DCU Comic Book Reviews

JUSTICE SOCIETY of AMERICA #31

New Blood, Old Blood, Spilled Blood

November 2009

Written by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges

Pencils by Jesus Merino

Inks by Jesus Merino

Cover by Jesus Merino

Synopsis

At Justice Society Headquarters, Magog and Wildcat are fighting.  Magog thinks the JSA needs to act more like a military unit after they were ambushed and almost beaten by a group of villains.  WIldcat disagrees.  Others try to intervene, but it doesn’t work until the new Doctor Fate arrives to tell everyone that Dr. Mid-Nite needs blood to help Mr. Terrific, who is in surgery after being stabbed.  Meanwhile, Flash works on fixing the security tapes.  When it is fixed, he sees that it was the new All-American Kid who stabbed Mr. Terrific.  Flash, Power Girl, and Mr. America question the All-American Kid, who claims he never left the room.  In the Bronx, the villains who attacked the JSA gather together.  After they botched the attack, they are thinking of abandoning the contract.  Just then, they are joined by Icicle who tells them their employer won’t tolerate deserters and he will kill them if they do.  Meanwhile, Magog and Wildcat continue their discussion.  Flash tells them this is not the time.  Moments later, Flash is talking to King Chimera when Alan Scott informs him that despite all they could do, Mr. Terrific is dead.     

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This was a very good issue and there is a lot to like about what the writers have done with the team in the three issues they have worked on this book.  Some of the artistic touches from Merino are pretty cool, such as the way the “camera” panned around the table while the team were talking as they giving blood or the four panel sequence of the tired and battered villains giving up the info.  I also like the new character of King Chimera and the pathos of the All-American Kid during his interrogation was palpable.  You could just feel his confusion and fear and hurt.  Yet, there is something that is holding me back from really liking the new direction.  This book is good, but the following two reasons are holding me back from loving it.

The first reason is that the argument between Magog and Wildcat feels forced, a contrivance just to split the team apart.  At the very least the second discussion between Magog and Wildcat didn’t devolve into another fight.  I think that is part of my reticence regarding this issue.  I didn’t particularly like the physical aspects of the fight.  The points the two of them make, especially Magog with regards to letting anyone into the team, are valid points.  But there is no reason for the two to physically fight each other.  I don’t mind the argument; I just wish it was handled a little bit more intelligently than what we have seen. 

My other problem is the manner in which the team is handling the attack on Mr. Terrific.  It bothers me that the team is willing to believe that the All-American Kid is guilty just based on the security tape.  I realize the video proof is pretty damning, but this is the DC universe where anything can pretty much happen.  Rather than treat the kid as a potential suspect, he is treated as the only suspect wit Power Girl making precautions to limit how he can escape prosecution.  That, to me, sounds like he is guilty before a trial.  Keep in mind; we the readers never saw the footage of the All-American Kid stabbing Mr. Terrific, just the Flash’s reaction when he saw it.  It is possible that Flash saw something in the video to know it wasn’t the All-American Kid, such as using the wrong hand or walking the wrong way.  So maybe the way the team is acting may be on purpose.  The fact that Flash wanted to talk to King Chimera at the end and the fact that I sincerely doubt Mr. Terrific is really dead suggests that Flash and others may be setting up King Chimera to find the true villain. 

I am also at odds a little bit with the mystery client who orchestrated the attack.  It hasn’t quite caught my fancy.  It is hard to get excited about yet another attack on a superhero or superhero team, regardless of the methods or the reasons.  It is a well-worn plot device and the writers haven’t done anything yet to make it fresh. 

The question of the moment:  is the announced death of Mr. Terrific a feint to lure out the true villain or is Mr. Terrific dead only to return during Blackest Night.