Absolute Power was an extremely consequential big event. The event showed how important the Justice League are. Now that team is returning in the form of Justice League Unlimited. Under the new Justice League banner Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman saw it best if the heroes of the DC Universe worked together rather than apart. While this isn’t the first time this has been done given where all the heroes are at this point the concept from the highly popular DCAU series has a lot of potential. Let’s see how things begin with Justice League Unlimited #1.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: Ariana Maher
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #1 SOLICITATION
“THE WATCHTOWER RISES! The Justice League is back and bigger than ever! In the wake of Absolute Power and the DC All In Special, Darkseid’s death has triggered a massive power vacuum in the DCU, and Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman must unite like never before and expand the Justice League to encompass every hero championing the forces of good in the face of incredible evil!
As our heroes work to uncover the mystery of the dark lord’s successor, Ray Palmer’s Atom Project triggers a race between hero and villain to control the fate of metahuman abilities on planet Earth, which threatens to destroy everything the League has built. Worlds will live, worlds will die, and a surprise is waiting in store on the last page… Do not miss the dawn of the new era of justice — it all begins here!” – DC Comics
REVIEW
Given the name of this title Mark Waid and Dan Mora knew exactly the nostalgic points they needed to hit for fans of the DC Animated Universe. From big things like different hero teams mobilizing for various missions to small homage from he credits page that invoked the DCAU Justice League intro, there are just so much cool things here for fans. Making these touches of nostalgia even better is how Waid and Mora make sure they are all done in a way that amplifies what the Justice League Unlimited direction means under the DC All In banner.
If there was doubt that the Justice League Unlimited would not feature more than just the core seven Leaguers this first issue quickly takes away all doubt. Waid and Mora make sure that this first issue is a big show, rather than tell. Yes, there is a big mission we see Superman and Wonder Woman lead as the main focus. But at various points we see how other heroes are assembled to deal with other missions around the DCU. It is a great example of how to use a combination of panels in a comic book to get across the series mission statement.
Showing how active all the heroes are gets across how the Justice League Unlimited aren’t just letting their reputation carry this direction. They understand the impact of the presence of active heroes has. It shows how Absolute Power did leave a lasting impression as the classic status quo was not good enough. Having different combinations of heroes responding to different crisis. Added touches of the Titans and JSA members also operating out of the Watchtower adds to the universal scope the team has now.
This made the main mission with Superman, Wonder Woman, Black Lightning, Star Sapphire, Firestorm, and Kid Flash be a great showcase. The combination of heroes was unique in a way that shows that the Justice League Unlimited will have different team make-ups that are optimized for the crisis at hand. Each member had a role to play against all the mechs they were facing off. Through all the fighting we see that protecting the innocent people was the most important thing to this mission.
This mission along with the smaller, but still important, mission Batman and Blue Beetle teamed up to start to develop the great plot going on. With the heroes being even more organized than ever it was only a matter of time before there was a response from the villain side of things. The new organization going by the name Inferno had the appropriate ominous tone that things won’t be very simple.
This all made the reveal of Air Wave, the newest DCU hero joining the team and proving himself in the big mission, being a traitor be an effective hook ending. There are definite Terra vibes from Marv Wolfman and George Perez’s Teen Titans run with this reveal. Revealing Air Wave as a traitor whose mission is to kill the Justice League creates the question of what is really going on. Because this reveal happened way to soon that there won’t be more to it and Waid does a good job treating it as such.
Through all of this Dan Mora once again proves why he is one of the best artists in the industry. Every panel and page in Justice League Unlimited #1 has a big event feel. We are constantly in motion as there are so many things going on in the DC Universe that requires different teams to come together. The action we get throughout this issue emphasizes how important it is to have heroes who all serve specific purposes on a mission is important to the team’s success. It is all a joy to see.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Justice League Unlimited #1 is a phenomenal start that firmly establishes this series DC Comics premiere comic book. Mark Waid and Dan Mora absolutely nail the tone of what it means for the DCU heroes to be united under the Justice League banner. There is an immediate sense of importance to what the heroes are doing and there are pieces put into place for an exciting long-term future.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
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