The Justice League is back, bigger than ever before. But can even the greatest heroes of the DCU prevail against a whole new balance of power? Your Major Spoilers review of Justice League Unlimited #1 from DC Comics awaits!

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #1

Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Editor: Paul Kaminski
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 27, 2024

Previously in Justice League Unlimited: Darkseid’s death has triggered a massive power vacuum in the DCU, and Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman must unite like never before and expand the Justice League to encompass every hero championing the forces of good in the face of incredible evil! As our heroes work to uncover the mystery of the dark lord’s successor, Ray Palmer’s Atom Project triggers a race between hero and villain to control the fate of metahuman abilities on planet Earth, which threatens to destroy everything the League has built.

AN ARMY OF JUSTICE

“The Justice League has been reborn, and it has a new purpose, new methods,” explains the voice of the Red Tornado as Justice League Unlimited #1 opens. The Justice League has mobilized against an army of War Wheels, and while it feels familiar, it’s decidedly not. For one thing, the team includes Kid Flash, normally seen as a Teen Titan, with newcomer Star Sapphire in their midst. For another, as we learn when The Air-Wave beams up to the satellite headquarters, they’re just the group selected for this mission. In the space of moments (thanks to a super-speed assist from Wally West, The Flash), we see a League featuring members of the Justice Society, The Global Guardians, The Challengers of the Unknown, and more, all of whom are being directed by the disembodied Reddy, all of whom have their own quarters onboard. The JSA, Titans, Super-Family, and others have their own meeting areas, while The Birds of Prey are visible, as well as a hero who resembles Sentai Ranger GekiYellow…

…but one of them is here to kill all the others.

THAT LAST PAGE!?

Perhaps my favorite part of Dan Mora’s art is the fact that the costumes of the heroes are consistent with their other appearances. (You may think I’m kidding, but in modern comics, the details often get lost in stylistic questions, but Dan can be counted on to keep everybody on model.) Combine that with a script that pays attention to the smallest details, and you’ve got an issue that really cooks. It sweeps effectively through the who, what, and where questions by using Air-Wave’s orientation as a primer for the readers, carefully choosing which characters appear and using them appropriately. Batman and Blue Beetle are sent on an investigative mission while we see The Atoms, Doctors Palmer and Choi, working on cataloging, identifying, and possibly returning everyone’s scrambled superpowers. The big battle features not just heavy hitters, but Black Lightning as a teacher for Star Sapphire (who proves that she’s more than a violet version of Green Lantern), while Air-Wave shows us that his oh-so-1970s super-power of traveling by microwave is one heck of a lot more versatile in 2024 than his creators ever imagined.

BOTTOM LINE: THIS IS A WINNER

In short, Justice League Unlimited #1 takes big swings, but connects with every one, right up to the final page, and the third of three cliffhanger endings, earning a dead-solid 5 out of 5 stars overall. Having read comics since about 1979 or so, I’ve seen a number of Justice League number ones, and this one stands up with the best of ’em.

I just hope it’ll last.

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