Superboy! Wonder Girl! Robin! Impulse! Amethyst! They’re all united in Young Justice #1, the debut issue of a brand-new series that also introduces new heroes Teen Lantern and Jinny Hex! When the nightmare dimension known as Gemworld invades Metropolis, these teen heroes reunite to deal with the situation-but they’re shocked to discover the battle may be the key to the return of Conner Kent, a.k.a. Superboy! This mix of fan favorites and new legacy heroes will be the center point for some of the biggest goings-on at DC!

Brian Michael Bendis‘ comic imprint, Wonder Comics, kicks off with Young Justice #1. And, as far as debuts go, this one is… good. I have no connection to Young Justice. I haven’t read the comics. I haven’t watched the show. Other than the characters in other series, I really have no thoughts on it all. So, coming in fresh, I went into the first issue judging if it was new reader friendly and thankfully, it is.

Bendis delivers an issue that’s kind of standard in that a disaster brings together a bunch of heroes and forces them to form a team out of it all. It just so happens that in this case, some of these heroes know each other. There’s reasons thrown out as to why they’re in Metropolis with most of it being thin but that’s all minor details to quickly move past. Instead, it’s about the interactions and the smart ass quips. And that’s pretty solid.

We don’t get just Robin, Wonder Girl, and Impulse, but we get two newcomers in Jinny Hex and Teen Lantern both of which seem like they could be interesting additions. Jinny especially with her guns adds a factor in there, especially with Robin avoiding killing.

Bendis delivers fun in this first issue with a youthful enthusiasm we’ve seen him deliver elsewhere. It works and works well with an energy about it all that at times is infectious.

That’s helped by Patrick Gleason‘s art and Alejandro Sanchez‘s color. The panel layouts and pages are just amazing in this issue with me lingering on some enjoying the chaos and crazy. The art is fantastic and the first issue wouldn’t succeed at all without. This is a case where the art helps make the story.

The first issue is good and fun. As an entry point for new readers, it’s perfectly fine with little knowledge needed and those who are long time fans should be excited to see folks together and about that final panel. This first issue isn’t groundbreaking at all but what it delivers is entertaining fun and some times that’s all you need.

Story: Brian Michael Bendis Art: Patrick Gleason
Color: Alejandro Sanchez Letterer: DC Lettering
Story: 8.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review