Customer Reviews

Justice, Vol. 1

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Reprinting the first four issues of the 12-part "Justice" limited series, plus bonus pages, "Justice Volume 1" is the beginning of one of the great epics in JLA history, set fairly early in the team's history, and involving reams of outstanding classic DC Universe characters. I'll admit I'm not exactly sure when - or even if - this fits into continuity; I decided from the beginning to take this as a stand-alone story, one of those 'may be continuity/may be Elseworlds' tales that DC occasionally comes up with.

Horrible dreams of global destruction are occuring to several characters - but not to the characters one would expect to be so deeply troubled by them, but to the kind of people who are usually Plotting the mayhem. People like Lex Luthor. And Luthor decides to take action, aligning himself with an array of other unlikely champions - Black Manta, Gorilla Grodd, etc. Luthor presents to a host of the world's supervillains the same case he's preparing to bring directly before the people of the world: if there are these godlike beings like the Justice League looking after things, why is there still poverty and starvation in the world? Why is there government oppression all over the globe? Why is there disease? Why do wars still rage? Logically they should be able to bring an end to it all, so goes Luthor's arguement. But they don't. Or won't. Such an omission invalidates any right on the part of the 'superheroes' to your trust, Luthor maintains. Don't trust them; trust Us. Join us, and we'll bring you utopia.

The thing is, this time, how can Luthor be countered? The efforts of the planet's superhuman defenders against the kind of miseries and injustices Luthor outlines have been tackled from time to time, but rarely. I've always assumed that the ongoing battle on these fronts takes a larger slice of the superheroes's efforts than we're being shown, and that efforts to eradicate these ills are counterbalanced by other larger-than-life circumstances (or to put it another way, every time Superman delivers enough food to a drought-stricken region of Africa, an Imperiex clone or something devastates another large area, making it a constant game of catch-up). But that is just an assumption, and to the general populace of the DC Universe Earth, wouldn't it look like the League and its allies are willing to defend the planet from monsters and hostile aliens, but perfectly willing to let the other parts of the picture slide? ARE they willing? Is Lex right this time? COULD a concerted effort by the superheroes have made much more of a difference on these fronts? When Luthor and his allies begin to make that difference themselves, it begins to look uncomfortably plausible.

Meanwhile, in the midst of all this, Luthor co-ordinates a huge coalition of some of DC's biggest and baddest to make synchronized strikes against the superheroes around the globe. And what is behind the dreams in the first place? Are larger forces at work, pulling strings? Where, exactly, Do the superheoes draw the line between what's saving people and what's controlling them? And is that line justified? It's a book of questions, that's for sure.

Everything about the saga excels. The sheer volume of players involved - Superman, Batman, Solomon Grundy, Poison Ivy, Red Tornado, Wonder Woman, Grodd, Aquaman, Luthor, Flash, numerous others...and other characters who aren't in play Yet but whose appearances are foreshadowed in the cover art. The innovative ways we're seeing characters use their powers. The gorgeous art in every panel. The flawless dialogue. I could go on.

The bonus pages here that weren't in the original issues consist (in addition to some preliminary artwork) of profiles and portraits of a number of major characters, in the words of Superman and Batman themselves. Superman provides brief intros to a number of core League members. Just a few words on each are remarkably insightful on both the subject and on the mind of Superman himself. Batman, being the cheerful, happy-go-lucky optimist we all love, naturally delves right into the twisted psyches of some of Earth's foremost villains. But, all sarcasm aside, these files provide a glimpse of surprising compassion for some of the worst of the worst; a side of the Bat that sometimes gets lost beneath the ominous exterior. Batman also covers a couple of heroes for good measure, and again there's as much insight into the profiler as the profiled.

"Justice Volume 1" begins what's looking to be one of the best DCU-wide sagas since...well, ever. High praise indeed, but well earned. The "Justice" series is an essential for any DC fan.

This book collects the first 4 issues of the bi-monthly JLA series written by Jim Kruger (Earth X) and Alex Ross (Kingdom Comea) and art by Alex Ross and Doug Braithwaits.

The story begins with a handful of super-villains experiencing a collective nightmare of the world coming to an end and the JLA being powerless to stop it or save anyone. They villains then embark on a mission to put the JLA out of their commission and appoint themselves as the true guardians of mankind. Sounds like an often used old school JLA adventure, right? But it really isn't. Although the plot may at face value seem like run-of-the-mill, the story however is deeper and much more layered. The JLA has rarely expereinced this level of peril and the villains have rarely seemed this ruthless and committed to their goals. The gem in the story is that villains can organize just as well as the heroes and can save the world. The villains think they are the heroes in this case. While it seems that it is a villains vs. heroes story, there is this ominous sense that they are merely players and something much larger than either is at foot. The book ends with the JLA being taken out of commission and Lex Luthor and his allies declaring themselves the new guardians of humanity and condemning the JLA for their inactions.

Now, let's talk about the art. It's pencilled by Doug Braithwaite but painted over by Alex Ross. I don't know how but the pencils and the colors enmesh perfectly and the art entirely seems done by Alex Ross (although in some cases Braithwaite's presence is felt). The bottom line is that the art is drop dead gorgeous. It also carries a dark tone and perfectly suits the story since, I have yet to see the JLA taken apart like this.

As for the extras, you get profiles of heroes and villains which are supposedly files in Batman's computer. You also get numerous pencilled pages by Doug Braitwaithe. It also features an intro by Jim Krueger.

I would like to address the quality of the collection brought up by another reviewer. Yes, the papers are pretty thin and can be easily crumpled. But DC hardcovers characteristically seems to suffer from this (i.e. Batman Broken City HC). But it is prices lower than Marvel hardcovers so, it's still a great buy.

Go on, click "add to shopping cart" and enjoy a great story with beautiful art.

Alex Ross is a reknowned comic book artist, and he made his displeasure with DC's mega event comics (Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis) pretty well known. With Justice, Ross helps weave a story with his Earth X partner Jim Kreuger which showcases the Justice League in their silver age days, but with a modern edge. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Flash (Barry Allen), Martian Manhunter, Aquaman; they're all here, and they're all caught in an insiduous plot by Lex Luthor and a lineup of top villains. Though it's only the first chapter in a larger series, Justice displays much of what made the super hero comics of the silver age so great in the first place. His paints are spectacular as usual, but are confined by the pencils of Dougie Brathwaite. While Brathwaite is a solid penciler in his own right, the book would have been better off if Ross was responsible for all the art himself, but alas, he is a busy man, and what we get here is quite good enough. Justice isn't prolific, and it doesn't try to be either, it only does what Ross intended it to do: produce a great super hero story. All in all, if you've been more jaded as usual towards the "big events" in mainstream comics these days, give Justice a look.

Justice: Volume I is a good start to what seems to be an interesting story. The artwork is captivating and the writing is adequate enough to keep me looking forward to the conclusion. This story line is not contingent upon the current DC Universe continuity, so we have a lot of heroes in their Silver Age composition but set in modern times. The villains' interpretations are more eclectic.

I've heard some people compare the general cast of heroes and villains to that of the old cartoon Challenge of the Superfriends. I can certainly see the validity of such a statement in terms of who is being used and the costumes, but otherwise this story is far grittier, mature, and complex.

Again, the story in Justice is not anything groundbreaking, but the art and the interpretations of characters, especially the villains, make it an entertaining read.

~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant

A perfect installment for any Alex Ross fan, "Justice" promises the incredible layouts and attention to detail that those who follow his work come to expect. There are some comic book artists who I love to see interpret classic comic book characters (Mike Mignola, Guy Davis, Bryan Hitch, to name a few), and Ross is definitely part of that club. His photo-real approach just pops the characters right off the page.

Though the heroes still stick to their iconic costumes (for the most part), Ross has taken a bit more license with the villains. Interestingly enough, most of the core villain group is made of the same characters from the Legion of Doom (from TV's Super Friends), and a number of the characters (like Toyman) are altered to better resemble their cartoon counterparts. Some characters like Metallo, Bizarro, and the Parasite have gotten total makeovers; all of it is good stuff.

While I wasn't sure how a collaberative effort with Doug Braithwait would effect Ross's work, it seems like a perfect marriage. Braithwait's style is a bit rigid and almost seems to be the diametric opposite to Ross's fluid and natural way of painting, but it works. While Braithwait's influence is definitely felt at the very beginning of the book, Ross's touch softens is up more and more as the story progresses.

It is often said that Ross is not a good visual storyteller, and that his sequential work can be confusing. While, I don't disagree, the overall caliber and beauty of his work more than makes up for the few moments the art doesn't perfectly convey a scene. In some cases, Ross's photo-realistic style robs him of the common comic book methods of emphasizing something or making it stand out unrealistically (like drawing a little starburst around it). Existing fans won't be disappointed, and new-comers will see some of his best work.

The story is nothing less than epic. On the surface, the world's worst villains have banded together to take out their greatest foes, so that THEY can save the world (from a apocalyptic prophecy that they all share). Using technology from their various villianous gimmicks, they set out to heal the sick, feed the hungry, and house the homeless. Underneath it all is a spiderweb of plotting, deciet, and betrayal. Each layer of the story that is uncovered, just makes it more and more compelling. Though not really in the main DC continuity, this story is timeless, and distills the true iconic essence of each of the story's characters. Brilliant stuff!

For me this is a near perfect comic collection. Collecting Justice 1-4, this is a terrific set up for the rest of the series collected in 2 more trade paperback or hardcovers. The artwork is terrific with a nice amalgam of Braithwaite pencils with Ross painting over them. The writing is terrific, and the fact that this is an out of continuity story which uses the 70's version of these characters makes this is very accessible story for anyone. I won't recap the story since that has been done a dozen times in other reviews. I will gladly put this story up with my copy of Kingdom Come.

I'm fairly certain a bent spine, creased pages, and some parts almost falling out, is NOT "like new"
Thanks for swindling me.

a great team effort from alex ross, doug braithwaite and jim krueger. a classic super hero and super villain story, starring all the heavy hitters from the DC universe. it's not cutting edge but it is timeless. very highly recommended. for fans of kingdom come, marvels, earth x, universe x, paradise x. you won't be disappointed.

I was losing my faith. My passion for comic books, whether it be the art or the script and story lines, was fading in the wake of DC Comic's seemingly ridiculous desire to create yet another wave of alternate reality. In short, the Justice story line hits the mark - hell, it blows the target to bits with a story line and art steeped in tradition, yet free of "infinite crisis", "zombies" (didn't Marvel do the zombie thing, like 5 years ago?)and "multiple earths."
Call me old fashioned, but it's very refreshing to read a story where you don't constantly require a primer on time/space variables, boom tubes and which Earth has a Superman and whether or not the Caped Crusader is dead. All the heroes and villians of the DCU are present. Their respective flaws and failings merely complimented by their multipe stregths. The story and art are simply stellar - although at times busy, as some of the panels tended to have so much happening. But all in all, a true page turner and a great read for DC fans who like to keep things simple.

The first volume of "Justice" is a promising opening to the series but there are some problems. The art is excellent and often quite striking-Alex Ross is on his game. There are some interesting concepts mentioned in the various notes from the author's introduction to an appendix focusing on various characters told in Batman's voice. The basic concept is that every villain thinks he is a hero and certainly that is the case with men of convictions like Lex Luthor and Black Mamba. However it can not be said for some of the other bad guys such as the Riddler and Captain Cold. "Justice" tries to recreate the old Super Friends and Legion of Doom rosters from the old cartoon and herein is the chief problem of "Justice". There are simply too many characters and it is hard to take interest in some of them (for example, Red Tornado). While a solid effort all in all, "Justice" could have used a bit more focus. Nonetheless, fans of the DC universe will enjoy it and fans who care more for art than plot and characters will, and should, adore it.