Customer Reviews

JSA: All Stars

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I really liked this book. A short story w/ a unique creative team on one golden age JSA member followed by (or preceded by, in some cases) a short story about their modern incarnation. The book is a sampler platter for all kinds of talent. Geoff Johns does most of the writing but all the writer/pencil teams are great including a cool Golden Age Hawkman story by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale. I enjoyed every story, some a great deal. My favorite is the story featuring the modern Doctor Mid-Nite. A great read not just for JSA fans, but any fan of the genre.

The concept of the JSA alone has hooked me since I first read them under Goyer and Johns. The legacy characters were always interesting and that's exactly what this trade deals with. All the writers here, especially Geoff Johns understands the team so well. I really love the passion and knowledge that he has for these characters. The art was almost amazing throughout with only a few lapses. The thing that holds this back is the overall plot that seems a little too goofy. Its hard to take a threat serious when the best idea to save your team is to take a time out. Overall, a good solid character driven piece with some action thrown in as long as you don't take the book too serious.

The JSA holds an odd place in the DC pantheon. It is torn between the place for young heroes to learn and develop while at the same time a place for older heroes to serve as mentors and role models. The various writers of the JSA are often caught between conflicting impulses and often seem enthralled by the JSA's storied tradition but often entrapped by it. In this volume, which collects the first issues of the old JSA All Stars line, the writers overcome these tensions by focusing on the personal demons and inner conflicts of the modern members while looking back at the Golden Age heroes. While the book ends on a very predictable note, the various writers involved were able to invoke how the JSA legacy was formed and how it has influenced the modern heroes. Be warned. This comic collection is not for everyone since plot and action take a back seat to character development. Still, fans of the DC universe will enjoy this solid work.

One at a time, thanks.


JSA All-Stars is a collection of stories that are vignettes about one of the characters in the Justice Society of American per issue. While there are a few interesting points, this is generally pretty mundane stuff and nothing you need to seek out.