The Good
Team 7 in the DC Universe is a strange and fascinating idea. When it was first mentioned that Steve Trevor was a member in the pages of JUSTICE LEAGUE, it opened the door to possibilities. It's ideas like this that makes the integration of the Wildstorm Universe into the DCU a joy. This isn't quite the same Team 7 we had before. There are some of the same characters. The update and inclusion of certain DC characters is what makes this book stand out from the typical covert government team book.
The zero issue takes us back five years ago. With superheroes making the scene in a big way, it's understandable that the powers that be in the government would want to take precautions. "People with more power that a nuclear bomb are walking the Earth." The government is usually portrayed as being paranoid in matters such as these but you have to admit they have good reason. A giant unknown factor has been thrown in their faces.
One of the greatest joys was seeing John Lynch in these pages. I wasn't sure what his status would be since we hadn't seen him in the first year of the New 52. Also, is it just a coincidence it's called "The Majestic Project"? This is the perfect place to start a new series. As a zero issue, it introduces the entire team (well, at least most of it, I think since there is one member apparently missing). Some of the members seen here are surprising (even though they were revealed when the series was announced). Because they are in this early "five years ago" stage, many will be different than what we've seen so far in the present. How they go from here to now is going to be interesting.
I'm a fan of Jesus Merino who does the art along with Norm Rapmund and Rob Hunter. It has the right feel for this type of book. The characters are recognizable even though some will go through some changes.
The Bad
I really liked this book. I really like the potential it has. Because of this, I am worried how the series will play out. I will be strongly rooting for this title to continue to wow me each month. What kind of missions will they go on and how long can the need for the team last?
I don't really like the suits the member use in the field. It makes sense for them to have non-specific suits and a sort of uniform since they are a government team. The look can be a little gaudy and cliché. Some of the members have little personal touches such as Deathstroke wearing blue or Grifter wearing red along with his mask. That's good for the characters to have their own identity but doesn't seem like the best idea for a covert team to be wearing brightly colored suits.
The Verdict
I was excited for the New 52 relaunch of Team 7 and was a little scared at the same time but this issue is off to a promising start. With the sudden emergence of superpowered individuals, it makes perfect sense that a group would be created to deal with any potential problem that could arise. This is the perfect introduction, even to characters that have had their own titles in the New 52. Things were different "five years ago" in the DC Universe and and it's such a treat to see these stories play out. I'm assuming and hoping the series will continue to run in this time period since characters such as Black Canary, Deathstroke and Grifter all have present day appearances going on. This was close to a five star book for me. I have high hopes for this series and this issue justified me having them.