Welcome to the first issue of Justice League 3000, and if the story lives up to the premise, I have a feeling that this is going to be an awesome ride. A brief overview for those who have either not been following closely or simply have not yet heard of this title: Justice League 3000 follows the adventures of five members of the original Justice League, brought back to life in the 31st century. The heroes who have been transplanted in the distant future are Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Flash. With that premise in mind, let’s dive into Issue #1 “Yesterday Lives!”
Good God, I loved this first issue. “Yesterday Lives!” opens up with a brief explanation of what’s been going on to set the events of Justice League 3000 into motion. Apparently, a group of villains known as The Five appeared on the galactic scene ten years prior and succeeded in eliminating all resistance before them, sending the universe into some sort of massive blackout. We are introduced to Ariel Masters, a fugitive fleeing from the clutches of Cadmus, which has become something along the lines of the last bastion of hope. It’s a giant scientific research lab and a mobile planet, which is cool, and it would seem that Masters is the developer of the technology which brought our five heroes back to life. There is also a cool cameo from Teri and Terry, two young scientists who took up Ariel’s mantle and act as the League’s handlers.
The best part of this issue for me was without a doubt the interactions between the League members. These are not perfect copies of the heroes we are familiar with; rather, they seem to simply have the memories of the formerly dead League members. There are multiple instances of the heroes mentioning that they remember dying, but details like Superman and Wonder Woman’s romance seem to be less clear to them. The fact that these heroes are not the ones that we are accustomed to make their personalities all the more interesting. Each hero either lacks their original influences, is missing multiple attributes ascribed to their 21st century counterparts, or has little control of their powers. Justice League 3000 seems to aim at what an average person would do if given superpowers with how combative the League members are.
“Yesterday Lives!” really shines with the scenes between Superman and Batman, the two heroes who appear to have their eyes on leading the team. These two have not had the years of developing friendship like their original counterparts, so a hot-headed and arrogant Superman will often clash with the apathy and superiority complex of Batman. Wonder Woman looks and acts as if she’s on a steroid regimen, while Flash and Green Lantern really aren’t given moments to separate themselves and present their individual personalities. We do learn, however, is that Flash is a very different version of Barry Allen than what we are used to, and Hal has been little more than the team’s “glue guy.”
We are only introduced to one villain this issue, named The Convert. I am assuming he is a member of The Five, and I’m intrigued after his first encounter with the League. As his name suggests, he can convert people to work and fight for him, which could cause some interesting developments going forward. I’d like to see more from him going forward. Other than an introduction to many of the main players in this title, Justice League 3000’s first issue does little for plot, but that can be forgiven seeing as how it is basically introducing entirely new versions of classic heroes.
The artwork overall is very appealing, with Howard Porter doing triple work with the pencils, inks, and cover art. I’m not a huge fan of the costume designs for Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, but Flash and Lantern look fantastic. The only things that really distracted me when reading were the faces that characters made whenever they were annoyed, which is an odd facial expression to miss on. Everyone’s mouths get really small, and it’s just a weird look for me. Also, Superman and Batman look really similar in panels where they do not have their suits on, the only difference being that Superman has a very small jerry curl. Other than that, I greatly enjoyed this issue.
- Teri and Terry calling themselves The Wonder Twins was a fantastic throwback.
- Batman put a bomb on Superman’s forehead and called him a jackass for flying off with him. I laughed – in a good way.
- Superman hates being called anything but “Superman” and refers to himself in the 3rd person multiple times. I laughed again – in a better way.
- Superman’s costume also doesn’t have an “S.” It’s more like a piece of modern art called “S,” just didn’t work for me.
- Apparently the Green Lantern Corps have become the most hated organization in the universe, and on top of that this Green Lantern (who I’m assuming is Hal Jordan) is the last one. Oh, and he doesn’t use a ring, he uses some kind of cloak. I really hope they tell us more about that.
Favorite Quote: “So we remember – and we don’t. We’re the Justice League – but we’re not. Am I the only one who thinks this is the stupidest idea ever?” – Flash
Recommended If…
- You want an entertaining and original story that shows new versions of your favorite characters.
- You like it when superheroes legitimately do not like one another.
- You’re in the mood for something out-there.
Overall
I really, really enjoyed this issue. Granted, it’s just an introduction and there’s very little in terms of real plot, I still found myself reading it multiple times just because I was such a fan of the heroes’ interactions.
SCORE: 8.5/10
