Somewhere in the far future, a group of heroes responds to a deep-space threat. They engage with it and get a bit more than they were expecting. This prompts them to go back into the 21st century to contact an entirely different group of heroes in Justice League Vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes #1. Writer Brian Michael Bendis opens a six-part story with the aid of artist Scott Godlewski and colorist Ryan Cody. The opening issue is cluttered with way too many heroes to make a terribly coherent debut. Still, the meeting of two huge superhero groups is enough fun to carry the opening issue.

Gold Lantern and the Legion of Super-Heroes are squaring off against a huge Shuma Gorath-looking creature when darkness strikes. There IS a lot of darkness in space, but this is different. This is The Great Darkness. It’s a massive universe-ending void. The Legion doesn’t know how to deal with the threat, so they go back in time to consult with heroes of another age: The Justice League. After all, introductions have been made, the two teams are ready to get down to business. Too bad that all seem to have disappeared before they can actually discuss things.

Bendis frames the opening issue of the series with strange pacing. The central conflict opens and closes the chapter. Everything that happens in between is more or less social. Heroes talk to heroes and get to know each other. As thoroughly as it’s been explored elsewhere before, it’s always a pleasure to see heroes from the future marveling at the legendary heroes of the present. Bendis renders the meeting of the two teams with a breezy wit that firmly establishes a very appealing tone for the six-issue series.

Cram a whole bunch of brightly-clad superheroes into the same panel, and things can look more than a little cluttered. Some artists can give each character in a crowd a very distinctive look that makes for a dazzling meeting between superpowers. Thankfully, Godlewski does a really, really good job of making every hero specific in huge crowd shots as team meets team. Cody’s colors give radiant depth to the page in power signatures and atmospheric backdrops. Cody’s work on the last two pages is awe-inspiring as the issue ends on an impressive visual punch. 

Bendis’ introduction to the series provides a rock-solid foundation for what is to come next. There are a hell of a lot of characters to juggle, but Bendis seems to be giving everyone a respectable amount of time. That’s easy enough to do when everyone is getting acquainted, but once the conflict settles in with the second issue, it could be quite challenging to get it all to come together. Bendis has a great deal of experience with this sort of thing, and Godlewski is clearly up to the task of rendering it for the page. 

Grade: A-