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12-06-2009, 08:45 PM | #1 |
#voteblackjack
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northwood, NH
Posts: 35,747
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So I recently just got caught up on DC's Justice Society series. Started with the Robinson/Goyer #1 and all the way up to when Willingham/Sturges took over. I love the JSA. Love the legacy and how it's about family and then became about "making better heroes".
I love Willingham's Fables and the only Sturges thing I had read as his novel, Midwinter (good read, I recommend it). So I went into this with an open mind. My biggest complaint about the Geoff Johns run was the sheer number of characters in the book. I didn't think we got enough into the "minds" of characters like Cyclone, Judomaster, Citizen Steel, etc.. They were mostly background characters. We got bits and pieces but none of 'em got their moment to shine. I loved that the art conveyed alot of the family and emotion of the team. How Hourman and Liberty Belle were always in contact with each other, even if it was just holding hands at a meeting, and how Citizen Steels cousins/neices/nephews were always showing up all over the place. So I thought the introduction of a second book, splitting the cast, would be the way to go. Give 'em all more time to shine. Now the book itself. The idea is that the the vets (Power Girl, Stargirl, Hourman and Magog... I'll get back to him in a sec) will take the "kids" and provide them training. Help them learn the ropes, learn to function as a "better hero". That's a good idea. The problem is that alot of those that are the "rookies" have been around for awhile. Cyclone, Citizen Steel, Judomaster, Wildcat's son, etc.. they've dealt with Gog, the Black Marvel Family and other threats. They aren't rookies by any means. And one of the leaders, Magog, he's the newest member of the JSA except for King Chimeara, the only true rookie on the team. So the idea of training the rookies, makes sense to enable them to split the team, but it really is kind of flimsy. I think they should have gone with the approach Marvel did and just had teams on different coasts or something like that. Would have made a tad more sense. Especially since two of the youngest members, Jakeem Thunder and Lightning (who is also a relative rookie compared to Cyclone, Citizen Steel and Wildcat) are on the "old" team. Mr. America is a relative rookie as well. Oh well, I can live with that because the rest of the story is good. There's training, trying to form squads to handle different parts of a threat, some inter-team conflict. All the things needed for a good story are there. And done pretty well. I enjoyed the read alot. It was the art that made it hard for me to get into. I don't like Freddie Williams at all. The art was detailed. But the figures were too angular for my tastes. I just couldnt' get into it. He draws a horrible Cyclone in flight. As a first issue, was enough to draw people in, even those that hadn't been fans of the JSA before. They do a good job explaining why there are two squads of JSA now and the cliffhanger ending is definately enough to make me want to come back for more. Sturges does a good enough job to make up for the art and make me look past it.
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12-06-2009, 09:45 PM | #2 |
Mint on Card
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: California
Posts: 94
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Quote:
The idea is that the the vets (Power Girl, Stargirl, Hourman and Magog... I'll get back to him in a sec) will take the "kids" and provide them training. Help them learn the ropes, learn to function as a "better hero".
That's a good idea. The problem is that alot of those that are the "rookies" have been around for awhile. Cyclone, Citizen Steel, Judomaster, Wildcat's son, etc.. they've dealt with Gog, the Black Marvel Family and other threats. They aren't rookies by any means. And one of the leaders, Magog, he's the newest member of the JSA except for King Chimeara, the only true rookie on the team. So the idea of training the rookies, makes sense to enable them to split the team, but it really is kind of flimsy. |
12-06-2009, 09:51 PM | #3 |
#voteblackjack
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northwood, NH
Posts: 35,747
|
Quote:
Actually, your understanding of the premise is a bit off and that misunderstanding feeds into your later criticisms. The reason for the split was a philosophical difference between Magog and the veteran members of the JSA. Magog wanted the JSA to become more like a military unit, while the old guard wanted to continue treating the JSA more like a family. The other members took sides, and rather continue with the in-fighting, the JSA decided to split into two units. The All-Stars are the members that sided with Magog.
It just didn't carry over as well into All-Stars. Even Sturges interviews the "training the rookies" is the main focus of the book. There's a scene where Stargirl is feeling out of place and that she doesn't belong (and really, there is no way she'd ever have a philosophical difference with the Big 3: Green Lantern, Flash and Wildcat) with the All-Stars team, but Power Girl explains that she pushed to have Stargirl on the team because the "kids" look up to her (Stargirl) and her veteran leadership. It's been said in interviews that is why Hourman is on the team and not on the same as his wife, Liberty Belle, to help provide the link between both teams. So yeah, Magog was pushing for a more military tactic to the team and wasn't seeing eye to eye with the Big 3, and that had alot to do with the split, but the book itself mentions nothing about that and instead focuses on the training of the new generation. Which brings me back to my point, that the new generation has had alot of training already and the newest member is Magog himself (besides King Chimeara), who is a "veteran" on the All-Stars team. I haven't read the split issue of JSA, but I can't see Stargirl and Cyclone having differences in philosophy with the Big 3. Wildcat Jr would be hard to believe as well. Damage yes, Judomaster follows Damage, Citizen Steel yes. Kind of interesting that most of the All-Stars were those that chose to follow Gog.
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