JUSTICE LEAGUE #1

It's a bold idea, I'll admit that. DC Comics is re-numbering every book #1 this month and most of them are getting new writers and artists. There are some new books, too, like this one, the flagship title, written by Geoff Johns and pencilled by Jim Lee. I'm actually very surprised such a bonkers idea got green lit. I bet Marvel is laughing their ass of, assuming this is a last ditch effort by a struggling, second tier company. All comics are struggling, though, and I bet DC gets a big boost this month in sales. The problem is that it won't last. The other problem is this: next September will Justice League #13 be out with Jim Lee and Geoff Johns still on board? Highly unlikely. DC isn't just re-numbering and shuffling writers and artists. They've also changed the entire universe. Superman and Batman haven't met until the final page of this issue. And superheroes in general are on the run, on the fringes. It's a new day, baby. That will make this book interesting, as it gives us a lot of story to sort through and uncover. But all of DC history is gone. That's a little ridiculous and will definitely be a problem for some books. This book in particular is a solid effort but nothing extraordinary. The art is colorful and vibrant and the banter between the Green Lantern and Batman is cute. It doesn't do enough, though, to make me care about the next issue. I've never read a mega-superhero group book that was downright awesome. They're usually all over the map and feature too many characters to let anything cohesive happen. This, really, just feels like another issue of Flashpoint. **