Though no longer in name, Jeff Lemire and Mike McKone’s new League embraces the writer’s Canadian culture and heritage, both in ways you will* and won’t expect.
*Yeah, there’s an “aboot” joke.
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Mike McKoneTop comics writer Jeff Lemire teams with superstar artist Mike McKone for the all-new monthly series JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED, starring the new team of powerful heroes Earth calls Justice League Canada!
In the aftermath of FOREVER EVIL, Adam Strange is caught up in an adventure across the far reaches of the cosmos that will unite an unexpected team of heroes including Supergirl, Hawkman, Green Arrow, Stargirl, Martian Manhunter and Animal Man – but if they’re on the team, who exactly is Canadian? Plus: Don’t miss the debut of a new Canadian hero who will have a huge effect on the group!
What do you get when you take the leftovers of the post-“Forever Evil” JLA and mash it up with several of Jeff Lemire’s darlings? One of the New 52’s best team books to date, apparently.
In Lemire’s first stint at writing a team book, “Justice League Dark,” I found that the writer occasionally struggled to capture a fluid team dynamic. The dialogue between the members, while far from bad, never felt completely organic. Several of the characters just never “clicked.” However, “Justice League United” slips on like a well-fitted glove. These characters click, with their diverse personalities connecting and clashing in interesting and engaging ways.
Surprisingly (or not, considering the writer’s strong grasp on the character), Animal Man is the glue that binds the team together. His relationships with Stargirl and Green Arrow (guardian and humorous rival, respectively) really shine through. Adam Strange, making his New 52 debut, is another strong anchor. The character’s quirky academic charm leads to several awkward and humorous encounters. Unfortunately, Lemire and McKone seem to have ditched the “man of two worlds” shtick that sits at the core of the character. Long time fans may be off-put by his and Alanna’s retooled origins, but aside from this change the couple caries much of the original incarnations’ spirit.
The team’s fun tone is amplified by Mike McKone’s wonderful artwork. The artist’s slick lines make for a clean yet extremely detailed book. His characters are wonderfully emotive, displaying much without the need of dialogue. Refreshingly, his figures are realistically built. Far from the hulking brutes and buxom vixens that populate super hero comics, these characters feel like they could exist in our world. This small touch makes the cast even more relatable.
Of course, McKone also throws in enough armored lizard warriors and amorphous flame creatures to keep things from becoming too mundane.
While flipping through the pages, several panels popped out at me. I thought to myself, “this reminds me a lot of Lemire’s ‘Green Arrow.'” Sure enough, upon checking the credits, I found Marcelo Maiolo’s name listed as the issue’s colorist. The artist brings many of the same tricks he applies in “Green Arrow,” particular the use of monochromatic panels to highlight a particular scene. However, he also brings a more traditional “super hero” tone to this book, with a considerably brighter and more varied palette. The contrast between our heroes’ colorful costumes and the vast white expanse of Ontario makes for some really attractive pages. Compare these scenes with the garish neon-green of the issue’s extraterrestrial settings, a shift that has a heavy influence on the way the characters look and feel. This attention to detail is a terrific example of Maiolo’s strength as a colorist.
Another big draw is the debut of Equinox, a.k.a. Miiyahbin, the much publicized young Cree heroine. Miiyahbin’s introduction comes in a short four page interlude, one that feels very disconnected from the main story. That isn’t to say it’s not interesting, as the segment touches on a very unique piece of North American mythology, the Wendigo. The Wendigo is a mythological creature or spirit with a humanoid appearance and strong taste for human flesh. Similar to lycanthropes, the wendigos are said to have been humans at one time, before transforming into the beast. The term is also applied to a form of psychosis observed in native northern Canadian peoples, involving cannibalistic inclinations.
Continued belowThis issue features a variation of the creature, known as Whitago. From what little I can gather, some stories suggest that Wendigo and Whitago were “twins of the forest,” with Whitago exhibiting kind while Wendigo brought destruction. Aside from being downright creepy, the Whitago presented here seems to bear little resemblance to the traditional deptiction. What relation the creature may have to Miiyahbin, or her “Shazam”-esque powers, is unknown, but it does certainly set up an interesting and disturbing character dynamic.
Unfortunately, not much time is given to developing Miiyahbin. It’s hard to see how the character will fit into the bigger picture. While I have not indication of Lemire’s plans for the character, it would have made more sense to use this #0 issue as a spotlight on Miiyahbin, rather than diving directly into the first story-arc. While she is certainly no Kamala Khan at this point in the game, it’s still great to see DC creators introducing a completely new minority character in such a high profile book.
The elephant in the room here is the fact that this issue takes place squarely in a post-“Forever Evil” world, although we don’t exactly know what that means. With many books pushed back due to the delayed “Forever Evil” #7, it’s a bit surprising this issue released on time. However, it’s perfectly alright that it did. Sure, we get a few cryptic references to the Villain Uprising. Also, t’s not quite clear how everyone got to this point, such as how Stargirl went from escaping the Firestorm matrix to touring the Canadian convention scene. Still, anyone concerned by continuity snafus can rest easy, “Justice League United” features a strong concept that stands on its own.
While “Justice League United” is very much a successor to the short-lived “Justice League of America,” it is just as much a spiritual follow-up to “Justice League International.” That is, the original team, not the ill-fated New 52 incarnation. The book features a similar cast of colorful misfits, a humorous but mature tone, and a focus that steps outside of the confines of the continental U.S. In many ways, it also feels like an answer to “Guardians of the Galaxy,” especially with the current lack of a Legion book. “United’s” ability to don so many hats at once and wear them well means this book has a great chance at pleasing a large number of fans.
Final Verdict: 8.7 – Buy. “Justice League United” gets off on a much better foot than its predecessor.
