CREDIT: DC Comics
Rating: 3.5/5 – Batman and the B-List Heroes of DC.
By ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
Justice League of America: Rebirth number one is the typical Rebirth book, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it truly is a book that sets up what’s to come. There has been plenty of focus around the Justice League lately with a stand alone series, a crossover with the Suicide Squad and an upcoming movie, so DC is striking while the iron (and fan interest) is hot and is releasing another ongoing series. This time though it’s focusing on a team that doesn’t include DC’s trinity, or even some of it’s most popular heroes. It’s Batman leading a team of B-listers that could potentially provide for some unique stories.
As this issue opens, it’s Killer Frost who gets the spotlight as Batman’s first recruit to join the new team. It’s an odd pick and will require some previous reading to understand why, but it sets the tone for what will end up being an odd team. From there, Killer Frost goes on to recruit Black Canary and on the story goes with each subsequent team member recruiting the next. While it’s somewhat exciting to see each team member get chosen, the rapid pace by which the story does so doesn’t allow for a whole lot of depth or character development. Writer Steve Orlando gets us through the selection process of the seven new team members quickly over the course of this rebirth issue and while I appreciate it not being drawn out, some characters like the Ray and Vixen could have had a little bit more time to shine.
What I loved about this issue was the art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado. I’ve said it before, but Reis continues to be one of my favorite artists working today and this is another solid example of why. He’s able to handle a large cast and it’s great to see his drawing of the Ray and Lobo in particular (and thank goodness it’s the classic Lobo!). Reis uses plenty of different angles to capture the heroes and the action and it’s definitely the highlight of the book for me.
If you like “getting the gang together” types of stories, then you’ll enjoy Justice League of America: Rebirth, but be aware that this really isn’t required reading for the story ahead, aside from assembling the team line-up nothing vital; happens here. While I didn’t love this first issue for its story, the art and the potential of future stories with this team is what will have me coming back for more!
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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I think calling the team (outside of Batman) B-listers is being generous.
I’ll give Black Canary B-list status, but the rest of these characters are C & D listers (or we can reverse that to call them DC-listers)