Thursday, June 18, 2015

Justice League of America #1

   Bryan Hitch has been one of the industry's hottest artists for years, but only in recent years has he actively tackled writing.

   His specialty is the wide-screen, larger than life adventure, which is a perfect fit for his amazingly detailed, hyper-realistic style (which owes a lot to Neal Adams).

   He delivers that in spades in his first writer / artist effort for DC, as they create a new Justice League of America title just for him.

   And it certainly pays off!

   Operating outside that pesky thing known as continuity, he focuses on the primary team (as established since the "New 52)  - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Cyborg.

   The first half of the book actually feels more like a Superman comic, but that opening sequence is stunning - if you haven't seen Hitch's work before, it'll show you why he's considered the master of stunning visuals.

   This is an oversized issue, which gives him room to run with wild action sequences, a mysterious (and potentially catastrophic) threat, and great interaction between the team members.

   This is just the beginning, and it's impressive. We would expected the art to be outstanding, but the story also has several great hooks in there, puzzles to sort out, and shocking revelations.

   It's a series that takes advantage of the larger-than-life playing field Hitch's work is suited for.

   Impressive!

Grade: A

------------------------

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm going to reread this book based on your review, but I found the art (in many places) unfinished and the story, at best, lacking. More to follow...

Chuck said...

Anon, that's fair. Because there were several inkers, the art does vary in quality - and the success of the story will depend on how it plays out, of course. But I thought it was a strong start with the potential for being a big, epic story. But not everyone like Hitch or this kind of "widescreen" story, so your mileage may vary.

Dwayne said...

And $6.99 is a huge barrier to entry for a new book, especially when there already another JL book.