JSA #15 – Jeff Lemire, Writer; Gavin Guidry, Artist; Luis Guerrero, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This “JSA: Year One” storyline has a huge cast of characters with a focus on some that we haven’t seen for a very long time, as we dial things back to the 1940s and deal with the Nazi infiltration into the United States – as well as a growing supernatural plot that is endangering the first world. The very first incarnation of the Society included some of the heroes we know now, but also some incredibly powerful figures like the Spectre and Madame Xanadu, and they’re increasingly worried about the cosmic threats they’re up against. This council of magic-users is working on a much larger scale than anyone else, and they’re keeping tabs on the other heroes – many of whom aren’t much of a team yet. Not even Flash and Green Lantern are getting along, and Jim Corrigan can barely even be called a hero. But with each issue, new players are entering the fray.
It’s really interesting to see the way things develop between these heroes at first glance. We know Johnny Thunder as an iconic legacy hero in the JSA, but when Jay Garrick first encounters him, he thinks this random foppish guy in a bow tie is a lunatic until he pulls out his genie. Similarly, Al Pratt isn’t exactly welcoming to Hippoyta until he first sees her in action – and realizes that he’s the first to get a glimpse of a whole other world. Hourman and Sandman, meanwhile, have found themselves in far darker parts of the city, encountering a villain who seems more scared than he is evil and a hero held captive in terrifying conditions. Overall, just about everyone here is slowly uncovering parts of a much bigger whole, with a twist towards the end that hints at just how big the stakes are getting. It’s an intriguing look back at an era of the heroes that most people have never read about.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
