JSA #19 – Jeff Lemire, Writer; Diego Olortegui, Artist; Luis Guerrero, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: After an extended run in the past, as we saw the first mission the JSA ever went on, it’s about time for a return to the present – which will come with a reunion with the team’s most dangerous member. It’s hard to believe that the Spectre, the wrath of God bound to a human host, was casually a member of a superhero team for a while, but since then all his solo spotlights have been dark, supernatural thrillers. The character made his way through Jim Corrigan, Hal Jordan, and Crispus Allen before winding up a host-less agent of chaos once again. Now he’s set his sights on a new host – the young, undead Kid Eternity, who played a key role in the first year of this title. The keeper of the Spectre, worried that she won’t be able to handle the extreme toll the being takes on a host, helps her escape – leaving the Spectre more enraged than ever as he heads to Earth.
Much of this issue is the calm before the storm, as the JSA decompresses from the battle with the Injustice Society. Hourman, Sandy, and the new Wildcat spar in the ring as the two men try to sort out their relationship issues. The younger members of the team engage in a different kind of battle – video games – as Jakeem Thunder and Dr. Fate’s game is interrupted by the arrival of Stargirl, who is returning to the team full-time. This is a good move for the book, I think, as she’s really become synonymous with the title thanks to the very long run by Geoff Johns. And Alan and Jay, the oldest members of the team, consider its future. But it’s not long before Kid Eternity shows up, in rough shape, and the entire city becomes a playground for the Spectre’s wrath. This looks like it could be the biggest-scale arc of the series yet, and this issue does a good job of setting the tone and scale very high.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
