How’s that for a cover? I’ve moaned – sorry, noted – that previous cover images have been a tad washed out but the bright reds and blues, with sunshine peeping in, lend this one a different, happier feel. And the composition by Mikel Janín is a treat, a soaring shot worthy of many a classic Legion of Super-Heroes image, utterly inspirational. With the ‘camera’ set super-low, ground-bound heroes like the Flash get parity with the flyers like Green Lantern.
There are a lot more impressive art moments inside the book, as writer Geoff Johns concludes the opening story arc. It’s undeniable that the appallingly slow release of this supposedly monthly series has sucked some of the energy out of what should be an event – I had to skim through the last issue before starting this. Once I’m back in the mental swing of things, though, I had a great time with this book.
Basically, it’s the Justice Society of 2023 rallying their forces to stand against longtime foe Per Degaton. His convoluted plan would see him replacing the JSA with a league of Degatons, and his time energy manipulation gives him a chance of beating the good guys.
But the prospect of a world ruled by a Nazi sympathiser helps new Dr Fate Khalid find his confidence and he plucks an all-star squadron from various points in time.
This double-page spread would be an example of the tremendous interior visuals I mentioned, with Janín working with colour artist Jordie Bellaire. There’s also a page by the superb Jerry Ordway, coloured by John Kalisz, but as that’s all we get from them, and it’s pretty amazing, I shan’t spoilt it.
A maguffin and a snowglobe combine to bring about Degaton’s undoing, altering the timeline along the way.
I think she’s staying. And staying away from Batman, to whom Huntress gave far too much info about ‘his’ future (‘his’ being in quotes because her father’s timeline isn’t necessarily that of this main universe Batman). One thing I don’t get in Geoff Johns’ script is that we’re told all the time displaced JSA-era return to their own timelines. So why not Helena? Presumably the JSA team she put together in the future is going to fade with their timeline, what’s keeping her in 2023? Is there something I’m missing? I’m not convinced a reread of all five issues and the New Golden Age special that preceded it will make things clear.
Also staying in the present day is someone who shows up on the final page, but we’ll get to her next month (he wrote, optimistically).
I devoured this comic. Janín’s breezy, attractive art makes every page a massive pleasure to look at, with my favourite panel showing the Final Fate of Per Degaton (For Now, Anyway). And Johns’ script, replete with secrets and promise, beguiled me – I’m not confident we’ll ever get to see the full story he has planned, editorial tinkering being what it is (see Doomsday Clock, which began with one version of the Legion and ended with another, no explanation), but I like knowing it’s there to be tapped into.
Bellaire does a fabulous job lighting the book, whether with natural light sources or metahuman energy, while letterer Rob Leigh keeps dialogue and narration suitably snazzy.
It’s been announced that we won’t see the next issue until September at the earliest, which is a rotten shame – there’s a great book here, but unless it can get some momentum going it’s not going to be the breakout hit it deserves to be.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
Do we know yet for certain if this is a 12 issue mini? An ongoing? And if the latter, Johns is the writer? I’m invested either way, but it really would at nearly the halfway point now be nice to have a clear idea. Obviously between this, the Stargirl mini and the upcoming Flash, Green Lantern and Sandman minis, DC has a lot invested in bringing back the JSA to prominence. But it’s frustrating not to know the extent of that commitment. Heck, at this point is this just a 12 issue series leading into the NEXT Geoff Johns event mini, since, for whatever reasons, that seems to be his jam right now versus juggling a few ongoings like he used to back in the good ole days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know the official length, DC doesn’t seem to want us to know. It’s so odd, there’s something going on behind the scenes of this book. One day we may find out…
LikeLike
I’m going with Helena handling the snow globe helped her stay according to the time travel logic loosely used here. The way I see time travel rules, the future JSA that appeared already wasn’t her future so theoretically you could have had the Helena born after Bruce learned of the possible future with them. To get back ‘home’ Helena would now have to travel back in time to before she unburdened to Bruce so that her future was still one of the possible future timelines.
I do like a Huntress back that is as close to the Earth 2 one as possible. I would have preferred that one joining Power Girl as an E2 survivor but since Johns is wonky on what differentiates alt timelines and alt Earths it may be for the best. At least New 52/Rebirth Helena is gone. She was okay in Grayson but putting her in costume for no in story reason irked.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I missed have missed it. Where did Helena Bertinelli go? I admit I have missed the last couple of issues of this series if it was in there.
LikeLike
I don’t think they’ve mentioned her. I could be mistaken, but I thought she was still around somewhere. I feel like she’s certainly been seen at some point. But she hasn’t been referenced in this series.
The Huntress of it all, is one of the things that I find difficult with this series. We’ve got the Helena Bertinelli version… and we’ve certainly seen a couple of different Helena Waynes since the new 52 started everything over (haven’t we? There was the Worlds’ Finest version. That was Helena Wayne, yeah? And I think we’ve seen her show up in some of those blink and you’ve missed them JSA appearances in Doomsday Clock and Infinite Crisis era stories. Haven’t we? I feel certain we have. But there have been so many reboots in DC now that they’re all bleeding together in my head). Now we have *another* Helena Wayne… but this one is from the future? And she’s not from Earth 2 but from Earth 0? My head is hurting. lol
LikeLike
I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Helena Bertinellie The Lesser since I dropped the horrid Birds Of Prey volume she was in. Has anyone else?
LikeLike
Is New 52 Helena gone? Wasn’t she in a crossover just a couple of months ago, I remember reviewing some terrible story with her in Arkham.
LikeLike
I think she’s still in play if a writer can’t use a good character. She should just never be used again. Not even a Roy Thomas style explanation. The character got the name (my guess) because someone was being cute and someone else put her in costume despite there being no previous link or commonality with the better Bertinelli. I’d love for Helena Bertinelli 1.o to be the present day Huntress people assume is Helena Wayne’s mother spy babe also would not fit that role.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think Helena Bertinelli was referenced by this future Helena Wayne; at some point, when introducing herself to someone in this time, she clarifies that the Huntress isn’t her mom, but a friend of the family. But that’s the extent of the reference.
I pulled all the JSA issues to date out of the stack and read them back to back, and read all together, they’re a ton of fun. I don’t quite get the time-travel/alt-universes of it all, but I’ll be happy to see Helena continue with the modern JSA. Really looking forward to the Yolanda/Beth/Eclipso subplot come to the fore, and of course we have 3 different books starring Golden Age characters starting up in a couple months. Which is pretty incredible, to be honest.
And Johns is back to his old Legion tricks — we see Degaton defeating the Legion in the future in one panel, and they’re the retrobooted Legion that Johns and Gary Frank brought back before the New 52 (and who lasted into the New 52, before lying dormant for a decade until the Bendis/Sook revival). It’s weird to see that version again, especially after the current version just appeared in Green Arrow. So when the Legionnaire who teamed with the JSA is revealed, I wonder which Legion they’ll have come from.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think Johns may as well bring back the team he brought back in 2010 or whatever, DC don’t seem committed to the Bendis/Sook version of they’d have one of the the many back-up slots at DC these days.
LikeLike
The Benboot failed for the same reason I believe the Threeboot never got traction. You don’t start a Legion book with the membership based off their roster when they were at peak popularity. Build from a reasonable size and let people know who they are as you go along and spotlight newbies. Bendis has some great character interactions and Waid did do better with digging deep but there were just too many characters to care about any.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very wise words, Steve.
LikeLike
I wish I liked this series more than I do. At the moment, it’s mostly a Huntress story with some rando JSA characters thrown in for colour. It’s a “group book” where the majority of the members are not much more than window dressing.
As a Huntress story goes… it’s fine. But it doesn’t have near the heart or personality that the recent Star Girl series did. This series has all of the stand by Geoff Johns tropes that I’ve come to expect… time travel that doesn’t really make sense… casual death and destruction (without limbs torn off, which is a nice change)… a multitude of heroes all of whom have been dusted off and given another chance at the limelight… parent and child issues…
The Stargirl series explored many of the same themes, but did so in a way that was joyful, inventive and full of energy. AND came out on time. It feels like Johns isn’t nearly as invested in this comic as he was in the Stargirl series. This feels like a simple one or two issue story s t r e t c h e d out over multiple issues.
On top of that, I’m not a particular fan of Janin’s artwork. He’s very good. But his characters come off as stiff and overly polished… posed. The artwork looks stiff in a way that doesn’t appeal to me.
I’m hoping that the remainder of the series turns things around for me, but honestly, we’ve still got at least another year to go before this 12 issue series (mini? maxi? ongoing?) plays itself out, as which point, we could have had any number of talented creators tell any number of stories with these characters.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I see where you’re coming from, Murray. It might have made sense to go a more traditional route and have a new PoV character, it might have been useful to bring in Judy Garrick early. Hopefully the next few issues will balance the characters a tad better.
LikeLike
Here’s hoping. There are a rich history of characters that Johns could be pulling from. I wanna see them. It’s been a long dry spell in DC land with regards to the JSA. To spend five issues focussing on the Huntress seems a little much. I don’t even mind him introducing eight million new characters (the JSA of the future… and the future of the future… the JSA Dark… the mystery retcon characters…). But don’t introduce them if you aren’t going to do anything with them (except use them as cannon fodder or cliffhangers). Tighten up the storytelling and move things along.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fair comments! I’ve had enough Helena for now… especially in the frumpy new look.
LikeLike