Green Lantern: Rebirth #2

December 5, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Enemies Within

As the powers of the few remaining Green Lantern go haywire, the Justice League prepares to have words with Hal Jordan.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Ethan Van Sciver
Inks: Prentis Rollins
Colors: Moose Baumann
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover Art: Ethan Van Sciver
Publisher: DC Comics

Before I get into the review proper, I should disclose that I’m one of the voices that wasn’t too happy about this project. I like Kyle Rayner. I think he’s earned his place as a Green Lantern and I feel like DC capitulated to a vocal minority by backtracking this way.

That said – man, if you’re going to bring back Hal Jordan, this is the way to do it.

A wounded Kyle Rayner lies in the desert, his spaceship in wreckage, with a mysterious, but very valuable cargo. Meanwhile Hal has come back to see his old girlfriend, Carol Ferris, who has moved on with her life in Hal’s absence. Elsewhere, virtually everyone who has ever wielded the power of a Green Lantern is suffering odd symptoms – John Stewart’s control is eroding, Alan Scott is weakening and Guy Gardner is on the verge of death. And somehow, this all spirals back to the different aspects of Hal Jordan.

Geoff Johns is the man for this project without a doubt. As he proves every month in Flash, JSA and Teen Titans, there are few if any writers who can pull together continuity and weave an exciting, engrossing tale the way that he can, and he puts all of his skills to work on this issue.

Ethan Van Sciver has been considered an “up and coming” artist for some time – with this series I think it’s safe to say he has arrived. Every character in the book is spot-on perfect, with great action and some really beautiful high-energy pieces that seem to reply on good classic art instead of computer tricks the way a lot of comics do these days.

A lot of people were dying for Hal’s return. I was not one of them. But since it is an inevitability, I have to admit, this is about the best way to bring him back one could hope for.

Rating: 8/10

JSA Classified #12

May 22, 2006

Quick Rating: Good
Title: The Fall and Rise of Vandal Savage Part Three

It’s Vandal Savage versus Green Lantern – for the last time?

Writer: Stuart Moore
Pencils: Paul Gulacy
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: I.L.L.
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Art: Paul Gulacy
Publisher: DC Comics

In a way, I’ve been slightly disappointed in this series. One of the cool things about JLA Classified is that the creative teams have permission to go to any era of the Justice League, but in JSA Classified, the book is rooted in current continuity. For the world’s first superhero team, that just seems like a wasted opportunity. On the other hand the current arc, featuring a dying Vandal Savage plotting revenge against his greatest foe, the Golden Age Green Lantern, has been a pretty darn good one.

Savage, dying, remembers a fateful encounter with own daughter as Alan – who recently lost his own child – races to confront the villain with an old friend. Savage, however, has been around for millions of years, and even as he faces his final, imminent death, he’s got something up his sleeve.

Moore has done a pretty good job with this arc. I’m a big fan of Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern for those embroiled in the endless Hal/Kyle debate, and it’s nice to see him get something of a spotlight. However, he’s still technically the antagonist this issue, as the focus is squarely on Vandal Savage, one of the most interesting villains in the DCU. Part of me doesn’t believe they’ll actually kill him off, but then, they haven’t even finished counting the bodies from Infinite Crisis yet, so what would one more be?

Moore’s story is fine, but I’m slightly disappointed in Paul Gulacy’s artwork. He doesn’t quite have the right sensibilities for the sci-fi and magical aspects of the two lead characters – the panels look somewhat awkward, and the revelation of a monster towards the end isn’t as grotesque as it should be – the creature winds up looking like a cross between X-Statix’s Doop and Mr. Potato Head.

Overall, this has been a solid arc weighed down by less-then-stellar artwork. Gulacy, to my liking, is better suited for street-level characters like his run on Catwoman.

Rating: 7/10

JSA: Strange Adventures #4

November 15, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: All in Color For a Dime

His offer to humanity rejected, Lord Dynamo attacks!

Writer: Kevin J. Anderson
Breakdowns: Barry Kitson
Finishes: Gary Erskine
Colors: Hi-Fi
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Peter J. Tomasi
Cover Art: John Watson
Publisher: DC Comics

Lord Dynamo had a simple offer to mankind – medicine, technology, art, music… enough to advance the human race immeasurably. And all he wanted in return was Green Lantern’s ring and Starman’s cosmic rod. Mankind was ready to give it, too, until Johnny Thunder made an impassioned plea to save his friends. He won. He convinced them.

But Lord Dynamo doesn’t take rejection very well.

I’ve really enjoyed this series. The Justice Society of America in World War II is one of the most fertile storytelling environments in comics and Kevin J. Anderson has done a fine job with these characters. He knows them, he understands them, and he’s doing interesting things with them.

This is clearly Johnny Thunder’s series, with the book focusing on him and his job as the JSA historian and his aspirations to be a writer. If there’s one flaw in this issue, it’s how Anderson sets up a lot of the drama around the fate of a certain character. Look, this story takes place in the past and it’s not an Elseworlds. We know the fate of these characters already. There’s not that much drama to be had there.

Kitson and Erskine do pretty good work on the artwork, although not quite as strong as Kitson does when he does full pencils himself instead of just breakdowns. John Watson’s cover, however, is simply beautiful. He captures all of the characters in a dark moment for them. I’d hang this cover on a wall.

I’m really digging this title. I can’t wait to see where it goes. And I hope Anderson has a few more classic JSA stories in his future.

Rating: 8/10

JSA #60

April 12, 2004

Quick Rating: Excellent
Title: Redemption Lost Part One

An old evil returns, a Spectre wrestles with his own demons, and all heroes tackle matters of faith.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Don Kramer & Tom Mandrake
Inks: Keith Champagne & Tom Mandrake
Colors: Hi-Fi
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover Art: Ethan Van Sciver
Publisher: DC Comics

Geoff Johns jumps into some surprisingly weighty issues in this issue. Dr. Mid-Nite, Mr. Terrific and even the staunchly scienfitic Atom (who seems to be a part-time member of the JSA considering how often he’s popped up here lately) all wind up talking rather openly about prayer, religion, faith and redemption. Dr. Mid-Nite is struggling to solve the murder of one of his many operatives while Terrific and the Atom search the timestream for the lost Hourman. It’s a strong story that doesn’t shy away from very frank discussions of religion, and it is to Johns credit that he discusses all sides of the debate without maligning characters who believe in the Church or chilling those who don’t. It is, simply put, a story that is very respectful of different philosophies, and that’s something that is sadly rare.

That said, it’s still a superhero comic and we still get plenty of action. The first Hourman seems to be throwing himself back into the superhero game to keep from having to think of his time-lost and possibly dying son or the wife that believes he is already dead. The Spectre, for his part, is in real trouble, something that isn’t easy to do with a character that powerful, and it is his story that propels this first issue of a new story arc.

Kramer and Champagne do a very good job on the artwork. In some of his earlier issues, Kramer’s work was kind of sketchy and struggled to fit the characters. He seems to have overcome those hurtles. A big plus in the art side, however, is the three-page prologue featuring the original Spectre and Mr. Terrific, drawn by Tom Mandrake, perhaps the best Spectre artist ever. When I saw the green ghoul’s entrance on page two, I had to flip ahead to the credits to make sure it was him. It was a welcome surprise and made this issue even more fun.

It isn’t easy to weigh action and spandex with discussions of God and the afterlife, but Geoff Johns does it beautifully. Month in and month out, this is the best superhero comic book on the stands. This month is no exception.

Rating: 10/10

Hawkman (2002 Series) #23

January 1, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title:Black Reign Part Two

The Justice Society visits Hawkman in St. Roch for his birthday, unaware of the violent actions their former teammates are taking in the middle east.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Rags Morales
Inks: Michael Bair
Colors: John Kalisz
Letters: Bill Oakley
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover Art: John Watson
Publisher: DC Comics

The JSA/Hawkman crossover continues, and the only people likely to be disappointed are Hawkman fans. This is a fantastic issue, but the title character is barely in it – this would have been a stronger issue if DC had printed this as JSA #56 and that issue as Hawkman #23 – granted, Hawkman isn’t in that issue either, but neither is anyone else in the JSA, and it would serve as a stronger prologue.

This criticism is only valid for people who read only Hawkman and not both titles, however – people reading both, or even people who only read JSA and are only getting this issue for the crossover, will have nothing but praise. The team goes down to the city of St. Roch (a veiled New Orleans clone) during a time of “celebration” (it’s Mardi Gras, folks). Johns uses this setting to give us a peek into the personalities of many of the characters — Wildcat loves it, Green Lantern is uncomfortable and Dr. Mid-Nite tries to help people who may not have realized they needed help. There’s a great subplot with Hourman talking to his late father, the first Hourman (via a device that will allow him one hour total to speak to his father in a time-pocket before he dies). We also get very good scenes with Power Girl, Stargirl, Captain Marvel and the Flash. Even Hawkman gets a good scene – the only problem is that, in his title, his moment doesn’t come until the very end. Oh, but what a moment it is.

Rags Morales is a fantastic artist, and he gets a lot of great scenes in this book – including Hawkman’s brief battle with a nameless old man trying to make himself into a supervillain and an absolutely fantastic last page. It’s a terrible shame that Morales will be leaving this title soon, and one can only hope DC has an artist with half his talent lined up to take his place.

I’m deducting one point from the overall score because I feel this book may let down Hawkman fans – but fans of both titles, like myself, should add a point and not hesitate to pick it up. It’s great superhero storytelling.

Rating: 7/10

JSA #55

December 7, 2003

Quick Rating: Excellent
Title: Be Good For Goodness’ Sake

The old guard of the Justice Society pays a Christmas Eve visit to an old friend.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Leonard Kirk
Inks: Keith Champagne & Wade Von Grawbadger
Colors: Hi-Fi
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover Art: Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino & Hi-Fi
Publisher: DC Comics

I love this comic book. I love this more than my next 30 minutes of oxygen. I would buy a bushel of this book and give it out as Christmas presents if I thought everybody I knew would get what makes it so great. This is one of the sweetest, most joyful comic books I have read all year, but the only people who will get it will be people like me, who love the old-school, Golden Age superheroes more than anything else, who thinks of Allen Scott and Jay Garrick as the definitive Green Lantern/Flash team, and who misses those characters who have faded into the background.

Green Lantern, Flash, Wildcat and Hawkman spend every Christmas Eve visiting an old friend, once a comrade-in-arms, who has been sadly absent from the DCU for far too long. I can’t tell you the identity of this friend without spoiling the issue, but suffice it to say when I realized who it was, I literally cheered. And I don’t care if I am the only one.

This is a beautiful, self-contained, one-issue story that every JSA or Golden Age fan needs to read.

Leonard Kirk makes a fill-in return to the title he sadly had to depart four issues ago, and for my money, he’s always welcome back. He draws the classic heroes better than anyone in the business these days, and if a new creative team for Hawkman hasn’t been decided on yet, the editor should take a long, hard look in Kirk’s direction.

I can’t say enough good things about this comic book. JSA, month in and month out, is one of the most solid superhero titles on the market. This issue is a Christmas present for fans who remember a time when heroes were pure and innocent, when “grim and gritty” had not yet become part of our vocabulary, and when the silliest of concepts made for the purest of spirits.

Rating: 10/10

JSA Classified #33

December 30, 2007

JSA Classified #33 (DC Comics)
By Junior Thomas, Staz Johnson, Mike Norton, Scott Kolins

This two-part Green Lantern story wraps up pretty well this issue. Vandal Savage’s attack on Thanksgiving has led to the immortal stealing much of the Starheart power from Alan Scott, using the life-essense of a nearby child to create a “puppet” for his attack — a duplicate of Alan’s deceased daughter, Jade. Alan is forced to face his own child while Savage makes his play. This was a decent enough story, if not a great one. Alan Scott is still one of the best characters in DC’s old guard, but Vandal Savage is a bit played out as an enemy. While Jade’s story packs some nice emotion, the reader doesn’t really believe there’s a chance she’ll return here. I liked this issue, and the Christmas Eve epilogue is nice enough, but I’m really more looking forward to next issue’s Hourman/Liberty Belle story.
Rating: 7/10

JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice

July 30, 2005

JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice (DC Comics)
by David Goyer, Geoff Johns & Carlos Pacheco

For superhero neophytes, here it is in a nutshell — the JSA were the first superhero team ever. These days it is comprised of elder statesmen like the original Flash, Green Lantern and Wildcat guiding younger second-generation heroes like the new Star-Spangled Kid and Mr. Terrific. The JLA made up of the current superhero top dogs, featuring Superman, Batman, the current Flash and GL and the like. In this tale the two teams gather for what they hope will become a Thanksgiving tradition, only to have their celebration thrown into turmoil when members of the two teams are possessed by the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man. (You’ve heard of `em, right? Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Pride, Envy and Greed?) The possessed members dispatch their teammates and go on a rampage, leaving the others to try to free themselves, save their friends and find out who’s behind this madness.

While a knowledge of DC Comics continuity helps, it is by no means a necessity to read this book. Goyer and Johns have written brilliant interpretations of the JSA for years now, and in this book they prove they can handle the JLA as well. Not only that, they can balance the two teams, giving each hero his or her moment in the sun, and utilize and develop not one, but three villains (not counting the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man) in a story worthy of the best these teams have to offer.

The artwork by Carlos Pacheco is brilliant. Superman looks strong, Captain Marvel looks innocent, every hero and heroine is perfect, and the double-page spread near the climax of the reunited heroes storming into battle is something I’d frame and hang on any wall.

This book is the best these heroes have been treated in years. Here’s hoping Goyer, Johns and Pacheco grace us with another one soon.

Rating: 9/10

JSA Classified #32

JSA Classified #32 (DC Comics)
By Junior Thomas, Staz Johnson & Scott Kolins

It’s a week late for Thanksgiving, but it look like DC managed to work in the JSA’s annual adventure after all. Green Lantern is depressed at the idea of facing another holiday without his daughter, Jade, but decides to join in with the Flash and Wildcat as they take a ride in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade gets shaken up, though, when Solomon Grundy attacks. Thomas plays nicely with Alan scott’s emotions here, using a very real depression that most anyone can relate to as the anchor for his story. The only weak point is in a choice of villains that feels slightly overdone — although when you consider how few truly legendary JSA villains are still up and around, I suppose it’s unavoidable. And it’s certainly an improvement from the last arc on this book. Not great, but for a Thanksgiving story, it’s not bad.

Rating: 7/10

JSA: Strange Adventures #3

August 14, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night…

Johnny Thunder has a new job –to tell the world the exploits of the Justice Society!

Writer: Kevin J. Anderson
Pencils: Barry Kitson
Inks: Gary Erskine
Colors: Hi-Fi
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover Art: John Watson
Publisher: DC Comics

Any time we delve into the World War II-era adventures of the Justice Society of America is a good thing, and acclaimed science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson does a nice job setting up a really clever series. Johnny Thunder is a fan of pulp magazines, such a big fan that he’s been writing up the adventures of the JSA and submitting them to Amazing Stories only to meet with rejection after rejection… until the editor sees his sales slip and thinks the real-life tales of the JSA may be just what the magazine needs to win their audience back.

Meanwhile, a few nasty characters in Gotham City try to take over the airwaves of a APEX radio, unaware that Green Lantern is the engineer there. GL and Starman take on the villains in a dandy little fight sequence sure to satisfy people who get a little bored by the middle segment.

Not that I expect anyone to be bored – the idea of Johnny Thunder trying to write pulp science fiction is a hysterical one and Anderson executes it very well. He peppers the comic with references to real magazines and real writers, which helps to ground it a bit, but also gives the issue the same sort of flair that many of the current Julius Schwartz DC Comics Presents specials have.

Barry Kitson is one of the most solid superhero artists out there, and he does a fantastic Justice Society. From the nasty monster they fight in the early sequence of the book to Green Lantern and Starman’s fight, this is a energetic comic, made even better by fantastic coloring work by Hi-Fi.

Some people may not care to delve back into the Golden Age, but I’m not one of them. I love stories like this, I love the classic Justice Society, and I love the fact that Anderson and Kitson are doing them so well in the first issue of this miniseries.

Rating: 8/10