DCU Comic Book Reviews

JSA #69

JSA/JSA, Chapter II:  Guardian Angels

March 2005

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Don Kramer

Inks by Keith Champagne

Cover by Alex Ross

Synopsis

In 1951, the JSA took off their masks and retired due to pressure from the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).  Eventually, they would return.  However, Per Degaton is changing the past that might result in the end of the JSA then and in the future.  So, current JSA members have gone back in time to help the JSA in the past.  In Pittsburgh, Michael Holt tries to contact Terry Sloane.  In Clavin City, Al Rothstein searches for his godfather Al Pratt.  In Gotham City, Jakeem Thunder finds Johnny Thunder.  In New York, Sandy Hawkins looks for Wesley Dodds.  In New York City, Dr. Pieter Cross talks to Dr. Charles McNider.  In Hartford, Rick Tyler visits his mom’s house, looking for his father Rex Tyler.  In Opal City, Courtney Whitmore visits Ted Knight, who is a mental hospital.  She tries to convince him she’s from the future, but he doesn’t believe her and calls the guards.  While she fights them, Knight puts her to sleep with a needle.  When she awakens, she is in a padded room wearing a restraint.

Review

I really, really liked this issue.  What keeps me loving it is that it is not going to be that important to the overall plot of attempting to stop Degaton.  This is filler pure and simple.  One could easily skip this issue and go to the next and not miss much in terms of the plot and the story.  What you would miss, however, is some great character scenes as each of the current JSA members get a chance to see what it was like for each of the past JSA members.  Each scene in its own way provides something unique to the characters, not only to those that are part of this book but also to those that came before them.  We get to see that for Hourman’s future wife the more things change, the more they stay the same.  The moment of racism that occurs with Michael Holt was very startling while the conversation between the two Thunder’s was touching as Johnny realized that indeed someone actually thinks he is the best of the JSA.  The two most startling scenes were the Sandman and Starman scenes in that I am not familiar with these characters (especially James Robinson’s Starman) so I was not expecting these developments at all.  Regardless of the situation, all of these scenes were interesting, if a bit short.  The unfortunate thing is most of these small scenes will probably be not give much time in the overall story as we will certainly get to the main plot with Degaton within an issue or two. 

It is interesting to note that over in the Teen Titans, Geoff Johns wrapped up a story in which the Titans traveled to the future and met, well, uh future versions of themselves.  And now he has the JSA going to the past to meet former versions of the JSA. -- Review by MRB