Back Issue Review: Justice Society of America Special #1 (2010)

I remember this book coming out a couple years ago, but I know it tied in to the Magog series that I’d already dropped. But I saw it a few weeks ago in a dollar bin and Scott Kolins' art is worth at least that!

This is a pretty generic team-up book with a slight focus on Magog. There really isn’t enough time for most of the characters to get any development time at all. This is one big fight, with Magog and the JSA taking on Kingdom Come’s N.I.L.8 and the underlings of Gog. It’s full of one-liners and generic action talk. Kolins does a better job with some characters than others; his Magog is decent, and I liked his surly Wildcat. Power Girl gets to kick some butt, so that was nice to see again. Gog himself barely shows up, and his followers seem a lot more blatantly evil than he appeared in his original JSA storyline.

I will say it was nice seeing those fantastic old costumes again. Power Girl, Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, Wildcat, I could go on and on. I suppose it’s true what they say, all your old comics are still sitting there if you don’t like the new ones!

Kolins is a dynamic penciler. No one does super-heroes better. But this book looks rushed. There are very few backgrounds and many of the panels look choppy. Kolins’ later work on JSA was a lot prettier. Was this a fill-in issue, or was it a couple issues of Magog that got re-packaged for higher sales? Magog kind of walks off into the sunset at the close, did he show up again before the reboot?

Make no mistake; this is not a great comic. But it’s got good action and decent art, so it was well worth the buck I paid to pick it up.

Average

Justice League: Generation Lost #2

This wasn't quite as stellar as the first issue, but it was still darn entertaining. Judd Winick and Keith Giffen have too much set-up to do to make this feel as familiar as last issue.

Max Lord has made the world forget he exists. In fact, he's even altered the world's minds into not seeing proof of his exisitence. Wonder Woman doesn't remember killing him. Superman has never heard of him. And everyone thinks Ted Kord killed himself. Only the remaining four members of the JLI (and Skeets!) remember what really happened. And to make matters more difficult, Max is engaging in an ongoing attempt to discredit the JLI heroes. Checkmate dismisses Fire, Guy Gardner thinks Ice tried to kill him. Captain Atom is wanted for treason, and Booster... well, Booster is just Booster. He doesn't need to be discredited.

Max's powers have been significantly ramped up. There's a scene here where Max makes it seem that he's in a room, when really he's just making Captain Atom think so, leading to more problems for the Captain. It also seems Max has retained control over the OMACs, judging from the cliffhanger.

I would have loved a more drawn out fight between Captain Atom and Magog, but maybe we'll get that in a future issue. I also think it is interesting that the JLI gang hasn't quite re-banded together yet. Fire and Ice still think they can do it themselves. We shall see.

Joe Bennett handles the art this issue, and while he's solid, the story looks too "modern" for me. Aaron Lopresti's art in issue 1 "felt" like old JLI art, while this feels like a modern DC crossover. Clearly, I prefer the retro more than the current when it comes to my Justice League.

Good

JSA All-Stars #4

I'm happy that the Magog/Power Girl struggle is resolved so quickly, but I'm still not sold on this book. The opening scene with Sand convincing the team to head out to stop Johnny Sorrow makes sense, but I have a problem with the All-Stars not calling in the rest of the team just because they want to stand on their own. It's an arbitrary comic book reason, not one founded in reality. Matt Sturges does so well with realistic dialogue that I wish he had a better reason for the split up teams.

Assuming these are all the heroes the team can get, things move along nicely. I loved the big splashy arrival of the All Stars, it is quite telling that of the three big guns King Chimera manifests two are on the other team and one is not in the DCU these days. I was actually confused for a moment when I saw this team, so I got suckered just like the villains. I also dug the banter from Hourman, he wants to know what the interests of the villains are because he used to talk movies with one of the old villains. That's a great little touch that makes the characters seem more real.

Freddie Williams III added "the window" back to PG's suit, and I'm not sure I like that better. I had one other odd issue, I sometimes had some confusion about the odd squeals coming from the King of Tears demon, it was hard to tell where the voices were coming from.

Fair

Blackest Night: JSA #3

Hey kids, comics! Nothing like seeing a zombie Superman who is missing the top of his skull strangling two heroes! Factor in some classy blood splatters on Power Girl's ample chest and there is everything a young reader could want in this one!

I must confess, James Robinson does a nice job wrapping up the big mess he started in the Blackest Night: Superman limited series. Introducing a huge powerhouse like Black Lantern Kal-L is a big deal, so having a huge force like the combined JSA teams take him on makes sense. It explains why we haven't seen more from either faction in the other tie ins. Everyone has been busy!

The best part about this wrap-up is how Robinson gets to shine a spotlight on some of the best characteristics of the JSA. Power Girl is stubborn and doesn't quit, no matter what. She's a tough one. Mr. Terrific is a genius who actually found a way to neutralize all the black lanterns in New York. I think that puts him second only to Mogo in zombie-killing. I did like seeing that Jesse Quick wasn't fooled by her zombie Dad too. It would have been easy to have her believe the gross corpse, since that's the cliche, but she knew what she was dealing with. The JSA is a formidable team and it was cool seeing them take care of business like they did here.

Eddy Barrow's art tends towards cheesecake and gore, but let's face it, that's what this book needs. Power Girl's defiance shines thoughout and I loved the look on Alan Scott's face when Mr. Terrific releases him to go help the rest of the team.

Good

JSA All-Stars #3

This takes place before the recent JSA annual where Magog faced down the JSA at the Haven super-prison. Tensions are already high though. Magog comes across as such a controlling ass, there is no way he can stick around on the team. If he had anyone supporting his point of view, that would be one thing, but he has no allies. Every member of the team agrees with "co-leader" Power Girl, so they're all cheering when she starts wailing on the horned hero during a practice exercise.

I love big team showdowns with their opposites, so having Johnny Sorrow's Injustice society is an easy sell for me. I still don't understand exactly what they're after, but I do like seeing a well-balanced showdown.

Freddie Williams has a bright style that's quite fun. He also has an approach to Power Girl that I hadn't noticed. A friend of mine at the comic store pointed out that her characteristic "window" is absent from her uniform. I hadn't noticed though, because she is still... humongous to say the least. It's funny, why bother closing the window if she's still so endowed.

Good

Justice Society of America: Annual #2

I guess you really can fill a super-sized comic with the old "confused heroes fight each other" cliche. The bulk of this book consists of the All-Stars and the JSA chasing Magog around Haven as the super-scientist criminal residents pop in and out of the action. This picks up from the Haven-storyline featured in the Magog title over the past few months. The warden of Haven actually called in the Justice-cavalry when Magog got to close to him, and we get the payoff here. Power Girl narrates a fair amount of the pages, and she's nowhere near as fun as the character featured in her solo title. She does eventually figure out that Magog is telling the truth, but by then Magog has battled most of both teams.

I'm not sure where the continuing story goes from here, since it seemed the warden was caught in the blast he set to self-destruct the prison. A few prisoners escaped too, including one guy whose name I can't even remember yet, but that makes sense because he's defining himself by his need to establish a name and rep for himself. Maybe next time you'll be memorable enough, buddy! The parts featuring that scientist, and in fact, most of the super-brain villains seem like Matt Sturges' contribution to the issue. Keith Giffen probably did most of the plot and Magog's grumblings. The issue is decent, but I do hope there is more payoff for Magog in his own title.

Tom Derenick's art is scratchy, but that seems to be his style these days. He still draws everyone too bulky, but his women are looking a bit less like pinups, and his storytelling has improved too.

Fair

Blackest Night: JSA #1

James Robinson picks up the thread from his Blackest Night: Superman mini by putting the bodies of Kal-L and Psycho Pirate in the JSA brownstone. It makes a lot of sense, Power Girl's presence is a great tie to that previous series. By keeping the bodies relevant, it makes that older series seem more important too.

The JSA seemed like a huge team for a long time, so big that I never really worried about them winning. But factor in some Black Lantern rings, and suddenly the team is overwhelmed. It was interesting seeing the team rocked back on their heels like this. I really enjoyed the heroes shifting back and forth between trying to protect civilians and trying to research the Black Lanterns.

Robinson spends too many pages giving us the history of some of the raised zombies. If these guys aren't coming back at the end of this story, I'm just not sure that most readers need to know this level of detail about Sandman, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Mr. Terrific. Especially since Johnny Quick's appearance is much more emotionally resonant. I am enjoying the team's struggles, as I said, so I'll stick around to see how this turns out. I will go on record that I'm still unhappy that Damage is dead.

Eddy Barrows is good at the dead folks' gristle, but his living faces aren't quite as good. Libery Belle looks kind of puffy and Hourman actually looks like a monster in one panel. Barrows has a nice sense for the dramatic splash, though. He uses them a little more than is necessary, but they are exciting shots.

Fair

Justice Society of America #33

Other than one big reveal, there isn't really a lot laid out for us in this conclusion to the first story arc. Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges bring back the hordes of flunkies to take on the team, but the JSA is more prepared this time. I really like Blue Moon as a villain, her boast about Superman followed by Power Girl's takedown was very cool. The big reveal is that as we all suspected, Willingham creation Kid Karneval has been masquerading as the new All-American Kid. He's a devious little jerk. He seemed a bit less maniacal and cleverer than I remember him from Shadowpact, but he's still enraging to read about. I'm very pleased that Mr. Terrific got to take the punk down. You don't fool Mr. Terrific! I was amused that Sturges used the new Dr. Polaris so prominently here, knowing he gets killed in the Blackest Night mini. Oh well! It is interesting that Karneval and the villain mob weren't related; there are a lot of seeds for future stories here.

The big closing is the split of the team into two factions. The legacy "teacher" faction and the "extreme" military crew. I'm not sure the split makes total sense to me, especially with Power Girl, Cyclone, and Star Girl ending up on the military team. I actually think Wildcat makes more sense with the proactive team, but his loyalty to his buddies and his dislike of Magog would keep him away. There isn't really much to know about the new Mr. America yet, but I guess he likes the laid back attitude of the oldsters.

Jesus Merino is darn good. His action panels look tremendous, and that Power Girl takedown of Blue Moon was really fun. He handles all the devastation nicely too. He's a great fit for this book. I'm concerned sales have plummeted so much on this, I'm still really enjoying this series.

Good

Magog #3

This was the make-or-break issue of Magog for me, and Giffen's new series makes the cut, but barely. Magog's odd personality is starting to grow on me. He's a confident, aggressive hero that recognizes his limitations even as he blusters and powers through every interaction. Giffen spends a lot of time with the new villain Miasma this issue, and his background is so generic and uninteresting that our narrator Magog tunes out, so the reader doesn't have to suffer through all the rationalizations of a madman. It's a fun trick I don't think I've ever seen used before. I'm still not sold on the arms-dealer aspect of the story, I'm just not interested in it yet. But Miasma is a more approachable villain with clearer goals, so seeing Magog go up against him is pretty entertaining. I'd say this is the best issue yet.

Howard Porter's Magog is a hulking ape-man. His square nose and golden armor gives him a definite gladiator look, and I'm liking that Magog ditched the shoulder pad this issue too.

Fair

Justice Society of America #32

I knew it! Last month's cliffhanger declared that Mr. Terrific was dead on the operating table, but it seems that the JSA isn't ready to give up on Mr. T yet. Alan Scott kept his body in stasis to set up a powerful spell from Dr. Fate that may be able to save the ex-chairman. I didn't think they'd kill off such a fantastic character, so I'm happy we'll get the guy back. The team starts investigating the attack and it seems that King Chimera isn't as innocent as he seemed. I still think Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges are throwing out a red herring (I still think All-American Kid is not to be trusted). King Chimera is an elitist jerk, but I'm not convinced he's a killer. One improvement the new writers have made in this book is that they actually let Power Girl act like a team leader. She's tough and confident, and when she gives orders, people better listen. I loved Magog's "I thought you were on my side" when she starts issuing orders. It seems it would be more accurate to say he's on her side!

There isn't a lot of character development time here, but there is a cute little sequence with Hourman and Liberty Belle. When Liberty Belle questions why the bounty hunters aren't after Star Girl, Hourman comments "I don't suppose it's because she's so darn cute!" and Hourman's wife Liberty Belle responds "Oh nice. Not condescending at all." It's a funny scene that gives us a fun glimpse into their relationship.

Jesus Merino still impresses the heck out of me. He's got a great handle on the many costumes showing up here, and the detail is incredible. He takes the time to add in funny stuff like one of the dog-men waving at Blue Moon too, just a minor visual gag that adds to the book. I do think his Power Girl needs a bit longer hair, but she's still cool looking overall.

Good

The Shield #1 &2

Sometimes a book is improved by its inclusion in a shared universe. While I like Eric Trautmann's writing, I wasn't sure if I'd dig The Shield. It turns out that the book is actually pretty decent. The core idea is a strong one. The Shield is a moral, upstanding member of the American military, and he uses all his resources (both personal and the military's) to do what is right. He doesn't like killing, he believes America can help, and he does his best. Most of the military heroes we get these days are almost bad guys, so the Shield is a welcome change. Trautmann does a nice job with his powers too. There is a great sense that the military was smart about this experimental nanotech. In the second issue, when a villain tries to dominate the Shield's mind, his suit takes over and starts busting heads, since the suit is programmed to keep itself out of enemy hands. It's a neat idea. It could end up being over-used if the programming gets him out of every problem, but on a limited basis it is a great example of competence from the supporting cast.

The excellent use of the shared universe comes in with the use of Magog. As a military character, his appearance makes sense. But rather than having the two heroes get along, Trautmann plays up a competition of toughness and efficiency. These two would actually be great leads for a buddy book, at least as they are portrayed here. The surprise villain is a nice get too. This guy is in a lot of comics but using him like this instills a more dangerous feel on this DCU mainstay.

Marco Rudy does a serviceable job on art. He's not fantastic, but his storytelling is clear and his rendition of the big villain is downright chilling.

Good

The Inferno by Brandon Jerwa and Greg Scott is starting to "heat up" a bit, but I'm still not very interested in what's going on. The shadowy group as villains is sort of played out. I'm not too concerned for Inferno either. I mean, he's going to be on the run, and that sucks for him, but I don't really think he's in danger of getting killed. He took on Green Arrow and Black Canary and came out on top, so he's pretty darn tough.

Fair

Magog #2

I do love Magog and how he fits in with the rest of the JSA over in the core Justice Society title, but on his own, I'm afraid that Mags just isn't unique enough to sustain my interest.

Keith Giffen is trying his darndest to introduce a new supporting cast and new villains while still servicing the JSA membership angle too. This issue had some nice interactions with both Cyclone and Jay Garrick, and it was interesting seeing Magog's take on the two of them. Sure, he is down on them, but we expect that by now. He is a jerk after all. Magog is at least trying to be a proactive hero and getting involved in the brain-washing tech introduced last isssue. Giffen has a neat sequence where Magog heads out to the super-genius prison where T.O. Morrow was kept during 52 to question Hector Hammond. Hammdon doesn't come off as creepily as he did in Geoff Johns' GL title though. So the supporting cast, the guest-stars, even the idea for a new dealer of high-tech illegal weaponry is good. After all, now that Intergang has stupidly been retrofit into a bunch of Crime Bible cultists, the DCU needs a good sci-fi crew of villains again. The problem is that while the separate elements might hold up, I'm just not engaged to see what happens. I don't think this title will have any relevance on the JSA and Magog isn't likeable enough to keep me around. I enjoy a lot of titles that don't have an impact outside their own pages, but I need to love the characters. I just don't like Magog enough.

Howard Porter's art is interesting. His Magog looks decidedly Larry Stroman-ish in places, which isn't a style crossover I expected. His figures are always blocky, but he's really unleashing those tendencies in this book.

Average

Justice Society of America #31

If I was a comic character joining a super-hero team, I'd really like to be in a Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges written comic. These two authors have totally instilled their logical approach into most of the characters on this team. This issue opens with a throwdown between Magog and Wildcat, but the conflict is wisely explained away as a fact of life when a bunch of warriors are stewing and have nowhere to deflect their anger. Dr. Fate is able to defuse the situation by pointing out that he, Dr. Fate, and Sentinel are trying to save Mr. Terrific in the next room over. This opens things up for some logical discussion.

What it boils down to is that Magog wants the team to function more like a special ops team, with training, psych evaluatations, and the like. He isn't down with using the JSA as a boarding house for any new hero using an old name. It's a great, reasonable argument that the arrogant King Chimera quickly backs up. The problem is, Chimera is an ass and the whole team doesn't like him, so Magog responds to his support with a wonderful line "Don't undermine my argument by agreeing with me." THIS Magog is much more likeable and is a cool leader; I like this guy a lot more than the one starring in the solo title. The plot churns along too, with Icicle stepping forward as a middle-man for the mysterious bad guy who hired the army of villains 2 issues ago. After Eclipso leaves, it looks like the new villain team consists of Icicle, Underhand, Homonculus, Blue Moon, Dr. Polaris, Atomic Skull, and Wild Huntsman. Those guys aren't household names, but they do make a pretty cool looking villain team.

The big news is on the closing page where the doctors have to give up and declare Mr. Terrific is dead. I don't believe it, but it does make for a dramatic closer.

Jesus Merino is still doing a wonderful job. He does 2 nice transitions that would fit in a TV show or film. In one scene, the panel swivels around the table showing different characters chiming in on a discussion. At the close of that scene, Power Girl states "here's what we learned" and the scene cuts to various villains spilling their guts.

Excellent

Justice Society of America #30

We're only 2 issues in to Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges' run on JSA and we're already getting some of their signature characterization. Already the JSA is organizing itself into logical missions and team splits, much like these two writers established in Shadowpact. This actually works out better here in JSA, since the team is so large that there are natural splits that make a lot of sense. I'm not sure why Hourman ended up on Team Power Girl, since he never seemed like that proactive a hero (or Cyclone for that matter) but I'm ok with the split overall.

I liked that Jay Garrick, Stargirl, and Dr. Fate are enough to turn the tide of villains that seemed so powerful last issue. After setting up Blue Moon, Eclipso, and Dr. Polaris as the heavy hitters of the villains, I was amused to see them escape PG's team. I hope they show up again, they certainly could form the nucleus of a neat little villain crew. I hope Mr. Terrific is ok, he is a neat character and I don't want to see him out of action for too long. I'm liking the two new sidekick characters too; they add some much needed snark to the respectful halls of the JSA. Magog comes off as more of a jerk here than in his own book, but at the same time, it isn't surprising seeing him face off against Wildcat. I'm sure we won't get an actual fight, but I would actually have liked to see it!

Jesus Merino is firing on all cylinders here. He's a solid artist with a nice, classic style, I'm really happy he's getting the chance to headline a big title like JSA.

Good

Magog #1

Maybe I'm mellowing out as I get older. Back when Kingdom Come originally came out, I was a big fan of Magog. I liked his ridiculous look, I liked his "rebellious" attitude towards the older heroes, and I liked that he killed the Joker in that alternate history story. But now that we have Magog showing up in the current DCU, I think he's kind of a jerk.

Keith Giffen does a nice job fleshing out David Reid/Magog in the first issue. Magog knows who he is, at least. He knows he's a hard-edged hero that will do more than what other heroes will do, both morally and politically. I admire the self-awareness he shows when he comments that he knows there is no way he can last in the JSA. He also lies to Alan Scott about trying not to kill people, another funny bit showing that Magog knows exactly what kind of hero he is. My problem is how dismissive Magog seems to be towards the attitudes of other heroes. He makes a few comments about still respecting GL, but not enough. The core plot involves someone selling low-end meta tech to criminals around the world, sort of a low-tech Intergang. The concept is ok, but the book needs a real antagonist fast or I'm afraid I will lose interest.

Howard Porter sure enjoys drawing teeth breaking. Twice in the first issue Magog busts up someone's dental work, and then we have 3 or 4 guys getting their skin blasted off too. I think I'd prefer a more "comicy" take on Magog's energy blasts. With his beams looking like they are searing folks to death, Magog comes off as a bit of a sadist.

Fair