In this review of JSA #6, Flash, Green Lantern, Wildcat, the Hawks and Dr. Fate along with the new Kid Eternity have been sent to the Tower of Fate by a reformed Injustice Society in an attempt by Wotan to separate Dr. Fate from his helmet.
JSA #6
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Diego Olortegui
Main Cover: Cully Hamner
Variant Covers: Sweeney Boo, Ethan Young, Todd Nauck
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: April 2, 2025
This review contains spoilers
We are on issue six of this iteration of the JSA and there has been plenty to talk about. While the old timers are trapped trying to find a way home the kids are going through some growing pains. Jade, the new leader, is at odds with half her team, led by her own brother Obsidian. Unbeknownst to them, Obsidian has been captured and replaced by the Injustice Society’s Johnny Sorrow, undermining Jade’s authority and instigating malice. When Beth discovers the truth she too is taken. Obsidian leads Wildcat II and Jesse Quick in an attack against Kobra and when they discover Dr. Mid-Nite’s bloody uniform, Yolanda loses control and kills a Kobra flunky.
Meanwhile, at the Tower of Fate, things are not going any smoother. Hawkman has been captured by Wotan’s demons and he and Kendra, along with Kid Eternity become separated from the rest of the group defending the Tower. Flash is trying to find the door out while Green Lantern and Wildcat protect Dr. Fate fending off the forces of Wotan (I told you, there’s a lot going on!). Finally, with Dr. Mid-Nite having escaped and time running short, the Injustice Society launches an all-out attack on the Tower dealing the JSA a devastating blow. Accomplishing their goal Wotan sends the JSA home to lick their wounds, face their consequences and bury an old friend.
Analysis
I’ve been a fan of the JSA for years, including the All-Star Squadron and Infinity Inc. iterations so I was looking forward to this title especially with Jeff Lemire doing the writing. I also like this particular lineup (although I would like to see some of the silver age kids recently brought back explored a bit as well), we get a good mixture of the old and the new. Lemire has a good grasp on the characters he’s chosen and moving into this sixth issue things have been moving along at a pretty decent pace. The two separate teams contrast nicely, with the old-timers operating as a well-oiled machine and the youngsters full of internal angst and conflict, mostly spurred on by Obsidian’s subterfuge. I look forward to the revelations that are going to come out of this conflict when they finally discover it. Everyone has their moments and the story and the characters are all balanced, not an easy feat with such a large cast.
The art is good, it does its job and helps tell the story and there are times when Olortegui does an excellent job expressing characters emotions, particularly with the eyes. I think his best work is done with the Hawks (who are curiously absent in this issue). There are a few scenes and panels that could be considered “epic” both in scope and circumstance and he handles those well also. Having said that, there is something I can’t put my finger on, that keeps me from calling the art excellent.
Six issues in it looks like the series has reached a point where it needs to take a pause and regroup, much like the team itself. I look forward to things ramping up significantly after that because, without giving anything away, there is a lot they are going to have to deal with going forward.
Final Thoughts
JSA #6 may not be the best place to jump into the series if you haven’t already but I think Issue 7 may offer a good spot to that. However, if you have been reading the series I imagine you are as excited as I am to see where the story goes from here.
