It’s hard to believe this is Geoff Johns’ last issue on Justice Society of America. Some creators get tied into their characters, and some have become synonymous with a company. It has been an exciting experience, and for the most part, we have some great comic books from his time at the company. I was fortunate to have been reading JLA by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter when the “modern” JLA/JSA crossover happened in Crisis Times Five. Luckily, the momentum continued with one of DC’s fifth-week events, The JSA Returns, which led right into the JSA series. It was a fantastic experience, but now we are at the resolution of the New Golden Age. So, how does Geoff Johns wrap it all up?
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The New Golden Age promised quite a few things of high interest. We did get to see “new” characters escape unknown prisons in Stargirl: The Lost Children, which also brought back the android Hourman, the threat of the Red Lantern in Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, and Huntress and Legionnaire in this series. Sadly, some ideas didn’t get as much screen time, like the Golden Age versions of Aquaman, Mister Miracle, and the JSA Dark. Another big question will be about the fate of the next generation of Watchmen. Thankfully, that won’t happen with the Justice Society of America.
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In this issue, Geoff Johns does what he does best: He gives us a story deeply invested in character. One of his best partners in crime, Todd Nauck, teams up with Johns to deliver a comic with a timeless vibe. There are quite a few splash pages that revisit eras of Johns’ time with the JSA, and they feel so vibrant, like they just happened yesterday, but wildly, it has been quite some time. The first big splash takes us to a Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. battle against Shiv and Dragon King that takes me back to 1999! Check out the batter’s name, Robby Reed, and get ready to see a HERO; I wonder if King is the next owner of the HERO dial, a fun Easter Egg.
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The rest of the issue continues a beautiful story interweaving Stargirl’s personal history and relationship with Pat Dugan as they have grown into an outstanding Father-Daughter Duo. The pages continue the nostalgia treat as we revisit some excellent stories from their time in the JSA. It is such a bittersweet issue as this is the end, but it also reminds me of what an incredible journey it has been. I need to dig out my back issues and do the trip again. Geoff Johns does a beautiful job of having Stargirl’s narration double as her commencement speech, and it is great to see some of those heroic faces in the crowd; Jack Knight made it! While it was a rocky series, Johns and Company did a beautiful job of ending it. I wish him great luck with Ghost Machine, and I look forward to what Jeff Lemire and Diego Olortegui have in store for the Society.
An era of the Justice Society ends very sincerely as the New Golden Age concludes. Geoff Johns and Todd Nauck deliver a beautiful issue that hits all the right nostalgic notes. Get ready to want to do the journey all over again. Stargirl hits another milestone as her extended family roots her on, reminding us that Titans are Together, the Justice Leaguers are Legends, but the JSA is a family legacy.
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