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The New Golden Age #1
DC Comics

Comic Books

‘The New Golden Age’ #1 review

After the release of the Thirteen, things changed in the Golden Age as we know it.

Seeing the Justice Society return to comics has been quite a road. The last issue of Justice Society of America was before Flashpoint, with a cover date of October 2011; now, we’re getting ready to jump into a New Golden Age. If you’ve been reading Flashpoint Beyond, this will be a continuation of elements from that miniseries. Get ready for mystery and adventure in the time stream as this one-shot expands on the Thirteen’s introduction, features the return of Huntress, and stars the Justice Society of America! If you liked the DC Universe Rebirth one-shot, prepare for part two.

The New Golden Age #1
DC Comics

Right on the main cover, there is a lot of action and quite a bit of promise. In the first solicitation, there was a version of the cover, but now you can see more with Batman (Thomas Wayne) along with Rip Hunter and the Time Masters. Various members of the Justice Society are spinning around a time whirlpool, so are they fighting to get out of it, or is it a gateway they are using to escape time? Some significant variant covers have great features of Green Lantern, Alan Scott, and Doctor Fate; the wildest variant cover is Batman hanging onto a Time Sphere that Rip is driving through the time stream. So much to take in and unpack, but I am anxious to see those potentials play out in the bigger story.

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The New Golden Age #1
DC Comics

Geoff Johns is the writer of this one-shot, and he brings along a fantastic line-up of artists. Diego Olortegui with JP Mayer and Scott Hanna, Jerry Ordway, Steve Lieber, Todd Nauck, Scott Kolins, Victor Bogdanovic, Brandon Peterson, and Gary Frank are his all-stars for this adventure. I like the choice to have this crew around for the art, as the issue does jump around in time, so the changing styles are great to help emphasize the change. Each artist brings their best to the story by creating a stand-out moment, be it a recreation of the original JSA meeting or a villain in darkness surrounded by missing legacy heroes. There is much for the eye to appreciate.

I don’t want to spoil the issue for you, but as you can see from the preview, Helena Wayne will be a significant character. She is an excellent pick as she comes from Pre-Crisis Continuity of Earth 2, which was the home of the JSA; Post-Crisis Continuity revamped Huntress as Helena Bertinelli. Wayne did return in the Flashpoint Continuity with the series Earth 2 and has been teased by Tom King in his Batman/Catwoman series, while Geoff has been trying to bring her back since Infinite Crisis. Helena Wayne is the perfect character to explore the idea of missing in action due to a continuity change and also helps with the promise that DC Comics characters do matter and are around. She is a great character device to explain why the Time Masters are involved.

The New Golden Age #1
DC Comics

Fans of Doctor Fate will find their character featured very heavily as well. Versions of his legacy get the spotlight and add to the mythos of Fate. You’ll find yourself expressing sympathy for the characters as they bear the helm of Fate, but the mystery will be so enthralling. What is fun about exploring this adventure is how many guest stars we will get while we tour the DC Universe. As the solicitation told us, it won’t just be limited to the DCU and will also pick up classic and new elements from Watchmen. The adventure will be quite the multiversal mystery that will have fans talking and guessing how it will all come together, which is very exciting as this story adds to DC’s rich history and legacy.

The New Golden Age #1
DC Comics

I was lucky to pick up JSA when it started as a series; those issues opened my eyes to a more remarkable legacy of the DC Universe and its uniqueness, and I feel that vibe return with this one-shot. I learned much about the legacy and heroes while being introduced to many new elements. While waiting for the following parts, I suggest re-reading Stargirl Spring Break Special #1. If you have time, I would recommend JLA: Crisis Times Five and The Justice Society Returns as great stories exploring the JSA. With next week’s Stargirl: The Lost Children and the upcoming Justice Society of America #1, that magic of wonder and heroism has come back. Don’t feel like you have to immerse yourself in all these comics to do the homework of continuity, however. Instead, enjoy this one-shot as an invitation to a fantastic world you want to explore.

The New Golden Age #1 invites all to explore the rich world of DC Comics. Legacy, mystery, and fantastic adventure await the reader as they are spellbound by the beautiful art inside. I was reminded of the wonder and promise of the DC Universe Rebirth Special and am hyped for this new Golden Age!

The New Golden Age #1
‘The New Golden Age’ #1 review
The New Golden Age #1
The New Golden Age #1 invites all to explore the rich world of DC Comics. Legacy, mystery, and fantastic adventure await the reader as they are spellbound by the beautiful art inside. I was reminded of the wonder and promise of the DC Universe Rebirth Special and am hyped for this new Golden Age!
Reader Rating2 Votes
9.6
The art team is its own superhero team bringing this issue to life and they nail it
Geoff Johns makes you interested in the Time Masters and Huntress which have been cast aside
This update to the Huntress is very exciting and I can't wait to see how she has navigated the timeline to stalk her prey
The legacy of Doctor Fate is a wonderful plot device to help us understand the eras and change that has occured in the JSA's history
New elements like the Thirteen and the JSA of the Future are great additions
The additional Who's Who pages are a great tease of characters that are not just limited to the JSA but expand across other families of the DCU
10
Fantastic
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