it, but within the story you’re driven to expect one thing to happen until you see his sudden and majestic arrival. It was quite nice to see the clash between his sea kingdom royalty and the much-needed leader among the Justice League. Geoff Johns also gives Aquaman a much more powerful introduction; making him much more than what his name might indicate. In the end, the whole team was a marvel to see in action and there’s nothing like a dream come true when you got both Geoff Johns and Jim Lee behind this New 52 run.
The Justice League has never been about a set number of specific characters within the DC Universe. Many variations exists and plenty of them have been thoroughly loved by fans. I’ve personally loved the one that was brought together in the animated TV shows of Justice League that ran from 2001 to 2004. As a kid, the Justice League has always been Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter. With Geoff Johns’ run, I’m probably going to end up loving the new cast and the adventures they have yet to embark on. Justice League (Volume 1) Origin is a great place to start for anyone who wishes to know who they are and what they are capable of. Let’s also not forget about the infamous villain and the trouble he’s bound to bring to Earth. This volume also gives readers plenty of details that will inspire the soon-to-be Justice League (2017) movie. Although the plot was changed, several elements from this volume are also teased and used in Batman v Superman (2016). With an original and unique cast of superheroes, Origin presents fans with an action-packed new beginning to the godlike Justice League.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
____________________________
The birth of the Justice League. Who wouldn't want to check out one of, if not THE most epic superhero team out there? Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee, these two titans bring together a blockbuster retelling with one of DC's most powerful villain. If you know your superheroes, you won't be lost jumping into this story. Even Cyborg gets an origin story that ties in with the main plot. The other characters also acquaint themselves with one another, having never met before (except for The Flash and Green Lantern). This might be odd, but in the end it doesn't do too much damage to the story that is told.
Justice League (Vol.1) is definitely a beautiful and high-octane beginning to a series run that will probably have (if not already) a bunch of folks hooked. The best part of this volume is the artwork and the interaction between the heroes (Green Lantern was quite the cocky character in this). Wonder Woman was also pretty awkward. It's as if Geoff Johns wanted her to lose touch of reality and get lost in amazement by anything new to her. Oh, he also really wanted to put this desire to fight at the forefront of her character's personality. It might have failed a little, but in the end, my inner DC fanboy was just too excited to watch the Justice League in action.
P.S. Full review to come
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
November 27, 2016
As DC is approaching its big relaunch in the upcoming months with Rebirth, it was only five years ago that the publisher rebooted their titles with The New 52. So whilst we await to see what Geoff Johns does to change the DC universe yet again, lets rewind the clocks and go back to the first volume of Johns’ five-year run of DC’s flagship superhero team.
Five years ago, superheroes are new and frightening to the world at large. However when Batman and Green Lantern pair up to investigate a series of strange attacks, the two amongst other superheroes must band together to prevent a full-scale alien invasion.
Conceived as a new origin into how these characters become the Super Friends (or as the Flash initially call themselves the ‘Super Seven’), this six-issue arc is the most simplest way you can introduce these characters to newcomers who have no knowledge of the DC universe. Much like what Joss Whedon did with his first cinematic outing of Marvel’s The Avengers, the obviously-titled Origin is very much defined by witty one-liners and grandiose destructive action between costumed heroes and animalistic aliens.
Despite not being an in-depth character piece as the story quickly rushes to the action, there are these nice comic moments, most of them centered on Hal Jordan AKA Green Lantern. From his initial partnership with Batman to foolishly underestimating the abilities of Aquaman, Green Lantern steals the show with his cocky can-do attitude, whilst Jim Lee does a great job at illustrating his imaginative powers.
Although GL dominates a lot of the comedy, it is Victor Stone AKA Cyborg who is the heart of the story as you see his origin story here from a successful high school football star to becoming his scientist father’s experiment which cleverly ties into Darkseid’s invasion. Ultimately, Cyborg’s subplot is about a young man trying to impress his work-obsessed father, something so simple and human is what gives this story a heart.
As for the other JL members, characters such as the Flash and Aquaman don’t give much emotional impact and more of an exercise for Jim Lee to show off his amazing wide panels and splash pages. Having read the first volume of Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman, Johns’ portrayal of the Amazon princess isn’t as interesting as she is less about self-discovery and more about the constant search for battle. There’s more to Wonder Woman than just being a warrior.
No matter how powerful these characters can be, not least from Superman who is seen as the most powerful out of the team, I will always root for the underdog that is Batman. Being the only member without superpowers, he is the world’s greatest detective as displayed in not only Grant Morrison’s JLA run (where he’s Bat-God) but also Bruce Timm’s Justice League cartoon. Johns is interested in the human side of Batman, even though it is out of character such as Batman unmasking in front of Green Lantern and revealing his secret identity. He may be part of the team, but Batman isn’t really a people person as he’s not one for sharing his emotions, other than perhaps Superman who aren’t really BFFs here. Fortunately, Batman does have THE bad-ass moment of letting himself to be captured so he can rescue Superman and escaping the fires of Apokolips.
Despite Darkseid as the main antagonist with his army of parademons invading us, it never delves into the mythology of the New Gods although it is hinted at and you might have to skip to Volume 7 for The Darkseid War. In the end, Origin is about the first union of the world’s greatest superheroes as with Geoff Johns’ witty writing and Jim Lee’s impressive artistic action, it is a perfectly decent introduction for those who wish to read the adventures of the Justice League.
Five years ago, superheroes are new and frightening to the world at large. However when Batman and Green Lantern pair up to investigate a series of strange attacks, the two amongst other superheroes must band together to prevent a full-scale alien invasion.
Conceived as a new origin into how these characters become the Super Friends (or as the Flash initially call themselves the ‘Super Seven’), this six-issue arc is the most simplest way you can introduce these characters to newcomers who have no knowledge of the DC universe. Much like what Joss Whedon did with his first cinematic outing of Marvel’s The Avengers, the obviously-titled Origin is very much defined by witty one-liners and grandiose destructive action between costumed heroes and animalistic aliens.
Despite not being an in-depth character piece as the story quickly rushes to the action, there are these nice comic moments, most of them centered on Hal Jordan AKA Green Lantern. From his initial partnership with Batman to foolishly underestimating the abilities of Aquaman, Green Lantern steals the show with his cocky can-do attitude, whilst Jim Lee does a great job at illustrating his imaginative powers.
Although GL dominates a lot of the comedy, it is Victor Stone AKA Cyborg who is the heart of the story as you see his origin story here from a successful high school football star to becoming his scientist father’s experiment which cleverly ties into Darkseid’s invasion. Ultimately, Cyborg’s subplot is about a young man trying to impress his work-obsessed father, something so simple and human is what gives this story a heart.
As for the other JL members, characters such as the Flash and Aquaman don’t give much emotional impact and more of an exercise for Jim Lee to show off his amazing wide panels and splash pages. Having read the first volume of Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman, Johns’ portrayal of the Amazon princess isn’t as interesting as she is less about self-discovery and more about the constant search for battle. There’s more to Wonder Woman than just being a warrior.
No matter how powerful these characters can be, not least from Superman who is seen as the most powerful out of the team, I will always root for the underdog that is Batman. Being the only member without superpowers, he is the world’s greatest detective as displayed in not only Grant Morrison’s JLA run (where he’s Bat-God) but also Bruce Timm’s Justice League cartoon. Johns is interested in the human side of Batman, even though it is out of character such as Batman unmasking in front of Green Lantern and revealing his secret identity. He may be part of the team, but Batman isn’t really a people person as he’s not one for sharing his emotions, other than perhaps Superman who aren’t really BFFs here. Fortunately, Batman does have THE bad-ass moment of letting himself to be captured so he can rescue Superman and escaping the fires of Apokolips.
Despite Darkseid as the main antagonist with his army of parademons invading us, it never delves into the mythology of the New Gods although it is hinted at and you might have to skip to Volume 7 for The Darkseid War. In the end, Origin is about the first union of the world’s greatest superheroes as with Geoff Johns’ witty writing and Jim Lee’s impressive artistic action, it is a perfectly decent introduction for those who wish to read the adventures of the Justice League.
October 28, 2016
Around a 3 to a 3.5.
This would be a pretty great blueprint to use for the movie. Darkseid comes down to earth to fuck shit up and the unlikely team forms, giving us the seven warriors of Justice. They don't fight all that well together but they get by, and it feels like they really don't know each other but try their best to work together.
I loved the interaction with ANYONE and Green Lantern. I get it, some people might dislike Hal in here cause he's not annoying buddy who thinks he's better than everyone else. I get that, don't get me wrong. However, he proves himself more than once. I also loved the art, Jim Lee is fucking amazing no doubt. I also liked the ending and how it sets up the rest of the series.
The only negative is sometimes the overuse of "What the hell" or "Shut up" and out of character moments from Batman or Wonder Women. However, by the end I was really getting into the groove of how they'd all work together. I especially love how Supes is still fresh at this, and he's better written here than any start in Action Comics or Superman for New52.
So 3.5 would be my final rating. Time for volume 2.
This would be a pretty great blueprint to use for the movie. Darkseid comes down to earth to fuck shit up and the unlikely team forms, giving us the seven warriors of Justice. They don't fight all that well together but they get by, and it feels like they really don't know each other but try their best to work together.
I loved the interaction with ANYONE and Green Lantern. I get it, some people might dislike Hal in here cause he's not annoying buddy who thinks he's better than everyone else. I get that, don't get me wrong. However, he proves himself more than once. I also loved the art, Jim Lee is fucking amazing no doubt. I also liked the ending and how it sets up the rest of the series.
The only negative is sometimes the overuse of "What the hell" or "Shut up" and out of character moments from Batman or Wonder Women. However, by the end I was really getting into the groove of how they'd all work together. I especially love how Supes is still fresh at this, and he's better written here than any start in Action Comics or Superman for New52.
So 3.5 would be my final rating. Time for volume 2.
July 22, 2024
Going back to do a re-read of this run. This flashback to 5 years ago when the Justice League got together is still not my favorite. I get that a lot of history was compressed during this era. And I can give it a pass that Wonder Woman was written to kind of be a dummy since she was supposed to be new to man's world at this time. Hal Jordan is such a jerk though. And that seems out of left field considering Johns was also in the midst of his incredible GL run at the same time.
Also, I get why history was rewritten to add Cyborg to the team. It still irks me though as a big Teen Titans fan. All that history is just gone now? Those are some of DC's best comics of the 80s. Mainly though this only gets 3 stars for being so decompressed. They could have taken everything in these issues and dumped it in to 2 issues if you skipped all the splash pages. One things Johns did get really right, Aquaman. He is the man here. So cool. You get to see just how useful talking to fish can be with sharks eating Parademons left and right.
Also, I get why history was rewritten to add Cyborg to the team. It still irks me though as a big Teen Titans fan. All that history is just gone now? Those are some of DC's best comics of the 80s. Mainly though this only gets 3 stars for being so decompressed. They could have taken everything in these issues and dumped it in to 2 issues if you skipped all the splash pages. One things Johns did get really right, Aquaman. He is the man here. So cool. You get to see just how useful talking to fish can be with sharks eating Parademons left and right.
May 4, 2018
Поділюся з вами - і тільки з вами - і з усім інтернетом - таємницею, яку я зазвичай приховую: я ще не зустрічала такого ансамблевого супергеройського кіна, від якого мені не хотілося б вилізти зі свого черепа від нудьги. (Окей, я їх мало дивилася і ще менше додивилася, але попередній досвід і не заохочує дивитися далі). Теоретично у них є кілька речей, які я люблю у розважальному читві (found families! people with the entire DSM-5 worth of symptoms getting their shit together to save the world!), але на практиці – позіхаю. По-перше, я не знаю всі їхні попередні 70 років канону, щоб на ходу розуміти, хто всі ці люде, а те, як у фільмах зроблена характеризація, в масі своїй розраховане на людей уже у фандомі. По-друге, для мене там в середньому зашвидкий темп – все видається трохи штучним, не встигаєш якось в’їхати в мотивацію героїв (це теж похідне від “по-перше”). Тому від “Ліги” очікування в мене були не те, щоб відсутні, а навіть від’ємні. Так от: “Ліга” чудова <3
Напевно, це почасти питання формату: у коміксі, де ти контролюєш ритм читання – на відміну від кіно, де ритм заданий за тебе – можна розтягнути якісь моменти, зокрема побіжні комічні і зворушливі сцени, які на екрані зайняли б 20 секунд часу. Штибу того, як Диво-жінка вперше пробує морозиво, і її заразного всеохопного захвату від простих речей.
А по-друге, діалоги й banter дуже милі. Багатостраждальний Флеш, який одразу розуміє, що раз Ліхтар дзвонить, то коїться якась фігня. Всі ці геги про “Я думав, Аквамена вигадали для вечірніх телешоу. Спочатку Бетмен реальний, тепер і цей”. Бетмен, який SO DONE WITH THIS SHIT і задовбався доводити, що він не просто чувак у костюмі кажана, а гідний член супергеройської братії. Ліхтар who has no chill (“У тебе переломи рук у двох місцях” - “Це краще, ніж у трьох, малий”). Перепалки Ліхтаря і Бетмена (Ліхтар: “Ти справді хочеш битися з кимось, хто може створити все, про що подумає?” Бетмен: “Я б переживав, якби знав, що ти здатен думати”).
Окей, речення, яке починається з “Ти справді”, я б дуже сильно розвантажувала, але поза тим переклад, як можна зрозуміти з наведених вище цитат, цілком жвавий. Графіка нічого видатного, але gets the job done.
Напевно, це почасти питання формату: у коміксі, де ти контролюєш ритм читання – на відміну від кіно, де ритм заданий за тебе – можна розтягнути якісь моменти, зокрема побіжні комічні і зворушливі сцени, які на екрані зайняли б 20 секунд часу. Штибу того, як Диво-жінка вперше пробує морозиво, і її заразного всеохопного захвату від простих речей.
А по-друге, діалоги й banter дуже милі. Багатостраждальний Флеш, який одразу розуміє, що раз Ліхтар дзвонить, то коїться якась фігня. Всі ці геги про “Я думав, Аквамена вигадали для вечірніх телешоу. Спочатку Бетмен реальний, тепер і цей”. Бетмен, який SO DONE WITH THIS SHIT і задовбався доводити, що він не просто чувак у костюмі кажана, а гідний член супергеройської братії. Ліхтар who has no chill (“У тебе переломи рук у двох місцях” - “Це краще, ніж у трьох, малий”). Перепалки Ліхтаря і Бетмена (Ліхтар: “Ти справді хочеш битися з кимось, хто може створити все, про що подумає?” Бетмен: “Я б переживав, якби знав, що ти здатен думати”).
Окей, речення, яке починається з “Ти справді”, я б дуже сильно розвантажувала, але поза тим переклад, як можна зрозуміти з наведених вище цитат, цілком жвавий. Графіка нічого видатного, але gets the job done.
August 9, 2012
Mostly fantastic, with just one or two fumbles. The title tells you exactly what you're going to get: the New 52 version of the JLA's origin story, this time including Cyborg. I'm very happy with this addition. I love Cyborg, and his origin is very nicely told here. I don't really have any complaints about the story itself, and most of the characters are well written. Superman in particular shocked me by being pretty awesome, in a way that totally suits his character as I know it. I'm not sure I remember ever being quite so wowed by him before.
The only real problem here is Wonder Woman. Her dialog is painfully flat. Johns seems to have been going for a warrior awed by her surroundings, but she instead sounds almost childlike. I was also irritated by how casually she waved her sword around in normal situations. Her Amazon sisters would be more than a little annoyed to see her using it to point at things and people for emphasis. And I like Lee's art, for the most part, but I can't stand this version of her costume. Apparently, one of Wonder Woman's superpowers is avoiding wardrobe malfunctions.
Wonder Woman aside, this is a really enjoyable book. And frankly, I'm almost used to writers misfiring when they try to write her. This is better than what Miller's done with her, at least.
The only real problem here is Wonder Woman. Her dialog is painfully flat. Johns seems to have been going for a warrior awed by her surroundings, but she instead sounds almost childlike. I was also irritated by how casually she waved her sword around in normal situations. Her Amazon sisters would be more than a little annoyed to see her using it to point at things and people for emphasis. And I like Lee's art, for the most part, but I can't stand this version of her costume. Apparently, one of Wonder Woman's superpowers is avoiding wardrobe malfunctions.
Wonder Woman aside, this is a really enjoyable book. And frankly, I'm almost used to writers misfiring when they try to write her. This is better than what Miller's done with her, at least.
December 11, 2012
"Justice League - Origin" was the first New 52 compilation I read, and I found it a fun read, albeit a shallow one. The six-part story covers the first meeting of the current Justice League members as they team up to fight Darkseid and...well, that's pretty much it. Really.
It's not that "Origin" is a bad story...it moves at a brisk pace, offers plenty of action, and features some amusing banter between the characters (yes, I laughed out loud when Green Lantern realized Batman had no super powers..."Don't tell me you're just some guy in a bat costume!"). But the problem is that the story (and I'm being generous even calling it that) is such a simplistic one. There is almost no plot or character development to speak of, it's pretty much just a six-issue slugfest.
If this compilation had been a collection of Justice League 142-147, it wouldn't have been as concerning to me, I would have just chalked it up as a filler story. But what really bothers me is that this is the story DC chose to spearhead their new continuity. I really enjoyed Geoff Johns' runs on titles like "The Flash" and "JSA" in the old DC continuity, but this read like a dumbed-down version of his prior work. Comic books have often suffered a misconception that they are just juvenile forms of entertainment, and sadly, "Justice League - Origins" does nothing to refute that claim!
It's not that "Origin" is a bad story...it moves at a brisk pace, offers plenty of action, and features some amusing banter between the characters (yes, I laughed out loud when Green Lantern realized Batman had no super powers..."Don't tell me you're just some guy in a bat costume!"). But the problem is that the story (and I'm being generous even calling it that) is such a simplistic one. There is almost no plot or character development to speak of, it's pretty much just a six-issue slugfest.
If this compilation had been a collection of Justice League 142-147, it wouldn't have been as concerning to me, I would have just chalked it up as a filler story. But what really bothers me is that this is the story DC chose to spearhead their new continuity. I really enjoyed Geoff Johns' runs on titles like "The Flash" and "JSA" in the old DC continuity, but this read like a dumbed-down version of his prior work. Comic books have often suffered a misconception that they are just juvenile forms of entertainment, and sadly, "Justice League - Origins" does nothing to refute that claim!
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