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Justice Society of America #2 is a bit too insider baseball

Justice Society of America #2

When it came to DC and Marvel growing up, I was mostly a Marvel person. I’d hop into DC during major events or changes but it was a world I generally wasn’t too familiar with. Especially after so many events, the continuity and history of characters to me was a bit confusing and a hurdle to get into. In recent years, I find the stories DC puts out to fall into those that respect and celebrate the past but forge a new path that are easy to get into or ones that go deep into continuity and history. Those latter stories are ones where much of the appreciation comes from the deep history of the characters and if you don’t know that, you feel like you’re missing out on a lot. Justice Society of America #2 is the latter unfortunately, a literal ride through history.

On its surface, Justice Society of America #2 is a simple story. Huntress, the leader of a future JSA travels back in time to find Doctor Fate to prevent tragedy. Writer Geoff Johns can’t keep it that focused though. Instead, Justice Society of America #2 features Huntress being ripped through time meeting various Doctor Fates in different eras. And, unless you really know those versions or eras, it feels like a big shrug of the shoulders. It feels like the meat of the comic relies on knowledge of who these characters and versions are.

There is something to the art featuring the talents of Mikel Janín, Jerry Ordway, and Scott Kolins, color by Jordie Bellaire and John Kalisz, and lettering by Rob Leigh. The different eras each bring a different style and look and all together, it’s the most entertaining aspect of the comic. While some of the characters are “the same,” there’s subtle differences in their look and style capturing each era.

Justice Society of America #2 follows a pattern of Johns’ recent work where the whole tends to be stronger than the individual part. While this issue doesn’t excite, it has references DC fans will appreciate, you just need to know the history. Hopefully, it all comes together eventually in a way everyone can enjoy it, but as is, this is for the diehard fans.

Story: Geoff Johns Art: Mikel Janín, Jerry Ordway, Scott Kolins
Color: Jordie Bellaire, John Kalisz Letterer: Rob Leigh
Story: 6.75 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Pass

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: Zeus ComicscomiXology/Kindle

Review: Justice Society of America #1

Justice Society of America #1

When it comes to its classic heroes like the JSA, from an outsider, it feels like their use has been a bit lacking. They show up with major events being key players but beyond that where they sit in DC history is a bit unclear. Justice Society of America #1 might clear some of that up? It’s kind of hard to tell with this debut from writer Geoff Johns who’s carving out his own corner of the DC Universe.

Justice Society of America #1 takes us through time kicking things off with a 57 year span of events teasing out events that have happened leading up to the current time. The death of Bruce Wayne’s parents, the birth of Helena Wayne, it all centers the story around Batman and Catwoman’s progeny, The Huntress.

In her modern time, she’s assembled a new JSA full of “reformed” villains and Wonder Girl, creating the dysfunction you’d expect. Their current focus is the disappearance of Doctor Fate, a mystery sort of answered leading up to the comics’ shocking moments that really sets things in motion.

Justice Society of America #1 is an interesting start that plays out like Johns’ recent efforts with DC. Doomsday Clock, Three Jokers, Flashpoint Beyond, they all center around a mystery and then playing with DC’s classic heroes. Johns shows he knows his DC history and has no problem with mixing things up in controversial ways and here it feels no different. Where it goes should be interesting with the muddled status the classic JSA characters have in the current DC continuity. What will change? What will be different? All of these series feel like pieces of a grander puzzle and story Johns is putting together.

The art by Mikel Janin is solid to look at delivering moments that are action packed and emotional. With Jordie Bellaire on color and Rob Leigh‘s lettering, the visuals at time really pop. It’s the rabbit hole moment later in the comic where things really stand out. The art stands out as the hits begin to come and the initial villain is revealed and dismantles the JSA in an interesting fashion. The sequence is inspired, coming out of nowhere to deliver a real surprise all around. The comic goes from 0 to 60 at this point in every way and the art stands out.

Justice Society of America #1 is an intriguing start of a comic. The latter half is excellent with a surprising sequence that sets things in motion. The first issue kicks off a mystery that has potential, but like a lot of Johns’ recent work, we’ll have to see where it takes us.

Story: Geoff Johns Art: Mikel Janin
Colors: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Rob Leigh
Guest art: Jerry Ordway, Scott Kolins, Steve Lieber, Brandon Peterson
Guest color: John Kalisz, Jordan Boyd, Brandon Peterson
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.15 Overall: 7.9 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: TFAWZeus ComicscomiXology/Kindle

Preview: The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

(W) Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway (A) Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Butch Guice, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, more
In Shops: Nov 08, 2022
SRP: $10.99

Written by DAN JURGENS, ROGER STERN, LOUISE SIMONSON, and JERRY ORDWAY. Art by DAN JURGENS, BRETT BREEDING, BUTCH GUICE, JON BOGDANOVE, TOM GRUMMETT, and more! 30 years ago, the unthinkable happened. The Man of Steel died. After sacrificing himself to stop the unstoppable global threat, Doomsday, Metropolis and the rest of the DC Universe mourned the loss of their greatest hero. To mark this monumental moment in comics, DC has reunited the complete creative team behind the original event for four brand-new stories. Led by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding, the special kicks off with a new Superman story and villain…DOOMBREAKER! Followed by a series of short stories revisiting some of Superman’s greatest allies and exclusive pinups done by some of comics’ greatest artistic talent including LEE WEEKS, GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, and WALTER SIMONSON. • “The Life of Superman” by Dan Jurgens (W & A), Brett Breeding (A), Brad Anderson (C), and John Workman (L) – A young Jon Kent finds out in school that his dad had died years earlier, as his parents never told him about that fateful day. In the midst of dealing with this emotional news, Jon and Clark need to team up to fight a new villain connected to Doomsday called DOOMBREAKER. • “Standing Guard” by Roger Stern (W), Butch Guice (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The epic battle between Superman and Doomsday from the Guardians’ perspective. • “Time” by Louise Simonson (W), Jon Bogdanove (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The story of how the death of Superman looked from John Henry Irons’s perspective. • “Above and Beyond” by Jerry Ordway (W), Tom Grummett (P), Doug Hazelwood (I), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – A powerful story of Ma and Pa Kent watching their son fight Doomsday live on television and going through Clark’s photo albums with the feeling that their son always prevails.

The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

Preview: The New Golden Age

The New Golden Age

(W) Geoff Johns (A) Steve Lieber, Jerry Ordway, Diego Olortegui
In Shops: Nov 08, 2022
SRP: $4.99

From the Justice Society of America to the Legion of Super-Heroes, The New Golden Age will unlock DC’s epic and secret-ridden history of heroism, launching a new group of titles set firmly in the DC Universe. From the 1940s to the 3040s, heroes take on the great evils of their time. But in the aftermath of Flashpoint Beyond, those heroes and villains will have their lives turned upside down. DC’s future…and its past…will never be the same again. But how are Mime and Marionette connected to this? Why are Rip Hunter and the Time Masters the most unlikable heroes in the DC Universe? And who or what is…Nostalgia? Don’t miss the start of the strangest mystery to have ever plagued the DC Universe.

The New Golden Age

Preview: The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

(W) Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway (A) Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Butch Guice, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, more
In Shops: Nov 08, 2022
SRP: $10.99

Written by DAN JURGENS, ROGER STERN, LOUISE SIMONSON, and JERRY ORDWAY. Art by DAN JURGENS, BRETT BREEDING, BUTCH GUICE, JON BOGDANOVE, TOM GRUMMETT, and more! 30 years ago, the unthinkable happened. The Man of Steel died. After sacrificing himself to stop the unstoppable global threat, Doomsday, Metropolis and the rest of the DC Universe mourned the loss of their greatest hero. To mark this monumental moment in comics, DC has reunited the complete creative team behind the original event for four brand-new stories. Led by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding, the special kicks off with a new Superman story and villain…DOOMBREAKER! Followed by a series of short stories revisiting some of Superman’s greatest allies and exclusive pinups done by some of comics’ greatest artistic talent including LEE WEEKS, GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, and WALTER SIMONSON. • “The Life of Superman” by Dan Jurgens (W & A), Brett Breeding (A), Brad Anderson (C), and John Workman (L) – A young Jon Kent finds out in school that his dad had died years earlier, as his parents never told him about that fateful day. In the midst of dealing with this emotional news, Jon and Clark need to team up to fight a new villain connected to Doomsday called DOOMBREAKER. • “Standing Guard” by Roger Stern (W), Butch Guice (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The epic battle between Superman and Doomsday from the Guardians’ perspective. • “Time” by Louise Simonson (W), Jon Bogdanove (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The story of how the death of Superman looked from John Henry Irons’s perspective. • “Above and Beyond” by Jerry Ordway (W), Tom Grummett (P), Doug Hazelwood (I), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – A powerful story of Ma and Pa Kent watching their son fight Doomsday live on television and going through Clark’s photo albums with the feeling that their son always prevails.

The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

Preview: The New Golden Age

The New Golden Age

(W) Geoff Johns (A) Steve Lieber, Jerry Ordway, Diego Olortegui
In Shops: Nov 08, 2022
SRP: $4.99

From the Justice Society of America to the Legion of Super-Heroes, The New Golden Age will unlock DC’s epic and secret-ridden history of heroism, launching a new group of titles set firmly in the DC Universe. From the 1940s to the 3040s, heroes take on the great evils of their time. But in the aftermath of Flashpoint Beyond, those heroes and villains will have their lives turned upside down. DC’s future…and its past…will never be the same again. But how are Mime and Marionette connected to this? Why are Rip Hunter and the Time Masters the most unlikable heroes in the DC Universe? And who or what is…Nostalgia? Don’t miss the start of the strangest mystery to have ever plagued the DC Universe.

The New Golden Age

DC announces Tales From Earth-6: A Celebration of Stan Lee!

This December, in honor of what would have been Stan Lee’s 100th birthday, DC is releasing Tales from Earth-6: A Celebration of Stan Lee, a commemorative one-shot anthology featuring new stories based on Lee’s (with film producer Michael Uslan) interpretations of core DC characters from his Just Imagine series of one-shots (2001-2002).

This 96-page Prestige format one-shot hits comic book stores and participating digital platforms on Tuesday, December 27; the anthology features 10 new stories spotlighting the Just Imagine characters from an incredible mix of celebrated comic book storytellers and new and emerging voices in comic books. In addition to a new story from Michael Uslan, this anthology includes stories written by Mark Waid, Jerry Ordway, Kenny Porter, Stephanie Williams, Michael W. Conrad and Becky Cloonan, Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, Meghan Fitzmartin, Steve Orlando, and Zac Thompson.

Story art and variant covers will be delivered by some of the best artists in comics, including Lee Weeks, Kevin Maguire, Jerry Ordway, Karl Mostert, Juan Ferreyra, Anthony Marques, Pablo M. Collar, Belén Ortega, Max Dunbar, and Hayden Sherman. In addition to a wraparound main cover by Jim Cheung, this can’t-miss issue features variant covers by Steve Beach, Riley Rossmo, Jason Howard, Kelley Jones, Ariel Colon, Kyle Hotz, Christian Ward, Clayton Henry, Jorge Corona, Belén Ortega, and Dan Panosian, plus a 1-in-25 ratio variant cover by Cully Hamner.

DC celebrates 30 Years of The Death of Superman with the Original Creative Teams

30 years ago, Superman sacrificed himself to defeat Doomsday. To celebrate the special anniversary of this defining moment, DC has reunited the original creative teams of Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding; Roger Stern and Butch Guice; Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove; and Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett for The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1. Available at comic shops on November 8, the comic features four all-new stories that explore the lasting impact that Clark’s death had on his family and friends as well as nine pinups and variant covers by some of the top names in comics.

Each of the original creative teams from The Death of Superman has reunited to tell a story that shows how some of Superman’s biggest allies reacted during and after his fateful battle with Doomsday:

  • “The Life of Superman” by Dan Jurgens (W & A), Brett Breeding (A), Brad Anderson (C), and John Workman (L) – A young Jon Kent finds out in school that his dad had died years earlier, as his parents never told him about that fateful day. In the midst of dealing with this emotional news, Jon and Clark need to team up to fight a new villain connected to Doomsday called DOOMBREAKER.
  • “Standing Guard” by Roger Stern (W), Butch Guice (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The epic battle between Superman and Doomsday from the Guardians’ perspective.
  • “Time” by Louise Simonson (W), Jon Bogdanove (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The story of how the death of Superman looked from John Henry Irons’s perspective.
  • “Above and Beyond” by Jerry Ordway (W), Tom Grummett (P), Doug Hazelwood (I), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – A powerful story of Ma and Pa Kent watching their son fight Doomsday live on television and going through Clark’s photo albums with the feeling that their son always prevails.

W=Writer, A=Artist, P=Penciller, I=Inker, C=Colorist, L=Letter

Highlighting the milestone, The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary will feature variant covers by artists including Jim Lee and Scott Williams; Dan Mora; Ivan Reis and Danny Miki; Francesco Mattina; Dan Jurgens; and Brett Breeding. Fans can also order a premium polybag variant that features a black armband with The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary logo and the main cover inside.

DC had previously announced details of The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Deluxe Editionwhich will include Superman: Day of Doom #1-4 for the first time ever and will be available at comic shops and local bookstores on December 6, 2022. DC will also be releasing Superman #75 Special Edition featuring the original story by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding, which will be available at local comic shops on November 1.

Preview: The Wrong Earth: Purple #1

The Wrong Earth: Purple #1

(W) Stuart Moore
(A) Fred Harper
Cover A: Jamal Igle
Cover B: Jerry Ordway
Cover C: Gene Ha
May 18, 2022
$4.99

The WRONG EARTH event of 2022 continues! Meet the masked vigilante Dragon-Fly of Earth-Kappa—a world of big hair, shoulderpads, and funk music, where the 1980s never ended and Greed is always Good. Written by Stuart Moore (Poe’s Snifter of Death, Marvel Crisis Protocol: Target Kree), with stunning art and color by Fred Harper (Animal Man, Snelson).

All five WRONG EARTH specials feature covers by co-creator Jamal Igle and a special incentive variant cover by legendary artist Gene Ha (Top Ten, Mae). This issue also features a second variant cover by the great Jerry Ordway.

The Wrong Earth: Purple #1
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