Justice League vs The Legion of Superheroes #1
DC Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Scott Godlewski
I’m a big Bendis fan, and I have been for most of my life. He’s one of those writers who undeniably, at this point in his career and given all that he’s accomplished, knows how to bang out a compelling comic book script. He’s an extremely consistent writer, which is a positive quality but, like anything, has drawbacks in that not every issue is going to blow you away like the first time you read Alias. Justice League vs Legion of Superheroes #1 is a good book with some very interesting things going on, and though it is lacking some meat on its bones, it still serves as a compelling setup to the mini event.
I think of this first issue as a mixed bag. Though Bendis’ Justice League has been quite enjoyable, I had a difficult time connecting with his version of The Legion of Superheroes. It’s not all on the creative teams involved with the books, it has more to do with my own lack of connection to the team. It just involves so many characters, all of whom you’re forced to learn their given names as well as their superhero names, and that’s a lot when taken in tandem with Bendis’ trademarked word balloon salad he serves up on team books like that. Taking that overwhelming cast of characters and throwing them into a book with another superhero team that’s also rather stuffed with characters is a huge undertaking, and Bendis’ style of dialogue works against this sort of book as much as it is working in favor of it. The positive side is that Bendis makes a concerted effort to give every character some fun dialogue, and the sheer size of the roster means this book takes a solid chunk of time to get through. It does feel like you get your money’s worth.
The flipside of that praise is that with a cast so large all doing so much talking in crowded rooms together is that it takes a genuine effort to find which dialogue balloons to read first, or which character the balloon’s ultimately end up connecting to. It’s a bit of a chore at times, especially when you realize so much of it is “flavor” dialogue, and perhaps the book would flow better if not every character had to speak. I found myself reminded of the way Stan Lee would write dialogue in his prime. It is charming dialogue that flows well once you understand how to read it, but I imagine this could be a tough read for inexperienced readers who don’t fully grasp comics’ language yet.
Where my opinion does not feel torn is regarding Scott Godlewski’s wonderful pencils. He’s an artist who’s done more than a fair share of work with Bendis at DC, and he does not disappoint. Since Bendis has such a unique style to his writing, it seems that his work often shines best when interpreted by an artist who is capable of matching his chaotic energy, which Godlewski exemplifies to a tee. The dynamic action and figure work is very stylish, with a certain degree of oddness that specifically fits The Legionnaires. There isn’t much more you can ask from a comic artist than to not only tell the story through their pencils, but also to cater to the writer’s style to make a more cohesive final product.
It would simply be disingenuous to ignore the contributions of Ryan Cody on colors and Dave Sharpe on letters. Bendis and Godlewski do their fair share of heavy lifting in terms of making sure the characters are distinct and the story is coherent, but Cody and Sharpe are integral to making sure this specific book works (as colorists and letterers always are but hear me out). The cluttered nature of a book this size means that the placement of the balloons and coloring of all the characters is essential, and they do more than enough to keep the pace and flow of the book moving at a satisfying rate.
Justice League vs Legion of Superheroes #1 is worth reading and will be worth sticking with as long as this level of quality is maintained. There are a lot of interesting ideas at play here, and they are being implemented by an incredible creative team that has a history of playing to each other’s strengths. It’s a bit thin in terms of actual plot, but the characters’ fun banter and exciting action make up for it.
Justice League vs Legion of Superheroes #1 is worth reading and will be worth sticking with as long as this level of quality is maintained. There are a lot of interesting ideas at play here, and they are being implemented by an incredible creative team that has a history of playing to each other’s strengths. It’s a bit thin in terms of actual plot, but the characters’ fun banter and exciting action make up for it.
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