Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Justice Society of America #19

By Nathan Madison
October 15, 2008 - 19:24

     Justice Society of America #19 offers the fourth installment in Geoff John's and Alex Ross's “One World Under Gog” arc, a sequel to the early 90's series Kingdom Come, by Ross and writer Mark Waid, which in and of itself took an introspective look at the darker and grittier comics that the early and mid 90s are remembered for. Having just been resurrected by the Third World deity Gog, Lance Corporal David Reid, killed in the last issue, takes the uniform and name of the being that the Superman of Earth-22 (also known as the Kingdom Come Earth) had sworn to prevent from coming into existence; Magog, servant and disciple of Gog.

     Over the course of the issue, sides are chosen within the ranks of the Justice Society, with Hawkman and Magog, leading some of the JSA's newer recruits, who see Gog as the answer to all the world's ills; Superman-22, the Flash and the Green Lantern, on the other hand, lead the rest of the team (with Superman recalling his own experiences with Magog on his Earth, and the Flash and Green Lantern not approving of some of the "verdicts" Gog has handed down to those he considered evil) and stand in defiance of Gog's (and his recent followers') attempts to continue move forward with Gog's "miracles". While a battle begins to take shape, Magog creates a vortex of some kind, which shunts his opponents back to the JSA Brownstone, at which time the Bleed between the Multiverse rips open, using Starman as a conduit, and a disorientated Power Girl (sent to her "home" of Earth-2 by Gog several issues earlier) collapses into the arms of the Flash, with the Justice Society Infinity (also of Earth-2) following in hot pursuit.

 

            Geoff John's writing is superb, and is only aided by the addition of Alex Ross. The reverence of Geoff Johns for the Kingdom Come story, as well as Ross's care to preserve it, as one of its original creators, comes through in the story. For anyone who read Kingdom Come, the manifestation of this new Magog is something to send shivers down the spine; for those not acquainted with the original Ross-Waid masterpiece, John's capacity to display Superman-22's dismay at the recent turn of events aids in creating the same sense of foreboding and dread as to what is to transpire. Jerry Ordway pencils a few pages in this issue (as well as the entire Justice Society of America Annual #1, which took place on Earth-2), and his addition is a fantastic and appropriate reminder of his run on his 1980's Earth-2-centric All-Star Squadron. Asking Ordway to do such work was not necessary, but it demonstrates the writer's appreciation of what came before, and is more than welcomed by any longtime DC fan. As far as the majority of the artwork is concerned, Dale Eaglesham continues to provide excellent illustration, including his ability to recreate Ross's Superman of Earth-22, and make him actually look and feel like the same character from Kingdom Come, so many years ago, as opposed to drawing "just another Superman."

            Some could offer the complaint that the story relies to heavily on the reader having a decent understanding of Kingdom Come and, on some levels, the pre- Crisis on Infinite Earths Multiverse; as stated before however, the writing in this book creates an atmosphere where such knowledge is rewarded, but is in no-way required to fully enjoy the work.

 

            Johns, Ross and Eaglesham and everyone else associated with this book continue to provide an excellent series that has been rolling forward since Issue #1, bringing about a mix of both the best of the past, and an interesting insight into the future of the series, and shows no signs of slowing down, in either presenting non-stop action or an engaging and in-depth story, anytime soon.

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12