DCU Comic Book Reviews

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #20

Earth Bound

December 2008

Written by Geoff Johns and Alex Ross

Pencils by Dale Eaglesham and Jerry Ordway

Inks by Nathan Massengill and Bob Wiacek

Covers by Alex Ross & Dale Eaglesham

Synopsis

On Earth, Power Girl has just returned, but the heroes of Earth-2 are right behind her, wanting to know what happened to Superman.  The teams meet, shocked to find people they thought dead were alive, albeit on different worlds.  However, Earth-2 Power Girl is still angry that Power Girl tried to take her place.  When Earth-22 Superman tries to intervene, Earth-2 Power Girl gets upset and they fight.  Suddenly, Mr. Terrific, Alan Scott, Stargirl, and Starman are sent back to Earth-2, where they meet that earth’s Michael Holt.  Elsewhere, the Earth-2 heroes interrogate Power Girl.  Brainwave arrives and he determines that Power Girl is indeed to telling the truth.  The Justice Society of New Earth arrives to help Power Girl.  Starman explains his uniform is a map of the multiverse and explains what happened to the Earths and why there could be two Power Girls.  Then Starman returns everyone back to where they belong.  Later, Alan Scott asks Michael Holt if he thinks Gog could possibly bring back their dead loved ones to life. [continued in JSA Kingdom Come:  Superman]

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

The entire situation with Earth-2 still confuses the hell out of me.  Not because I don’t understand who the characters are or what is supposed to be going on, because I have enough knowledge of the history of the JSA (and the DC universe) that the story is not completely lost to me.  What I don’t quite understand is why Earth-2 has been getting so much space as it has.  The main thrust of the story is Kingdom Come Superman and Gog and Magog; the Earth-2 stuff seemed to be ancillary, yet it gets a full issue here (on top of a special, to boot).  I kept reading this issue wondering where was Gog and that plot line.  At the least, Johns managed to end the story with Gog and a fascinating question from Alan Scott, but at its core it is still an Earth-2 story.  Yes, I loved the various character beats, especially the moment when Michael Holt comes face-to-face with the wife of Earth-2 doppleganger.  It was a powerful moment and I liked it even more than Scott’s reunion with his daughter or the other various characters seeing dead counterparts (or even alternate versions of themselves).  But again, it seems superfluous to the main story.  Well, it reality its not because it progresses two characters and pushes them towards wanting and perhaps willing to believe that Gog can fix them and it does it in a powerful, emotional manner.  But I wonder if 22 pages was the right way to do it. 

I am still wondering why the Earth-2 JSI would think kryptonite would weaken Power Girl when they believe her to be an imposter.  If she is not Power Girl, then she must not be from Krypton.  Right?  Does that make sense?  Or did someone from the JSI state at some point that they felt she was Kryptonian, just not Power Girl?  Actually, did Johns actually provide a reason why someone would want to impersonate Power Girl? 

Are the characters in the DC universe so aware of the multiverse and the 52 universe that they would know what numbered world they are on?  Kingdom Come Superman refers to his word as “Earth 22,” which is about as specific as you can get.  I mean, how does he know it is number 22?  Does he know what the other 51 worlds are supposed to be.