Review – Jurassic League #1 (DC Comics)

Publisher: DC Comics
Writer(s): Daniel Warren Johnson, Juan Gedeon
Artwork: Juan Gedeon
Colours: Mike Spicer
Lettering: Ferran Delgado
Release Date: 10th May 2022

As elevator pitches go, “Dinosaur Justice League” certainly isn’t the worst one we’ve heard, and in the capable hands of Daniel Warren Johnson and Juan Gedeon, this was definitely a new series we wanted to check out as soon as we heard about it.

This first issue doesn’t have much in the way of an overarching story, instead adopting an almost anthology approach as we check in with a few of the Dino-ized versions of our favourite DC Superheroes as they do their thing. It’s all suitably quirky, from the internal monologuing “Bat Walker” doing battle with a vaguely familiar clown-faced Dino, to a water-based battle between “Blackmantasaurus” and a trident-wielding Saviour of the Waves.

One thing that’s obvious from the very first page is just how much fun Johnson, Gedeon and Spicer are having with this one, packing the pages with colourful, bombastic action and prehistoric puns aplenty (“Metraaaghpolis” being a personal favourite of mine.) Gedeon’s artwork is perfectly suited for a story like this with its chunky characters and over-the-top skirmishes, and colourist extraordinaire Mike Spicer is clearly also having an absolute blast, slathering the pages with vibrant tones throughout.

My only minor criticism so far, and it’s something that will undoubtedly be corrected as the six-part limited series continues, is that all the stories in this first issue feel unconnected so far. Yes, we have “Wonderdon” having visions of some of the other heroes, but other than that, this could – as I mentioned above – almost be a dino-themed DC anthology rather than a coherent story. It’s still early days though, and when the journey is as much fun as it is here, I don’t begrudge the creators taking a little longer getting to their destination.

In terms of fun, colourful DC dino action, this does exactly what it says on the tin. And if you’re looking for puns, gags and prehistoric versions of your favourite DC heroes and villains, you’re really not going to get much better than this.

Rating: 4/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]