Review: Justice Society of America #11
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Marco Santucci
Colors: Ivan Plascencia
Letters: Rob Leigh
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
It’s the Legion of Super-Heroes vs. the Justice Society of America!! Plus, the Legion Subs and… a surprise villain hidden in plain sight all along!
Positives
You’ll see that the villain at the end is a surprise that should’ve been obvious all along, and maybe it is, but not the way you were probably thinking. And then, the fate of Helena Wayne, equally appropriate, is completely out of left field. But, before the finale and denouement hit you, you’ve got to experience the first part of Justice Society of America #11. You can’t get past the first page without acknowledging the great work of Marco Santucci on this issue. Page 1 is a full page shot of Mordru in his older years as he demonstrates his awesome magic power. Top to bottom Santucci hits all the points. His pose is fittingly dramatic, expression evocative of the madness and power he wields. Linework is outstanding as the texture of his pencils comes through, printed without inks? It’s truly a stunning first page of a comic. It’s poster worthy, all it needs is a logo- MORDRU!
The very next page of Justice Society of America #11, page 2, stops the reader again. It’s a double page splash with Santucci depicting the entire Legion along with… (I’m not kidding) SUPERBOY!! Yes, it’s Superman when he was a boy-it’s 1976 again!!! The Legion appear as they were shown last issue, and the image includes the logo from Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes! In the ’70’s, Superboy shared his title (simply, Superboy) with the Legion and it was ostensibly a Legion of Super-Heroes comic. Superboy had long been a main cast member, but the title eventually became Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes before finally becoming Legion of Super-Heroes at the end of the ’70’s. Whoever made the decision to use that logo…pure genius!
Positives Cont’d
As the issue progresses, the JSA and LSH come to blows over the decision to let Mordru into the JSA (see last issue). This provides Santucci the opportunity to draw some huge fight scenes between these two large teams, as the JSA calls in back up. Atom Smasher vs. Colossal Boy? YES, PLEASE! Santucci nails it on every page. Between the action and epic spreads, he maintains the individuality of the mostly non-masked Legion and employs facial expressions to great effect!
Somehow, despite the delays, limited space for such a sprawling story, Geoff Johns makes it work. The surprise villain is satisfying and Helena Wayne’s fate is logical and hopeful. Johns relies on nostalgia for some of the plot, but he also pushes things forward for Helena (and leaving the door open for the original Earth-Two Helena Wayne- Power Girl really needs you NOW, her solo series is destroying her!) and Mordru as well as putting the JSA in position for the future,er… I think that last one happens next issue.
The Legion of Substitute Heroes have received more and more respect over the years, and it’s gratifying to see them play a critical role in this issue and not just have a cameo. Polar Boy and Night Girl joined the Legion proper years ago, but the team of Subs turn out to be right and come up with some imaginative solutions.
Negatives
Clearly, the delays are going to be an problem for some. However, the excitement in the issue between what actually goes down and the nostalgia elements overcome this. If there is another lingering concern it’s that it still feels too short. This was always a 12-issue series, I suppose. This issue could easily have been divided between two. I’m sure when I sit down and read the second half of this run in one sitting it will come across a bit more cohesively. I can’t say I won’t want there to be more LSH and JSA together goodness, though!
Verdict
Personally, a comic with my two favorite teams in the same issue, it’s hard to beat Justice Society of America #11. Marco Santucci does an outstanding job, and shows you why you should want him on your favorite title. Geoff Johns also shows why he’s one of the best comic book writers of his generation. He’s still got a lot of stories to tell. Whatever negatives might exist, delays, desire for MORE story, the fun, nostalgia and excitement culminate in a great issue that is tough to beat. Limited with only scoring out of 5, it’s not fair to give this issue less than a perfect score anymore than it’s unfair to give it only a 4.5/5.
