Welcome back to the Society Pages, a new column that looks back at the ‘modern’ history of the Justice Society of America. The main thrust of this column is to look at “JSA” and “Justice Society of America,” two ongoing series, written for most of their runs by Geoff Johns.
This week, we wrap up “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.” and see the return of one the JSA’s cornerstone members.
Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #9-14Cover by Lee Monder
Written by Geoff Johns
Penciled by Scott Kolins and Lee Monder
Inked by Dan Davis
Colored by Tom McGraw
Lettered by Bill OakleyDon’t miss these early adventures of Courtney Whitmore teaming as the Star Spangled Kid with her stepfather before she became Stargirl of the Justice Society!
After the initial arc focused so much attention on developing Courtney and Pat’s adversarial relationship, it was nice to see that not be the drive of this second arc. Instead, we got a lot of what has come to be known as Geoff Johns stuff: returning to the past for a visiting hero, some familial dynamics and, of course, legacy.
Sir Justin, the Shining Knight, returns from the past with tales of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Scott Kolins illustrates this story, and begins his long journey with Johns in a strong way. Johns and Kolins do a solid job telling a story that is reliant on the past, but striking a balance between doing information dumps and just expecting the audience to know what they’re talking about. There’s enough exposition to smooth the transition, but never so much that you feel like the current story isn’t taking center stage.
These issues do a really nice job of showing Courtney growing in her abilities in ways that seem ‘realistic,’ as silly as it is to use that term for a superhero comic. She doesn’t suddenly master her new abilities, but rather is figuring out stuff on the fly, as well as adapting her natural skills into a better honed style.
The most emotionally resonant part of the book so far is the dual situations between fathers and their children. On one hand, we have Courtney and her birthfather, who comes knocking in a way that seems shady from jump, and other other, we have Pat and his son, Michael. Each relationship is strained, but Pat and Michael both seem to want to make things work. With Courtney, her desire to have a normal relationship with her father almost blinds her to just how little he cares about her. It is somewhat reminiscent of Billy Batson’s relationship with his mother in Shazam, though Courtney wasn’t abandoned by both parents, nor did her father express any of the emotional reasoning that Billy’s mother did. I’m not excusing Billy’s mom, but she was straight with him once they reconnected. Courtney’s dad had no such honesty.
The series ends with relatively little changed from the status quo we’ve come to see, but there’s a lot of excitement coming for the family: Pat suggests that one day Michael may take up the S.T.R.I.P.E. mantle, Courtney is getting a half sibling, and there seems to be more openness with the whole family. The book ends in a nice place.
JSA Annual #1Cover by Buzz
Written by David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns
Penciled by Uriel Caton and Buzz
Inked by Wade Von Grawbadger and Jim Royal
Colored by Carla Feeney and Heroic Age
Lettered by Ken LopezA “Planet DC” Annual introduces a new character connected to Archie Goodwin’s and Walter Simonson’s MANHUNTER! Her name is Nemesis, a mysterious Greek vigilante. Will she prove to be a friend or a deadly enemy? And can the women of the team defeat the re-formed, world-threatening Council, now lead by one of the JSA’s greatest villains? Plus, a backup story reveals the origin of Nemesis!
Nemesis is a character introduced here, in a gimmick for all the ‘Planet DC’ annuals this year to introduce new characters. Her full story, not the origin talent that precedes it, is a somewhat sequel to a story in “JSA: Secret Files and Origins” #1 where Hippolyta and Black Canary fight some clones. In pretty much only that sense does this story feel like part of the overarching “JSA” story; it’s not bad, but it just feels very out of place here. I wish I had more to add here, but there just isn’t that much to say here.
Continued belowJSA #16-25Cover by Rags Morales
Written by Geoff Johns and David S. Goyer
Pencilled by Stephen Sadowski, Steve Yeowell, Buzz, and Rags Morales
Inked by Michael Blair, Keith Champagne, Buzz, Dave Meikis, Paul Neary, Rob Leigh
Colored by John Kalisz and Heroic Age
Lettered by Ken LopezIn JSA: THE RETURN OF HAWKMAN, one of the most legendary heroes of all time returns from the dead as his true origin and history are told for the first time ever. When the JSA travel back to Thanagar, home world of the Hawkpeople, Hawkgirl learns that everything that she believed about her past is false. Furthermore she discovers that she holds the key to her beloved Hawkman’s reincarnation. But before she can hope to be reunited with the winged warrior, the JSA must defeat an omnipotent despot determined to ravage Thanagar. This book marks the triumphant return of Hawkman and the beginning of a new era in his legend.
However, I have plenty to say about these “JSA” issues, which got collected in the ‘Return of Hawkman’ collection. This is easily the most interesting run of the book thus far, and neither of the previous ones have exactly been slouches, either, but this takes it to another level. And a big part of that is due to Johns and Goyer expanding the cast even more.
We’ll talk about Hawkman in a minute, but the first of these arcs, ‘Injustice Be Done.’ brings two characters that would float around the periphery of the team for a long time: Jakeem “JJ” Thunder and Black Adam. JJ isn’t used too much, but we are given a quick primer on who he is and what he can do. Black Adam on the other hand, is essentially a member of the team in these issues, though the others are not likely to see him that way. Adam, no longer tied to Theo Adam, his evil human host, is no longer evil, but simply a smug prick. And while he is certainly not pleasant to be around, he helps the team immensely throughout the issues. His reformation is a curious one due to the human host situation, and Johns and Goyer do a nice job of presenting him as both an ally and someone not to be trusted.
Oh, and Atom Smasher is back, and he has a more pronounced attitude now. Sure, why not?
The only character that feels ‘off’ in this run, thus far, is Black Canary. This is due to both the fact that her sonic scream is gone, and that she’s dating Doctor Mid-Nite. Now, Oliver Queen is ‘dead’ at this point, so this isn’t suggesting that she shouldn’t be dating someone, but it is just unusual to see her macking it to someone that isn’t Ollie. It doesn’t appear that she’s long for this book and, while I adore Dinah as a character, I don’t think she’ll be very missed here in any real way, aside from the book getting a little more male dominant.
This is also from the time when her old pal, Hal Jordan, was the Spectre, though no one really knows that. To read this book is to love this book, but it is also to accept that there is some fucked up continuity and there’s not much we can do about that. As we will see with the Hawkman stuff, Johns and Goyer are trying their best to make sense of all of this, but it is nearly impossible to do so.
Now, the ‘Return of Hawkman’ arc itself was an incredibly satisfying one, even if the specifics of how Carter is still Carter, but Shiera is now Kendra is frustrating. But this arc displays the best of the Johns heart, giving Carter heartfelt moments with the entire JSA, but especially his original teammates and Hector, aka Dr. Fate, aka his son. That whole sequence was a truly wonderful and emotional sequence, and is a great example of just how good comics can be when it doesn’t ignore the heart at the core of these characters.
But the most impressive part of this arc, to me, is the handling of Kendra Saunders, Hawkgirl. We get a weird explanation about how she’s both Shiera and Kendra, but not really either, but leave that aside for a second. Imagine waking up one day and being told that not only are you destined to love someone, but you’re going to love THIS SPECIFIC someone you just met, oh, and he’s totally into you and remembers love affairs you two had that you can’t recall.
Continued belowIt’s gaslighting mixed with arranged marriages, past lives, amnesia. It makes Love is Blind sound lame by comparison.
But Goyer and Johns really do a magnificent job allowing you to feel for both Kendra and Carter in this situation. The writing is subtle, and illustrated gorgeously by Stephen Sadowski, who keeps getting better and better within this series. Sadowski nails all the complex emotions without being overwrought or silly. This is a gorgeous looking book that is firing on all cylinders right now.
It is also a book with which, I am sorry to say, we’re taking a week break from. Next week: “The Liberty Files,” “The Unholy Three,” and more origins and/or files, some of which may be secret!
