Reviewers: Ben Morse & Matt Morrison
Story Title: Peacemakers (Princes of Darkness Prologue)
Quick Rating: Really Great or 3 Stars out of 5
Written by: David Goyer and Geoff Johns
Pencils by: Leonard Kirk
Inks by: Keith Champagne
Colored by: John Kalisz
Lettered by: Ken Lopez
Separations by: Heroic Age
Editor: Peter Tomansi
Publisher: DC Comics
Ben Morse
After hovering dangerously close to seeming like “just another decent comic book†over the past year or so, JSA once again seemed like JSA again with this issue: something special. The only thing that prevents me from awarding this comic a perfect 10 is that it is only a set up issue for the bigger “Princes of Darkness†story upcoming.
Subplots that have been lingering since the early issues of this series begin to get resolved with this issue. Some people have complained about the number of unresolved plot points that writers David Goyer & Geoff Johns leave hanging in this book, but in my mind, the amount of time they leave them and the number that accumulate only makes issues and storylines like this one, where all questions promise to be answered, all the more exciting and action-packed. It was surprise after surprise that made the first two years of JSA what it was; now, after taking two years off to set up enough new plots to be paid off, “Princes of Darkness†stands poised to be Goyer & Johns’ coup de grace.
Leonard Kirk’s art has become a fluid and natural fit for JSA. It’s not a matter of comparing him and previous artist Steve Sadowski; both Kirk & Sadowski have unique styles and a lot of talent, and both have been perfect for this book. Inker Keith Champagne also deserves credit, as the use of black space in this issue is significant.
The real highlight of this issue is the rejuvenation of a classic DC villain in Kobra. Goyer & Johns have both defined themselves with their ability in this book to redeem characters thought beyond redemption (Hawkman stands out, but one could also include Mordru, Mr. Terrific, Dr. Mid-Nite, Captain Marvel, Black Adam, Atom-Smasher, and more); Johns in particular, with his work on The Flash, has shown a special propensity for breathing new life into old villains. Kobra has been portrayed for years in the DC universe as a ruthless terrorist with not much else to him. Basically, whenever a book like JLA or Deathstroke needed a catalyst for a hostage or international relations story, Kobra was there. But in this issue, not only do Goyer & Johns expand on his motivation and make him that much more real, they show him with a confidence and grace that has me anxious for them or other writers to pick up the ball with this character.
Various cast members get a chance to shine with only a few lines in this issue; Sentinel & Flash get set to play a major role in the upcoming storyline, after sitting on the sidelines for a bit, while Dr. Fate & Atom Smasher both get some long-awaited expansion of their characters, and Power Girl & Hawkman get some great lines as well. The set up for some exciting guest stars and some surprising villains has me counting the days until “Princes of Darknessâ€; JSA is back…again!
Matt Morrison
After nearly four years, JSA has gone from being a fringe book for classicists to an award-winning, high-selling favorite of fans and critics alike. The characterization is always top-notch. The art is equally splendid. So a review of this book should be a pretty basic 10/10, right?
Well… not so much.
I love this book. No question of that. But with Geoff Johns starting his final arc on the book, he is taking this chance to close all the subplots opened up over the last few years. And here in lies the problem with this book as a single story. Alone by itself, the story is a confusing muddling mess. As part of the larger JSA continuity for those, like me, who have been reading since the beginning, it’s great.
In these days when it seems more and more books are giving up past continuity in favor of more dramatic storytelling (The X-Men books spring to mind), it is rare to see a book that revels in a comic company’s past. It is even more rare to have one like JSA, which tells a good story in spite of the past details and not because of it. However, I can only imagine how hard it must be for the casual comic reader to keep up with all the subplots in this book. Aside from various references to long dead heroes by their real names instead of costumed identities and long-over Big Company Crossovers (Hope you’ve read Eclipso and Armageddon 2001, kids), there are whole other subplots continuing from the book’s 44 previous issues. Among SOME of those treats; Doctor Fate’s search for his long lost wife, a mysterious woman shadowing Wildcat, the trial of a super villain for crimes in a past issue and increasing tensions between some team members over the role of a hero.
My advice to you all is this: If you’ve heard about JSA and want to take a peak at it, try picking up one of the trade paperbacks this week. The first 25 issues are available in this format and well worth reading. But this is a bad month to try and start reading this great book.
Ben’s rating: 9.5
Matt’s rating: 6
