Comic Review: Justice League: Cry for Justice #1 (DC Comics) By Eddie R

All about Justice.

For a while now, both old and new fans of the Justice League have been on what I would call, to put it mildly, a roller coaster ride. After the events in Infinite crisis, where the Leagues original timeline and line-up were re- established as cannon in the DCU, to the darkening tone left on the League after Identity Crisis, the JLA has been in a sort of limbo. Yes, there was a new team, a new base (two in fact if you count the Hall of Justice) and a new direction. But somewhere, somehow, things got stalled. But if anyone knows their history of the JLA, this is just another incarnation which has come to pass, giving way to something much needed and more relevant. And it’s about time.




Justice League: Cry for Justice #1 opens with a meeting. On one side you have Hal Jordan, who is tired of the way Justice has been denied for those heroes who have fallen in the line of duty, and how the villains of the DCU seem to get away without being prosecuted for their crimes. On the other side, you have the rest of the JLA, who believe that the method of justice which Hal seeks borders on revenge, which is something the JLA will not stand by and support. The only one to side with Hal is Oliver Queen, a.k.a Green Arrow. Oliver feels the same way, but is just not being as vocal about it, which I find ironic because this is something Oliver used to do in the Old JLA comics of the silver and bronze age.

As we then cut to various scenes across the DCU, we bear witness to a series of events which make one start to believe Hal Jordan isn’t the only hero who feels justice isn’t being served properly. Ray Palmer, Mikkal Tomas (Starman III), and Congorilla all have similar epiphanies, leading one to think this disenchantment might be more widespread than first thought.

Now, the scenes and dialogue with Oliver and Hal after leaving the JLA meeting, are very reminiscent of the “Hard-Traveling Heroes” era in Green Lantern’s comic history (GL Volume 2: # 76- 89). At that time( early 1970’s) it was felt that comics needed to get away from the campiness which had become the industry standard, and go more towards comics which were socially relevant for the times. Thanks to the efforts of Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams, the concept became widely accepted, ushering a new age in comics. I personally feel James Robinson, who has now been named the official writer for the ongoing JLA monthly, is steering this version of the team into that direction, and I applaud him for it. For me, the JLA has been a big ship without a captain, going in circles for way to long now. And if anyone can chart this ship though some very choppy seas, and come out still in one piece, it’s him.

Question now is, are fan’s willing to go along for the voyage, or will they bail? All I know is I got both my boarding pass and life jacket in hand, just in case.

8.5/10

Eddie R
Review Co-Editor