Let me start by saying I want to thank Mike and Chedy for allowing me to bring my special brand of blogging to the pages of TCGplayer as a featured blogger. Darkseid Revenge will still remain intact, but I will be contributing writings here TCGplayer as well. If you love Darkseid Revenge I look forward to providing the same comic book reviews and card related source material as best as possible. Hopefully we can snag in some more players and give Versus that infusion needed for the player base.

My first comic book review for TCGplayer, Justice Society of America, JSA #15!



Geoff Johns helms this new iteration of a DC dynasty, the JSA. Yes, the JSA may not be as popular as the Justice League of America, but as we saw in DCR I guarantee you this team is not without their own perennial powerhouses. If Geoff Johns is not enough to grab your attention, how about artwork by Alex Ross? Alex Ross will be taking the helm of some of the interior artwork in JSA #16 in order to tell the origins of Gog. Sounds like you better pick up Justice Society of America #16 if you’re an Alex Ross fan. Dale Eaglesham is on full-time status for the series though and his artwork is just as great so don’t feel like you are getting anything less than Alex Ross, ok not just as great, but it is definitely good.



The JSA story has just begun to ramp up so joining in on the series at this point would be great. Up to this point the majority of the story dealt with introducing the readers to the characters and the team. Geoff Johns has spent a great deal of time defining the JSA from the JLA and making the series more than just series of Arc’s for the team, choosing instead to focus on the characters themselves and defining each. The task would seem difficult given that many of the heroes are counterparts to fan favorites on the JLA and that the team is so huge, but he does his job well. Superman of Earth 2 is on the team in the flesh acting as a guiding force to prevent Earth’s heroes from falling victim to the same fate his Earth’s heroes did at the hands of Gog. Power Girl is a member of the team, along with Alan Scott and Jay Garrick, incarnations of the Green Lantern and the Flash.



The team is rounded out with a number of heroes that we saw in the Versus DCR set and some that we didn’t get to see representing the team; Mister Terrific, Liberty Belle, Hourman, Stargirl, Doctor Mid-Nite, Damage, Starman, Hawkman, Obsidian, Mr. America, Jakeem Thunder, Judomaster, Lightning, LCpl David Reid and more. There is definitely enough for us to consider using for fantasy cards and a re-feature of the team in any DC sets that may come in the future.



The entire story thus far has been readying readers for the current story arc which is the introduction of the “Third World Gods” and the reveal of “Gog.” In the previous issues we saw Magog running rampant killing off those whom “he” believed were impersonating Gods. Magog was doing so in the name of Gog, it really seemed more like a pre-emptive strike now that I look back on it and gear my mind up for JSA #16. The confrontation with the JSA began because of Superman, who Magog believed to be impersonating the savior of the people. The confrontation between the JSA and Magog in JSA #14 was okay, but kind of confusing. I mean it was depicted very well, but made little sense to me with all the power houses on the team.

I mean we had Superman and Power Girl, Green Lantern and Obsidian, Jay Garrick and Mr. Terrific who were really doling out some damage, but seemingly getting their collective butts handed to them by one pretender, a herald, Magog. I mean I would understand if this was the actual Gog, but this is Magog. Either way the panels were okay in Issue #14, they improved in this issue as we begin to see the JSA winning against the single foe. Magog is defeated in a very round about way, which gives rise to Gog who states he is there on Earth in peace. He really isn’t defeated by the JSA, instead he is absorbed by the real Gog, which kind of begs the question, who was he getting his orders from if Gog supposedly is there in peace?

The most exciting moments in the issue are when Sandman makes his appearances in the panels. The artwork on these panels has a real big appeal to me as a reader. Sandman’s almost enigmatic character also adds to the mystery of Gog’s appearance. Up to this point the readers have been led to believe in the great Gog as a villain, but what we see is very different that Earth-2 Superman’s foretelling.

Toward the end of the issue Geoff Johns drops some teasers the one of the most interest to me involves a reunited Black Adam and Isis proclaiming to Hawkman that they are now in control of The Rock of Eternity. It’s interesting mainly because Isis is supposed to be dead and Shazam is supposed to be in control of the Rock of Eternity. Any time the Rock of Eternity is involved you know that Captain Marvel and Shazam have to play some part along with the Shadowpact. Along with this teaser we see a telling of a death in the JSA series, whom or what is unknown, but it is definitely a male. If you want some Alex Ross inspired preview art, then look at the panels where he illustrates his character Magog character wonderfully. Alex Ross is really a genius with a pencil and inks.

Jack Kirby is definitely receiving a lot of a love lately in DC. 52 and Countdown pretty much dealt with the ending of his Fourth World mythology and now we get a twist into the Third World gods. Kirby has been responsible for creating so much in the comic industry it is hard to believe his reach wouldn’t extend into just about every title we read today.