Tony Black reviews Justice League: Rebirth #1…
Spinning out of the events of DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH #1, a new day dawns for Earth’s greatest heroes as they welcome three new members to the team, including… Superman? Who is this strange visitor from a dead world — and can he be trusted? Batman and Wonder Woman aren’t so sure.
In the Superman run of Rebirth in particular, the shadow of the Justice League has hovered over aspects of the narrative, specifically the emergence of the alt-universe Clark Kent who became the new Superman, and that story provides a central character point through the Rebirth relaunch of the JLA written by Brian Hitch, and inked by Daniel Henriques & Scott Hanna. It’s wrapped around a global threat of the like the combined Justice League team are wont to face – the Reaper, a gigantic, New York sized Lovecraftian beastie which feels like a fusion of the massive Chitauri alien in the climax of The Avengers and the face hugger from Alien. Those comparisons are no criticism, and they add up to a suitably epic, monstrous challenge to reaffirm the team in our minds eye going forward.
While Hitch throws us into the narrative fray, there a team nonetheless reeling from the loss of their Superman to Darkseid, not to mention the emergence of a seemingly identical Clark Kent who they’ve been keeping tabs on, watching him as he becomes the Superman every loved and lost. Wonder Woman remains angry & distraught, while Batman is typically distrustful, believing that it can’t be coincidence these events have occurred. The Flash, Aquaman & Cyborg sit roughly in the middle, while the incumbent Green Lanterns–Simon Baz & Jessica Cruz–remain out of the loop as newbies, Hitch nevertheless finding time to have them pop in so we see their relation to the JLA.
On the flipside, we see Superman questioning his role in relation to the rest of the team, not sure where exactly he fits in – and it’s of course left to Lois, his voice of reason, to remind him he’s not just here to be Superman, but he’s part of something greater, as the vanguard of humanity against the darker, more universal threats to face the Earth. By the time the climax is wrapped up, Superman’s relationship with the JLA is neatly established, but Hitch leaves enough open for elements still to be explored between these characters.
If not a groundbreaking start, it’s a solid beginning for Justice League as the Rebirth ripples out across the DC universe. Hitch’s story is filled with incident, while Henriques & Hanna nicely paint the Cthulhu-esque monster nicely in dark contrast to the vibrancy, fun and colour of the JLA themselves. With enough character elements established to carry the series onwards, and a potential new mega threat to come, the Justice League is well placed to deliver some great stories in the near future.
Rating: 7/10
Tony Black is a freelance film/TV writer & podcaster & would love you to follow him on Twitter.
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Originally published July 11, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
