JSA #2 – Jeff Lemire, Writer; Diego Olortegui, Artist; Luis Guerrero, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: The first issue of this thrilling series kicked off in a big way – with the JSA split across dimensions. The old guard was trapped in the Tower of Fate along with Khalid, trying to make sense of an even more confusing version of the eldritch location. And on Earth, an ad hoc version of the team led by Jade tried to keep order while dealing with growing conflict on the team – primarily led by a ruthless Obsidian. Or did it? The cliffhanger revealed that Obsidian wasn’t Obsidian at all, but Johnny Sorrow, who had taken the shadow master’s place during the initial attack and was now leading a team of the JSA’s most iconic villains against them. This is the first time we’ve really seen the equivalent of an “Injustice League” for the JSA, and the roster we saw was a particularly intimidating one with some big unanswered questions. But now, it’s time to flash back and see how we got here.
But this issue, which feels like a countdown to disaster, indicates that things might not be as clear-cut as all that. Obsidian’s issues were there before he was replaced, as seen in a conflict with Wildcat. The team was juggling a series of disturbing crises, including a ballroom where some sort of supernatural force was freezing time and lifting dozens of people up in the air in a ballroom. From there, the JSA discovered evidence that Kobra was behind it – only to be lured into a trap that split the team in two and left half of them in a never-ending battle against supernatural forces. Fortunately, that side has Hawkman on their side, as the immortal warrior is a constant source of experience – but the issue ends in a way that might just cast a shadow over that. Lemire is one of the most innovative superhero comic writers out there, as seen in his creator-owned work, and I’m very excited to see how his take on this team continues to develop.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
