DCU Comic Book Reviews

JSA #68

JSA/JSA, Chapter I:  Making History

February 2005

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Don Kramer

Inks by Keith Champagne

Cover by Alex Ross

Synopsis

Today...In Blue Valley, Nebraska, Stargirl returns home, exhausted after battling alongside the JSA against Solomon Grundy.  1951....in Washington DC, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) wants the JSA to unmask.  They refuse.  The JSA then decide to retire.  Per Degaton watches, knowing that soon, the JSA will be forever defeated.  Today...Stargirl is eating breakfast with her family when time travelers appear and kills everyone.  They attempt to kill her as well, but she is saved by Rip Hunter, a time traveler.  He has also picked up other second generation members of the JSA:  Jakeem, Hourman, Mr. Terrific, Sand, and Dr. Mid-Nite, as well as Atom Smasher.  Hunter tells them that Degaton must be stopped.  Hunter takes them to 1951, two days before Degaton’s plan is set in motion before he returns to the time stream to look for Hawkgirl and Power Girl.  Meanwhile, an unknown person watches the JSA as she says, “Courtney, don’t mess this up.”

Review

I have been noticing for the past year or so that the JSA storylines have been hit or miss, depending on the focus of the characters and the plot.  Usually I like stories that focus on one character (like the recent Hourman story) rather than mish mash of various characters (such as the recent Spirit King story).  However, the stories that work best are the ones that feature all of the team (such as the Black reign story) and this particular issue is no exception.  This is an exceptional beginning with a lot of stuff going on that promises a good story.  The focus on Stargirl in the beginning works because she is so young and because (unlike Dr. Mid-Nite or Mr. Terrific) she has not suffered any type of significant loss.  Moreover, she is surrounded by both her family and the JSA.  The scene where she losses her family is powerful (and brutally real and shocking) and underscores the depths that Degaton will take to achieve his victory. 

Another thing that I like about this issue is that it casts issue #59 in a different light.  In that issue, Degaton visits the various members to the JSA to haunt them.  At the time it seemed like a clever way to unify the issue, which was really just a scattershot of scenes to set the stage for the next set of stories.  But in that issue, Hourman punches Degaton.  Several issues later, Degaton watches as the android Hourman sacrifices himself.  Now, apparently, that is the event that allows Degaton to ultimately destroy the JSA.  In the immortal words of John Smith, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

I am curious to see how much seeing her family murdered will change the way she looks at Atom Smasher a little bit.  She had a very violent reaction and it look as if she might have killed some of Degaton’s goons, although this isn’t explicitly stated. 

Fluctuations have been registered in Keystone (Jakeem), Hartford (Rick Tyler), New York (Mr. Terrific, Sand, and Dr. Mid-Nite), and Khandaq (Atom Smasher).  I don’t know why this is important to add, but there ya go.   -- Review by MRB 

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