Justice Society of America #7 – Geoff Johns, Writer; Marco Santucci, Artist; Ivan Plascencia, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Due to the launch of Ghost Machine in the coming months, we now know this will be one of the last DC works of Geoff Johns—putting an end to a DC career that dates back to the 1990s with no real interruptions. Given that, it’s a little odd that this final chapter comes off as so vignette-esque—or maybe not. Johns is telling a story here that’s so spread out and creates countless new narratives for future writers to jump off. The biggest involves Huntress, stuck here in the future after altering the timeline, as she tries to put together her Justice League of the future. This includes recruiting several villains, like Icicle—who is willing to take a chance on the new Society. Solomon Grundy doesn’t go as well, with Dr. Fate’s forgotten protege Salem accidentally killing him using a dark spell even she doesn’t fully understand. Of course, the good news with Solomon Grundy is that death is just a few days’ setback.
Salem and Khalid are sort of the emotional core of this issue, as their partnership isn’t going smoothly. She was Kent Nelson’s apprentice, not his, and they barely know each other. She views him as an interloper and usurper, while he sees her as a reckless and dangerous wild card. She might wind up being a villain, but it’s too early to tell. Other subplots, like Beth Chapel’s interrogation of Jean Loring, seem to come out of nowhere in a very fast-paced issue, but the most intriguing part of the story comes at the start—focusing on a sadistic vigilante who targets criminals who get away with their crimes by tattooing them. He talks a lot about his parents—and I’m guessing this is the long-teased son of Mime and Marionette from Doomsday Clock. If so, Johns likely has one last big surprise under his belt before he mic-drops on one of the best DC careers of all time.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
