DC Comics reviews 1/24/23 – The Human Target #11, Justice Society of America #2

Justice Society of America #2

Doubting Geoff Johns seems kinda silly in hindsight. While the first issue of JSA was a little chaotic and all over the place, focusing on Helena Wayne and her exploits through the timeline streamlined the story and made the second installment so much more compelling.

Helena awakens in 1940 where she encounters the original Justice Society. Artist Mikel Janin has drawn some amazing pages in his DC tenure, but the JSA in all their vintage glory might shoot to the top.

Johns continues redefining the JSA history by incorporating the young sidekicks he introduced in Stargirl: The Lost Children. Contrasting with his approach in previous issues, Johns limits the sidekick focus to one character and an experienced, veteran hero. That plays out a lot better and allows the hero/sidekick dynamic more time to shine.

Janin doesn’t handle all the art. Jerry Ordway contributes some pages and it’s wild how consistent his pages have looked over the decades. There’s little, if any drop off from his work, and it was a nice touch to have him involved in this Justice Society revival. Scott Kolins also contributes some pages as well. This is where Johns switching the story through various eras works.

Jordie Bellaire’s color work on the original JSA hits a classic golden hue in a subtle nod to the Golden Age characters. John Kalisz also provides color work as well with bright, stark choices.

As worried as the first issue left me, my concerns have vanished. Johns, Janin and the rest of the creative team have a firm direction and a wide cast to draw from to deliver what could be the team book of 2023. This one definitely has my attention now.

Rating: 10 out of 10