After cutting his writing teeth on his creator-owned series at Image Comics, Real Heroes, famed comic book artist Bryan Hitch has been handed the reins to DC Comics' biggest superhero team.
When the DC rebooted with the New 52 in 2011, there was no rebooted Justice League of America title. Instead, a new series was launched with the shortened name, Justice League. It was assumed that this was the rebooted JLA — with a name that made more sense, since the League has always been about defending the world, not just the U.S.A. — but now DC has seen fit to have Justice League and JLA comics running concurrently. (Hitch even makes a joke out of the oddity that is the of America part of the title.) While Justice League has incorporated newer members, JLA seems to be focused on the core group of seven heroes — the same seven that will be seen in Warner Bros.' Justice League films.
The new JLA's mandate is "massive widescreen action and adventure," and Hitch is a great choice for that, artistically. He's probably remembered most for his similarly huge action in The Ultimates. So it comes as no surprise that his art is consistently terrific. But how does he fare as a writer?
Quite well. Let's not forget that comic artists are storytellers too, so Hitch knows his way around a narrative. He starts with a brief flash-forward that teases a big twist to come (but don't worry, he doesn't delay gratification for long) before setting up the central mystery at the heart of this initial story arc. Superman gets the surprise of his life when Clark Kent receives a mysterious invitation, while the rest of the Justice League investigates some strange goings-on involving the villain Parasite. Aquaman gets a subplot that doesn't seem connected to the rest of the issue, that's mostly an exchange that once again underscores Atlantis' indifference to the politics of the sufface world.
If you've seen the solicitation summary for JLA #1, then you know Hitch has plans for an "armada of aliens heading for Earth," a "religious tribe" with "ties to ancient Krypton." Whatever that's about, it's not part of this opening issue until the final pages, where it's just a teaser.
There's plenty to like about JLA #1, but it's got a few issues. It's an extra-sized issue, but that doesn't seem to be due to story reasons. All that extra action is fun, but the fight against Parasite gets a little convoluted at times, and goes on a few pages longer than it should. It's as if Hitch sat down to write and draw the issue, and decided to indulge himself by not worrying about page count.
He makes a few rookie writing mistakes, too, like overuse of the word "all." I'm not crazy about his portrayal of Flash as a reckless juvenile. That said, his characterization of Batman as the team's research nerd is surprisingly satisfying.
On the whole, as his big franchise writing debut, Bryan Hitch acquits himself admirably. He's ambitious in his storytelling, which is always a good thing, with an epic-sized plot, wild twists and turns, and some fun characterizations. We're excited to see where this goes.
Story:
★★★☆☆
Art:
★★★★☆
Overall:
★★★★☆
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