1st DCnU title is...

JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
1:25 Variant cover by DAVID FINCH

RETROSOLICITED • On sale AUGUST 31 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US RATED T • Combo pack edition: $4.99 US

Comics superstars Geoff Johns and Jim Lee make history! In a universe where super heroes are strange and new, Batman has discovered a dark evil that requires him to unite the World Greatest Heroes!

This spectacular debut issue is also offered as a special combo pack edition, polybagged with a redemption code for a digital download of the issue.

Mike's Comments:

Since this is the only DC book other than Flashpoint shipping on August 31st, the launching point for the new approach DCU, this is probably the best book to pick up to get a feel with what DC wants to do editorially with the line of books. 

The first story arc is set in the past of the DCU, the very first gathering of DC's premier team book is going to get Geoff Johns “Secret Origins” make over and if he does that type of job he has done in the past we're in for a good show, plus Jim Lee art makes this pretty much a must read if you are at all interested in the relaunch. 

As I said before, this is the title that is going to give us what the editorial direction for DC and I expect that it'll be a fairly strong launch book.  If you're budgeting your purchases for the new DCU then this is the book that you pick up and start forming your opinions over whether you want to continue picking up books.

V collars for everyone, except Cyborg and Batman, the God-damned Batman doesn't do V collars.

The team shot for the cover looks good, but I'm worried about the inclusion of Cyborg as a founding  memeber of Justice League.  Stalwart mainstays like Hawkman and Martian Manhunter don't appear to be included, but as this is only the cover and not content it might be jumping the gun.

I'm not sold on Johns insistence to make Cyborg a major player in the DCU and if he does so at the expense of two members of DC's Big Seven then I think it'll be a misstep.  I understand that Hawkman is problematic because of his overtly convoluted origin (which presumably they'll fix in the soft reboot), plus   he wasn't a founding member, but his inclusion in a revitalized Justice League is paramount to a revitalized franchise.

We'll talk more about the Martian Manhunter in a later entry when we talk about Stormwatch.

The meat of the DCU relaunch is selling comics to a new consumer base.  It's the real reason for the relaunches at the first issue of all the books and the combo pack for the first title in the relaunch is a great idea for initiating people into DC's digital content initiative.  

I'm not one of those retailers that is all panicky about digital comics.  Are we going to lose some  customers?  Well sure, but the hope of gaining some of those that only read digital product coming into the stores is more than enough to appease any misgivings.  The average comic-shop can deliver a community that simple downloads cannot, plus I honestly believe that a clean shop and courteous, knowledgeable staff can attract and keep new generation of comic readers if DC delivers great content that makes the new readership curious to the genre.

I'm far more confident in the efforts of a publisher that realizes that tablets are a new source of readers and actively goes after them then one that continues to cater to a diminishing client base.  As a publisher, it is DC's responsibility to do so and my job as a comics retailer is to try and do my best to sell in that environment.

On a scale of 1 to 5 DC Bullets Justice League is 5 DC Bullets, pretty much a must read.