In a flashback tale the Justice Society of America quest for the Spear of Destiny in Berlin and find super-villains trying to use it to summon monsters from a nether realm.
First of all, though, would you look at that cover? Michael Cho uses his retro style to give us an image that wouldn’t shame an issue of the original All-Star Comics. It’s a classic composition finished with strong colours and a subtle dot matrix to suggest the old-style look of Golden Age interiors.
This books insides look pretty great, thanks to guest artist Gavin Guidry, who first shows us Hourman and Wildcat meeting DC’s number one battle star Sgt Rock. And he’s not the only war hero on hand.
Oof! I realise Ted Grant is from ‘da hood’ but ‘Mr Band-Aids’? Would Wildcat really greet a soldier whose dressings suggest the most severe of burns so insensitively and disrespectfully?
Writer Jeff Lemire’s script gets better from here, as we join their JSA team-mates – or perhaps that should be All-Star Squadron as Liberty Belle is there – at the cathedral in Berlin, where they’re facing the trio of bruiser Baron Blitzkrieg, speedster Zyklon and, er, someone who looks like a Nazi Flying Fox. Anybody?
That’s a cracking splash page, and it has credits too, meaning I don’t have to individually mention the superb colours of Luis Guerrero and terrific letters of Steve Wands.
Oops! Anyway, while Libby, Doctor Fate, Hawkman and Flash are fighting outside the cathedral, inside and below Hourman and Wildcat come across the real villain action.
It’s Johnny Sorrow and Wotan, two of the very villains the JSA in 2025 have been fighting for the past seven issues… coincidence?
Of course not! I knew a Times Past story – Lemire borrows the concept from James Robinson’s Starman series – was coming, but not that it’d be connected to regular proceedings. That adds extra value to what’s already a fun tale. Being set in May 1945 puts it after Hitler’s suicide, meaning the Spear of Destiny’s spell keeping ‘mystery men’ out of the European Theatre of war no longer applies. It makes sense that our heroes would hop across from the States asap to keep it out of other evil hands.
I am surprised that by 1945 the German villains are still able to have a private conversation mid-battle with the good guys by speaking in their own language. Have none of the heroes learned the Germanic tongue? Heck, in her origin story Libby Lawrence was in Germany, apparently understanding the lingo.
So what is the grand scheme Wotan and Johnny Sorry are enacting? It’s one of those elder gods deals, and boy, are they ugly as drawn by Guidry, properly Lovecraftian. Better looking are some bad girls who show up to further bedevil the JSA, but best of all is the surprise DC heroine who arrives with the rest of her team.
Oh, I do enjoy Lady Blackhawk… even if she hadn’t canonically debuted at this point. How about that page of planes? Guidry recently popped up in Action Comics and on the basis of these two assignments I hope DC finds a regular spot for him.
Guerrero’s tones are lush, painterly, and very atmospheric, for example in the pages with Sgt Rock (which, weirdly, don’t give us a decent shot – we see him initially from behind, then small, in another panel).
Two other points of interest so far as the story goes – we find out Hawkman Carter Hall has a ‘secret museum’, presumably full of forbidden objects; and Wildcat looks to have some sensitivity to demonic presences… tell me more!
The issue brings us back to the present day and things are looking very interesting. I know not everyone has been enjoying Lemire’s take on the JSA… will this classic era take change anyone’s mind?
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
When I read the solicit blurb I groaned because it’s bad enough we have a debut arc of twelve issues (which I predict will be when the series gets canceled. I suspect we’re lucky DC doesn’t use Marvel’s metrics since one of their series is getting aborted with issue five and three other titles were ended with ten issues). I was pleasantly surprised both by the best art in this series to date and Lemire actually uses panel space to finally explain something. It does stretch credulity that every villain in the group is cool with enabling an invasion of evil elder gods but it’s better than the never ending, never explained plot we’ve gotten even if Liberty Belle and the Unknown Soldier are yet more examples of giving no proper introductions or context for characters. I’ve never been a fan of Lemire or even thought poorly of him but this series overall, with this issue an exception, has my opinion of his work trending downward.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I reckon it’s hilarious that the villains seem OK with how patently useless they are – they failed to get the dark gods across 80 years ago and didn’t find an alternate plan in all the time in between.
LikeLike
My initial thought was that the character alongside Zyklon and Baron Blitzkrieg is a version of Great Horned Owl or Fledermaus from Young All-Stars foes Axis Amerika.
Really enjoyed this issue and this run of JSA taken as a whole.
Super Captain
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, that’s the Horned Owl from Axis Amerika.
https://community.cbr.com/threads/axis-amerika-retconned-post-coie-golden-age-villain-team-appreciation-2021.127459/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much, wouldn’t it be nice had Jeff Lemire bothered to name them in the issue?
LikeLike
Thanks Super Captain – one correct answer and an excellent back-up!
LikeLike
I haven not been following this series because it sounds like it’ll read much better in the inevitable trade paperback collection. But I may pick up this issue, because it sounds like a whole heap of fun, reminiscent of Roy Thomas’ work on All-Star Squadron.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure you’ll proven right, Ben. If only I had the patience to wait!
LikeLike
I’ve run hot and cold on this series but this is def a hot issue for me and has me excited to read the rest of this opening story Lemire is telling and glad I didn’t give up. I’ve indicated before on here that I think the first 7 issues have been an overall entertaining mixed bag. Some solid ideas but some character/dialogue choices have left me frustrated. But stuff is starting to come together. Hawkman’s secret museum was already referred to in the series so it’s fun to see Lemire fleshing out that idea more. I do hope the book continues for the foreseeable future past the initial 12 issues and with Lemire in charge. Geoff Johns’ last run was really one long 12 issue story. I just want to get back to a traditional monthly rhythm twhere we’re getting 1, 2, 3, 4 issue storylines. This is the first reliably monthly JSA title in 13 years. – Brian
LikeLiked by 1 person
Blimey Brian, I missed a secret museum mention? That’s embarrassing. Still, it’s good… two mentions surely means something is planned.
I would love a long run for this book, with storylines of varying lengths… this opening one is stupidly convoluted, despite the enjoyable aspects.
LikeLike
Anj here.
I have been hot and cold on this series as it seems to be taking it’s own sweet time to get things going.
But this issue was crackling! Interesting that it was all in flashback. Love seeing Axis America. Love seeing the Blackhawks! And the art was slick. How cool to see Liberty Belle throwing a boulder and taking out the Valkyrie.
But best moment was Wildcat punching Johnny Sorrow in the mask! Awesome!
Great review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Has there been any mention of Judy or any of the lost children? At least Ted’s son was in issue
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sadly not, and I am getting impatient! If Jeff Lemire doesn’t want to write about them, fine, but give them a send-off, say they’ve gone to school in Midway City or whatever
LikeLike
That was satisfying. I must admit, I get Johnny Sorrow and Psycho Pirate mixed up in my head, though if I try I can actually remember what Psycho Pirate can do.
LikeLike
Psycho Pirate is a projecting empath who usually mugs the emotion he’s projecting to others with his target a single person or a crowd based on intent. Johnny Sorrow? All I know is his exposed non-face can drive people to madness. I find him a much better visual than a character or opponent. He’s a little too one note eeeeeevil for my taste.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly! Now you mention it, does JS have a snaky face… then again, I may be thinking about what’s under the Medusa Mask.
LikeLike
Really liked this issue… though it completely slipped by me that the soldier in the opening scene was Sgt. Rock!
I’m hoping for a long run to this book, too — with shorter stories mixed in with the epics.
It was nice to see Liberty Belle again, though a name-drop of the All-Star Squadron wouldn’t have hurt. I hope she hasn’t been retconned into being a JSA member. (I don’t know why it would bristle — she’s perfectly qualified! — but it would. I like my JSA to remain the original All-Star Comics crew, and everyone else to be a Squadron member. Let’s keep that much history intact, at least!)
And Guidry is a catch — I hope we see more of his work soon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! It would bother me also if they retconned LB into the JSA
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, Rob, the All-Star Squadron is a wonderful piece of DC history there’s no reason to get rid of it. Perhaps she was recruited for this mission because of her experience in Europe.
LikeLike