Justice Society of America #1: The past is prologue, and the future is still unwritten…

It is the first issue of the… real? Justice Society of America, and as with the New Golden Age one-shot from earlier this month, the story likes to jump around the decades, but the majority of the story takes place thirty-one years from now, with the focus on Helena Wayne, aka the original Huntress, aka the daughter of Earth Two’s Batman and Catwoman, and the Society that’s operating in the future. It’s an interesting cast that’s being developed in this issue, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store. Especially with the investigation into the Dr. Fate from the future era, and who will be Fate’s next host. 

As stated above, this team is an interesting take on the team, with all of the members having ties to someone that was a part of the original Justice Society, but not how you expected. You’ll see one of the biggest changes in the preview for this issue, when you see Huntress’s sidekick is none other than he who was born on a Monday, Solomon Grundy. Yes, I’ll repeat what I said, Solomon Grundy is a member of the thirty-one years in the future Justice Society, and he’s not the only member from the other side of the tracks. It’s like a villains’ smorgasbord filling the ranks. It’s going to be one heck of a treat as we learn how this team came to be. 

Along with Helena, her best friend, and Justice Society/Infinity Inc. alum, Power Girl is also a member of this new Society, and it’s a welcome sight to see. As I already said, the new members have ties to the past, with most of those ties to former villains, but she’s the original cousin to the Golden Age Superman of Earth Two, and her continued ties to this establishment is like a beacon, a sense of hope that the House of L inspires. It’s also the sense of familiarity, which is evident by all of the other members of the Society. It’s a testament to the past, with an eye towards the future, a trait that has been a consistent hallmark of the JSA for decades. 

Joining Geoff Johns is one of DC’s biggest artist stars, Mikel Janin, who’s joined with past JSA artists, like Scot Kolins, Steve Lieber, and extra special guest legendary artist Jerry Ordway. Janin, whose photorealistic style adds a level of… we’ll call it intrigue that helps with the theme of this story. Like her father, Helena is one of the best detectives in the DC Universe, so to see how she operates here will be a treat to see. While Janin’s handling of the future of the JSA, Ordway takes control of the flashbacks, and it is superb. His mastery of these characters oozes with something that’s unique to this team. Mixing the two styles really adds a lot to this issue. I can’t wait to see what the two will bring as this story unfolds.