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The Society Pages: A Justice Society of America Retrospective – “JSA” #68-75

By | February 26th, 2021
Posted in Columns | % Comments

Welcome back to the Society Pages, a 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.

Today, the issues discussed continue one of the larger storylines from the entire series thus far, which is the story of Atom Smasher. There are so many characters that have blossomed in this series, but Atom Smasher’s story is one of the most complex and nuanced of the entire series, and yet, he’s rarely the main character in any of them. This week’s issues are available as the “JSA: Black Vengeance” collection, or on DC Universe Infinite.

Cover by Alex Ross
Written by Geoff Johns
Penciled by Don Kramer, Leonard Kirk, and Stephen Sadowski
Inked by Keith Champagne and Michael Blair
Colored by John Kalisz
Lettered by Ken Lopez, Pat Brosseau, Jared K. Fletcher, and Rob Leigh

Don’t miss a new collection featuring JSA #68-75 plus pages from 66-67! The Spectre, without a human host, is running rampant, meting out a brutal form of justice encouraged by the new Eclipso! Plus, Atom Smasher seeks forgiveness, Degaton’s plan to destroy the JSA is thwarted, and more!

One of the very few in-story complaints I have about “JSA” is how Per Degaton is a villain that pops up here and there and always pushes the team (and all of human history) to the brink of destruction, but is never really defeated, just sent off to his next scheme. I mean, I know you could say the same thing about the Joker or Lex Luthor or any major villain, but his defeats seem even less definitive. It’s more that the JSA wins, rather than he loses.

In his latest scheme, which covers issues #68-72, Degaton travels to 1951, shortly after the JSA disbands due to the McCarthy hearings. He is going to frame them for the murder of Harry S. Truman, and essentially killing off all masked heroes that would follow in their wake. While the JSA doesn’t know his exact plan, they do know that the plan will wipe out heroes. To stop the end of all heroes, Rip Hunter assembles a subset of the JSA to travel back in time to convince their past incarnations to not give up their mantles and to stop whatever Degaton has in store.

This allows heroes to meet their past incarnations, and each one is handled slightly differently, but accurately for each pairing. The Doctors Mid-Nite sit by a fire being intellectuals, Atom Smasher gets through to the Atom by sheer force, and the Tylers have an awkward family (p)reunion. The Misters Terrific already met in a prior time-travel adventure, Sand has no real trouble convincing Sandman that he’s Sandy, and Jakeem is surprisingly successful at getting Johnny Thunder on board. The most difficult conversations happen between an institutionalized Ted Knight and Stargirl. Because of Ted’s medications and delusions, he not only doesn’t convince easily, he also leads to Courtney being locked up as well.

This is where we meet Starwoman, a time traveler who saves Courtney’s skin twice. She is Courtney’s baby sister Patricia, who hints at being part of a future JSA with her half-brother Mike and “Tyler,” which we can only presume is the android Hourman. I eat this shit up with a spoon; I absolutely love the various eras of JSA and the hints of the future.

All of the issues this week are illustrated by Don Kramer, and his inconsistency is an issue for my enjoyment. Most of his work is quite good, but every now and then, someone looks like a grotesque nightmare. Look how lumpy and weird his JSA in 1951 looks:

Most of the time, his work is spot on, but when his faces go weird, it is incredibly distracting.

Although that arc was enjoyable, and had emotional stakes by Courtney witnessing her family’s murder at the start of the arc, it somewhat paled in comparison to what comes next which, honestly, is shocking. “Day of Vengeance” is one of the four series that leads into “Infinite Crisis,” so the fact that these issues are tie-ins to an event precursor didn’t fill me with too much hope.

Continued below

That said, since Geoff Johns was the “Infinite Crisis” author and likely the ‘show runner’ for the four series that led up to it, he was able to pivot “JSA” into the Eclipso/Spectre story without too much difficulty. The way he does that is to set most of the story in Kahndaq, and focuses it around Black Adam and Atom Smasher’s relationship.

Also, the less said about Jean Loring Eclipso, the better.

In the prior story, we saw the other JSAers reluctantly working with Atom Smasher again, putting aside their feelings to save the past and, potentially, allowing him back into the JSA after he helps so effectively against Degaton. Albert has always wanted to be in the JSA, and his partnership with Black Adam is initially built on wanting to make real change in the world. He’s not a bad guy, but he’s made some bad decisions, and those decisions give the JSA pause before reinstating him.

Black Adam is, perhaps, the character in all of DC that benefitted the most from Johns’s writing, as he went from a relatively one-note Shazam villain into a character that has appeared across DC’s books without Shazam and will soon have both a film and a spot on the Justice League. His nuance is always just under the surface of his dictatorial bluster, but he has a real soft spot for Atom Smasher. He calls Albert his brother, and knowing about the loss of his family, that is a huge deal. But Albert is a JSAer, and Adam sees things differently, and there will never be true peace there.

These issues see Albert tested, stepping up and, eventually, falling. However, Black Adam’s powers and the JSA’s reluctance to ever give up on someone lead to Albert, alive but broken, taken back by the JSA. Adam is warned to leave him be, and the next status quo for the pair is set up.

Next week: back to “Hawkman.” See ya then!


//TAGS | The Society Pages

Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

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