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.
This week, we focus on a strange, no pun intended, miniseries, as well as the JSA-related pieces of “Infinite Crisis,” including one of its tie-in series, “Rann-Thanagar War.”
JSA Strange AdventuresCover by John Watson
Written by Kevin J. Anderson
Penciled by Barry Kitson
Inked by Gary Erskine
Colored by Hi-Fi Design
Lettered by Rob LeighRenowned science fiction novelist Kevin J. Anderson (THE SAGA OF SEVEN SUNS: VEILED ALLIANCES) comes to the DCU for this epic starring the World’s First Super-Team!
Set during the Golden Age, STRANGE ADVENTURES begins when fumbling Johnny Thunder decides to become a big-time writer by chronicling the adventures of the JSA. Taken under the writing wing of legendary, real-life science-fiction Grand Master Jack Williamson, Johnny tries his best — and when a deadly new villain called Lord Dynamo appears on the scene, flying a deadly zeppelin crewed by robot zombies, it’s up to Johnny and Jack to help Hawkman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Starman, Dr. Mid-Nite, The Sandman and the rest of the JSA save the day!
I honestly have very little to say about this six-issue miniseries. Every few years, someone wants to tell a Golden Age JSA tale, and DC allows it, and at the end, I am always left with the same feeling: why? That’s not to say that this isn’t well written or illustrated; it’s a fun enough way to spend an afternoon, but there’s very little of substance here.
On the plus say, Johnny Thunder is one of the lesser featured members of the JSA, and so having a Johnny story is a positive, especially one where he isn’t presented as an annoying fool, which is how he is often portrayed. Kevin Anderson attempts to connect the JSA to pulp literature, and while I understand what he was going for, it doesn’t really add anything to either piece. Golden Age revisits tend to be made by people who have more interest in a fictionalized Golden Age than the one that actually existed, either in the ‘real’ world or in comics.
That said, Barry Kitson, Gary Erskine, and Hi-Fi do an exceptional job creating a ‘prestige’ feel to the title, which rich colors and statuesque heroes feeling as appropriately majestic as you’d hope the JSA would feel in the era where they are the dominant force in superheroics. I want to especially highlight Hi-Fi, who adopts an entirely different color palette for flashback sequences. Instead of the traditional sepia tone, the work looks almost watercolored or pastel, which visually brings the reader someplace else.
Rann/Thanagar WarCover by Ivan Reis
Written by Dave Gibbons
Penciled by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, and Joe Bennett
Inked by Marc Campos, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert, Jack Johnson, and Michael Blair
Colored by John Kalisz, Richard Horde, Tanya Horde, and Nathan Eyring
Lettered by Nick J. NapolitanoThe planet Rann was taken from its solar system, hidden for its own protection. But when the danger passed, it was placed in a different system. Now threatening Thanagar’s very existence, Rann tries to maintain peace and save the populations of two worlds. A religious fanatic, though, aspires to something else: power. And to achieve it, she’s willing to sacrifice as many people and as many worlds as necessary!Standing in her way are the greatest champions from across the universe: Adam Strange, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Green Lantern, the Omega Men, L.E.G.I.O.N. and the Darkstars. Alliances are forged, friendships tested, and the balance of galactic power will be redefined before the conflict is over!
While Hawkman and Hawkgirl are major players in “Rann/Thanagar War,” there is very little from the pages of “Hawkman” that really have any bearing on this story. The biggest connection is through Hawkwoman, Shayera Thal, who – strap in – was the lover of Katar Hol, the pre-“Zero Hour” Hawkman who was merged with other Hawkmen into sort of the ‘prime’ Hawkman, who died before the ‘current’ Hawkman, Carter Hall, was resurrected. And so, Shayera is in love with Carter because he has the spirit of ‘her’ Hawkman, but Carter has no feelings at all for Shayera.
Continued belowShayera dies in this event in what feels like it should be a big moment for Carter, but is one that gets glossed over relatively quickly. Kendra is in almost every issue of this series, but does very little, and even Carter feels like a character that needed to be here, but wasn’t really integral to the plot’s machinations. It’s always nice to see Carter and Adam Strange interact, and so this series has that going for it, but it’s not really a Hawkman story.
What it is, however, is a really fun cosmic DC story, and one that touches on so many characters that we just don’t see frequently enough: the Khunds, Captain Comet, non-Hawkman Thanagairans, Alanna Strange, Kilowog, etc. It’s fun to play around the cosmic corner of the DCU now and then.
The JSA connections come a little more clearly in both the “Rann/Thanagar War Special” and “Infinite Crisis” itself. When we last left the pages of “JSA,” Alan Scott was leaving to help with a threat in outer space, which sets him up for his appearance in the “Special,” where he is part of Donna Troy’s gang of intergalactic heroes. This issue is one of the more significant Alan issues in a long time, as it deals with the loss of his daughter Jade. Alan is a character that has been in “JSA” since the start, but hasn’t had as many significant storylines as some of the other members.
Over in “Infinite Crisis,” Power Girl gets a significant role, as her Earth-2 lineage comes to the forefront. She is torn between her ‘home’ on Earth-0/Prime Earth and her past on Earth-2, and so she is one of the more important characters in the event. Her story is tragic, but ends in a place of relative peace. Alan’s story ends with him being missing at the conclusion of “Infinite Crisis,” and Jay Garrick is dealing with lessened speed, as well as being the only Flash, with Wally missing and Bart having quit.
The most interesting piece of this, however, is that now the Golden Age JSA-ers remember Earth 2, and remember ‘their’ Superman from Earth-2. It’s not super clear exactly how this works, but with all multiversal nonsense, it doesn’t need to make too much sense.
Next week: a new series begins, as we look at the start of “JSA Classified!”
