Publisher: DC
Writer: Bryan Hitch
Artists: Bryan Hitch, Daniel Henriques, Scott Hanna
Colourist: Alex Sinclair
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Release Date: OUT NOW!
Price: $2.99

In Justice League: Rebirth #1 writer and artist Bryan Hitch goes back to JLA roots, with the League fighting Reapers. Which is a new twist on Starro, the first villain the group faced when originally formed in 1960. But like everything else in the series the alien conqueror gets a makeover: now Starro’s a giant bug instead of a starfish.

Justice League: Rebirth #1 revolves around this conflict, with a subplot about the new Superman joining the League. But Clark’s not sure. “They were his friends, not mine,” he tells Lois, who as usual is his biggest booster. “It wouldn’t be much of a Justice League without Superman,” she reminds him and the reader. But Clark’s like a whiny brat and the feeling seems to be he should grow a pair or find the nearest telephone kiosk and get interesting.

Other changes of note – or not, you decide – to the team include new Green Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz, Cyborg equipped with Boom Tubes and Wonder Woman armed with the Bolt of Zeus. The Flash and Aquaman look the same but maybe there just was not enough ‘rebirth’ to go around or television and cinema franchises beckon. You may, like me, not care either way. And let’s be honest, why wasn’t Aquaman drowned at birth?

Bryan Hitch is one of the best artists in the business, however, Hitch’s writing doesn’t keep up with his visuals. The dialogue is useful, although not particularly poetic or subtle. The cavalry rescue is trite and I had a hard time caring about these characters. If DC would let one of their better writers take over, that would be ideal.

Otherwise Justice League: Rebirth #1 could fall into mediocrity.

 

Reviewer: Joe Lovece
Reviews Editor: Steve Hooker