Justice Inc. #1

By Michael Uslan, Giovanni Timpano, & Marco Lesko

Utilizing some of Dynamite’s more popular characters, Justice Inc. combines several elements from their wide range of stories, most notably Doc Savage and the Shadow, into this great, intelligent story. Michael Uslan writes the characters well and creates a smart, sophisticated story without falling into the trap of including mindless action because it’s a comic book. With Uslan creating a story that you just can’t put down, Timpano and Lesko create art that you just can’t look away from. From story to art and everything in between, Justice Inc. is a book for familiar Dynamite readers, superhero fans, and readers who want to get away from all that pointless Clobberin’ to exercise their brains.

Time travel is complicated story device and if used correctly it can make any story fantastic (Back to the Future, Star Trek, Days of Future Past). But the biggest question is why hasn’t anyone learned that dealing with time travel is dangerous. You could create a paradox… “You mean one of those things that can destroy the universe?” There is a funny line that every comic fan wishes they could have told their grandfathers in 1939, you know, to pretty much solidify their financial situations. Being a time travel story, many famous historical figures like Albert Einstein and H.G. Wells make guest appearances. Doc Savage proves to be a fantastic lead character and one that should carry the story on his back moving forward through the series.

Timpano’s characters are realistic and aesthetically correct. The look of the world he’s creating is familiar to us. Everything is real and resembles exactly what we would see in the real world. It’s the type of art that almost can’t be considered comic book art; reminiscent of Alex Ross, just with more classical use of lines and less paint. Whether it’s the script of Timpano’s own artistic direction, each panel has perfect placement with varying shots and views that maintain a fresh look throughout the entire comic. Lesko doesn’t bring an abundance of detailed color work but that’s just fine because it doesn’t take away from Timpano. Their art styles co-existed perfectly solidifying Justice Inc. as a visual wonder.

Justice Inc. utilizes time travel, particle acceleration and more. Though not an action-filled adventure as the title may imply, this series is a great read and the seed to what looks to grow into a smart, intellectually detailed story.