JSA

Issue no.20

"Injustice Be Done" part 5: "Godspeed"

Writers: David Goyer & Geoff Johns

Penciller: Stephen Sadowski

Inker: Michael Bair

Letterer: Ken Lopez

Colorist: John Kalisz

Editor: Peter Tomasi

� � � � It begins with the new Spectre fallen, unexpectedly cut down - stripped to the giant bone - by the King of Tears. New York has been cast into surreal ruin, and nightmarish creatures are everywhere. Sand is the captive of Johnny Sorrow - the one who set all this in motion. The normally villainous Black Adam is standing with the JSA. Flash is narrating in a fashion that suggests something will happen to him by the end of the story. And what's happening to Kendra? Some of this plays out this issue, some is a lead-in to the coming Return of Hawkman arc. All of it has my interest.

� � � � I haven't talked about an issue of this series here in over a year, and I'm pleased to find that I'm enjoying the series as much now as I did then. In fact, given some shifts in the team, I'm finding this team a little more easy to take in terms of power level now that Dr. Fate and Hourman are at least temporarily out of the picture. Too many heavy-hitters with bizarre powers over time and space make an interesting plot difficult to do. Even now we're seeing the problem in that it's taking a major, reality-bending menace to put these folks through their paces. The trouble with that level of menace is that in a mainstream comic there's a general requirement that New York city not be left a smoking ruin next issue... so this generally leads to magical menaces that conveniently undo themselves at the end. After a while it's more difficult than ever to give a damn. Still, another thing that holds from that earlier review is that this remains a better bet than JLA, even though JSA has sometimes fallen into the same Self-Cleaning Menace trap, the character interactions and number of relatively low-level powers makes the JSA better at engaging the audience.

� � � � As mentioned above, this is leading into the return of Hawkman arc, where they will presumably try again to fix one of the problems left by Crisis that was only muddled further during the attempted Zero Hour repairs.

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � �MJN

�� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Agree? Disagree? Comments? Let me know on the Embassy Messageboard