It’s the day of Wildcat’s funeral. His nine lives ran out during the Justice Society’s war with the Injustice Society so friends and family are saying goodbye. Feelings are running high.
The Flash, Jay Garrick, is feeling the loss.
Yolanda Montez, the second Wildcat, is feeling guilty.
Jesse Chambers, aka Jesse Quick, is feeling lost.
Jennie-Lynn Hayden, Jade, is feeling the burden of leadership.
Dr Fate, Khalid Nassour, is feeling useless.
And in hell, the new Kid Eternity is feeling… what?
Last month I wrote: A strong conclusion to the current storyline, a downtime issue to show us just who the characters are away from the JSA, and I’d be thoroughly happy.
Consider me thoroughly happy – this is the best issue of the new JSA series by far. The enforced calm of the funeral gives everyone a chance to step back, consider where they are, what they want.
I’m sad Jesse Quick and Hourman Rick Tyler are drifting apart, but Jesse’s confusion is consistent with her past – remember that time she had a fling with her mother’s toyboy?
Young Dr Fate’s pain is also understandable, but I hope he pulls himself together and embraces his heroism – surely there are other mystical objects he could borrow while he’s without his helmet, stolen last time by the wizard Wotan.
Jade has worked out there’s a traitor in the team, but not that it’s her brother Todd, otherwise known as Obsidian; that’s forgivable, as he’s been a revolving door of moods since they met as adults.
I feel better disposed to Yolanda than I did last month, she’s so obviously cut up about her actions… and what a treat to spy a recognisable Power Girl, I knew she’d show up eventually. More of a surprise is seeing Ted Grant’s werecat son Tom, though it makes sense he’d be at the funeral.
The tensions between the JSA and the Justice League’s Big Three are fascinating. I’m sure the Leaguers genuinely do want to help the elder statesmen, but the offer comes across as patronising.
As for just who the mysterious Kid Eternity encounters at the book’s climax, well, the title of this series’ opening chapters was ‘Ragnarok’, and now we’re entering ‘Valhalla’.
While Jade does remind us that the fight with the Injustice Society isn’t over, the atmosphere is pleasantly relaxed. I didn’t miss having action scenes, the conversations are compelling. And writer Jeff Lemire fixes a complaint I had about earlier issues by ensuring he identifies characters quickly within a scene. I think only Hawkgirl, Hawkman and Sand go unnamed, a huge improvement.
Regular artist Diego Olortegui is having a month off but the art standards are kept sky high by Rafael De Latorre, who drew the recent Penguin series (I didn’t read). From regretful Yolanda to heartsick Rick and devastated Khalid, the emotions are writ large, and the costumes look great, with such details as Jay’s collar buttons catching the eye. I’d be delighted were De Latorre to be retained as regular second artist on this title.
Series colourist Luis Guerrero and letterer Steve Wands lend their large talents to the issue, helping maintain consistency. Kudos to Guerrero for taking the time to colour the congregation members on the splash showing Jay’s eulogy – most artists would have just thrown a unicolour shade over everyone.
The cover illo by Jorge Fornes is elegant and striking, he does Wildcat proud.
To sum up, this is an unusual, and unusually satisfying, issue. Don’t miss it.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m looking forward to reading it. Issue #6 kind of left me on the fence about this series. I thought Wildcat’s final fight and death, along with the destruction of the Tower of Fate, should have been more spectacular and given more panel space.
But I can’t deny that I am still intrigued by where all of this is heading and my love of the JSA – particularly the remaining original characters – keeps me interested.
I’ve re-read #1-#6 a few times now trying to decide where I’m at on Lemire’s effort so far and trying to let my expectations go and just ride the flow of his story.
Overall the book is entertaining with a lot of subplots to hook readers. But it is still not fully clicking with me and I keep trying to figure out why.
Part of it is I’ve never been a fan of Infinity Incorporated, so I’m not particularly interested in Jade, Obsidian, or that era’s Doc Midnite and Wildcat, while Lemire is spending a lot of page time on them.
It also bugs me that after Johns in his last run reformed some of the villains, those same characters – Red Lantern, Gentleman Ghost, Grundy – seemingly turned so quickly back to their old ways with no real explanation so far from Lemire. Maybe one is forthcoming? Maybe Lemire has a “how the villains banded together” issue coming up, which would be really cool. Probably some readers didn’t follow or didn’t like and would be happy to forget Johns’ recent series. But I’d argue those of us who did read/enjoy it deserve an explanation/some continuity.
I’m still not sure what we’re supposed to make of Yolanda’s killing the Cobra member or the marital tension between Jesse Quick and Hourman. Does Lemire want readers to assume the villains are behind it all, manipulating emotions somehow, and we’ll learn more details in a forthcoming issue? Or is he just adopting an old school, Chris Claremont-style of soap opera writing and there is no larger mystery. He just wants to create some additional drama and figures those are good ways to do it.
Anyway, just some thoughts. I’m still rooting for this book and, though I’m not very familiar with his work, clearly Lemire is a talented and well-regarded creator. But have to admit I’m struggling a bit.
-Brian
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I reckon you’re right about Wildcat’s lowkey death scene, Brian, a bigger moment might have convinced us he was really dead in a not-coming-back sense.
You know, I’ve read only about half a dozen issues of Infinity Inc, and quite enjoyed them in a Roy Thomas sort of way. I would, though, rather have them as a separate team from the JSA, and return to the set-up of the Geoff Johns run.
I agree, again, as regards the villains. I wasn’t big on them reforming, I am so over bad guys becoming good guys, but it happened so we should have seen the, reject the JSA.
I hope for mind manipulation, I assume soap.
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when did Rex Tyler die again? Isn’t he one of the ghosts at the end?
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He appears to be but there has been no scene of Rex dying again to my knowledge. The android Hourman took his place in the scene where he originally died and last seen on panel had him hale and hearty. Editorial and writing sloppiness. What a shock for this book, eh?
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Very fair!
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Er, yes. I don’t think he’s actually been killed since coming back from his second death, in Doomsday Clock.
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I liked this issue better than any of the previous six but TBH? I liked Johns’ whackadoodle maxi better and it was not great. Beth and Rick’s split for no reason besides ‘just because’, yet another Kid Eternity when the original would have worked, and the baddies taking time off to let their opponents grieve keeps me thinking of this as the worst JSA series to ever see print despite a handful of good moments in this issue, and only in this issue. I also wish the issue’s artist was the regular from here on out. I do not like Kollins’ art much or Larsen’s and the other guy looks like an amateur version of them.
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I think this is your Mrs Lincoln moment, Steve.
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