Justice Society of America #9 – Geoff Johns, Writer; Mikel Janin, Artist; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The schedule of this title has gone completely off the rails, being delayed months at the time. What’s going on? We don’t know, but the book that’s likely to be Geoff Johns’ swan song at DC Comics is still delivering some great stories that will leave plenty for future writers to work off. The emotional heart of this series is the many kids who were discovered by Stargirl and Red Arrow in their recent miniseries, who have now been taken in by various members of the JSA. This includes Mister Terrific and his new protege Kid Quick (who sort of seems like he’s canon discontinuity due to the fact that Holt also got another kid over in Flash), who have a great conversation about what superheroes are really meant to do. Less smooth is Alan Scott’s attempt to save Red Lantern’s daughter, and the superpowered delinquent is hardly enthusiastic about joining the JSA.
However, as chaotic as this is, it’s nothing compared to the case of the Harlequin’s son, who has become a depraved vigilante acting rather like a heroic version of the Joker. Prone to branding people who commit crimes like spousal abuse and then letting them go, he’s got a sadistic edge that is more than a little unsettling to see, and displays some unexpected tricks that take even the most powerful members of the Society by surprise. If this series has one problem, it’s that so many characters are jockeying for screentime, and we get yet another one in the form of the Legionnaire—a character who looks a lot like Ferro Lad and has a Legion flight ring, but a truly unexpected identity that adds another level to the time-travel chaos of this series. With only three issues left, most likely, Johns is leaving a lot undone—but there’s so much potential here to build off for the franchise he helped return to prominence.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
