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Title: Justice Society of America Vol. 1: The Next Age
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Manufacturer: DC Comics
List Price: $19.99
Our Price: $10.75
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| Justice Society of America Vol. 1: The Next Age by DC Comics J.S.A. rules!!! | | I've been collecting comics on and off since I was a kid and the Justice Society has always been my all time favorite team. I've been a group/team comic collector versus the single hero adventure stories. I've collected the Avengers,JLA,Invaders,Champions,Teen Titans,Legion of Super Heroes and so on. But I always come back to my favorite, and that has to do with any team/hero from Earth 2. I have every issue of All-Star Squadron and Infinity Inc. and many of the old All-Star "revival" comics. In the past the JSA has tended to get the short end of the stick. But lately DC has been treating them with the respect they so deserve. This Vol. 1 is a collection of JSA second series 1-4 and is well worth the money. Its a very convenient way to collect comics if you don't live anywhere near a local comic store. There getting harder to find these days. Anyway, JSA Vol. 1 "the next age" is a must have for any true JSA fan! The only way they could top it is if they brought back Earth 2. Yes, I'm talking about Superman:the original, Batman:may he rest in peace, WonderWoman:grey hair and all, Huntress:the real one, Robin:the ex-boy wonder, ok ok I'll stop. Since I don't think that prayer is going to get answered, go ahead and buy this book. The JSA RULES and so does AMAZON!!! | | Justice Society of America Vol. 1: The Next Age by DC Comics A great book, but DC, PLEASE use better paper! | | This really is a great book. Johns knows what Earth-2 junkies like myself want out of a comic book. But the paper quality in this is just awful for a hardcover collection. It's glossy, yes, but it's really thin. I don't know why DC does this and the paper quality selection seems to be completely random from book to book. It's the one thing that Marvel gets right over DC almost every time. | | Justice Society of America Vol. 1: The Next Age by DC Comics The New Series Starts Off With Heart AND A Bang! | Geoff Johns is one of the hardest working writers in the DC Comics universe. Especially now that the universe there contains 52 worlds, some of which have yet to be explored. But he's the guy I'd definitely want taking me on the tour.
Johns has a gift of seeing the iconic heroes, a way of peeling down through decades of stories about them, to strip them to their bare bones. Once he's hit bedrock, he rebuilds them in exactly the way they were originally created and somehow brings them into our world and our NOW in ways we haven't seen before. He can take a hero that's been around for generations and introduce him or her to today's readers in a way that makes those readers think the heroes were just created for them now.
I've followed his runs on the Flash and Hawkman, and now in the pages of Green Lantern. But the greatest achievement Johns has ever done, in my humble opinion, was bringing the Justice Society of America to pre-eminence to comic book fans everywhere.
I loved his run on the previous volume of the book. I have all the copies in monthly magazine format as well as graphic novels. He's lately reintroduced the JSA once again in JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: THE NEXT AGE.
In this latest series, spinning out of the events of the year-long event known as 52, Johns once more brings his considerable talents to the re-envisioning of the JSA. The first graphic novel of the new series contains the first four issues of the new monthly title. We get to see old favorites (the Alan Scott Green Lantern, Jay Garrick Flash, and Wildcat - who has been one of my personal heroes for a long time) as well as get introduced to new heroes/heroines.
Johns revisits the JSA's history to give us Cyclone, the super-powered granddaughter of Ma Hunkle, the original Red Tornado, a new Wildcat (with surprising twists), and even a new Steel (though we don't get to see the culmination of that origin story in this graphic novel). All of these heroes fit perfectly with the old favorites Johns has lined up.
I've loved the JSA from the first time I saw them crossover from Earth-2 back in the pages of the 1960s Justice League comic book. Not all of those heroes were revamped and reintroduced to the world in what has become known as the Golden Age of comics. Mr. Terrific, Hourman, and Dr. Mid-Nite - as well as others - never found their way to Earth-1 except to visit.
In the early pages of this graphic novel, Batman tells Flash, Green Lantern, and Wildcat that the JLA wants to help the JSA rebuild. As Batman points out, the JLA has always been something of a strike force or weapon, while the JSA has always been about family.
It's wonderful touches like that simple declaration that keep bringing me back to the JSA and to all of Johns's work. I've never read a comic of his that I didn't like. Story and character always work well in his scripts, and no one plays more fairly with the history of even the most long-lived heroes.
The plot in this graphic novels focuses on the rebuilding of the JSA with new blood while at the same time learning of the attacks against the families of heroes. The action is fast, violent, and bloody, with a number of deaths within the architecture of the story. Johns doesn't take any shortcuts, and he makes the violence - so he says - as real as he can because readers want to feel like they're living in hero worlds.
Johns's words and Dale Eaglesham's incredible artwork kept me turning pages, and wanting more when I'd finished. The story switches back and forth among several of the characters, and Johns conveys those different narrators skillfully. But he's definitely aided and abetted by Eaglesham. The panels are beautiful to look at, and they push the story forward with exquisite pacing. With a book dedicated to introducing new characters to readers, there are a lot of dialogue sequences that could have dragged in the hands of a less skilled artist. Johns trusted Eaglesham enough to make it all work, and he does.
I enjoyed this graphic novel a lot, and I can't wait for more. I hope that Johns and Eaglesham have a long stay on the title. I can't wait to see what they do next, because they've opened up a ton of possibilities.
| | Justice Society of America Vol. 1: The Next Age by DC Comics Geoff Johns does the JSA justice... | | All I can say is...WOW. These are the greatest JSA stories I have read since the All Star Squadron in the eighties, and it's WAY better than any superhero fare out there at the moment. Johns and artist Dale Eaglesham have captured the spark of the JSA that made it such an appealing title ever since it debuted in the 1940's and was revitalized years later. It requires no backtracking or Wikipedia searches if you are a newcomer to the Justice Society (unless you become a fanatic like me), and old-time fans will find familiar characters as well as new ones here to enjoy along with numerous villains from the team's past. In this slim but excellent hardcover collection the team's roster includes classic characters such as Hawkman (my favorite!), Wildcat (my second favorite), Green Lantern (Alan Scott), the original Flash (Jay Garrick), Dr. Mid-Night, Hourman, and Power Girl (arguably not a brand new character, but she wasn't around in the forties). The new members are Damage (related to the original Atom, but with actual explosive powers), Stargirl, Mr. Terrific, Cyclone, and a host of others that have been hinted at but have yet to make appearances. Even though it only includes four issues of the series every issue gave me more than my money's worth, as the creators use congested storytelling and tight panels with a lot of narrative info and the occasional large spread to highlight a particularly gruesome action scene. The central story revolves around the murders of JSA family members and the overall plot against the society itself, initiated by one of their most feared enemies (a bad guy who can literally 'stand the test of time', hint, hint). Along the way various side stories blossom from the main storyline when Wildcat makes a startling personal discovery that affects him profoundly, while crippled sportstar Nathan Heywood (spoiler coming - watch it!) develops 'nerves of steel,' so to speak. In conclusion I would have to say that every page surprised me with something shocking or revelatory, and isn't that what everyone wants when reading a comic book? Rest assured that this hardcover has it all - epic battles, dramatic revelations, tear-jerking moments as well as truly EXPLOSIVE scenes. Buy it - nuff said. | | Justice Society of America Vol. 1: The Next Age by DC Comics Johns Gets It | Geoff Johns gets it. He just does.
There's really nothing else to say, but since this would be a weak review without more exposition, I'll keep going.
In my mind, there's no truer paradigm of the mainstream superhero than Johns'. If you want proof, read his entire run of The Flash; or, read his work on JSA; OR, simply read his JSA reboot, Justice Society of America: The Next Age.
The Next Age picks up right where JSA left off. Most of the fan favorites are still around, as well as some inspired choices for new teammates. Furthermore, Johns has found a new mission statement for the Justice Society of America, one that is trying to teach the new generation of heroes how to be just that.
Johns understands the superhero team dynamic. He understands the archetypes necessary for such a team to be charismatic. Johns realizes how to make us care about his characters, how to present edgy--but not gratuitous--stories, and, best of all, Johns comprehends how to manipulate pace, deliver great dialogue, and present captivating foreshadowing.
In The Next Age, the Justice Society of America round up some young heroes who may need some positive role models and training, deal with a mysterious entity killing off the bloodlines of other heroes, and are introduced to an element that forces Wildcat to get out of the ring and into the human race. Since monthly comic books are by nature serialized, it also sets up oodles of possibilities for the months to come.
Consequently, let's not forget about artist Dale Eaglesham. I love comic books equally not just for their stories, but also for their art. It's a visual medium, and Eaglesham renders heroic looking, but not hyperbolic, figures. He chooses gripping angles within his panels, and, like Johns, he seems to have an innate sense of what makes a superhero comic both tense and fun. The hardcover edition of The Next Age even offers some breathtaking pencil sketches from Eaglesham during the design process.
We can debate all day as to whether or not Johns is the best writer in the comic book industry, but as far as pure super heroics and team dynamic go, there is no one better, and Justice Society of America: The Next Age is proof positive of that.
~Scott William Foley, author of Dr. Nekros: The Tragedian (Volume I, Episode I) | | Justice Society of America Vol. 1: The Next Age by DC Comics Product Description | | Geoff Johns, the critically acclaimed writer of INFINITECRISIS ushers in the next generation of the world's first super-team thatinspired all of the others.Determined to rebuild the Justice Society, founding members Green Lantern,Flash and Wildcat initiate an unprecedented recruitment program, trackingthe bloodlines of heroes across the world to bring in new members. Just asthe Society welcomes the rookie heroes into their ranks, an evil force setsout to destroy them. Discover new legacies, solve a mystery stretching intothe far future, witness the return of the world's greatest hero, and watchthe fall of another! |
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