Instead of dropping us in media res as he did in "Justice League" #1, Geoff Johns decides to start from the beginning here, showing us Amanda Waller and Steve Trevor build the team from scratch. It's a wise move, given that many of these characters need more introduction than the Justice League did in their debut.
The most interesting revelation is the fact that the JLA is created as a safeguard against the Justice League, with each member selected as a counter-balance to the power of a specific member of the Justice League (Martian Manhunter to Superman, Katana to Wonder Woman, etc.). It's an interesting premise, though Johns oddly hangs his hat on the Superman/Wonder Woman romance as the genesis for the government's response. Waller explains that her superiors are worried about the power such a couple who wield and, although I get where they're going, it seems a somewhat hysterical reaction, given that they've essentially kissed and gone on one date. But, given Waller's general state of advanced paranoia, I guess I could buy that someone like her would immediately go to the worst-case scenario, particularly if doing so meant that she got a green light to form her own Justice League.
Going forward, the main challenge to me seems to be integrating a somewhat random roster into a team. Catwoman, Green Arrow, Hawkman, and Martian Manhunter are the most famous members of the group, though Johns reminds us that we know less about them in the DCnU than we did previously. But, right now, it's hard to see how these eight heroes (assuming Green Arrow is eventually included) are going to form a coherent team. It's also unclear if they're going to know that they're essentially here in case the Justice League goes rogue, particularly if Amanda Waller is the one who gets to define "rogue." But, with introductions made, I'm definitely on board to see where Johns goes from here. I actually feel like the less known characters might make it a bit easier for Johns to craft a narrative than it has been in "Justice League."
No comments:
Post a Comment