JLA: Year One

JLA: Year One #1-12

by Mark Waid

From the writer of KINGDOM COME, Mark Waid pens the secret origin of the Justice League of America in JLA: YEAR ONE.

Critically acclaimed author Mark Waid brings you the very beginning of the greatest superheroes of all time, the Justice League of America!

This new edition graphic novel looks back at how the original Justice League of America formed and the trials and tribulations that it had to endure during its first year of existence. Focusing on some of the most iconic superheroes of all time, such as Superman, Batman and the Flash, this is the start of everything!

JLA: YEAR ONE is now printed in a new edition! Collects: JLA: YEAR ONE #1-12.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

336 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

Mark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.

Reviews

[Sean Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unquestionably some of Waid's and Kitson's best work. Watching these disparate individuals learn to work together as a team is both entertaining and inspiring.

This kind of stuff is right in Waid's wheelhouse, and he just kills it.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We're not about vengeance . . . " -- Black Canary

" . . . we're about justice." -- The Flash

Author Waid and company do a great job with this reimagining tale of the Justice League formation, excising the direct involvement of DC's 'Trinity' (Superman, Batman, & Wonder Woman . . . although the Man of Steel has a featured role late in the story, and the Dark Knight appropriately lurks on the fringes in a few scenes) and having the team comprised of the tight quintet of Green Lantern, The Flash, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman. It was refreshing to have this particular assemblage - who can be relegated to second-string status - being the folks calling all the shots.

At 300+ pages (or twelve issues), this supersize volume - originally published in '99 - sort of has the appearance and atmosphere of both a 70's / 80's TV miniseries and the Bronze Age comics from the same era. So while the plotting and colorful character illustrations may strike some readers as old-fashioned on the surface, there is an undercurrent of modernity - it's not a tired or creaky book at all. There are some occasionally effective moments of humor (such as when Flash and Black Canary poke fun at the practicality of their respective outfits), and I'd say the pacing for the second-half - leading to a traditional, yet still effective, super-heroic 'save the world' climax - was near perfect.

Without rehashing the entire storyline, it was interesting to see these personalities learning to work together and trust each other. Martian Manhunter and Aquaman are initially regarding with some suspicion by the others (typical humans were who were gifted their superpowers, so to speak), so the working together happens easily enough, but the trust part is just a tad more complicated.

[Donovan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mark Waid is one of those writers whose hype I'll never understand. Kingdom Come was the only work I've ever really enjoyed, and much of that was due to Alex Ross' artwork.

JLA is a team I've never been in love with, even with Bats and Supes and Wonder Woman, whom aren't even here. This is one of those "pseudo" versions of the team, like Justice League International. Can't afford the real thing? Try this! So there's Green Lantern and Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and Black Canary. I don't own a single solo book for any of these characters, so getting them altogether doesn't work for me. That's on me.

But what it comes down to is writing and characterization. This is late 90s and it's cheesy as hell. The JLA stuff I have read is pretty cheesy, but Mark Waid takes it even further. The hyperbolic dialog. Aquaman's mumbling. Black Canary's angst. The television narration. It was painful to read and just felt untrue to these characters. And the artwork like most 90s comics is just sort of there.

Unless you're a diehard "JLA" (no Bats, no Supes, no Wonder Woman) or Mark Waid fan, I'd say skip this one.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A more than good JLA origin retelling after Crisis on Infinite Earths simplificated and fixed 50+ years of DC Universe continuity, removing the multiverse concept, and a nice tribute to the Golden and Silver Age of comics.



A "passing the baton" tale with a so different League without the Trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman in the rooster, but Waid does a real good job fleshing characters (Black Canary's background is so similar here to the Silk Spectre one in Watchmen) and updating this classic story for the modern audience.



And Mark Waid's hilarious trademark touch as an Eisner Prize winning author is just as great as ever.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am loving how the team comes together and taking different threats like the team selected by Savage and then having random adventures fighting villains, team up with Doom Patrol and fighting the brotherhood and particularly the brain and also the main threat of "LOCUS" and they suspect J'onn is the traitor.. only to find it is someone else and then the threat of the Appelaxians and yeah in the end it kinda felt like it stretched the story but still fun seeing how the league came together and teaming up with the rest of the world to defeat these invaders and then in the end Savage which was okay and still great and all, honestly not a bad origin story and I like the personal journey of most of these heroes and a legacy they have to live upto! The art was not the best but still one of the definitive JLA stories!

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

YESSSSSS! That was awesome! It's probably closer to 4.5 stars than 4.

I don't really want to get into the plot, but it was very strong. I liked that this focused on one cohesive story as opposed to many loosely-related stories. The artwork and dialogue were strong. But what really stuck out to me was character development. Batman and Superman were very minor characters in this, and I'm glad because we were able to get a lot of information on Flash, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter. I was very impressed with the way Aquaman was written, because you really get the feel of him being an outsider, much like J'onn.

The dialogue in this was also fun, and this wasn't a boring comic. There were a couple characters that brought some comic relief, especially Green Arrow (my personal favorite)! I would have liked seeing more of him, but beggars can't be choosers, right? It was also really good to see the Doom Patrol in this, and the Metal Men make a short appearance. Lots of cameos, especially from the JSA.

All in all, this is a must-read classic comic for serious DC fans. It's pretty lengthy for a comic, but it's got invaluable characterization on the five original JLAers.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Consisting of perhaps one too many issues, JLA: Year One is chock full of great ideas, but lacks the precision and tightness of a great story. Revolving around the core five members, it explores how a superhero team is formed with a particular focus on learning to trust one another in a job where secrets can be the difference between life and death. Placed in a slightly bloated narrative, their personalities and dynamics shine through the humdrum and help to showcase characters outside of the Trinity.

actual rating3.5 stars

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with DC is that they rely too much on their Trinity (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman). Sure, there are stories which shine even without the Trinity, but sadly, this is not one of them.

What starts out as an interesting new take on the Justice League, turns into a long and dragged out chore. There are tons of filler stories, and it takes a lot of time to get to the main plot, which doesn't even seem that exciting once we reach the climax.

There are some good dynamics between the League members, and some funny moments too. The art is, though inconsistent, is decent for the eye. Overall, this is one JLA story that I really wouldn't recommend.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good! Mark Waids stuff has mostly been average for me; and with Tower of Babel being underwhelming, I was not too excited to read this one, but I am glad I did, because this was an absolute pleasure to read! So here we basically have the 1998 Justice League origin story, which, well its a Year One story, so you know the basic premise! The Twist here however, which was quite surprising for me, is that it only focuses on 5 heroes primarily: Green Lantern(Hal Jordan), Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, and The Flash(Barry Allen). This was definitely a risk, since these characters, were not the hottest heroes at the time, but it definitely paid off! Heroes like Batman and Superman, pretty much just have cameos sprinkled through out till the final battle at the end. Buts its okay, because Waid does a really good job of developing these 5 heroes, from the moment they meet, the friendships they start to form as it goes on, but also each of them tackling their personal lives vs Hero life! The Character development here, is probably one of the best I have seen in comics! It all kinda reminded me of Watchmen a bit, just a lot less grit. Artwork is also really good, but I am a sucker for 90s art! Overall, not the best JL origin story, but definitely one of the best!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mit JLA YEAR ONE haben Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn und Barry Kitson eine Liebeserklärung an die Superheldencomics des Golden- und Silver-Age geschaffen, die ihresgleichen sucht.

1960 musste die Justice League gegen ihren ersten Gegner Kämpfen, Starro, ein riesiges Seestern-Alien, das die Erde erobern wollte. Damals, vor fast 60 Jahren, ging so etwas noch, und erstaunlicher Weise gelingt es den Autoren, die zugegebenermaßen etwas "alberne" Ursprungsgeschichte so aufzupeppen, dass sie zeitgemäß und spannend ist. Vor allem aber wird mit Humor und der bereits erwähnten Sympathie erzählt, und genau diese Mischung macht den Band zu einem Fest für Comic-Liebhaber.
Im Zentrum steht vor allem die Teamfindung. Anders als zumeist Marvels Avengers kämpft die JLA nicht gegen-, sondern miteinander. Dazu bedarf es Vertrauen und Taktik, beides muss das neu gegründete Team erst erwerben.
Als sich schließlich herausstellt, dass der Gegner übermächtig ist und von der JLA nicht bezwungen werden kann, kommt es zu einem großartigen Team Up mit den "alten" DC-Helden des Golden Age. Nach diesem Wiedersehensfest möchte man am liebsten all die alten Comics aus einer Zeit ausgraben, als die Guten einfach gut und die Bösen schlecht waren. Ach, was waren das für Zeiten...

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of this was so fun! It was fun seeing them form a team and begin to work together even if it wasn’t the best relationship. HOWEVER! It was wayyy too long and there was so much needless filler. This could have been 6 issues and it would have been great. The ending saved it from being a two star. Especially when Black Canary says “ I’m going to stay single forever!” And then Green Arrow shows up. The ironnnnyy.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the incarnations of how the Justice League was formed. Green Lantern, Flash, Black Canary, Aquaman, & Martian Manhunter team up to fight Locus? Nothing really flows smoothly story wise; it seems to jump. We start off with, to me, them stumbling into teamwork and trying to work as a team. Too many 'strong' personalities. The automatically wanting to share identities was a bit weird; especially with people you just met. The backstory for each individual seemed to hinder the story a bit. You got it for most everyone except Aquaman. And Snappy!!! Ugh!!! Just an annoying token civilian.

Black Canary is annoying with the admiration of the original Justice League and anti-blonde (yet she wears a wig!). Green Lantern is typically arrogant, Flash is a bit of a wet lettuce, Martian is probably the most likeable, and Aquaman just sucks! Not the best story that I have read from DC. Let's see what Part 2 is like.

[Arianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book was really good. The writers picked great characterizations of the central heroes and executed them well. Some characters I normally find unbearable were lovely to read about here, simply because they were written well. The story had a very ordinary, almost cozy feel but with the promise of bigger things to come.

Unfortunately I found the second half very underwhelming - basically just a never-ending series of generic battles involving too many superheroes besides the ones the book is about.

[H. Givens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Works in all the expected references, but updates the story and makes more sense out of it. The characters have depth and variety, the art is attractive, and the people are easy to distinguish. Suspenseful and satisfying.

[Gabriel Llagostera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waid reescribe la primera época de la JLA, y si bien se nota el cariño por los personajes, la historia se me hizo leeeenta durante gran parte. En los últimos números la acción se acelera y termina en una enorme batalla épica.

La interacción entre los personajes intenta mantener la inocencia de la época original, y si bien es entendible, le saca verosímil a lo que se cuenta y entorpece algunas acciones que parecen sacadas de la manga.

En definitiva, un cómic entretenido en su tramo final, pero que es demasiado fiel a la época que quiere representar y por eso un tanto aburrido al comienzo.

[Adam Collings · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent introduction to the Justice League. While not the team up of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman etc. I think of when I hear the name, neither is it the collection of C list characters we see in The Death of Superman.
A good balance of small character moments with huge epic stakes. Some interesting mystery built up through the story. I found myself warming quickly to the dynamic between these characters.

[Andrew Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought that I would. The story was complex enough to be interesting and held together cohesively. There wasn't a lot of new information that I learned about the heroes, but it was supposed to be the first story with a newly formed Justice League. Seeing their interactions was interesting, and it helped showcase some of the sides of heroes that don't usually interact (Black Canary and Martian Manhunter).

[Omar Zambrano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mucho mejor de lo que me esperaba. Realmente estás entregas en las guales se hacen los reinicios se entienden muchas cosas y se generan hilos argumentales de sus miedos, su vida humana y sus anhelos.

Me pareció muy interesante Enemigos iniciales para la JLA sobre todo, porque existió una super carnicería

[Logan Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10:
I loved this story a lot! Getting to see the formation of the Justice League and their interactions with so many characters within the DC universe was really fun and I love how different yet alike these original five members are. To see The Flash, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, Aquaman, and Green Lantern begin trusting one another and working as a team is so interesting and their dynamics are so genuine.

I love how many characters are included, both as allies and enemies of the JLA. We see them work with Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, the Doom Patrol, Superman, the Justice Society, and so many others while they go head to head with villains such as Clayface, Vandal Savage, Eclipso, Monsieur Mallah, Solomon Grundy, and LOTS more.

Probably one of the coolest superhero origin stories you could ever read, and I’m really glad that I finally got around to this one!

[Youssef · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3

[D. R. Churner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a really enjoyable book. Surprised how much I liked it, despite it having nearly all the features that usually turn me off DC superhero teams. I almost gave it 5, but it just drags a bit too much, and I felt like I wanted an ending long before the last issue rolled in.

[Odo · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10

[Martin Kilbane · Rating 1 out of 5]

JLA? More like JLB as it's roster comprises of secondary characters. Ok that's harsh on Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter, and maybe the Flash. But having a JLA book without the main trinity of DC heroes (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman) then you need to take a good look at yourself.

Especially if you have Superman feature in the book and have him turn down membership, only to later help out and follow orders from the Flash.

I get the idea of starting something new to give the lesser characters time to shine, unfortunately a JLA book was not the right route to go. The storyline was rushed and felt like it had major changes in direction halfway through the book. That's not surprising though, as it was a comic series which I guess tried to make huge changes to entice people to read the comics. The results come off as something which was too big to chew, with instant ill-explained get outs and write arounds.

There are far more superior JLA books out their, the Grant Morrison series being one of them.

[Nerdish Mum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favourite version of how the JLA formed but incredibly well written. I enjoyed the artwork and I enjoyed the overall story. I felt Black Canary was not shown in a particularly good light and she came across very whiny and childish. I loved Martian Manhunter as usual and his attempt at humour was hilarious.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always fun (and informative) to read origin stories - and this origin story of the JLA was no exception. I might've liked it more had I known more about the actual characters and the inside jokes, but that was no severe hardship. Quick and easy read.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pocos autores como Mark Waid para reformular la quintaesencia pura y clásica de la narrativa superheroíca en viñetas. En el caso de DC comics, pocos años después de ese sentido trabajo con el Elseworld Kingdom Come que buscaba volver a poner en consideración los preceptos originales de estos personajes en pleno "avinagramiento" de los mismos en la convulsa década 90". Waid se unía al dibujante Brian Augustyn para plantear un "Año Uno" de la Liga de la Justicia. Formación DCita por antonomasia que en la cabecera troncal por aquellos años estaba a cargo de Grant Morrison. Pero Waid hacía honor a la oportunidad de recontar los inicios de la formación de este super grupo sabiendo recuperar el estilo y elementos de esas décadas clásicas. Al punto de sentir no tener la necesidad de recurrir a la lucrativa Trinidad DCita a no ser de suerte de "cameos" (o en el caso de Wonder Woman una curiosa ausencia absoluta). Concretando el protagonismo en Linterna Verde, Flash, Aquaman, Canario Negro y Detective Marciano. Realmente personajes fundacionales de la formación, pero que evidentemente no cuentan con ese "tirón comercial" de Superman, Batman o Diana de Themyscira. Pero el desafío de aupar a estos personajes es algo que resulta en el gran punto de interés de esta maxiserie. La cual, igualmente por desgracia, en el interés argumental de enmarcar todo elemento del conjunto en un aire "retro". Quizás sí que Waid y Augustyn dejasen en mal lugar hacia el lector (incluso de la época), ciertas escenas de interacción entre personajes y diálogos de rancio olor naftalina. Evidentemente la mayoría motivados por la presencia femenina de Dinah Lance con su "outfit" y misógina predestinación a causar intereses románticos entre la mayor cantidad de compañeros varones. Esto es una pena en cuanto Waid sabe concretar a los personajes en perfiles básicos pero de mucho interés. En el caso de Dinah, el hecho de que aunque no lo parezca, su rol como Canario Negro es más "disfraz" de lo que se asume. Y ese legado que la convierte en puente entre la Justice Society of America y la recién formada JLA, hacen resultar al personaje más interesante y vital que por supuesto que debe quedar relegado a que sus ambiciones queden finalmente ligadas al romance hueco entre los dos "líderes" del grupo. Por un lado, el intrépido y tosco Hal Jordan con su poderoso anillo de Linterna Verde y por el otro, Barry Allen. El Velocista Escarlata que por muy rápido que actúe en cuerpo y mente aún no logra equilibrar su vida civil y heroíca. Aquaman también resulta interesante de entrada, siendo una versión totalmente retraída y con total desconocimiento del mundo de la superficie, pero con un sentimiento heroíco como pocos que le "fuerza" a convivir con los terrestres que percibe que odian de entrada su convivencia. Este sentimiento de otredad le liga al marciano J´onn J´onzz, quien también actúa como superhéroe aunque siempre vigilante a quienes trata de salvar de quienes espera más odio que agradecimiento.

Lo que tras esta definición de supergrupo podría asumirse como un interesante abordaje de personajes en una situación de altas expectativas externas e internas a ser esos grandes baluartes de Justicia que el mundo empieza a ver en ellos. Realmente queda en un justo andamiaje argumental para arquitramar una saga concreta de primera gran super amenaza en varias etapas que pasan de una previa pugna con ciertas entidades alienígenas que son quienes reunieron a estos personajes. La presencia de Vandal Savage junto a la misteriosa organización LOCUS que serán los villanos recurrentes de las entregas. Un enfrentamiento contra la Hermandad del Mal que anima un Team Up con la Patrulla Condenada y finalmente una invasión total que pone en jaque a la comunidad superheroíca DCita. En este sentido, JLA: Año Uno funciona como una lectura del género canonica que en todo momento proporciona ese "sense of wonder" esencial de esta narrativa. Pero nunca lleva a nada más que pueda traspasar el canon más recordado de esta formación. Siendo, sí, una buena opción (para nada la menor) para una lectura de entrada a la Liga de la Justicia. Buscando un cristalino vistazo a la Silver Age desde esos años que vaticinaban las verdaderas reformulaciones de cambio de siglo. Pero hoy día, con el mismo ejemplo de Mark Waid y su World´s Finest sabiendo hacer el buen balance de idealizada evasión "pijamera" con más arrojo en cuanto a cimentar los personajes de este contexto de máscaras, superdores, capas y hiper tecnología. Deja una amarga sensación de lo que podría haber sido una esencial obra DCita.

[Nolan Gutenschwager · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. An excellent, whimsical, character-driven post-crisis origin of the JLA that very much had Silver Age vibes to it, which added to its charm. Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn do a great job putting the characters first, and Barry Kitson's art had a classic style to it that was tremendous.

This is the JLA origin with Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Flash (Barry), and Green Lantern (Hal). They are all very early in their careers, as is most of the superhero community it seems. I love seeing their personalities fleshed out and how they all interact with each other.

Black Canary is trying to get out of her mother, the original Black Canary's, shadow. She constantly brings up the JSA which was a fun touch. She works at a flower shop and is taking it over from her mother but she learns that this superhero stuff is what she really loves doing. She learns her mother had an affair with the original Starman in the JSA and this kind of taints her image of the whole JSA and that they are human after all.

MM is a great character and this book proves why he should be in the JLA. He is very kind, but he has had bad experiences with humans and so he is distrusting of everybody. He spies on everybody and shapeshifts into people in their civilian lives to better get to know them. It all comes to a head and they get mad at him when they find out, even thinking he may be working for the enemy, but the air is eventually cleared.

Aquaman could have been written stronger, as he is a bit odd here. There's this bit where he mumbles a lot because sound travels better underwater. He very much feels outcast because he does not know the language or customs of the surface that well. He struggles to take jokes at times. It was nice seeing him bond with MM since they are both outsiders.

Barry was great in this. A very smart, dorky, yet funny guy. He is not the loudest in the room but the others (except GL) view him as the team leader because he is smart and makes good decisions. He is engaged to Iris at this time but she does not know his secret identity. Barry and Dinah catch feelings for each other, and Barry kind of downplays his relationship with Iris as he ponders his feelings for Dinah. Dinah kisses him at one point. But ultimately Barry chooses to stay with Iris but stays on friendly terms with Dinah.

Hal is excellent as the brash, confident guy who thinks of himself as the team leader. He knows some of the other heroes like Green Arrow.

Ultimately some aliens are trying to take over earth and terraform it. One of them had taken over the body of Simon Carr who was sort of sponsoring the JLA, and his son Snapper is a mechanic for them. JLA prevails of course, and it is a good climax with MM just sending them away instead of killing them all when it looked like that may be their only choice, but he is sensitive to wiping out an alien race and the JLA does not kill.

There are so many great character moments throughout, such as when they start trusting each other and Barry is the first to reveal his identity to the team. The pacing and the villains could have been better. It is confusing because the Locus are built up as the enemy and they are controlling this alien race but then the alien race kind of just becomes the main enemy themselves, so it was hard to delineate that. Vandal Savage is kind of introduced late and almost presented as if he is the main villain but he barely does anything and just kind of goes away with no resolution. The main plot with these villains could have been condensed but I like the length because it gives more time for the characters to develop. But because of that, there is some filler, although it is fun, such as a crossover with the Doom Patrol. Also has a surprise ending when it is revealed that Oliver Queen is the one who is anonymously funding the JLA and they do not know it.

[Sebastian Lauterbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made me scratch my head a lot. It was a fun read, even though it has an incredibly slow build up and most of the protagonists are unlikable.

It's a year one story, so this book tells the story of the formation of the Justice League and how they fight their first few adventures. It's following the success of the famous Batman Year One and has a similar structure. I'm one of the few who really didn't enjoy Batman Year One, so I was a bit cautious with this book.

It features five main heroes: The Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Black Canary & Martian Manhunter. It feels like a team of B-Heroes, missing Batman and Superman or even Wonder Woman, who'd typically headline such a team. That's a deliberate choice and it (sort of) makes the hierarchy within the team very flat. The writer doesn't fully manage this, mostly because of how Black Canary is written, who cannot quite discard the damsel in distress status, unfortunately.

Green Lantern is a jerk and very unlikeable throughout. Aquaman is very dumb and has no real reason to join such a team. Flash is borderline cheating on his spouse and refuses to share anything with her. That's 3/5 characters in the team, that are unlikable or problematic. I do like how insecure Martian Manhunter is in portrayed here, though.

The character design of most of the heroes in here is really outdated. None of the costumes look good. I suppose that's deliberate too, but it just sucks to look at. The artwork on the other hand, is quite good, which is an interesting contrast.

I've given this book 4 stars, even though it has some problems, as described above, mostly because I enjoy the story. There is an overarching plot, neatly packaged into a mystery. Each of the heroes have a personal life, that is portrayed here, on top of finding together as a team, while they still clearly mistrust each other The progression feels good. The ending is not quite satisfactory for me, but I do like to see such a vast amount of characters.

All in all, I can recommend this, even though I do enjoy super hero action set in a modern setting more.

[Rizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did, but I still liked it quite a bit. Due to unfortunate circumstances of post-Crisis continuity, the Trinity is essentially absent here, leaving you with the feeling that something is definitely missing. In addition, the story starts off with the cast having already met! Doesn't that defeat the purpose? You'll need to read Secret Origins #32 if you want the true first meeting, which directly sets up the plot of Year One, but it's not necessary.

More frustrating is the fact that the iconic battle with Starro, the League's very first foe in the Silver Age, is completely skipped over here! Just a single panel throwaway reference, meaning there is no definitive post-Crisis telling of that iconic tale. Oh well.

So it's not the League's first meeting, it's not a retelling of the iconic Starro story, and it's not the story of The Seven uniting under the Trinity. But if you don't judge it on what it ISN'T, and rather what it IS, these problems are small. In general, it's a fun little story with some good character moments. It's far from Mark Waid's best work, especially in the clunky expository dialogue department, and it really could've been 2 or 3 issues shorter. But it's enjoyable. I don't recommend it as your first introduction to the JL, however. That honor goes to "DC: The New Frontier", which includes everything missing from this story and MORE (for real, go read it, it's one of DC's best). Of course that story is not canon, and this one is. That's life, I suppose.

[Benjamin Kimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn, and Barry Kitson take us back to the beginning of the Justice League during Waids favorite period to write: the nebulous silver age! Something that’s very different about this take on the JLA is the lack of the trinity. But it lets all of these other characters shine so much. The story is fine but what really works is the character moments between our cast. The five JLAers that we do get are: Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Black Canary, and Martian Manhunter. They don’t know each other well and they’re all very early in their superhero careers so seeing them come into their own and find themselves personally and as a group was really great. The looks into their personal lives and individual supporting casts really builds these characters and makes them far more dynamic. Black Canary especially shines, and seeing her grapple with her mother’s position in the JSA as the original Black Canary and trying to get out of her shadow was a big highlight for me. This story covers so much ground in establishing the beginning of the DC universe but it never feel’s bloated or overbearing. Every character that appears feels like they have a purpose, and there are a lot of characters. Barry Kitson uses thinner line work and less clunky designs to give the book a very silver age look and it works very well. Everyone feels so classic in it. It might not have the trinity, but this book is a great starting place for the JLA.