DCU Comic Book Reviews

JSA #77

Mixed Signals

November 2005

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Jim Fern

Inks by Mick Gray

Cover by Alex Ross

Synopsis

Over the city, Harold Lawrence Jordan (aka Airwave) is getting on overload of radio transmission that causes him to crash directly into the JSA brownstone.  Concerned for his health, Alan Scott calls in Airwave’s cousin:  Hal Jordan (aka Green Lantern).  In the middle of Dr. Mid-Nite’s examination, Airwave jumps out of bed and rockets to the sky.  Scott and Jordan follow Airwave through the country, then to outer space and to New Cronus.  There, Airwave clutches his head and says there is a war and it won’t stop.  Jordan decides New Cronus is causing Airwave’s pain, so he attempts to destroy it, but he is stopped by Donna Troy.  She tells them that Titans of Myth have prophesied the end of the universe and she needs help.  Both Airwave and Alan Scott go with her while Hal Jordan returns to Earth.  Elsewhere, Hector and Lyta Hall wake up it in the mountains, in the middle of snowstorm. 

Review

Well, this was easily a forgettable issue of the JSA if it weren’t for the fact that this appeared before the conclusion of the Return of Donna Troy, thus effectively ruining the ending to that series.  However, I am sure this not the reason Johns would like this issue to be memorable. 

Sadly, beyond that little problem, this issue really is forgettable.  This issue was nothing more than Johns shuffling the chess board to make sure all of the characters are where they are supposed to be.  If it wasn’t for the fact that I was so heavily invested in the huge build-up to Infinite Crisis (and the eventual mini-series) I probably would’ve been extremely annoyed at this issue.  As it is, I am mildly annoyed.  Airwave, a character I could care less about, hijacks this issue for a team-up with Hal Jordan, who has never been a part of the JSA.  Wouldn’t this been better served for the current Green Lantern series (a question that becomes even more pertinent when you consider Alan Scott’s statement about family, a theme running through the GL series)?

During the role call of the JSA members, when Mr. Terrific is informing the others who was missing and where they had, I thought I had one of those ah-ha! moments.  Hawkman and Hawkgirl are in outer space, but why is Alan Scott not with them.  This is a mistake.  Of course, as the ending to this issue illustrates I was wrong.

And don’t get me started on the Day Of Vengeance tag on the cover when it is more closely related to Rann-Thanagar War. -- Review by MRB 

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