Justice, Inc: The First Avenger is a really fun series. Mark Waid’s take on the classic series revitalized my love for old pulpy series like Doc Savage but managed to stand out on its own merits. One of the best things about Justice, Inc. is the slightly goofy take on more serious subjects. Richard Henry Benson is constantly in danger from villainous characters—and some mind-controlled lions—and he meets them head-on with his specially named knife and gun. Benson also talks to his knife and gun, because that’s what you do when you are a millionaire with no skin color. When Benson isn’t fighting mind-controlled lions he is out rescuing scientists with his crack team of helpers.
The story is fantastic, but Ronilson Freire’s art just takes the series over the top. It must be hard to render an entire world in color while avoiding one specific character. Freire manages just that and more as he works with invisible enemies, characters in weird masks, and constantly changing scenarios. Look, Justice, Inc. gets a little crazy at times, but it never seems to jump the shark.
