Saturday, February 13, 2010

JSA All-Stars #3

More and more, the idea to split the JSA into two comics seems like a bad idea. Or half a bad idea.

The original title, Justice Society of America, seems to be cooking along just fine, but the spinoff comic, JSA All-Stars, seems to be missing the mark badly.

Last issue revealed the big bad guy targeting the JSA as the supernatural villain Johnny Sorrow. The team decides to create a strategy so they'll be ready to fight Sorrow and his team of bad guys the next time they meet.

And in this issue - they train. And argue. And fight each other. And fight some more. And then the issue ends, with zero advancement of the plot. All these great characters, and the creative team can't think of anything for them to do except bicker?

The art by Freddie William II isn't bad, but it doesn't seem suited to this title. It has a slight cartoonish look to it, the panels seem very disjointed and unconnected, and some of the fight sequences are just clumsy. And why is Power Girl wearing a different costume from the one she has in her own comic? Shouldn't that be the standard?

The backup story with Liberty Belle and Hourman is even worse. The Jen Van Meter story has the duo chasing a pair of super-villains who are after a book for some reason - darned if I can remember why. They meet, they fight, they escape. Who cares?

Nice art by Travis Moore, though, with a slick, solid superhero style.

I love the JSA, but this comic just seems unnecessary.

Grade: C-

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