JUSTICE LEAGUE- ENDLESS WINTER #1

     DC Comics fired their publisher, Dan Didio, earlier this year. One of the reasons was probably that some people didn't like his new, bold, 5G idea that was supposed to happen this Fall. He was going to replace all of the big superheroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman with new, younger characters. Bruce Wayne would retire or die and Lucius Fox's son, Luke Fox (Batwing), would be the new Batman. I'm not sure who the other new characters were supposed to be, but we will find out because they are still doing 5G, albeit in a shortened, two-month version now known as Future States. While I can see the uproar from some people about replacing classic characters, I can also see why Dan Didio was going to do it. It would be so controversial and so shocking that it'd probably sell a lot of issues and get people talking...which is kind of what the comic book business needs these days since new readers seem to to not exist in the comic book world, at least in the numbers the business needs to thrive. This was always Didio's idea as publisher: to shake things up. He did the new 52 where every issue reverted back to #1. He put Bendis on both Superman books. He published Before Watchmen. Well he's gone, and DC has already announced that they're going to cut the number of books published next year. That means DC's best book, John Constantine: Hellblazer, probably won't be coming back (it ended at #12 last week). As will other, low-on-the-totem-pole books. What we'll probably see is Batman, Superman, The Flash, Justice League, Wonder Woman, and not much else. Which is kind of sad, actually. Before Future States starts, though, we're getting a month long event book titled "Endless Winter." It'll run 8 parts through a bunch of titles and mainly features the Justice League characters. After reading this first issue, I'm kind of at a loss for why this even exists. It feels like a throwback book and something that young kids would read and enjoy. Since most comics these days feel mature and dark and more for old heads like me, this feels kind of jarring. And while I don't mind reading fun romps aimed at younger kids (Lumberjanes is great...if you've never read it), Justice League- Endless Winter #1 is fucking terrible. First off, it's about the least original plot in comics ever. The Frost King, an evil dude made of ice, comes out of the ground where the fortress of solitude used to be (Bendis destroyed it...as he also destroyed any pleasure had while reading a Superman book lately). The Frost King imposes winter across the world. The Justice League has to save the day! Ugh. I suppose I wouldn't have minded this book if the art was decent. The cover by Mikel Janin is great, but the interiors done by Howard Porter are awful. The book looks sloppy. Everyone's face is drawn really distorted; looking at them makes me feel like I'm tripping on acid. The plot and dialogue by Andy Lanning and Ron Marz is terrible. There are all these weird scenes of Aquaman and The Flash pondering their family life for some reason. Unfortunately, that doesn't really fit into a book that's supposed to be a big adventure, action-packed, event book. The big climax reveal has a few characters in 10th century Egypt dealing with The Frost King. The Swamp Thing is alive and in 10th century Egypt? Who greenlit this crap? 1/2*