Darkseid has finally made his appearance and he's pretty much kicked everyone's butt before the Justice League could even fully form.
The Good
Through these first few issues of JUSTICE LEAGUE in the "New 52," we've been treated to great art and action as we witness a new threat arriving on Earth and the heroes getting together to form the future team. I have to admit I was getting a little impatient but now that Darkseid has arrived, you can feel the tension rising. The close up shot of his face on the very first page speaks volumes as you know he's not going to be a villain that messes around.
Johns and Lee are almost catering to the readers' wishes. Who doesn't want to see what happens if Superman and Flash tried outrunning Darkseid's Omega Beams? There is also plenty of destruction. The heroes might be gathered but they're not going to easily win the fight. The big question is how will this team get together? They haven't been able to get along. We've seen major clash in personalities. That's what adds a great updated feel. Originally the team formed and didn't have a problem with each other. While we've had a little of the heroes-fighting-heroes, the mistrust and overconfidence makes them feel more...realistic.
There's also plenty of hero-speech making. Characters are evolving already. Now is the time they realize whatever skirmishes they had with villains was pretty minor compared to this battle. It's not a game and now is the time to accept their roles as heroes.
Lee's art is, as always, a treat to see. Even though there are plenty of big panel layouts, you almost want to see them on an even larger scale. Even when Lee and Scott Williams draw characters standing around talking to each other, it's great to look at.
The Bad
We're still not seeing fully why Cyborg is here. Despite being prominently featured on the cover, he only speaks in five panels. Poor Aquaman only gets to say one word and Wonder Woman gets just a tiny bit more. The issue largely focuses on Batman, Green Lantern and Flash. With the conclusion to this story coming, hopefully each member of the team will play a large and significant role. It was also a little odd that Batman's costume could be so easily...manipulated.
I did like the hero-speech given but there are some that will probably fee it was a little cheesy. Still, you have to admire the drive of the characters and the actions a couple of them take in this issue.
For the 'back-up,' we get sketchbook entries on Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg. They're great to see but not quite a major selling point for the issue. Bring on the Captain Marvel back-ups!
The Verdict
We are so close to officially having the Justice League in action. With Darkseid on the scene, there is some major destruction. He's proving to be quite an adversary for the heroes in the "New 52" and he barely has to do anything. Geoff Johns continues to develop the characters in their 'early days' and we're already seeing changes and they try to figure out how to get through this battle. Jim Lee and Scott Williams keep the action going with their amazing layouts that remind fans why they love seeing their work. With so many team members in the book, most of them are left standing around with nothing to say or do. Hopefully this won't be the case in the next explosive issue. JUSTICE LEAGUE is like a treat for the fans and I don't want it to end.