Justice League

• Title: Justice League United #1
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Jeff Lemire
• Artist: Mike McKone

Not as strong as the new series’ opening zero issue, Justice League United #1 features the newly constituted Justice League Canadian team taking on a giant monster who is more than a match for Green Arrow, Animal Man, Stargirl, and the Martian Manhunter. While offering the same humor of last month’s issue, and wasting no time to get Adam Strange into a New 52 version of his trademark costume, things get a little bloodier this time around (particularly in the B-story involving Hawkman‘s battle with pseudo-Lobo in space).

While I still think this group of heroes can work, I’m having some doubts about the initial set-up here as it looks like it’s going to take at least a couple more issues to bring the full team together and make sense of things. A more straightforward first story, more centered on establishing the dynamics of the group and how the team works together would probably have worked better rather than throwing us into a pair of separate stories light years apart which are likely only to get more complicated as the Canadian group is transported to Rann. For fans.

[DC, $3.99]

• Title: Justice League United #0
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Jeff Lemire
• Artist: Mike McKone

Although there are certainly some oddities here, Justice League United launches with a zero issue rather than a #1, the timing of the book is a bit nebulous (taking place sometime after DC’s still running Forever Evil crossover event and with a non-Red Lantern Supergirl), I’ve got to say DC’s grouping of a Canadian-based Justice League team written by Jeff Lemire with art by Mike McKone is better (and funnier) than expected and could be the New 52‘s best new title since Worlds’ Finest.

Offering an Adam Strange (apparently) before his time on Rann, Lemire and McKone populate the team with a nice collection of B-list and C-list heroes which one would assume would allow the creative team a little more leeway in terms of storylines compared to the major Justice League title. The comic puts together Stargirl, Martian Manhunter, Strange, Supergirl (who only appears on the cover), Green Arrow, and Hawkman (who apparently with take on pseudo-Lobo next month) for a first issue that delivers some fun interactions and plenty of action. I’m interested to see where things go from here. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]