After a year-long introduction to the new Justice Society of America series that’s set today, writer Jeff Lemire, artist Gavin Guidry and friends take us back to 1940 for a look at the team’s beginnings.
And that means dropping in on the various heroes who will form the group.
There’s Green Lantern Alan Scott meeting an old pal, business rival and, maybe, hook-up.
Hourman Rex Tyler checking out a business the board of his company is keen on getting into bed with and encountering fellow mystery man Wesley Dodds, the Sandman.
Hawkman Carter Hall and Hawkgirl Shiera Sanders setting off on an archaeological expedition.
Flash Jay Garrick confronted by Johnny Thunder, keeper of the Magic Thunderbolt.
And Atom Al Pratt smashing his way into a nest of Nazi sympathisers.
At the end of the chapter we circle back to Alan opening a door to a shock, prompting him to costume up.
There’s not been a lot of publicity as to what JSA Year One is going to be; I guessed we’d pick up after the classic DC Special #29’s Untold Origin of the Justice Society, but an unidentified narrator makes it clear the team doesn’t yet exist. Is Lemire going to ignore a beloved comic, or somehow incorporate it, which would either waste a lot of this six-issue’s ‘real estate’, or fail to do the old comic justice?
There’s nothing to do but wait and see, and hope that whatever we get, it’s excellent JSA action and character work.
If Lemire was keeping that DC Special in mind when he wrote this comic, he might have taken his cue from that issue’s writer, Paul Levitz, and made sure he introduced his cast. I’ve complained about this previously but he assumes everyone who opens this comic will know who characters are the minute they appear on panel. A simple roll call at the start of the issue would be so helpful for first timers – or the ageing fans he’s depending upon to buy this issue whose memories may be fading.
As an old git who can still remember, say, that Hawkgirl is Shiera – even if I rarely get the vowels in the correct order first time out – I did enjoy the various vignettes. Seeing Feithera, a hidden land from a Golden Age story that went forward into the Eighties’ Infinity Inc series, mentioned is fun. There’s a tiny cameo by the Sportsmaster that has me wanting more. And the paciness of proceedings is appreciated.
But, I could stand to see the odd bad guy biffed – the closest we get is that scene of Atom entering the HQ of a bunch of racists, with the next panel depicting the scumbags on the floor, post Atom-smashed. There’s not even a ‘one minute later’ caption or similar to indicate time has passed. The static three-page chat between Alan and old pal Gordon could usefully have been truncated to free up a page for punching.
The book could do with tighter editing – you likely spotted Sandman calling Hourman ‘Rex’ immediately before Sandman berates Hourman for calling him ‘Wesley Dodds’.
Later, in the Johnny and Jay scene, we have this:
He said ‘us’, Jay, not ‘we’. These are small things, but they both pulled me out of the story.
Still on this scene, Jay seems unduly harsh on Johnny. And Johnny didn’t keep the genie in a pen back then.
I did enjoy the use Lemire makes of Carter and Shiera sharing a profession with Kent Nelson, Hourman referencing the ‘Mr Sandman’ song, and his terrible lack of subtlety smashing into a business base when he should be trying for sneakiness.
Gavin Guidry’s illustrations are a treat – open, unfussy and attractive. The storytelling is splendid, with the too-few moments of heroes in costume successful, making me all the more keen to see the team formed and fighting together.
Luis Guerrero colours for naturalism, making the final page appearance by a lit-up Alan pop all the more. And Steve Wands keeps the lettering unflashy, ensuring a comfortable read.
Dave Johnson’s cover art is stellar, even though it looks like the six issues will build to one big illustration no buyer will ever stick together – DC should give us the whole thing as a centrespread pin-up in the last issue of the storyline. And if the JSA logo isn’t going to be at the top, someone should call Dan Mora to design a corner box illo to help the book’s visibility on the racks.
While I’d rather read this flashback story in one go as a graphic novel, one not interrupting the modern-day story, I did enjoy this issue; it’s not perfect, but it’s a decent, nice-looking read.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
JSA comments
Feels like they are just going with a whole new reimagining of the Golden Age. Too many inconsistencies- Carter and Shiera have the wrong hair color. Shiera didn’t become Hawkgirl until 1941 (All-Star #5) the thunderbolt pen thing, Rex worked for Bannermain chemicals…
…not his own company. And I just can’t with Alan Scott. This retconned version will never sit right with me. It’s been done so poorly. Jay was a scientist….
… not a professor. He just graduated in 1940! Plus Lemire already got his birthday wrong in #9 ( he wasn’t born in 1923- he’d be 17 in 1940!). The feel is very off for all of it. This is some new origin I’m guessing that’s going to ignore the Classic we know…
Lemire has not done a good job on this series so far and it’s like there’s no editorial direction or oversight- just like the Power Girl series- he can make up whatever he wants. It actually feels amateurish. It’s like a bad animated adaptation.
Sportsmaster didn’t appear until 1947, also. Just no attention to detail. No attempt to make things fit. If one is ignorant of the JSA it may be better, but for me it just feels really wrong.
And someone calls Shiera “Mrs Hall,” they didn’t get married in the golden age, let alone as early as 1940! There are so many indications this is going to ignore most of what we know outside the broad strokes.
There are so many things that are wrong it reads like a story in which Degaton has gone back in time, screwed things up and they have to be fixed…but it’s just bad writing.
And the internet is trying to keep up!!
Bannermain Chemicals has been deleted from the DC Fandom website!!
-Matthew Lloyd
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Thanks for the comments. I think we have to accept that we’re getting a new origin, and along with that comes a redefined Golden Age; for instance, advance art indicates that Amazing Man is showing up, I’d not be surprised were he to become a founder, along with a several-years-too-early Black Canary.
You may have to step away from the book for your peace of mind, but while I’d like the established details to remain, Lemire has made a creative choice about how things happened on this Earth and I’m sticking around to see where things go.
One correction, Jay isn’t a professor here, read that scene again.
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It is still better than every single issue from the first year. I didn’t catch one single thing Matthew mentioned and I’ve been reading JSA stories since Power Girl’s debut in the revived All Star Comics. Can’t explain that. And Rex’s rash actions? I wrote it off as an early sign of Miraclo not being good for him back then.
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That’s an excellent theory about Hourman, it fits perfectly, nice one Steve.
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Mart-
I’ll reread that to check on Jay’s status…
But if Lemire and DC can turn off a longtime JSA fan like me, they are clearly doing A LOT of things wrong…
…one of the main aspects of the JSA is showing how it all fits together, not rewriting things and ignoring and contradicting the past.
Black Canary and Will Everett as founding members is just plain stupid. If you weren’t in All-Star Comics #3 you aren’t a founding member.
I don’t know if these changes are malicious, misguided or just ignorance.
-Matthew Lloyd
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But could you not keep the Roy Thomas stuff as the ‘real’ version and try to enjoy this as a ‘new DC Earth’ take?
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I’ve had to fo that sort of thing since the Crisis and it’s a change from the way JSA was handled under Geoff Johns for many years. He tried to incorporate and align instead of totally rewrite.
probably gonna wait till the arc is over and read it in one sitting.
I just may not be able to adjust to this version. Some of the apparent changes just take me out of it.
if it requires that much effort then it’s not really enjoyable.
-Matthew Lloyd
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A lot will depend on how well it’s executed…and the first 12 issues tells me it won’t be executed very well.
-Matthew Lloyd
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it’s like the Legion…with each successive reboot it gets further from what I like…which is the characters, the relationships, the history….
we’re at the point now if it’s not attempting to incorporate the Classic Legion, I really don’t care.
if they made Absolute Batman the main U Batman, I wouldn’t care.
The JSA has this history I know and I’ve connected with for 45 years. Tossing that out for something that doesn’t attempt to utilize what’s come before is lazy and uncreative.
The characters who appear will be added make them seem like a cookie cutter team, one assembled now, not in 1940. And when it doesn’t jibe with the comics I’ve read and know, it becomes difficult and unenjoyable.
-Matthew Lloyd
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…and part of it just feels like they want to make it “acceptable” to “modern” audiences- now we have a gay man, a black man and two women! One who’s bi/ lesbian. This doesn’t make me feel like I’m reading a team from the 40’s. It feels like it’s a team created today for today’s sensibilities.
we’ve already seen how poorly Alan Scott’s retcon was done so there’s little confidence this will feel anything more than forced. Granted it’s not easy to straddle these lines and do a good job
the history and feel of a 1940s story should come first. This is a period piece and should reflect that.
-Matthew Lloyd
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I still think the decision to tell a twelve issue “gathering of the team” story followed immediately by a “times past” story is a weird one. But I’m not necessarily complaining. I enjoyed the first arc and I’ll enjoy this one, too from the looks of things.
I’ll admit, I’m surprised that it’s full-on set in the past. I was expecting some kind of framing device in the present that would let us check in on the current team but… shrug. Nope.
I’ll also admit that as much as I love the JSA, I’m not all that tied to their history. I like that they have history, but for me… knowing that they are a team that fought in the second world war is almost all the history I need. I’ve accepted that the details are going to shift from era to era and from creative team to creative team. It doesn’t bother me, but I can totally understand why things like Johnny’s pen, the Hawk’s hair colouring and the company that Hourman was originally working for might really irk.
The artwork in this story was great! Clean and simple… reminds me of the Mike Parobek art from way back. Mmmm beauty!
I read the Sandman/Houirman scene differently that you did, Martin. I didn’t see it as an editorial blunder. I saw it as recognition that the two heroes had worked together previously and were comfortable with one another. Comfortable enough that both of them forget to use codenames. Sandman just happened to be the one to realize their mistake and call them both out on it. But again, I can see how you might read it differently.
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Mike Paroback is a good comparison!
And I’m with you in expecting a framing sequence, but I’m good with it, it’ll keep things a lot cleaner when things are collected.
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I’m with Murray, on a number of points. First is, I don’t know if I need the exact Golden Age details followed anymore. It’s a new Earth, and it looks like we’re going to have new founders (judging by hints in the solicitations, plus the New History of the DCU), and I can roll with that.
As for Hourman’s less-than-clandestine entrance, I don’t know if it needs to be a sign of Miraclo messing with his judgment; some people just don’t think things through, and I think that’s a fine character flaw to give Rex. (And I’m with Murray, too, in that the sequence read to me like Wes blurted out Rex’s name in surprise, and then when Rex said his name, he realized that they weren’t necessarily safe in doing so, so he changed course; I’m with you, Mart, on the we/us phrasing, though.)
And the one thing in favor of the JSA’s Year One detour? Otherwise, the title would undoubtedly be tying in to DC KO. I’m happy to have some books steer clear of that brouhaha, however they choose to do it.
I definitely think being a TA for a professor in a science department could also entail a fair amount of lab work, so I see no contradiction in Jay’s employment status.
I’m loving Guidry’s work here — some really inviting open linework, without veering toward the kind of cartooning that can turn some fans off. I’m seeing an Adam Hughes or a Terry & Rachel Dodson influence in his work.
I’ve enjoyed what Lemire has brought to the table, too — though what kind of publicity team announces a big contract between two companies before the deal has actually been signed? That panel on the first page probably could have been replaced with some other way to show the impending agreement between Tyler Chemicals and Starco.
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Oh, brilliant point about DCKO avoidance! And hopefully once that’s over the idea of the JSA being part of JLU can also be dumped, quiet; or otherwise.
Hourman as a Golden Age Impulse… love it
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I’ll accept that it’s another start of a longer story. I’m intrigued by a mystery man that knows about everyone and confides that info with Johnny Thunder.
not fond of Guidry’s art yet. The panels with the Hawks seem more fleshed out than others. The restaurant panels look like the backgrounds are computer generated and empty.
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Now I’m confused, I didn’t get that anyone in particular had told Jonny about Jay, he’s says it’s just him and Thunderbolt. What did I miss?
I see what you mean about undetailed panels… is that computer stuff? Is my ignorance showing?
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I think its a Good start., As far as the Hawks, I am a purist if it was up to me it would have been nice if they stayed true to origin story and kept the original hair colors of blond and brunette, the last twenty years or so, since they merged all the hawks together, and then brought them back Carter and Shiera they have been portrayed with earth one counterparts hair colors but earth two’s origin story. I am also not a fan of Alan’s change in sexuality it doesn’t fit, for the mini series he didn’t t come off as a hero, very sad, bad idea like New coke. Overall allot of open territory to explore looking forward to it.
Steve
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I’m with you, I don’t see why people either can’t keep hair colour straight, or deliberately change it. And Alan’s tweaked sexuality still confuses me – OK, they made Young/new Alan gay in the New 52, but why transfer that to the regular history with Rebirth?
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