JSA #24 review

It’s the final issue of the current JSA run and we’re in flashback mode. It’s 1961 and Hourman, Dr Midnite and Wildcat are all in Russia, looking for the Atom, last heard of helping Task Force X with an infiltration operation.

Having found the camp, where their former JSA pal is being held, the would-be rescuers are ready to fight their way in.

They grab Atom from the clutches of a mad scientist/butcher.

While Hourman and Dr Midnite try desperately to save the stricken Atom, it’s up to Wildcat to fend off a new wave of thugs. And he does, but the heroes aren’t out of the hole yet, as a flash of light in the sky heralds a new player.

Experienced readers may guess what this big fella represents. I might have, but was barreling through Jeff Lemire’s final story so quickly I didn’t have time to consider it. A mandatory The Beast Must Die ‘werewolf break’ might have helped.

I enjoyed this more than last issue. Set-up over, our spotlight heroes have a chance to shine, with enjoyable nuggets of characterisation among the action-packed pages.

What we don’t get are any details of the Atom’s team-up with Task Force X, the original Suicide Squad; a couple of pages could have been squeezed in showing us just what went wrong, how he wound up bruised and bloodied on a madman’s table.

As for the art, well, if you’re a fan of murky greens, have I got the comic for you! Working in full colour, illustrator Teddy Kristiansen sets up a night-time vibe and never deviates from it. There are pops of colour from the heroes’ costumes, but overall this feels like it’s set in a swamp. The figurework is a tad too impressionistic for me at times, with smudgy outlines, but I don’t hate the look of the comic – Kristiansen is a stylist, he knows what he’s going for and achieves it. And he does a great job in capturing the attitudes of the JSA quintet via their body language, be it courage, determination, whatever.

Steve Wands is lettering, and his work is as sharp and inviting as ever.

Regular series artist Diego Olortegui’s cover image is terrific, these men are real heroes.

As a two-issue interlude from the main storyline, this Times Past tale is a decent read, but as the finale to a series meant to celebrate the Justice Society of America, JSA #24 feels a little flat.