The Good
Vibe was always seen as DC/JLA's big joke. Now in the New 52, he's being given a chance to become something better. When it was first announced that he would be part of this new Justice League of America, most of us wondered what was going on. With the revelations in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1, we've learned that there is a great deal of potential locked away inside this kid.
Vibe also gives readers a minority character not from the most affluent neighborhood. Not every character gets to grow up in a mansion or have the best childhood. Vibe shows there are other facets to the New 52 Universe.
There is also a light hearted feel to the characters despite the underlying deceit from ARGUS and Amanda Waller. There are also some scenes that directly tie into this week's JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #2. It makes sense with him being on the team and the team's name in the title of this book. Tight continuity will be important as there wasn't too much to Cisco's crime-fighting career before he was recruited.
The Bad
Even though Vibe is on his way to becoming a likable character, the verdict is still out on whether or not he has what it takes to carry his own title. It is good to see things from his perspective but because he's spending a lot of time being manipulated by Waller and ARGUS, his naivety could get a little old.
When Waller was talking to...an incarcerated metahuman, a scroll written in another language was presented. Waller asked the individual to read it and tell her what it said, completely trusting that the truth would be told. Waller then orders the person to write a certain response, again completely assuming they would cooperate. It was unclear why this prisoner would fully cooperate.
The scenes from JLA #2 were fun to see from Vibe's perspective but hopefully we won't get too much of this as it would just be repetition if you're reading both titles.
The Verdict
We're getting to see more of who Vibe is and who he could become. While not as fully compelling as the first issue, there were still moments you can see the potential Vibe contains. He's being set up to become a powerful asset or threat and seeing what direction that could go in will be interesting. Vibe offers a new outlook on the New 52 given his ethnicity and background. It's great to see some variation in today's heroes but hopefully we'll see a firm direction this title will take besides just seeing Vibe being manipulated by Waller. The tease for next issue looks like we can expect fun times.