Back to more traditional superhero fare . . . Even though I grew up during the Silver Age of Comics, I’ve always been a fan of the Golden Age characters, too, as far back as I was aware of them. Which is pretty far, because “Flash of Two Worlds” and AVENGERS #4 featuring the return of Captain America were some of the first issues I read when I became a serious fan. I always enjoyed the annual crossovers between the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America, and I still have a soft spot in my heart for the JSA.So it comes as no surprise that I enjoyed the recent relaunch (one of many) of the JSA. This one features three of the original members, Green Lantern (the Alan Scott version), The Flash (the Jay Garrick version), and Wildcat (a long-time favorite of mine) trying to recruit the grown-up children of some of the original members for membership in the Justice Society. Some of these recruits are even grandchildren of the original members. But even as this effort is getting started, along come some mysterious super-villains who seem bent on wiping out these descendants of former JSA members, along with all the members of their families. One thing about modern comics, the body count is certainly higher that it was in the Silver Age, and that’s true here. But that really raises the stakes for the heroes involved.
Other than that, this collection has a definite old-fashioned feel to it. Some might call it “retro” or “classic”. Me, I’m fine with old-fashioned. I like old-fashioned. I got a big kick out of the trio of geezer super-heroes at the core of this story, and even though a lot of the younger characters – or younger versions of old characters – were new to me, I liked them as well. The script by Geoff Johns works in a lot of comics history, which I appreciate, and the art by Dale Eaglesham is really good. JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: THE NEXT AGE is a lot of fun, and I recommend it highly, especially for comics readers who remember the Silver or even the Golden Age.
3 comments:
this is one of the best series going right now. I can't get enough.
All the trade collections are really great.
I passed over this today to pick up the Will Eisner Reader but it was a hard decision. I'll go back for it soon and I agree it's great to see Wildcat. I lost track of Ted Grant over the years but he's one of the best characters in comics.
Justice Society Classified just this summer did a short story arc with Wildcat by B. Clay Moore that was great.
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