By Geoff Johns, Keith Champagne & Don Kramer (DC Comics)
ISBN 1-84576-347-5
As the company readied itself for the massive shake-up generated by the Infinite Crisis crossover, some DC titles experienced an unfortunate decline in quality, and none more so than the once excellent JSA. Although initially a worthy continuation of that landmark concept which was the foundation of all superhero teams, by the time of this collection (reprinting issues #76-81 of the monthly comic) the glorious history and triumphs had been diluted by a kind of thematic “burn-out†as the original world-savers became over-mired in interpersonal dramas. But the real killer wasn’t a lack of story balance: It was that the threatened changes elsewhere seemed to leech the life out of this venerable superhero team by pulling the team in too many directions.
The legal fate of wayward member and accused international criminal Atom Smasher is finally resolved in the first tale, but that’s merely an excuse to introduce the cyborg Omacs (see also The Omac Project ISBN 1-84576-229-0) and the new Suicide Squad into this series, and when the energy based hero Airwave crashes into their HQ seeking reinforcements for a universe shaking catastrophe, the team are alerted to the cosmic component of the Infinite Crisis.
Meanwhile Earth’s magic users are under assault and a small team are dispatched to the Fifth Dimension to rescue Jakeem Thunder and his mystical Thunderbolt, only to become embroiled in a titanic civil war, whilst their own magic members face destruction from super-wizard Mordru in a prelude to Day of Vengeance (ISBN 1-84576-230-4).
This volume concludes with a small personal story of the type that so well counterpoints cosmic epics, as the teenaged Stargirl reconsiders her life with her semi-retired superhero stepfather Pat (Stripesy) Duggan as the Crisis builds around them all.
Despite feeling a bit rushed and convoluted, this is still credible and competent work from writers Geoff Johns and Keith Champagne, and artists Don Kramer, Dale Eaglesham, Jim Fern, David Lopez, Art Thibert, Mick Gray, and Fernando Blanco, although perhaps the piecemeal nature of this beast might deter all but the dedicated fan.
© 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.