Image © DC Comics, Inc.

Most of this issue pertains to the new members that were suddenly recruited during the war with Atlantis in the last arc, and who I guess will be the focus of JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA. I’m not reading that book. I might have tried the first issue, but I didn’t get it in my comps from DC, and decided not to seek it out. Maybe I’ll give the first collection a look. If I can make a side point, it’s the job of comics publishers and creators to increase profits by selling more comics. One tried and true way to do that is a spin-off series. I’m all for them as long as they aren’t required reading to make sense of the original series. The former is an option, the latter is coercion, to which the response is often rejection.

The new members are a mostly familiar bunch, at least on the surface. I’m sure they all have somewhat different stories than the ones I remember, but that’s okay. The team dynamic is a bit hard to get a handle on at this point because so much is going on, and frantically at times. It’s the old new vs. old, let’s fight scenario…sort of. A few nice moments when the action quiets. Let’s see how things develop in this book. Artistically, it looks terrific. Jesus Saiz does an amazing job on the art, capturing individual expressions and body language and handling everything well.

Oh yes, the backup. Despite all the differences from any Shazam or Captain Marvel in the past, I really like the way this is being handled. Geoff Johns is doing a great job of writing about realistic young people, in over their heads, facing the somewhat whimsical villains like Black Adam and the Seven Deadly Sins in now equally realistic and deadly form. The art by Gary Frank continues to be wonderful.

Recommended.