The Spectre is such a brilliantly designed character that he makes for some great cover illustrations. And here’s the latest, from artist Diego Olortegui, the green ghost looming over an unsuspecting Justice Society of America.
You’ll notice that as well as the regular team members, various dead heroes are there, the shades of Wildcat, Hourman and others we’ve seen return previously to aid their friends and heirs. And they’re inside this issue, hoping to help the new Kid Eternity.
In what looks to be the JSA brownstone on some phantom flipside, the Spectre is forcing himself on the teenage spook, a being already so traumatised by her death that she can’t recall who she was in life. Tuning into her trouble, the ‘Justice Society of Apparitions’ burst into the gloomy library, imploring her to fight off the Spirit of Vengeance. But it’s too late.
In the regular JSA HQ, Flash (Jay Garrick), Jade (Jenni-Lynn Hayden), Green Lantern (Alan Scott) and Obsidian (Todd Rice) are liaising with the JLU’s Mr Terrific about the possible whereabouts of their newest member…
…Jakeem Thunder and Dr Fate (Khalid Nassour) are happy to see a popular member is back on active duty…
…and Wildcat (Yolanda Montez) interrupts the post-boxing bout bonding of Hourman (Rick Tyler) and Sand (er, Sandy Hawkins).
What a cow! Why is Yolanda being so nasty to Rick about his recent parting from wife Jesse Quick? Is her insensitivity related to the rage that saw her out and out slaughter a Kobra henchman back in issue 6? And why has she never had to answer for that deadly outburst, as one of our fine commenters (step forward, kind sir) has pointed out.
This is a pretty great issue, with a commendable balance of action and character work. I’m intrigued not only by Yolanda’s behaviour – this had better not be her new default personality – but by the possibility of a sweet Courtney and Jakeem romance, and Obsidian’s open, and pretty reasonable, hostility to the Justice League Unlimited, which currently sees itself as the JSA’s higher management.
And of course, there’s the mystery of the Spectre. What is he doing violating a fellow agent of the afterlife?
Am I the only one who felt a warm glow when Stargirl referred to the kid members as the ‘Young All-Stars’?
Speaking of which, yes, the dead members just won’t lie down… anyone agree that writer Jeff Lemire should simply handwave them back to the land of the living and have done with it?
Lemire seems a lot more comfortable with this series than in earlier issues, slowing down the breakneck pace to allow moments to breathe.
That certainly gives artist Olortegui a chance to go big on the art, with not only the explosive panels I’ve shown but a fabulous splash page involving Kid Eternity and the Spectre. And the conversational moments sing.
I really like the font Steve Wands uses for dialogue, I dunno if it’s Art Deco, but it surely suits a book starring a gaggle of Golden Agers. Luis Guerrero, meanwhile, goes wild with the ghastly greens in the Spectre scenes, and varies his palette for the cutaway moments.
JSA #19 won’t go down in comics history but it did entertain me lots. That’s a win.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
Wayyyyyyyy back when “JSA” was launched in the late 90s it took me a few issues to really warm up to it and to get a sense of the book. And it went on to run for several years. I’m finding that with Lemire’s run. I generally like it but 2 stories in 18 issues, one in the past, has made for a weird pace. I realize technically this is a continuation from the Geoff Johns’ relaunch but it still feels a little too sluggish, especially since Johns’ issues were so delayed and trying to reestablish the team after over a decade. I’m hoping this is the storyline that really “feels” like the team is solidly back, if that makes sense. I am grateful we’ve made it this far and hope Lemire stays with it for a bit longer. – Brian
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This is definitely one of the better issues so far, and you point out the oddities of Yolanda quite rightly. I also feel that by the end of this arc the dead JSAers will be back in the land of the living.
-Matthew Lloyd
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