I’ve only seen a glimpse of DC Comics’ latest villain team, but I’m all for the new villains that are filling its ranks. DC’s upcoming All In initiative is bringing back a lot of fan favorites, including the Justice Society of America. But the legendary team is about to face off against some familiar faces we’ve only just met.
Like every other huge DC fan, I’m eagerly waiting for DC All In to start. I was there at Comic-Con when the publisher announced the return of the JSA and November’s solicitations gave us an in-depth look at the team’s brand-new series.
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JSA #1 (2024) |
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Release Date: |
November 6th, 2024 |
Writer: |
Jeff Lemire |
Artist: |
Diego Olortegui |
Cover Artist: |
Diego Olortegui |
Variant Covers: |
Cully Hamner, Travis Mercer, Jeff Lemire, Sweeney Boo, and John K. Snyder III. |
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Long-time fan favorite characters Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Jade, Obsidian, Jesse Quick, Hourman, Ted Grant, and Sandman are all back on the roster as DC’s first super team faces their greatest and most personal challenge yet. Will golden age ideals hold true in a world recovering from the events of Absolute Power? Or do they need a more hardcore approach to stand a chance against the new Injustice Society of America? |
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While I was happy to see my favorite Golden Age heroes again, I was even more interested in seeing their villains on Cully Hamner’s variant for JSA #1. Classic foes like Johnny Sorrow and Solomon Grundy are there, but to my surprise, the Fog, Doctor Elemental, and the Red Lantern Ruby are with the Injustice Society as well.
DC’s New Golden Age Villains Unite to Oppose the Justice Society
As someone who appreciates the DCU’s old guard, I was excited when the publisher revealed its JSA-centric push, the New Golden Age. The initiative included three miniseries focusing on Wesley Dodds, Alan Scott, and Jay Garrick. These stories, set in both the past and present DCU introduced fans to new aspects of these heroes, including villains we’d never seen. There was the Sandman’s twisted opposite, the Fog, or Doctor Elemental, the mad scientist who gave Flash his powers. These new foes were fantastic additions to the Justice Society’s mythologies and I couldn’t wait to see where they popped up next.
The Injustice Society is a natural place to put the JSA’s new enemies, though I am a bit confused as to how they all get there. Elemental, I understand since he was seemingly recruited by an unknown figure at the end of the Jay Garrick miniseries. As for the Fog, he fell from a building in Sandman’s story, but even if he survived, he’d be ancient by now. Not to mention, the Justice Society is trying to redeem Ruby in the current JSA series, so I’m quite curious to see how she ends up with the Injustice Society.
The JSA Has Exciting New Villains for Its New Era
More than anything else, I’m just happy to see the Injustice Society is mixing it up with new and old villains. There’s no reason to get rid of the JSA’s more notable antagonists, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t see more from their newer villains. Assuming this is the actual Injustice Society lineup, this is a great collection of villains who can challenge the heroic team we all know and love. I don’t know how these new DC Universe villains are with group dynamics, but I can’t wait to see them in action.
JSA #1 is available on November 6th, 2024.
