Customer Reviews

JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't care what it takes -- get David Goyer and Geoff Johns writing the regular Justice League monthly comic RIGHT NOW.

Goyer and Johns already are the regular writers on JSA -- the Justice Society of America. For superhero neophytes, here it is in a nutshell -- the JSA were the first superhero team ever. These days it is comprised of elder statesmen like the original Flash, Green Lantern and Wildcat guiding younger second-generation heroes like the new Star-Spangled Kid and Mr. Terrific. The JLA made up of the current superhero top dogs, featuring Superman, Batman, the current Flash and GL and the like. In this tale the two teams gather for what they hope will become a Thanksgiving tradition, only to have their celebration thrown into turmoil when members of the two teams are possessed by the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man. (You've heard of `em, right? Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Pride, Envy and Greed?) The possessed members dispatch their teammates and go on a rampage, leaving the others to try to free themselves, save their friends and find out who's behind this madness.

While a knowledge of DC Comics continuity helps, it is by no means a necessity to read this book. Goyer and Johns have written brilliant interpretations of the JSA for years now, and in this book they prove they can handle the JLA as well. Not only that, they can balance the two teams, giving each hero his or her moment in the sun, and utilize and develop not one, but three villains (not counting the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man) in a story worthy of the best these teams have to offer.

The artwork by Carlos Pacheco is brilliant. Superman looks strong, Captain Marvel looks innocent, every hero and heroine is perfect, and the double-page spread near the climax of the reunited heroes storming into battle is something I'd frame and hang on any wall.

This book is the best these heroes have been treated in years. Here's hoping Goyer, Johns and Pacheco grace us with another one soon.

This story, featuring a much-desired crossover between the post-Crisis JSA and JLA, would have definitely benefitted from an extra 40 or so pages. It's fairly complex, packing the two super-teams and several villains into one 96-page hardcover.
I always have mixed feelings about these hardcovers, as they usually have too much story for such little space. The action moves along lickety-split with huge amounts of plot and exposition left to the reader's imagination. Scenes change with almost no order, and the progression is very rushed. As a result, you end up with a book that can be finished fairly quickly, not living up to the cover price.

The premise is interesting to me, particularly because it involves the Shazam mythos to a large degree, and I guess Goyer does a serviceable job with the space he was given. The trip into Dr. Fate's Tower and the return of the JSA to Limbo were well-done. Plus, there are several good bits of humor, such as the confrontation between Firestorm and Johnny Sorrow. And even though Plastic Man's modern interpretation annoys me, he is written fairly well. Pacheco's artwork is beautiful as always, and I love seeing him try his hand at illustrating these two teams.

In short, this easily could have been a limited series, expanding on the story and providing more detail (plus more Pacheco artwork... oh well).

I've been a fan of both Goyer and Johns for quite awhile but this wasn't my favorite story. With so many charcaters between the two teams, there just weren't enough pages to flesh out who these guys are and why this story matters. The resolution to the conflict was too easy and Pacheco'a art got pretty sloppy at times. Just an okay read.

It's Thanksgiving, and the members of the Justice League and the Justice Society, DC's two premier super-teams, are getting together to compare notes and beome more acquainted. But without warning seven of the gathered heroes seem to go out of their minds, turning first on their teammates and then upon the rest of the unsuspecting world. Can the shellshocked remnants of the two super-groups put the pieces of the puzzle together before it's too late?

For years, comics fans savored the annual crossover between the JLA and the JSA, and VIRTUE AND VICE revives that tradition in winning style. The back cover promises the reader "one epic adventure", and the plot doesn't disappoint. The script (courtesy of David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns) not only delivers the goods in terms of action and excitement (cloaked in a little mystery), but also succeeds in showcasing the myriad personalites of all the various superheroes involved. Though Superman and Sentinel (the original Green Lantern) emerge as their teams' primary representatives, none of the major players get short shrift: Captain Marvel is wise and powerful, Batman cool and brooding even at Thanksgiving dinner, Atom shows why he's a giant at any size, and Power Girl...well, Power Girl gets to strut her stuff and remind us all why she's always been so much more fun than Supergirl.

The artwork is brilliant, thanks to the pencils of Carlos Pacheco and the inks of Jesus Merino, with a particularly awesome two-page splash near the story's climax that would make a great poster. The eventual revelation of the villains behind all the mayhem may not be a real shocker to longtime fans of either team, but it makes sense and culminates in a major battle royal that throws out all the stops.

VIRTUE AND VICE is a great comic book story that I heartily recommend to any fan, old or young. It's got superheroes at their best, struggling to rise above their worst, and villains you love to hate. What more could you ask for?

I'll admit that my review of this book is probably colored by the fact that I read the two volumes of "Crisis of Multiple Earths" back-to-back before reading this one. The two "Crisis" volumes collect the justly-classic JLA/JSA crossovers from 1960 to 1970 reminding younger readers about the annual events of the two groups meetings in the Silver Age. All that however, ended in 1985 with Crisis on Infinite Earths. This present volume by Geoff Johns, David Goyer, Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino attempts to revive that grand tradition.

The current members of both teams JLA and JSA decide to meet for Thanksgiving, they take down a villain together and end up in another meeting at the JSA Museum. This is where everything goes crazy! Team members started acting all weird... suffice to say, events take on a global-cataclysmic-level and the "still-normal" members of both teams are thrown all over the place (Limbo, Fate's Crossroads Tower, etc.). They then brought in all the "reserve members" like Black Canary, Green Arrow, Firestorm, Zatanna, etc. to save the day. So you can imagine the number of characters artists Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino have to draw! And boy did they do a bang-up job with the art. Detailed, yet clear. Clean-lines, realistic renderings of hair, clothing, wrinkles, etc. yet with a Byrne-like sense of cartooning fun. As for the writing, I would say that Goyer and Johns do far better-writing on their monthly JSA title than here. Sure, there are many "cool character-moments" and the threat here is big but nothing like the kind of energy you get from their monthly title. Like another reviewer mention, this story is good but not great. My advice, get it in softcover rather than hardcover. The paper quality in the softcover is very good (unlike the usually very-thin paper used in other DC collections). But GET it, nonetheless. This book marks a return to the great annual tradition of JLA/JSA meetings... and I say it's about time!

During a Thanksgiving Day celebratory get-together of the JLA and the JSA, chaos erupts when seven of the superheroes launch a surprise attack on the rest. With the JLA and JSA scattered and reeling, it's up to the others to find out who or what is behind all this. It's superhero versus superhero with no holds barred!

This is a very good DC story. Admittedly, the whole "entity takes over superhero's mind" has become a bit of a cliché, but I thought that the story was well written, with lots of action and adventure, and excellent illustration work. My ten-year-old son and I both loved this book, and highly recommend it to you.

This book combines the art of Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino (Penciler and Inker respectively) and the writing talents of David Goyer and Geoff Johns. With that said I shouldn't have to write this review...but I will anyway. This story combines the powerhouse legends of the Golden Age with the mightiest superheroes of the Silver Age with a Modern twist. It adds depth to a hero that was lacking alot of personality (Captain Marvel), and shows how to beat the world's best superheroes. If you like the JSA or the JLA BUY THIS BOOK! On top of everything else, this book was originally offered only in hardcover. Now it is in softcover so you have no excuses.

Starsayr

Here's a Geoff Johns story that teams up two teams - the JSA and JLA - and though the story starts as a Thanksgiving tale, this is quickly dropped (unfortunately) for the more exciting and interesting action team-up to follow.

I was disappointed in no further development of the Thanksgiving angle (think of Power-Girl serving dumplings, LOL) and we dive right into the world suddenly going crazy. And several of our Justice League and Justice Society members go crazy. How crazy? Each is taken over by the demons of the 7 deadly sins (yeah, Power-Girl is Lust - she gives tongue to Superman - not exciting, LOL) and really beat the crap out of the other members.

Some allusion is made to the earlier Justice League story, Tower of Babel (a much better story, by the way). The best thing about the story is the action - Despero, Mr. Sorrow and some Apokolips guy get involved and most of the world goes psychotic, with a middle eye in their foreheads.

The art is not the best, and it's hard to follow the story at times - not one of Johns' best stories. But what's good about it is Luthor, some type of conspiracy theory, and enough magic and demon action to satisfy all those Dr. Fate and Zatanna fans out there.

Get this used or at the library!

Better:

JLA (Book 7): Tower of Babel

the item was a little bit messed up on the corners but other than that i am satified with my purchase.

Unlike Golden Age crossovers which dealt with Earth 1 and 2, this crossover between the two super justice teams does not need any sort of bizarre extra-dimensional rift. They are just getting together for dinner. Batman and Mr. Terrefic have the best conversations and it is a story that shold translate for years to come.

The art is also top-notch. I recommend this book higly.