Jeff Lemire continues his “Ragnarök” storyline in “Götterdämmerung” Part 2, only this time, the Injustice Society is one step closer to their endgame. With the Spear of Destiny now back in the villainous team’s possession, is the JSA too late to stop them? What does the Injustice Society hope to gain from the death of the Golden Age team this time around? These are the questions at the forefront, as Lemire begins to gradually reveal what each villain is truly after.
One of the strengths of JSA #10 is that despite the simple nature of the Injustice Society’s plan, Lemire shows that this group is not exactly a well-oiled machine. Although they have agreed to work together as a means to an end, every member of the Injustice Society wants something different. For instance, Ruby Sokov still wants to find her father, while another Injustice Society member wants to conquer Europe. Scandal Savage wants to destroy her father, while the other members of the villainous team haven’t exactly disclosed what they’re after. The brilliance of this development is that it creates plenty of room for betrayal among the group of villains.
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Though it’s highly likely the JSA will stop the Injustice Society’s plan to bring the Unnamed Ones to Earth, the poor foundation of the villainous team is being set up to be its own undoing. From issue #10 alone, there’s already a small conflict brewing between Ruby and the other villains. This shows that Ruby is not entirely sure she’s on the right team, especially since she only wants to find her father, the Red Lantern. The fact that the Huntress (Helena Wayne) initially recruited Ruby to the JSA with the goal of helping her could make her have second thoughts about continuing her partnership with the Injustice Society.
Another storyline that’s given a lot of attention in JSA #10 is the one concerning Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Still stuck in the dimension they were in when they first ended up in the Tower of Fate, Carter and Kendra meet a new Kid Eternity. The latter ends up functioning as something of a bridge between the dead and the living, which is a clever way to bring the deceased members of the Justice Society into the story. More specifically, it’s a great way to reintroduce Kent Nelson, Al Pratt, Wesley Dodds, and now Ted Grant back into the storyline.
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Though Wildcat’s death initially felt unearned given the lack of focus he had beforehand, it turns out he may still have a major role to play in the storyline’s finale. Whether it’s to fight against the undead members of the Injustice Society like Solomon Grundy and the Gentleman Ghost, or helping the dead members of the JSA fend off the Unnamed Ones is left unclear. What is certain is that Lemire isn’t done with the JSA’s most self-conscious brawler, so it’ll be interesting to see what he has up his sleeve.
Another thing that stands out about JSA #10 is the artwork by Rafael de la Torre. Aside from the fact that it’s similar enough to Diego Olortegui’s art style to not really notice a sudden change in the book’s look, de la Torre still brings his own spark to the interior pages. One thing that’s great about de la Torre’s work is that it’s detailed, yet crisp. He also breathes life into the individual characters (including the dead ones) by making them highly expressive. This is achieved through both facial expression, body language, and even the action sequences. Throw in the colors by Luis Guerrero, and each panel really pops.
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The only downside to “Götterdämmerung” thus far is that, after 10 issues, the storyline could start to feel a little dragged out for readers who have been following this series since issue #1. This is not helped by the fact that “Götterdämmerung” is “Part 2” of the “Ragnarök” storyline that started in issue #1, and it now only feels like the story is starting to pick up momentum. This also begs the question of what role Kobra was meant to have in the storyline beyond being a distraction for the JSA. Will Kobra still factor into the Injustice Society’s endgame? It’s hard to know at this point, but it is increasingly starting to look like their role in the story is pretty superfluous.
Though not a perfect issue compared to JSA #8, JSA #10 is still an enjoyable read. The cast of characters fronting this storyline is well chosen, with each hero serving an important role in the story. Likewise, the group of villains making up the current iteration of the Injustice Society have fun interactions of their own, even though some members still feel out of place within the team, like Scandal Savage. All in all, JSA #10 is a great issue to pick up for a fun, action-packed storyline involving DC’s oldest team.
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