JSA #2: Juggling Act

DC is having a wonderful year with plenty of new titles and initiatives to engage readers. With so many new things being introduced, one would assume there would be a shift away from long-established teams like the JSA and even the JLA. However, with last month’s JSA #1 and this month’s Justice League Unlimited #1, DC showed that they are leaning into fan-favorite elements while completely mixing things up. With JSA #2, Jeff Lemire isn’t ignoring the history behind one of comics’ most beloved teams, and in some ways, he is attempting to break through the barriers of time to reach new readers. Everything from Lemire’s writing to Diego Olortegui’s art, Luis Guerrero’s colors, and Steve Wands’ lettering have found a sweet spot balancing the Golden Age hallmarks with contemporary elements and characters. Lemire’s writing ensures a steady pacing that doesn’t lose the reader despite a time jump and various locations. With so many locations and characters, a book like this can be intimidating, but Lemire leans into a certain type of writing that naturally establishes context without the overuse of narration.

Diego Olortegui’s art keeps up with the pacing and does a wonderful job of balancing fun visuals and iconic character design with some horror elements. These elements range from the mildly unsettling opening of a room of floating people to Hawkman and Hawkgirl having an all-out battle against beasts in Hell. Luis Guerrero’s colors work well with Olortegui’s art. These characters have some iconic looks and colors but both artists deliver a sense of modernity while retaining the sense of legacy and influence that some of these characters have. The creative team is on the same page with this issue. Large teams can be confusing for creatives and readers alike. It is even acknowledged, “It’s a huge team… we can’t all be everywhere at once.” Lemire’s writing keeps the roster organized and trimmed while still maintaining the sense of scale, and the art knocks it out of the park doing this visually for the reader. Steve Wands’ lettering links Lemire’s writing and the art from Olortegui and Guerrero. Things move quickly and while Lemire gives just enough context in dialogue, the lettering also gives the art room to breathe and be taken in on its own by the reader.