Justice Society of America #1 is published by DC Comics and written by Geoff Johns. Art is by Mikel Janin with guest artwork by Jerry Ordway, Scott Kaolins, Steve Lieber and Brandon Peterson. Colours are by Jordie Bellaire with guest colours by John Kalisz, Jordan Boyd and Peterson. Letters are by Rob Leigh. Main cover art (left) is by Janin.
Justice Society of America #1 is available from today in print and on digital where all good comic books are sold.
Synopsis
The JSA returns in this monthly series by writer Geoff Johns and artist Mikel Janín with “Justice Society of America: The New Golden Age Part One”! The world’s first and greatest superheroes return! Or do they? A long-lost hero from the JSA crashes into our era with a grave warning… but it’s too late. A mysterious and malevolent enemy has invaded the entire history of the JSA, and an all-new team must come together to defeat it. But what deadly secret does this messenger from beyond keep? Where are they from? And why is all of this happening now? Only the Time Masters know…
Review
Earlier this month I have a 4⭐ to Geoff John’s latest one shot, The New Golden Age #1, a book which seemingly laid the foundations for a new era of the DC Universe. Just three weeks later we’re returning to that story and picking up the pieces of a huge character return.
Helena Wayne wasn’t front and centre on the cover of The New Golden Age despite her return being revealed on page one. Now, she’s front and centre on the cover of Justice Society of America and shouldering the full weight of John’s narrative. Helena’s return seeks to unify several different periods and timelines in the DCU, connection them via their incarnation of the legendary JSA.
Despite the direct connection to Batman, Johns seems to be keeping the Justice League at arms length. Instead opting to ensure the focus remains on Helena and the JSA, the book feels fresh rather than crushed under the weigh of decades of history. That’s partly helped by the introduction of Helena’s team of “heroes”. Her questionable lineup of JSA members includes Cameron Mahkent’s Icicle, Solomon Grundy and The Gentleman Ghost. With Power Girl one of the only hangovers from the past and none too happy about the new recruits.
There’s a lot to unpack in this first issue. As we learned from The New Golden Age, Helena’s story spans a huge timeline of events across the DCU and even now we’re still in the dark as to what they means. Much of issue #1 is taken up with Helena giving us an exposition dump. By the time you turn the final page you’ll be fully up to date on how she became the Huntress and a member of the JSA.
The monologue is a little dense and convenient, but given the thrust of the narrative it makes sense to get it out of the away as quickly as possible. The status quo is almost completely undone by the final page, leaving us with an enticing cliffhanger going in to episode two.
There’s a heavy roster of artists working on Justice Society of America. Headlined by the always brilliant Mikel Janin, the book also features guest art by Jerry Ordway, Scott Kaolins, Steve Lieber and Brandon Peterson. Then there’s Jordie Bellaire on colours with guests by John Kalisz, Jordan Boyd and Peterson.
Yup… that’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen. But Justice Society of America looks great. As with Golden Age the various artists are implemented to help delineate between different time frames. This isn’t a book where one artist stepped in when another was struggling to meet a deadline. Johns and his editing team of Marquis Draper, Andrew Marino and Katie Kubert as maximising the visual impact. So far I have to say it’s working for me.
Verdict
Justice Society of America #1 picks up the breadcrumbs of the New Golden Age special and runs with them at full pelt. All hail the return of Helena Wayne!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
