Jeff Lemire and Mike McKone’s Justice League United, the successor to Justice League of America that debuted last week to a great deal of fanfare on account of the introduction of teen, Cree supeheroine Equinox, is not just surprisingly good — it’s possibly the best, most enjoyable first issue of a new superhero title in a couple of years.Not since Kelly Sue DeConnick’s first issue of Avengers Assemble have I been so excited for the next installment of a superhero team book (with due respect to Aquaman and the Others, which had an admirable opening chapter earlier this month but which remains nevertheless basically an Aquaman solo book with a large supporting cast in my mind). While much of DeConnick’s run was sidetracked by crossover events (such is the fate of the Avengers scribe), she managed to make brilliant use of the stories where she could actually tell her own tales and craft the kind of comic you don’t see much anymore — and the kind that, if this first issue is any indication, Lemire and McKone are crafting with Justice League United.Having “grown up” as a reader in the ’80s and ’90s, most of my favorite titles included strong supporting casts who played a role in humanizing the heroes, grounding them and making them relatable without falling back on “realistic” worlds or grim and gritty presentation. As such, team books aren’t exactly up my alley.
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