World Famous Comics: Justice Society of America Vol. 1: The Next Age
Justice Society of America Vol. 1: The Next Age
By: Geoff Johns Publisher: DC Comics Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: DC Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 144 Publication Date: September 19, 2007 Reading Level: Young Adult Release Date: September 19, 2007
Product Description: Geoff Johns, the critically acclaimed writer of INFINITECRISIS ushers in the next generation of the world's first super-team thatinspired all of the others.Determined to rebuild the Justice Society, founding members Green Lantern,Flash and Wildcat initiate an unprecedented recruitment program, trackingthe bloodlines of heroes across the world to bring in new members. Just asthe Society welcomes the rookie heroes into their ranks, an evil force setsout to destroy them. Discover new legacies, solve a mystery stretching intothe far future, witness the return of the world's greatest hero, and watchthe fall of another!
Must read! If you haven't read or kept up with the Justice Society, this needs to be a required read. It explains how the "new" Society is put together and helps you understand the players. Big difference between the Society and the Justice League.
"'Look out, Icicle! It's a gentle breeze!'" Some SPOILERS here.
The Justice League may be the premiere superhero team in the DC Universe, but without a doubt the Justice Society of America, founded in the horrific storm of World War II, is the most revered. Longevity has imbued the JSA with a certain grace, an unparalleled mantle of history, legend and legacy. Factor in, too, that several mystery men among its rosters either were direct descendants of or have been inspired by the original members, and this accounts for the palpable familial bond. In the DC Universe, the Justice Society has become my superhero team of choice. So I'm glad they're back.
To backtrack a bit: In the heels of Infinite Crisis, and the One Year Later gimmick (in which most of the DC comics jump one year ahead), and the series 52 (which fills us in of key events in that missing year, and specifically the DC: World War III tie-in), the Justice Society is triumphantly revived by Alan Scott (Green Lantern), Jay Garrick (Flash), and Wildcat. And, oboy, this new team they assemble crackles with possibilities. Naturally, the new roster is made up of the classic old-timers, as well as newer established heroes and former JSA members. I won't go into which former members make it in this lineup, but, if you've been keeping up with the former series (which was titled simply, JSA), you'll see a lot of familiar faces.
Liberty Belle, now Hourman's wife, finally joins the JSA. Damage, son of the original Atom, reluctantly signs up. A strange, unstable (and familiar?) hero calling himself Starman also joins. And, as usual, the nurturing of a new crop of capes is an essential, continuing theme. As such, the JSA comes up with several recruiting doozies. There's a new version of Red Tornado (but with a different code name), a new Wildcat, and a new Steel.
But, old hands or rookies, the newly formed JSA doesn't have much time to settle in. A super-powered neo-Nazi militia called the Fourth Reich is targeting the bloodline of mystery men who symbolize American patriotism. Several heroes and their entire families have already been viciously massacred, and next on the hit list are folks close to Stargirl and Liberty Belle. But there's someone behind the Fourth Reich, a longstanding villain once again orchestrating events to suit his whims. And he's got a personal hate on for the Justice Society.
Prolific, unsleeping Geoff Johns makes a welcome return to the Justice Society of America, and here's hoping his run is even longer than on the prior JSA series. Guy just has the knack for telling action-packed but layered stories, and he's one of the few cats out there who can do the JSA proper justice and keep this team so relevant. He's got this talent for effortlessly juggling a huge cast, what with doling out equal face time to his characters and then managing to involve the reader. Regarding the newbies, several subplots are stewing as Johns touches on the mystery of the addled Starman, the still-in-the-honeymoon-phase relationship of Liberty Belle and Hourman, the tragedies of the new Steel and the new Mr. America, Wildcat hunkering down for some father-and-son time, and Damage's moodiness.
Currently, Jay Garrick is my favorite JSAer (dude is just solid and decent) with the plucky Stargirl having steadily crept up to second place. But I'm really liking Maxine Hunkel, a rampant chatterbox and also the granddaughter of Ma Hunkel, the original Red Tornado. Johns makes Maxine into a truly engaging person, someone who is an outsider in everyday society, but in the JSA, has a chance to finally fit in and be heard. The effervescent Maxine Hunkel eventually adopts the code name of Cyclone (because "Red Hurricane" sounds like it should be on a TGIF menu, while "Zephyr" - meaning "Gentle Breeze" - doesn't really strike fear in the hearts of, etc, etc. Cyclone totally rocks, and she hasn't even really done anything yet. I can already tell that one of the highlights of this series is gonna be her ongoing relationship with fellow youngster Stargirl (whom she's idolized for a bit now).
Dale Eaglesham's dynamic interior artwork and Alex Ross's awesome photorealistic covers elevate the look of the Justice Society. Eaglesham knows how to draw heroic figures and electrifying, bigger-than-life action sequences. His rendering of Mr. America is very powerful. One minor quibble, though, is that, as much as I dig Maxine Hunkel, I don't think too much of her costume. JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: THE NEXT AGE reprints the first four issues of this new series, originally published in 2007. And, yeah, four issues are pretty flimsy. But issues #5 & 6 are Justice League tie-ins and are incorporated in the Justice League of America Vol. 2: The Lightning Saga arc. So THE NEXT AGE may be short and sweet, but I figure it's just long enough to whet your appetite. That's a very good thing, because this series gets even better. Geoff Johns is about to unload a surprise or two...
Geoff Johns = God There is nothing I DON'T like about this title. I love John's take on the classic heroes. Sweet lord!! If you see Geoff Johns name on it, buy it! Even if it's disease ridden mule carcass on the side of the road! Geoff Johns = Magic
J.S.A. rules!!! I've been collecting comics on and off since I was a kid and the Justice Society has always been my all time favorite team. I've been a group/team comic collector versus the single hero adventure stories. I've collected the Avengers,JLA,Invaders,Champions,Teen Titans,Legion of Super Heroes and so on. But I always come back to my favorite, and that has to do with any team/hero from Earth 2. I have every issue of All-Star Squadron and Infinity Inc. and many of the old All-Star "revival" comics. In the past the JSA has tended to get the short end of the stick. But lately DC has been treating them with the respect they so deserve. This Vol. 1 is a collection of JSA second series 1-4 and is well worth the money. Its a very convenient way to collect comics if you don't live anywhere near a local comic store. There getting harder to find these days. Anyway, JSA Vol. 1 "the next age" is a must have for any true JSA fan! The only way they could top it is if they brought back Earth 2. Yes, I'm talking about Superman:the original, Batman:may he rest in peace, WonderWoman:grey hair and all, Huntress:the real one, Robin:the ex-boy wonder, ok ok I'll stop. Since I don't think that prayer is going to get answered, go ahead and buy this book. The JSA RULES and so does AMAZON!!!
A great book, but DC, PLEASE use better paper! This really is a great book. Johns knows what Earth-2 junkies like myself want out of a comic book. But the paper quality in this is just awful for a hardcover collection. It's glossy, yes, but it's really thin. I don't know why DC does this and the paper quality selection seems to be completely random from book to book. It's the one thing that Marvel gets right over DC almost every time.
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