DCU Comic Book Reviews

JSA #79

Lost and Found, Part 2

January 2006

Written by Keith Champagne

Pencils by Don Kramer

Inks by Keith Champagne

Cover by Alex Ross

Synopsis

During the recent battle with the Spectre, Jakeem and Thunderbolt were sent to the fifth dimension.  When they got there, Jakeem had changed.  First he wiped out the entire fifth dimension and has now set his sights on the sixth dimension.  However, Mr. Terrific devises a plan to get close to Jakeem.  At Dr. Fate’s tower, Mordru has captured Wildcat, Dr. Mid-Nite, Flash, and Sand, who is currently wearing the helmet of Dr. Fate.  Mordru removes the helmet and crushes it, but without the helmet on Sand is able to escape.  He conjures a sand monster to battle Mordru while he sets the others free to join the battle.  Somewhere else, Hector Hall has successfully defeated the monsters coming after him and his wife, but the fight took a lot out of him.  In the sixth dimension, the JSA are able to get close enough to Jakeem, but the plan backfires.  Jakeem captures Thunderbolt, who is still under Jakeem’s control.  Jakeem wishes Thunderbolt would kill the JSA.  In Fate’s Tower, the JSA continue to battle Mordru as Dr. Fate’s helmet slowly returns to normal.  Nabu then tells Mordru it is time to finish it. 

Review

Some good news, bad news with this issue.  The bad news is that as the middle portion of three-part storyline, not much happens.  We get a few fights and we get the characters in position for the finale.  The good news is that there is some cool stuff going on in this issue.  I really liked the final three pages with the JSA fighting Mordru as the helmet uncurls itself back to normal.  I am not sure who came up the panel display, Champagne or Kramer, but it is effective.  I also liked the moment when Mordru unknowingly allowed Sand to escape.  And the splash page of Wildcat knocking the socks off Mordru is an absolute freaking great scene in the story as well as a great drawing.  And I liked some of Courtney’s smart ass replies to Saradin. 

However, again I find the sequences that just don’t work for me are the ones with the JSA searching for and then finding Jakeem.  The final scene with Jakeem pointing and wanting these losers killed (which we are supposed to assume means the JSA) is in all likelihood misdirection.  It is possible that Jakeem is not really e-e-e-evil, but has found evil and therefore is attempting to stop it and he couldn’t tell Thunderbolt for some reason.  My gut reaction is that Jakeem is pointing to Saradin when speaking the “losers” line since Saradin is acting like a jerk in this issue. 

Finally, I do wish the Hector and Lyta Hall subplot would not only speed up, but also make freaking sense.-- Review by MRB 

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