In this review of JSA #13, we take a trip back to the 1940s, as the Justice Society gets its start.
JSA #13
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by GAVIN GUIDRY
Main Cover: DAVE JOHNSON
Variant Cover: JORGE CORONA
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 11/5/25
This review contains spoilers
JSA #13 kicks off with a bit of an overview, showing the JSA members in their daily lives (preparing for an expedition, teaching a class, preparing for a bit of investigation…). It’s also mentioned that there’s a contract between Tyler Chemical and Starco Labs that could lead to something major.
The scene settles into Gotham City for a bit, as Alan Scott arrives at a restaurant to catch up with his old friend Gordon. The conversation turns to the Starco/Tyler contract, and Gordon seems a bit paranoid/distracted. He tries to brush it off as mere overwork, but then expresses concern about Starco’s reach before taking off.
At Starco Labs, it’s shown that the distrust of Starco isn’t limited to just one or two people. Hourman has shown up to check the place out, having gotten very suspicious of the place. As he investigates, he finds an unconscious man and an indication that someone else had gotten a similar idea to him. Turns out Sandman has also come by to investigate, and together they find…a body.
Meanwhile, near the Ecuadorian/Pervuvian border, Shiera and Carter Hall are checking the map given to them by Kent Nelson. They have their misgivings about it, but if it gets them what they’re looking for… At some point, Sportsmaster shoots at them, and Shiera chases him down, only to find herself trapped.
In Keystone City, Jay Garrick meets Johnny Thunder, who seems to know a little too much about him being The Flash. He tries to introduce Jay to his own powers, but is brushed off.
Back in Gotham, we come upon The Atom, who has broken up a little get-together of Nazis. He reflects on the different facets of humanity, as we get glimpses of the major players of the story again. Alan is going to check up on Gordon…only to find that he’s been stabbed. And that’s where it ends this time around.
So, JSA #13 going back to the origins of the team is kind of a cool choice thus far into the run. It gives the reader a little bit of a breather after the sheer Lovecraftian madness that came beforehand. Going from potential world-ending eldritch abominations to a possible conspiracy and murder mystery in the 1940s is a bit of a shift, and it’s definitely got me curious as to how things will play out.
The Starco group’s reach had been brought up at some point in the comic, and I’m wondering just how many tentacles they have in things, here. It’d be very surprising if they’re not responsible for Gordon’s murder, given his misgivings about them and his paranoia that turned out to be correct. But I’m wondering about ties between them and the Nazis (since it’s clear that there’s something shady-as-hell about Starco, and it doesn’t get much shadier than that). Of course, there are also different levels of evil, so it’s also possible that they’re a very slightly lighter shade of gray, morality-wise.
But there’s also the matter of the expedition that Carter and Shiera are on. They’re a bit suspicious about that map, about why Kent hadn’t used it himself. The attack by Sportsmaster and whoever he’s working with feels a bit too well-timed to be random. Finding out that Starco is somehow involved, there, and had set them up to begin with feels plausible, when you have a major group like this with a wide enough reach. Will definitely need to read on further.
Storywise in general, JSA #13 spends just a bit of time with each cluster of characters. It doesn’t dwell on them so long that it gets dull, but at the same time, it spends just enough time to get someone invested and drop a few crumbs to tease what’s next.
The artwork in JSA #13 had a clean, modern touch to it, though the costume designs definitely fit the time period it’s set in. And I’m definitely digging some of the panel compositions. A favorite of mine may have to be the scene where Alan’s doing a wellness check on his friend. We see that steady build-up, where he walks in, his eyes go wide, and just outside of the panels, there’s a slow gradient from white to the green glow of his Lantern ring in the last panel. Then the next page? Full-on Green Lantern transformation, and he’s ready to find some answers, and it’s just really nicely done.
Final Thoughts
JSA #13 provides the start to an intriguing origin story, complete with the promises of conspiracy. A great time to jump in, if you’re new to it. It took a few moments for me to catch onto the swing of things, with it leaping between plot threads, but when I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
