DCU Comic Book Reviews

JSA CLASSIFIED #14

Double Or Nothing, Part 1:  Fast Shuffle

September 2006

Written by Steve Englehart

Pencils by Tom Derenick

Inks by Mark Farmer

Cover by Zeck & Ordway

Synopsis

Sitting at home thinking about her father, Stargirl is suddenly attacked by Vixen.  Stargirl fights back, but soon realizes that she is actually being saved by Vixen, who pulls Stargirl out of the house before a tractor beam destroys it.  Vixen, along with Gypsy, tell her that members of the JSA have been abducted by Amos Fortune of the Royal Flush Gang.  They lead Stargirl to a cave where they witness Wildcat beating up Mr. Terrific in the middle of the ring.  Before they can anything about, The Flash and Green Lantern appear and attack the woman, knocking out Vixen.

Review

Steve Englehart is mostly known as a comic writer from the 70s; he worked on Captain America in the early 70s, followed by a brief run on Justice League America and Detective Comics followed by some novel writing and various other work at Marvel.  Lately, Englehart penned the Batman mini-series Dark Detective and some issues of JLA Classified.  I am unfamiliar with Englehart’s early work but I did get the chance to read the Dark Detective mini just a little while ago.  My reaction to that mini is much the same reaction to this one:  there are parts that I kinda liked and parts that did not work for, but overall it just did not seem to mesh into a coherent whole.  I get the idea that Vixen and Gypsy are talking about these events in the past and even get the idea that Gypsy perhaps set them up (but she can’t, Oracle wouldn’t let her on the Birds of Prey if she did!).  But if we are seeing the story from Gypsy and Vixen’s point of view, how the hell are we getting Stargirl’s thoughts?  Okay, that may be nitpicking.  The part that had me off was the whole antagonistic approach among the women.  I am not quite sure why, but the whole bickering back and forth did not ring true, as if it were forced.  Being in the JSA, one would think that Stargirl would respect other super heroes, regardless of their status. 

I have two problems with the basic plotline of the having the JSA members battle each other in the ring.  The first is that this seems like a worn out plot device.  I realize that plots get used and re-used, but this seems even worse than usual.  The second is the flimsy excuse to get to that point.  Several villains lose a card game in which the bet was servitude for a year.  So the winner suggests, “we’re going to have a tournament.”  The idea is fine, but does it really have anything to do with the card game.  Couldn’t he have made the suggestion without the card game?  It is questions like these make me shake my head and wonder where the hell this story is going to go. -- MRB

Comic Connection

The story told by Vixen of the JLA team featuring Vibe, Steel, Gypsy, and Vixen battling the different factions of the Royal Flush Gang appears in JLA Classified, beginning with issue #22. 

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