The New Golden Age #1 is published by DC Comics and written by Geoff Johns. Artwork is by Steve Lieber, Jerry Ordway, and Diego Olortegui. Colours by Brad Anderson whilst letters are by Rob Leigh. The main cover art (left) is by the legendary Mikel Janin.
The New Golden Age #1 is available now in print and on digital where all good comics are sold.
Synopsis
From the Justice Society of America to the Legion of Super-Heroes, The New Golden Age will unlock DC’s epic and secret-ridden history of heroism, launching a new group of titles set firmly in the DC Universe. From the 1940s to the 3040s, heroes take on the great evils of their time. But in the aftermath of Flashpoint Beyond, those heroes and villains will have their lives turned upside down. DC’s future…and its past…will never be the same again. But how are Mime and Marionette connected to this? Why are Rip Hunter and the Time Masters the most unlikable heroes in the DC Universe? And who or what is…Nostalgia? Don’t miss the start of the strangest mystery to have ever plagued the DC Universe.
Review
A huge part of the appeal of the DC Universe is the idea of legacy. Characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman come packed with decades of legendary stories and legendary villains. But dig a little deeper and the DCU has a melting pot of characters who are just crying out for the spotlight.
In recent years, Geoff Johns has shifted from the headline Justice League characters to focus on lesser known heroes. With The New Golden Age, Johns is playing in one of his favourite DC sandboxes, the Justice Society of America.
The JSA has been a passion project of Johns in both comics and in live-action. Fans of the Stargirl TV series will no doubt be familiar with his generational approach to the idea of legacy. Those ideas of passing on the mantle of characters such as Wildcat carry over in to his approach to the story of The New Golden Age.
Taking place across a number of timelines, the threat to the JSA appears in the past, present and future of DC’s second most famous alliance. It’s a mystery that will continue to unfold in the pages of the new Justice Society of America series which kicks off later this month. In the meantime we have a lot of setup to get through.
It’s clear from the opening page that Johns is setting the bar high. In 2032 we’re introduced to a character named Helena. Anyone with a functioning knowledge of the DCU will know pretty quickly who this character is. It’s a huge surprise to open the book with. Calling back to a pre-Crisis version of the DCU. If this character is making a return to continuity then Johns has, in one page, opened the flood gates for some exciting times ahead.
The one-shot nature of The New Golden Era does limit what Johns is able to do. Limiting the story to setup for the series ahead but still allowing for a rewarding experience. It’s very open ended, putting the JSA in jeopardy and giving Helena a mystery to solve. Consider this book more a tease than a self-contained story.
The huge roster of artists really aid in making The New Golden Era the success that it is. With differing art styles for the different eras and Helena’s bookend scenes featuring their own signature style. It helps evoke the idea of this book spanning generations of DC. Showing of classic art styles against something far more contemporary. For some it may be jarring. But really this book is truly celebrating the history of one of comics most legendary publishers.
Verdict
The New Golden Age is the perfect one-shot to herald in a new era of legacy for the DCU. A typical Johns mystery, it has some huge twists but ultimately suffers from it’s own one-shot structure.
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