Justice League #1

JasonNewcomb · Post by **JasonNewcomb** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:53 pm

Did you read your copy? I got mine and liked it!

This creative team could have pointed to the bleachers, swung for the fence and risk a whiffle. But instead they played smart ball, hit a line drive to center field and filled two bases with no outs.

Suprisong low-key and streamlined story. Very pleasantly surprised. I wrote a full review here. http://www.stashmycomics.com/blog/?p=2834

They could have just crammed every JLer in there but instead opted for a story that breathes. Very cool!

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 8:49 am

Hollywood reporter article:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-v ... ews-229958

Some very interesting stuff. In general, "comics people" are being a bit harder on this than civilians:

“Give the new audience that you're so desperately trying to entice a glimpse of what this book is about,” writes a reviewer at Comic Book Resources. “Because instead, what we're getting isn't really a story about the Justice League, it's a story about Batman and Green Lantern's first meeting, plus a non-Cyborg look at Cyborg's pre-hero life. It's not a bad script, but it's not enticing.”

Said Comics Beat: “This issue reminded me of Todd McFarlane’s first issue of Spider-man. It was so on the nose that it’s hard to take seriously. It’s definitely supposed to mimic video game dialogue, but on the printed page it comes off as not sparkling…This is a somewhat uninspired introductory comic for readers 13-up.”

The more mainstream and pop culture-oriented Entertainment Weekly, however, praises the book for being “very inviting,” giving Johns points for “grounding us in the new DC universe in a way that a pre-teen who’s never picked up a comic book will be able to follow” and loving Lee’s art: “Jim Lee’s art work is characterized by his trademark brawny musculature that in his best panels also achieves a striking degree of fluidity: Few artists make muscle-bound men move so sleekly.”

It’s too early for any pronouncements yet, said a gentleman for the New York Times. “To conclude anything now would be like reviewing a feature-length film on its first 15 minutes”

NY Times comment is a little troubling, as it seems to be saying he's not feeling like he got a complete story, but it sounds like he's already been coached to not expect one.

BadDeacon · Post by **BadDeacon** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:34 am

I went to TWO shops yesterday to pick this up, and BOTH were sold out. At the first place, the chick I asked about it scoffed at me, as if I was silly for expecting that they would even have the book (last straw for that crappy shop, even if it is directly between where I work and where I live).

At the second shop the guy was a lot more friendly. He said they sold out very quickly, and that they just had no idea how to order it. He said that as it was, they ordered twice as many copies of this than they were selling of Justice League before the relaunch, and twice as many than they would usually order of a number 1 issue.

I've got the issue on order from DCBS, so this was an impulse, "gotta check it out" purchase, so now I'll just wait till it arrives in my box. I was surprised that places were sold out though, the same evening it came out.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 12:20 pm

BadDeacon wrote:I went to TWO shops yesterday to pick this up, and BOTH were sold out. At the first place, the chick I asked about it scoffed at me, as if I was silly for expecting that they would even have the book (last straw for that crappy shop, even if it is directly between where I work and where I live).

Wow. I wonder how many copies they actually bought. Double old Justice League could mean they were getting 40 copies.....

My LCS had >200 copies (they did get the 1:200 sketch variant that they'll be selling on eBay). Plenty of copies to be had, but I was there during the 1st hour they were open yesterday. I'll be really curious to see how many copies they have next Weds.

Danscomics · Post by **Danscomics** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:52 pm

DC declared it a sell out in less than 24 hours yesterday at 5 PM. They sent an email to all retailers letting us know that there is a second printing coming. I know I sold out of all copies of the regular and the combo pack in less than 24 hours and I went ahead and ordered a few copies of the 2nd printing because people are still asking for it.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 2:31 pm

Danscomics wrote: I know I sold out of all copies of the regular and the combo pack in less than 24 hours

How many copies was that?

AND did you sell to people coming in that were not regular customers, or did you sell a lot to people who normally just buy Marvel? (I'm assuming all DC fans would be getting it).

GABE! · Post by **GABE!** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 3:43 pm

We ordered 201 copies of Justice League #1. We had most of the variants sold during our midnight release. But the next day we sold all the other variants including the 1-200 AND 8 other variants that we had to transfer from our other store. Right now we have about 5 of the combo issues left and about 20-30 of the regular issues left. We got a huge amount of new customers coming into the shop because of the new Justice League #1

GABE! · Post by **GABE!** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 4:59 pm

I just got word that the second prints are sold out already

BadDeacon · Post by **BadDeacon** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 5:59 pm

The shop I went to said they ordered 35 copies, and their usual justice league order was around 15 to 20 copies. They said they were, however, picking up some copies this morning from another shop across town that ordered a couple hundred to get the incentive variants.

J. Farrell · Post by **J. Farrell** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:23 pm

Everything I need to know about this issue I got from this dialogue:

Batman: "You flew us to Metropolis in a glowing green jet?"

GL: "You can't fly, so how else were we going to get here? Talk in a deep voice?"

That's awful writing folks, on so many levels. It's cliche, it's unnatural (why would Batman wait until they landed to make a comment about the jet?) and it makes absolutely no sense (Batman has been known to have a vehicle or three.)

keith71_98 · Post by **keith71_98** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:56 pm

I really liked it, not so much due to anything strikingly unique, but because there is such a gravity to it. Everything's new and fresh and we have no idea what's going to happen. It also had loads of hype that elevated the expectations that can sometimes be tough to overcome.

spid · Post by **spid** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 6:34 am

After reading the first issue I am not sure this is a book I want to read monthly. The storytelling was so decompressed that I am not sure it is worth the monthly read. The story itself was OK, but I think I will change my plans and move to trades.

abysslord · Post by **abysslord** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:37 am

J. Farrell wrote:Everything I need to know about this issue I got from this dialogue:

Batman: "You flew us to Metropolis in a glowing green jet?"

GL: "You can't fly, so how else were we going to get here? Talk in a deep voice?"

That's awful writing folks, on so many levels. It's cliche, it's unnatural (why would Batman wait until they landed to make a comment about the jet?) and it makes absolutely no sense (Batman has been known to have a vehicle or three.)

I find a lot of dialogue in comics is pretty unnatural. If you were a super-villain would you enter a room yelling your name? It's similar to everything else, like their names. Would you call yourself Wonder Woman, Captain America, or any other cheesy name?

Same thing happens in TV and movies. I believe it was Harrison Ford who said, after reading some lines from Star Wars, "George, you can write this but you can't say it." I find that happens a lot in comics.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 10:24 am

J. Farrell wrote: That's awful writing folks, on so many levels. It's cliche, it's unnatural

I found it kind of humorous and it didn't bother me at all.

J. Farrell wrote: (why would Batman wait until they landed to make a comment about the jet?)

Because they didn't write an interim scene where that line could have otherwise gone?

J. Farrell wrote: and it makes absolutely no sense (Batman has been known to have a vehicle or three.)

Sure, but GL & Batman just met. GL doesn't know he has those vehicles.

There are certain concessions you need to make in comics. In reality (well, comic book "reality"), Flash is so fast most of his fights with the rogues would be over & they'd be in jail in between them uttering the 1st & second syllables of the 1st word out of their mouth. Superman's powers would allow him to end most fights similarly fast against any JL foe that was not so powerful that it could completely obliterate Cyborg with a blink of an eye.......

Some of this stuff you just need to roll with in order to enjoy the comics.

JasonNewcomb · Post by **JasonNewcomb** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 10:33 am

J. Farrell wrote:Everything I need to know about this issue I got from this dialogue:

Batman: "You flew us to Metropolis in a glowing green jet?"

GL: "You can't fly, so how else were we going to get here? Talk in a deep voice?"

That's awful writing folks, on so many levels. It's cliche, it's unnatural (why would Batman wait until they landed to make a comment about the jet?) and it makes absolutely no sense (Batman has been known to have a vehicle or three.)

Dude, that's the whole point of the scene. Green Lantern doesn't give a (bleep) about Batman's cars. He just basically kidnaps him and flies him over without asking for permission. That's the whole idea. Green Lantern is being a bit of a dick. So is Batman, he's just being paranoid about GL and Supes. As he is wont to do. Even Supes is a jerk in this book. He basically says hi to Green Lantern via uppercut.

That's the whole point of the story. They have to learn to work together and not be jerks all the time.