When Jeff Lemire and Diego Olortegui began their JSA run, they got back to the core of the team: generational legacy. But they didn’t tell a story about the differing viewpoints of the younger generation compared to the older generation. Instead, Lemire and Olortegui focused on how both groups dealt with the same problem differently, with the younger heroes ultimately appreciating the experience and wisdom of their older counterparts. Likewise, the older heroes came to understand the importance of encouraging their younger counterparts to be the best heroes they can be, especially when they fail.
In the penultimate issue of the “Ragarök” storyline, both generations of JSA heroes reunite to confront the Injustice Society, who now possess the Spear of Destiny and Doctor Fate’s helmet – the two items they need to unleash the Unnamed Ones. Though the Injustice Society appears to succeed in their goal, the beating heart of JSA #11 isn’t the battle between good and evil, but the complex feelings both the heroes and villains are experiencing. This is best captured by the interaction between Ruby Sokov and Alan Scott, especially given the latter’s history with her father.
DC Comics
One of Lemire’s strengths as a writer throughout his first JSA story arc is his ability to capture the complexity of relationships, whether it’s between young and old people, or heroes and villains. One thread that Lemire is continuing from Geoff Johns’ JSA run in issue #11 is Alan’s relationship with Red Lantern, Vladimir Sokov, aka “Johnny Ladd.” As explored in Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey’s Alan Scott: The Green Lantern miniseries, Alan never stopped loving “Johnny,” despite learning his sinister plans during the Second World War.
In Lemire’s story, Alan’s complex relationship with “Johnny” is manifesting in his desire to still help the latter’s daughter in a way that goes above and beyond Helena Wayne’s desire to rehabilitate her. With the latter no longer with the JSA and stuck outside of time and space due to the events of Justice League: Dark Tomorrow, Alan shows legitimate concern for Ruby’s sudden heel turn. This isn’t just captured in Lemire’s writing of the two characters, but also through Olortegui’s pencils.
More specifically, Olortegui succinctly captures the regret both characters are experiencing through their facial expressions for the decisions they made separately. Olortegui shows that some part of Ruby regrets betraying the JSA as part of her quest to find her missing father, and Alan is seemingly regretting not doing enough to help her. This is especially likely since he originally rejected the Huntress’ desire to recruit Ruby to the team in Justice Society of America #8.
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Another relationship Lemire and Olortegui explores in-depth in the earlier pages of JSA #11 is the crumbling marriage between Rick Tyler and Jesse Quick. Like Ruby and Alan, Lemire and Olortegui also present Jesse and Rick as two emotionally complex individuals who don’t know how to address the problems in their marriage. Rick very clearly wants to stay with Jesse, but the latter isn’t sure she’s still in love with Rick like she was in the past. The emotional depth of these two characters is best captured by Olortegui art, who emphasizes Rick’s sadness over the possibility of losing his marriage, and Jesse’s regret over hurting him. Olortegui’s art also speaks to the strength of Lemire’s script.
The only drawback to the Jesse and Rick sub arc is that it feels like a storyline better suited for a miniseries, and not the main JSA storyline that sees the team fighting the Injustice Society. In that regard, this sub arc feels completely out of place. The only other drawback to Lemire exploring this relationship in-depth is that it requires readers to already be familiar with the two heroes’ storyline from the JSA run of the 2000s. For fans already familiar with how these two characters were developed two decades ago, this feels like a continuation of their story. But for readers who jumped on with no prior knowledge to their development from two decades ago, their suddenly having marital problems may feel out of the blue, especially if they also read Absolute Power.
Though not really climactic for a penultimate issue, Lemire and Olortegui still compensate for the lack of a major shakeup by continuing to focus on the characters who are the driving force of the JSA. Lemire and Olortegui don’t just limit this to the heroes themselves, but also their villains. Both creators do an exceptional job at showing how the villains’ actions inform their own growth, and those of the heroes they fight. While the storyline is not likely to end with an epic battle, this ultimately won’t matter because the strength of “Ragnarök” is not the destination itself, but the actual journey.
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