Year One

You know, I'm pretty surprised that all these other reviewers were so disappointed with this book. It was what introduced me to Mark Waid and what turned me into a DC Comics fan. Before I read this, I was a strictly Marvel reader. The art is great, and the character interaction is top notch. That is actually what I like most- character interaction. Mark Waid is a great conversation writer, and I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes good characterization. If you need huge Earth-shaking storylines like 'Kingdom Come' or the like... you should probably A)tone down your scope a little and B) skip this book.

I gotta tell you -- I don't know superheros from a hole in the ground. But with Mark at the helm, it doesn't really matter. With Mark at the helm, superheros are just... people. And, oh, how refreshing that is!This here's the story of the JLA teaming up for the very first time. There's camradarie. Flirting. Sexual tension. Misunderstanding. Identity crises. Two-timing. An Aquaman that mumbles -- sorta. All wrapped up in an "aliens are taking over THE WORLD!" story that's not [bad]. It's a lot of ground to cover; in fact, each of the five principles has their very own story arc. In less able hands, there might be some floundering. But Mark's been blessed by the divine storytellers; he executes this complex tale with skill and grace. Barry Kitson's art adds much dimension to the tale, and he's a wonderful storyteller in his own right.One of Mark's many talents is that he can take a girl like me and make her care about characters that she ordinarily wouldn't give two shakes to read about. JLA:YEAR ONE is a fine example of this talent in action.

I bought this book hoping to have a little fun reading about the classic heroes of the DC Universe, all of whom are greatly different today then they were in this book. (Two are dead) But when I started reading this I was incredibly pleased. This story is heroism at its best. You really see the true characters of each of these heroes. Fun all the way around.I chalk the fun of this book up to the terrific Writer/Artist team. The art draws you in quick while the story moves at a pace that makes it impossible to put the book down. I was so happy to see the origin of the league retold. Sure this is a different League than the one that appeared in the '50s, but the DC Universe is far different that the 1950s. Which makes this book without all the confusing ties to DC History essentila to any fan.Waid captures the glory of the Justice League perfectly. With a lot of fun, humor, action, and suspense. Great stories that only enhance the enjoyment of reading the stories about the League that are being printed today.

Waid is one of the best of the retconners around, and this actually makes you feel as if something was ADDED to the great Silver Age stories (rather than taken away). It's nice to have Snapper and Kanjar Ro and the Appellax aliens still around, but it's great fun for some of us to have Waid add an early encounter between the League and the Doom Patrol (and especially have them in a scary and ingenious battle with the Brotherhood of Evil). And because DC has killed off so many of the original Leaguers (Barry Allen, Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen) it's great to see them again, and written by someone who knows how to write them.A final comment: I greatly enjoyed how much sunnier this work was then Waid's usual ouevre, and wish he'd do more work like this--not everything has to be all dark and gloomy to be intelligently done or mature!

Retroactive continuity is frequently a buzzword these days in the comics milieu. While the Justice League of America has been around since the late 1950's, this collection updates their beginnings and first year for the new century. Mark Waid, for many, a definitive JLA chronicler and a master storyteller, enchantingly and with loving respect, reworks early JLA adventures and lore together with contemporary plotting and characterization into a grand reading experience for new readers as well as for longtime fanboys and continuity geeks. The League here is the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Black Canary, and the Martian Manhunter, but there are tons of guests from the original Doom Patrol, the Blackhawks, the Challengers of the Unknown, and a pre-beard Green Arrow. DC's Big Two, Superman and Batman, also appear briefly. Traditional League lore such as the Secret Sanctuary, the JSA, Snapper Carr, Amazo, Despero, and Kanjar Ro are all present, but cleverly entwined with new, additional concepts such as the insidious Locus, the original Blue Beetle, Maxwell Lord, and an incipient and flirtation between the Flash and Black Canary. Waid is also an expert of the bon mot and clever conversation: Flash (speaking of Green Lantern): "Besides, of course, he's going to get all the attention. He's the prettiest."Black Canary: "Well, you have me there. He is cute, isn't he?"Flash: "Actually, I was joking, but I'll take your word for it."As with so many of these collections, there is something here for even the newest comics readers and tons of delight for the eternal fanboys. Most highly recommended.