Comic Vine Review

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Justice League of America's Vibe #1 - Not-So-Secret Origin

4

There have been some strange choices for the new JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA but it's here we get to fully see who Vibe is and why we should be interested in him.

The Good

Let's admit it, when we all heard Vibe was going to be on the Justice League of America, we all thought it was a joke. He's a character that was never quite taken seriously. We know that Geoff Johns has a record of taking B- or C-list characters and turn them into something spectacular. That might be what's happening here.

This is Vibe's origin issue. I was familiar with the character from his previous adventures long ago in the Detroit Justice League. I didn't know too much about him and I'm still not sure what his original origin was. What we get here is an introduction to a 'new' teenage hero. Besides the obvious reason about diversity, it's nice to see some mix in the DC Universe. Where he comes from, how he gets his powers and why he'll be recruited to the Justice League of America just works in this New 52 Universe.

Pete Woods does a great job with the art. You do get a sense of Vibe's background and neighborhood rather than it being a weak comic book attempt. Vibe and his family do look like they should rather than an average character simply colored a different shade. How much Vibe's background will play into this series remains to be seen. Hopefully we'll continue to see more of Vibe's heritage without it feeling too forced.

The Bad

Vibe's origin and connection to the DC Universe is a nice addition. I'm not sure if I absolutely love it but it does make sense. This is a set up issue. We do see some of the teenage hardships on the surface here. It'll be interesting to see how that plays into his role in the JLA.

With the team's name in the title, it's not clear if this will truly be a solo book or if it will be deeply rooted into the JLA's stories. The coming issues will determine the tone and direction of this series.

The Verdict

In another surprise, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA'S VIBE is a fun read. Vibe immediately seemed like an odd choice as part of the new JLA series as well as getting his own book. Geoff Johns and Andrew Kreisberg do a great job introducing who Vibe is in the New 52 and we get a full origin on how he got his abilities. If you're looking for more diversity in your comics, there is that angle here but it doesn't have an overly forced feel, which is great. Pete Woods' art is a great fit for this title and he captures everything perfectly. It's hard to say what the next or future issues will be like. This was the set up issue and now that he'll be on the JLA, it's unclear whether he'll have solo adventures (and who he'd go up against) or if the stories will be more aligned with events from JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I'm really curious to see what happens next, especially after the huge cliffhanging scene on the last page.