The DC New 52 is upon us with the release of Justice League #1 today, so I’ve put together a short list of what I liked about this new beginning to the DC Universe:

#1. Jim Lee’s drawing a monthly comic book again.
Lee has a tremendous following and his art is very “mainstream” which will help get copies into more readers hands.

#2. Green Lantern’s kinda cocky.
It feels like Geoff Johns is injecting a little of Ryan Reynolds into the new Hal Jordan.  At first, I wasn’t crazy about it because it was different and we fear change, but the more I thought about it, the more it makes sense, and it works here.

#3. We get to see Vic Stone become Cyborg.
Great for new and old readers alike. We get to witness the birth of Cyborg.

#4. Batman and Green Lantern Meet Superman for the First Time.
And it doesn’t go the way that you think it’s going to.

#5. Justice League #1 is Appropriate for Kids
Kids 11 and up, that is. I have no problem giving my 10 and 12 year old boys a copy of Justice League #1 to read, and I’m hoping it stays that way. Many of the “mainstream” comics today are hard PG-13 with excessive foul language (even if it’s #*!-ed out), sexual imagery and excessive violence, making a large portion of the Big Two’s output inappropriate for kids. The future of this industry depends upon getting more kids reading comics, and DC has taken a great first step towards that goal.  I sincerely hope that DC’s “Young Justice” line is equally appropriate.

So there you have it. If you’re in Northwestern Ohio, visit Alter Ego Comics and pick up Justice League #1 today and choose from the rest of the New 52 throughout September.