When I think of the Justice League, I always think in terms of size. For as long as I’ve been reading them, Justice League stories have been huge affairs with world-leveling threats and impossible odds to beat. The bigger the scope of the story, the more it feels like a Justice League comic to me. Justice League: Rebirth #1 delivers on all of that and more, while still telling a done-in-one story that is at its core character-driven.
Bryan Hitch pulls double-duty as both writer and penciller on this issue. On the writing side, he has a few post-DC Universe: Rebirth housekeeping items to take care of. The result is a story that cuts between the remaining League as we know it facing off against an unidentified alien creature that is threatening to destroy New York and enslave its inhabitants, and the Kent Smith farm, where Clark and Lois are discussing whether or not Superman should join this world’s Justice League. It’s a really fun twist to see the outsider’s perspective on the League come from Superman, and the idea that the other members of the team might not trust him should make for some great group dynamics going forward. We’re also briefly introduced to the two leads of the Green Lanterns series, Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz, who also join the team with this issue. With two Green Lanterns on the team, this Justice League may end up being the most powerful team yet.
What is there to say about Hitch’s pencils that hasn’t already been said a hundred times before. He nails the chaotic action of the New York scenes, the quieter introspection of the Smith farm, and the creepy interior of the alien creature. He’s inked here by Daniel Henriques and Scott Hanna, and the result, combined with Alex Sinclair’s colors, is clean, energetic art that keeps the story moving and visually interesting. The regular series will be drawn by Tony Daniel, who has a very different style compared to Hitch’s, so it’ll be interesting to see how they compare or contrast to one another.
As a jumping-on point, Justice League: Rebirth #1 is just about perfect. It introduces the players, gives each of them a chance to show us what they can do, establishes what’s different about this team compared to how it was before, and sets up a major threat that the League will have to face. As an ‘action movie’ series with an A-list cast and strong characterization, Justice League is set to be a tentpole title for the post-Rebirth DCU.
