DCU Comic Book Reviews

JSA #85

The Living Must Answer

July 2006

Written by Paul Levitz

Pencils by Rags Morales & Luke Ross (flashbacks)

Inks by Dave Mekis

Cover by George Pérez

Synopsis

Courtney Whitmore (aka Stargirl) is with her mother learning how to drive when she crashes her car.  Jim Craddock (aka The Gentleman Ghost) to collect her soul, but Stargirl is alive.  With the help of Power Girl, they beat down the ghost, but he gets away.  In a flashback, Jim Craddock learns of men who rob others on the highway and he decides that is where his destiny calls him.  On the highway, ghosts come to take him and make him part of their group.  At the JSA headquarters in New York City, Mr. Terrific searches for answer while Jay Garrick (aka Flash) is worried about the injured Alan Scott (aka Green Lantern).  Flash decides to bring his wife Joan to the headquarters to keep her safe.  Meanwhile, Johnny Thunder is growing restless after searching through the JSA files for something on the ghost, so he has Thunderbolt take him to where the ghosts live  Almost immediately, the Gentleman Ghost attacks him.  Johnny asks for help and he gets the original Sandman, the original Mr. Terrific, Atom, Batman, and Jennie-Lynn Hayden (aka Jade), the daughter of Alan Scott.  The dead superheroes easily save Johnny.  Before they leave, Johnny asks Batman for help defeat the Gentleman Ghost.  Batman tells him to go where the ghost was born and one of noble blood will be his downfall.  Later, Jay and Joan Garrick hover over Alan’s unconscious body when Jade appears to give him a kiss and to tell him his friends need him.  Alan wakes up...

Review

“Jade. Atom.  Sandman. Mister Terrific -- and a ghost Batman?  He’s not dead!”

“It’s complicated, kid.”

This was another solid issue in the story arc.  It was neither bad nor great, but good.  The only real negative is that whatever plan the Gentleman’s Ghost may have seems to be taking an awful a lot of time.  Now it is just a series of random attacks that don’t happen to serve a purpose.  And what is it with Power Girl being able to touch him, but no one else can?

I liked the beginning with Courtney learning and then later the advice given by Wildcat, which mimics exactly what Stargirl’s mother had told her.  It was a nice little touch.  In fact, the scenes with the JSA team together really showed how much of a family they really are.  I still do not like Johnny Thunder, but at least his appearance helped to push the plot along.  What I did not like all that much was the appearance of Jade.  I think this has to do with the fact that to me she only “died” just a short time period ago.  I would like to think that it would be longer that a couple of months before they bring her back.  At least she is still dead, but it just does not feel right to even bring back her ghost. 

From the “what ever happened” department:  what ever happened to the Gentleman Ghost wanting to locate Wonder Woman.  It was the cliffhanger to the previous issue.  Did Ma Hunkel tell him, sorry she’s on a sabbatical and by the way Hippolyta wasn’t ever on the JSA because the second Crisis wiped it all away?

The inclusion of Batman to the cadre of dead superheroes was never fully explained beyond the quote above.  Yet, his presence was not random not a mistake.  There had to be a reason.  One could argue it was because they needed a detective to help solve the case, but that seems to be a very weak reason.  The cynic in me believes Batman was added simply to sell more copies:  “Look, is that Batman on the cover!  Let’s check it out.”  I get the sneaking suspicion that whatever the reason, we will never know.-- MRB

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