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.
After an unplanned week off, we begin the event you’ve all been waiting for. [air horn] MAGOGTOBER!
Written by Keith Giffen and Scott KolinsCover by Howard Porter
Penciled by Howard Porter, Tom Derenick, and Scott Kolins
Inked by John Dell, Rodney Ramos, and Scott Kolins
Colored by Hi-Fi Design
Lettered by Pat Brosseau and Travis LanhamIntroducing the latest member of the Justice Society of America to break out into his own monthly series! Tired of chafing at the restraints that being a member of the JSA put upon him, Magog decides to take justice into his own hands and track down who’s behind the dealing of high-tech arms to lowlife scum around the DC Universe! Be here as the hunt starts Magog on the path to discovering his own unavoidable destiny thanks to writer Keith Giffen (JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL, DOOM PATROL) and artists Howard Porter and John Dell, the acclaimed team behind JLA!
Not to instantly deflate the incomprehensible excitement around [air horn] MAGOGTOBER, but it should be stated, quickly and quite clearly, how terrible these comics are. Every creator involved here has done great work in the past, but this is some of the most misguided, frustrating comicbooking we can recall. I know that I can sometimes be obstinately nostalgic for pre-‘Flashpoint’ comics, but then I remember that shit like this and the Eric Wallace “Titans” runs exist, and I suddenly understand the need for “Flashpoint” so much more clearly.
Normally, when a character spins off into a solo title, the purpose of that title is to give people more understanding/context about that character, and to make them more relatable to the average reader. In the pages of “Justice Society of America” and “JSA All-Stars,” we rarely get inside of Magog’s head, and that could lead to the character’s actions not being representative of how he feels. “Magog” doubles down on his actions, making him seem like an even bigger piece of shit than you’d think from his actions as part of the JSA. He is not just a headstrong war hawk, but he’s also insulting to almost everyone he meets. He’s incredibly rude to his JSA team members, and seems like the world’s worst Marine, as he can neither follow orders or act as a team member. Series writer Keith Giffen gives him Magog/David a sidekick/lackey called Axel who is basically talked down to constantly, and also gives him a ‘friend’ who is a poorly drawn stereotype of domestic abuse.
This is one of the many instances where Giffen misses the mark pretty severely. Lauren is a character whose sole attribute is that she is abused. We don’t learn anything at all about her, and instead of getting her out of the bad situation, Giffen just continues to let her get beaten and, eventually, killed as an object lesson. Magog tries to teach her to defend herself, which is not a bad thing, but when Magog, who has the power of an actual god, doesn’t intervene, it undercuts his entire message. He hates the JSA because of them being reactive instead of proactive, and yet he is cool laying back while his friend gets beaten. For Giffen to not realize that in his writing is boderline unforgivable for a veteran creator like himself.
If you can forgive that trash writing, which you shouldn’t, the book continues its garbage prose throughout its run, with a lot of nonsense about Magog’s ‘family,’ which are basically folks of some sort of undetermined gods that never get resolved, and some late-game attempts by wrap-up writer Scott Kolins to give the character a little more depth. But overall, the book just makes you dislike the character even more.
The art throughout the book runs the gamut from fine to slightly above average, with the best stuff coming from Kolins in the final two issues and the “Justice Society Special” that wraps up the story. Howard Porter does some good stuff early on too, but the combination of the dull story and the over the top character design makes the book feel like the worst parts of superhero comics all smooshed together.
While this story is ending, we’ve got more [air horn] MAGOGTOBER next week, with a look back at “Justice League: Generation Lost,” which includes our pal Magog some more.
Remember, [air horn] MAGOGTOBER is about family, so take care of one another.
