Heroes of the DC Universe come together under the banner of the Justice League! Grab your cape and cowl and join us for this review of Justice League Unlimited #1…
Justice League Unlimited #1
Written by: Mark Waid
Art and Main Cover by: Dan Mora
Variant Covers: Jim Lee, Andy Kubert, Howard Porter, Ed Benes, Simone Bianchi, Daniel Sampere, Dave Wilkins, Edwin Galmon, Yasmine Putri
Page Count: 28 pages (with backup of Hush 2 preview)
Release Date: November 27, 2024
Justice League Unlimited #1 begins after the events of Absolute Power and the DC All In Special, as the heroes of the world pool their resources to create a contingent capable of fighting evil anywhere, anytime: a coalition of Earth’s finest superheroes, the Justice League.
Taking cues from the beloved animated series of the early aughts (notice the sunrise-backlit title page), the JLU surveys the planet from their satellite HQ, the Watchtower, equipped with state-of-the-art technology to respond to threats the world over. The best part of having a team with such an extensive roster is that anyone can show up.
Justice League Unlimited #1 features some heavy hitters (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and more) and some faces fans may be less familiar with. These rookies to the league serve as excellent jump-in points; the world is just as new to them as it is to us – as they learn, so do we. Airwave, an Austin, Texas-based superhero with electromagnetic powers, arrives on the Watchtower in the midst of several world-spanning crises. There’s no time for introductions!
In South Africa, Superman, Wonder Woman, Firestorm, and more fight a battalion of Warwheels baring down on a crucial iridium mine. Newly minted heroine Star Sapphire (from the pages of Green Lantern) grapples with her responsibilities, but luckily, she has a good teacher in Black Lightning. While Wonder Woman and Supes take care of the WMDs, new recruits Star Sapphire and Airwave use their powers in clever ways to rescue civilians caught in the crossfire.
Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, Batman and Blue Beetle investigate a mysterious threat that has terraformed a local jungle. This multi-plot narrative is the strength of the JLU property – that it can cover a great distance and diversity of characters all within one story. Economically, it also means being rewarded with the most bang for your buck – your favorite heroes (and those you’re soon to love) all in one place.
Mark Waid and Dan Mora are piloting the Javelin of Justice League Unlimited #1, fresh off their work on Absolute Power, the precursor series to Justice League Unlimited. Dan Mora’s art is crisp and reliable, which explains why he’s staffed on so many concurrent DC series. Overall, the grandiosity of the content isn’t yet matched by the medium, which is to say, the story is relatively tame compared to the ostensible scale of powers involved.
This safe start is forgivable, as Justice League Unlimited #1 has a lot of exposition to bear on its shoulders, and further installments will have shed that yoke. One such responsibility of the series is to introduce its components for their spin-offs: The Question, Black Lightning, and Challengers of the Unknown, among others. Mark Waid is used to multi-series event titles with high stakes, so I have no reason to doubt that this, too, will find its footing.
Nonetheless, the very concept of an army of do-gooders on-call for Earth’s defense is worthy of picking up the first issue on New Comic Wednesday. Justice League Unlimited is a huge opportunity for great stories, and Justice League Unlimited #1 teases the potential of what may come next!
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