Stargirl | DC Comics

5.2 Reasons We're Excited for More of the Justice League of America

You know that scene in movies where one person says to the other “This town isn’t big enough for the both of us” and then there’s a face off and one person either ends up dead or run out of town?

Well, we don’t get to say this often, but boy are we glad real life isn’t like the movies. We’re incredibly glad there’s enough room for two things in this town because it means we can not only get the ongoing Justice League title featuring Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and more—but also the brand new titles Justice League of America, Katana and Justice League of America’s Vibe, whose first issues all hit comic shelves this month.

Reading these comics has left us bouncing up and down like a two-year-old on a sugar rush for more, which made us realize that the life-not-like-movies philosophy also applies to Willy Wonka. He nonchalantly tortures children and has a whistle that summons a bunch of creatures that do his bidding and sing songs about your demise. The man’s clearly a super-villain.

Actually, we have quite a bit to say about super-villains this week (we’ll get back to this), but right now, we’re looking for something to help alleviate some of the eagerness coursing through us while we wait for the next issue of these three new titles. And since we also have to put together this week’s 5.2 Reasons column, guess what we’re going to talk about?! We’re going to give you the 5.2 Reasons We’re Excited for More of the Justice League of America!

1. Katana

From her early role in Birds of Prey, we already sort of knew Katana kicked ass. Now that she’s flying solo in her own title, we severely underestimated how much butt she can kick. It’s a lot. With KATANA #1, writer Ann Nocenti managed to really capture an anime-esque feel in the title—and it’s freaking awesome. There’s a guy in the first issue that feels like he’s straight up out of Rurouni Kenshin (if you have any interest in anime, watch that series!), and Katana even manages to take out nearly an entire squad of assassins with just her clothes and jewelry.

2. Vibe

Look, even we’ll admit we’re pleasantly surprised here. As fans of Geoff Johns, we knew if there was anyone that could make Vibe a character we’d end up liking, it’d be him. And by Hawkman’s giant mace, Johns, co-writer Andrew Kreisberg and artist Pete Woods did it. The ending of that first issue alone gave us tingling chills. We’ve got questions and we can’t wait for the answers!

3. Justice League of America

As great as Vibe and Katana are on their own, we can’t wait to see them continue to interact with the entire team Johns’ has brought together in the coming issues. It’s certainly an eclectic group, but already the new takes on Hawkman and even our beloved Stargirl has us itching to see where things are going to go. Especially with...

4. The Secret Society

We told you this would come back around. Most comic fans might recognize the term “The Secret Society.” For those that don’t, know that those three words are often followed by “of Super-Villains.” Who’s part of the society? Who is in charge? And are these killer robot versions of the Big Three??

5. Amazing Artists

Between Pete Woods, Alex Sanchez and, of course, David Finch, all three JLA-related titles are burst at the stapled together seams with eye-popping visuals. Sanchez’s art perfectly matches Katana’s anime-inspired feel, Woods’ Vibe brings with it a feel of ::ahem:: vibrant youth and exuberance, and Finch’s dark style fits flawlessly with the tone of the new League and their morally questionable mission statement.

5.1 This Spread Full of Cameos

Can you figure out who is who?

5.2 JL vs. JLA: Place Your Bets!

How about you all? What excited you the most from the debut issues and what are you most looking forward to as the Justice League of America titles continue?

Tags:

5.2 Reasons, geoff johns, Justice League, justice league of america, hawkman, Green Lantern, Stargirl, Katana, vibe, catwoman, martian manhunter

5.2 Reasons We’re Addicted to Our Super-Heroines

BATGIRL #14 hit comic shops this week, and reading that issue reminded us of exactly how strong Barbara Gordon is—both in the physical sense (we'd last about three seconds doing what she does, as that's probably how long it would take for us to fall over and curl into the fetal position) and in the sense of being just a fantastic, all-around-amazing example of a great, well-written female character.

In fact, we here at DC love our female characters. We love them in the totally respectable "we love to read them" way…and, uh…not in the weird "they're printed on our cuddle pillow" way. From the super-strong to the willfully powerful to even the psychotically malicious, we've got some of the most fun, creative and widely recognizable female characters in comics—heck, pop culture, even—and every week a number of them prove their awesomeness by taking center stage in some of the best titles currently on shelves.

Whether via comic books, toys or collectibles, it truly is a great time to be a fan of the DCU females. We’re certainly in that camp. You could even say we have a bit of a heroine addiction. It’s one addiction we’re very proud to have. So proud, in fact, that we’re listing off the 5.2 Reasons We’re Addicted to Our Super-Heroines!

1. Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman has been around since 1941 and she still looks great—especially with Cliff Chiang drawing her monthly in the pages of the critically acclaimed and brilliantly written Wonder Woman series by Brian Azzarello. Infusing Greek mythology with superheroics, Azzarello has crafted a Wonder Woman tale that encompasses everything that makes the character great and conveys it all through a tone vastly different from what's come before—one a little more mature and sophisticated while still balancing superhero adventure and fantasy. From her compassion and strength of character to her, you know, actual strength and general badassery, it's really no wonder we love Wonder Woman.

2. Bats and Cats and Birds (Oh My!)

When it comes to strong female characters, like with all things, Batman has it covered. From the feline fatale Catwoman to the aforementioned butt-kicking Batgirl to the all-female team the Birds of Prey (whose member Katana will soon be getting her own ongoing) to the Batwoman and even the Huntress (and by extension her BFF Power Girl), the female members of the Bat Family almost make us want to go to Gotham and commit a crime just so we can experience their awesomeness firsthand. We don't think we'd be able to handle the hospital bills, though.

3. Amaya, Princess of House Amethyst

Although a newer member of DC COMICS – THE NEW 52, Amaya of House Amethyst (appearing monthly in the pages of Sword of Sorcery) had us along for the ride from the get-go—simply by way of its cool creative team—but once the story’s action took us to Gemworld, things took a turn toward Awesome Town (about 28 miles outside of Crazy Town and a few stops away from Amazingville). Amaya’s hilarious sarcasm and "what am I even doing here" attitude brings a great level of fun and teenage cynicism to an already entertaining fantasy adventure.

4. Ame-Comi

We've been really big fans of the Ame-Comi line of statues for quite some time. From the extremely creative designs to the fun little details, they're a great addition to our shrine of nerdiness (also known as, you know, our office). But what's even more excellent is that their popularity spawned a new digital first series Ame-Comi Girls, which features characters inspired by the line. It's a really fun read scripted by the All-Star Western team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, and each installment gets us excited about who is going to appear next and what twist to classic comic mythos and characters will occur.

5. Kickass Co-Stars

Whether we’re talking about the water-controlling warrior queen Mera from the pages of Aquaman, the alluring, if psychotic Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, the face-punching powerhouse Cassie Sandsmark in Teen Titans, or Horsewoman, Exoristos and Shining Knight from Demon Knights, you don't have to headline a title to steal the show.

5.1 The Awesomeness that is Supergirl

5.2 The Upcoming Return of Stargirl

Nothing like awesome comics and stunning statues to feed our little Heroine addiction. So what are your reasons for loving DC’s heroines? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: