Fluff Piece JSA: All Stars 2 "Flying High" Review

 

Wow. Just... wow.

With Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, Carter Hall and Ted Grant along with The Spectre captives of "Legacy", each member of the Justice Society of America was given forty-eight hours to pull themselves together and reconcile the past the face the challenge of the present for a brighter future. That was what The Spectre told the team. It was somewhat vague if it was the actual The Spectre or Legacy posing as The Spectre.

Here, The Spirit of Redemption pulls back the curtain on Kendra Saunders. Granddaughter of Speed Saunders, great-niece of Shiera Saunders, the original Golden-Age Hawkgirl. Quickly and smoothly recapping her origin, The Spectre launches into her adventure. Rescuing her grandfather from a militia armed with anthrax that they intend to unleash on Seattle. Kendra quickly, however roughly, dispatches the militia members and rescues her grandfather. Afterward she pays a visit on a little girl that turns out to be her daughter. Pregnant at fifteen, Kendra gave Mia up for adoption. 

The Reunion seems to be healing and cleansing for Kendra. However, this is a stand-alone story that in no way connects to the main narrative. It's a fine, touching story. It's got action and great art by Phil Winslade. But that's it. 

The back-up story by Loeb and Sale is equally enjoyable. It's a hoot of hilarity. Carter helps Midway City's finest capture a trio of bank robbers. He plays cards with the police commissioner. He's late for dinner and has to warm up Shiera's cold shoulder. Still, there is absotively no connection to the previous issue.

It's all a very nice piece of filler. It's a fluff piece.

Hawkgirl in "Flying High" and Hawkman in "The Same Thing Happens Every Night" are enjoyable stories, individually and together. 

JSA: All Stars 2 earns three stars.

For Those That Follow... JSA: All Stars 1 "Legacy" Review

 

David Goyer and Geoff Johns present the Justice Society of America facing Legacy!

The Spectre pulls back the curtain. Sand is escorting The Icicle on a military transport to prison in Florida. Solomon Grundy rips open a side of the plane. Freed, The Icicle cushions the planes crash landing. The rest of the Injustice Gang is on hand, greeted by the Justice Society. The battle engages! It's all very dramatic and somewhat posing and posturing. Very quickly The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and Wildcat are transported out of the battle by the bad guys. Sand is immobilized! Returning to their Manhattan headquarters, they try to deduce what the device is that paralyzed Sand and kidnapped four of their members.

The cover is awesome.

Sal Velluto's art, with Bob Almond inks and John Kalisz colors is just the very definition of eye-candy. Ken Lopez's lettering has each character's voice down and dialogue, roll call and effects are unique.

Legacy himself is pretty much a mystery and cypher at this point. Somewhat hollow and shallow. The cliffhanger sets up the master plan that will undoubtedly unfold as the story progresses.

JSA: All Stars 1, "Legacy" earns four stars.

The Final Curtain! The Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special Review

One of the few tropes or rules of comic books is that there is very rarely - if ever - a "The End". It's really The Never-Ending Story. A writer may move on from a character, or from a comic book title, and tie up as many loose ends as possible, or move characters into a different place. Changes can be undone. Deaths are not usually permanent. There really has only been five significant, permanent death in comic books: Jor-El and Lara (and most of the planet of Krypton), Thomas and Martha Wayne and Uncle Ben Parker. Those deaths are permanent mainly because they make up the core identity of Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. Bucky Barnes' death was undone as was Gwen Stacy's for the sake of Story. Comparatively, when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle reached a finishing point or boredom with Sherlock Holmes, his final solution was to throw Holmes and Moriarty off Reichenbach Falls locked in deadly combat. The hue and cry was so loud that Conan Doyle brought Holmes back from the dead.

Following the seminal, landmark, epic Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series, Roy Thomas was faced with the unenviable task of writing "The End" to the Justice Society of America. In consolidating its legion of super-heroes to a single Earth, with a single history and timeline, the Superman Family, Batman Family, Wonder Woman Family and Aquaman were all shifted to modern appearances and removed from The Golden Age. In-comics continuity had the Justice Society start without including Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Aquaman made only a few Golden Age appearances and apparently was not a part of any team until the Justice League. Oliver Queen, The Green Arrow was also erased, as was his membership in The Seven Soldiers of Victory or Law's Legionnaires.

A single Earth with The New Teen Titans, The Outsiders, Infinity Inc., Doom Patrol - a veritable host of superhero teams and characters seemed to crowd out the more geriatric Justice Society. And so, a "The End" was fashioned.

The story finds Hitler able to wield the legendary, mythical Spear of Destiny, the spear that pierced the side and heart of Christ, the Savior. He wields the spear to bring about the end of the world. He calls down from the heavens Ragnarok, or Gotterdammerung! The Justice Society, save The Spectre, Dr. Fate, Power Girl and The Star-Spangled Kid are locked in an endless loop in an alternate reality, to preserve the true reality and save the universe. It is a hard, emotional ending for fan-favorite characters.

It is evident that it is a labor of love for Roy and Dann Thomas. It is deeply and heavily researched and historically accurate to the period. David Ross and Mike Gustovich provide the art. David Cody Weiss provides the lettering. 

Thomas admits that this could have been a multi-issue series rather than a single issue one-shot. The only downside is that the art and lettering suffer from being presented on newsprint rather than on glossy paper. Weiss' lettering is muddy and the art muted in places due to production values.

It is an epilogue of sorts for Crisis on Infinite Earths in that DC Comics' founding characters are given their final curtain bow.

The Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special earns four stars.

A Veritable Treasure Trove of Invaluable Information! The All-Star Comics Illustrated Index Review!

Murray R. Ward's All-Star Comics Illustrated Index spotlighting the Justice Society of America was definitely one ambitious undertaking! A few words of his own, followed by a few words from Roy Thomas, then headlong into a veritable definitive Who's Who of the Justice Society. Secret Origins, notable adventures and appearances. All of this is a post-Crisis on Infinite Earths wrap to the Golden-Age era, Earth-2 and the classic Justice Society. Crisis on Infinite Earths erased the Golden-Age era Superman family, Batman family, Wonder Woman family and Aquaman. The sliding timeline meant that the Justice Society had already formed without these heroes. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were now part of the Justice League. And Wonder Woman wasn't even a founding member of the Justice League! Black Canary was a founding member of the League, and Diana joined later.

So gone were Superman, Batman and Robin, Helena Wayne as The Huntress and Wonder Woman. 

Starting with DC Special 29, from August-September of 1977, which featured the Secret Origin of the team, this illustrated index features a breakdown of the first four issues of All-Star Comics. The highlight being All Star Comics 3 from Winter 1940, the very first appearance of the classic line-up of the Justice Society.

It's incredibly detailed and researched. Very informative. Unfortunately, it also seemed to be short-lived and cancelled.

For what it is, a first issue and launch of a series it earns five stars.  

Kneel Before This Man of Steel! JSA: The Unholy Three

Elseworlds. A Jolley Roger Production. Sequel to The Liberty File.

Clark Kent reveals his true identity. As he murders Shiera Sanders. What's mind-blowing is that he turns out to be Zod! Not Kal-El. As a reckless youth on Krypton, he is about to be sentenced to The Phantom Zone, when an American scientific wormhole project draws him to Earth. Realizing his potential, he is placed with Jonathan and Martha Kent and, as he put it, indoctrinated.

Not sure if this is a continuity error or a plot hole, but in The Liberty File, it appeared as if Hitler had a Superman. Not just J'onn J'onzz drawn through a similar means as Zod was drawn to the Allies. Perhaps that was a red herring. It is an interesting turn of events. Hitler tries to use an Übermensch in world domination. The Martian Manhunter turns out to be more altruistic. The United States attempts something similar, and the tables seem to turn - the Übermensch attempts world domination! It's somewhat unclear it Zod is working alone, or if he was working with The Parasite and Steelwolf. The work seems to be similar. Zod is killing meta-human agents!

It isn't until Bruce and Rex connect with another agent, Wesley Dodds, The Sandman, and Alan Scott, The Green Lantern, that "Kent" tips his hand.

The Trigger turns out to be in Chernobyl. Realizing that Kent, The Super-Man has gone rogue, Bruce makes an emergency call: The Atom, The Hawk (Hawkman), The Huntress, Mercury (The Flash), The Tornado (The Red Tornado) and The Star (Starman). Each one relinquishes their cover to answer the summons.

What follows is a glorious, spectacular blowout mother-of-all slugfests! The Atom and Hawkman are early casualties.

Dan Jolley brings the goods as far as story. Tony Harris, Ray Snyder and JD Mettler bring all the blood and guts and gore in the art. From Zod's subtle murder of Shiera at the top, to Alan Scott, Al Pratt, Carter Hall and all the injuries that pile up with Theo Knight, Wes, Helena, Jay and the rest. It seems that superhero Ragnarok involves all the capes and cowls mounting against Kryptonians.

JSA: The Unholy Three earns four stars. 

The Dark Reflection JSA: The Unholy Three 1 Review

Elseworlds. A Jolley Roger Production. Sequel to The Liberty File.

1948. Supposed to be eight years after the events of The Liberty File. Those events were placed in 1942. That would make The Unholy Three six years instead of eight.

Dan Jolley and Tony Harris double-down in this story. They open with Sandy Hawkins being tortured by The Parasite, who is a KGB interrogator. The Parasite is teamed with Steelwolf. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is living the dream as The Bat back in Gotham City. He's captured Harvey Dent, who's been working with Pamela Isley and Anton Arcane. Dent is now a horrific genetic mutation, half-man, half-creature. Some kind of insectoid creature. A darker image of Two-Face. Returning to Wayne Manor, Bruce is confronted by Army General Maitland and Clark Kent. The General wants The Bat, The Clock and the Super-Man to track down "The Trigger" that The Parasite and Steelwolf are after. The trio head off to Berlin, where Parasite murders Johnny Thunder.

Bruce sends Clark off for documentation while The Bat and The Clock head off for clues. Kent encounters Shiera Sanders. Later, in costume, he catches with them and together they bring down The Parasite, who seems to have turned on his partner.

Once again Dan Jolley has crafted a dark mirror image of familiar faces. This is, once again, a mature readers story. There's a flashback sequence that explains just how unreasonably bitter and angry Terry Sloane is toward Bruce Wayne. It's chilling. Tony Harris and Ray Snyder provide the smoke and shadows, with JD Mettler providing the dark tones. Ken Lopez once again breaks it all up with fine lettering.

The Cold War is as dark a place as the World War, with the same question being, Who can you trust?

JSA: The Unholy Three 1 earns four stars.  
 

Hello, Darkness, My Old Friend... JSA: The Liberty File 2 Review

Elseworlds. A Jolley Roger Production.

1942. World War II. "Chaz" McNider, The Owl, was wounded in the explosive conflict in the previous issue. He's recuperating in hospital. There's a comment from Rex Tyler, The Clock, that McNider's codename should have been something more personal than "The Owl", being that he's such a horndog, ladies' man. McNider's convalescence is cut short by The Scarecrow, an incredibly creepy and horrific Nazi "cleaner". The Scarecrow murders McNider, then murders The Bat and The Clock's contact. During the ensuing chase and conflict. Terry Sloane's paramour is gunned down as well. Just as he was about to propose. 

Sloane revives his "fair play" costume of Mr. Terrific and joins The Bat and The Clock. They manage to overcome The Scarecrow. The trail of the Nazi Übermensch leads back to Africa. There, Bruce Wayne uses the vital piece of information to sway the alien "super man" to the Allies side. The tide of the war does turn, against Hitler and Germany.

Dan Jolley's story is definitely for fans of the Justice Society as well as the Elseworlds concept - DC's version of "What if...?" Jolley's story is also for more mature readers, and not for the squeamish. Definitely not an all-ages book. Your mileage may vary on that. Jolley does a fine job of misdirection and creating a surprise conclusion that is definitely genuine and thrilling. Tony Harris, with Ray Snyder and Matt Hollingsworth on art creates a very dark and moody atmosphere, perfect for the period piece. Tyler makes a comment about Bruce Wayne's disguises changing his hair color. It seems confusing and kind of falls flat with the shadows and dark tone of the art. Ken Lopez's lettering is enjoyable as it changes from narration to sound effects.

Overall, it's a thrilling alternate version of familiar characters. JSA: The Liberty File earns four stars.