Justice League International #1

Not content with just one Justice League title, DC put out "Justice League International", featuring Batman and a bunch of characters that I love, but you probably haven't heard of. And that's okay. A good writer can take obscure characters and craft them into fan-favorites. And maybe, down the line, writer Dan Jurgens will do that. But he didn't do that here.

In this issue, Batman hijacks a government sponsored version of the Justice League, with the intent of finding out why the United Nations is suddenly in the business of hiring superheroes. There's some character interactions, I think, and the team might fight some sort of...rock monsters? I think it was rock monsters. Lemme double-check. Okay, it was lava monsters. I was close. Jurgens' plotting can't be faulted, but his execution can. The interactions between characters are lifeless and the threats feel pointless. Back in '1986, writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatties created the first incarnation of the JLI. Their craft was flawless - characters were vibrant and there were nanosecond gaps between effective drama and lulz-worthy humor.

The comic fares a little better from the visual perspective. Aaron Lopresti's pencils are crisp, dynamic, and unlike a lot of artists in the industry, he can draw more than three facial expressions. The costumes (which he had little hand in designing) are mostly in-offensive, with the exception of Booster Gold's. It's busy on the top and dead on the bottom. A better balance of color and striations would've helped immensely.

Buying the next issue: No, I love the mix of characters, but the writing just isn't there.

New reader friendly: I could see this being confusing. Over in the other Justice League title, Batman is a n00b and the team hasn't even been formed yet, which could be confusing.