Justice Society of America #5 // Review
Bruce's daughter has missed him so much. She doesn't know what to say, so she rushes in to hug him. He's not really ready for it. For one thing, they're on a rooftop, and it's raining. For another thing, she won't be born for a long time. And for another thing--he's Batman. Things get complicated for everyone in Justice Society of America #5. Writer Geoff Johns continues a fun iteration of the Earth One-Earth Two dynamic with the art team of Mikel Janín and Jerry Ordway. Color comes to the page courtesy of Jordie Bellaire and John Kalisz.
The Huntress has just told Batman everything. She has told him about the time-traveling fascist. She's told him about his future marriage to Catwoman. She's even told him how he's going to die. It's a lot to take in. He feels uncomfortable about it. Understandably. Partially because it's a lot to find out about yourself. But mostly because it's really endangering the whole of the universe by telling him as much. She doesn't care. She would risk the universe for him. She is, after all, her father. Which would be difficult for anyone to argue against. Thankfully, he doesn't have to. The Justice Society shows up with a whole bunch of other problems.
The Earth-One/Earth-Two situation is one that's been kicking around the DC Universe for decades now. It's really difficult to do it in a way that feels new and fresh. However, Johns is a genuine fan of the conflict between the two Earths and all over their many crises. The chance to work on this type of story with a very talented artist, Johns knows just what kind of an opportunity he's working with. He delivers some of his best dialogue to the page in a chapter of a story that feels very thoughtfully constructed and well-paced.
Janín and Ordway carry the complexity of the drama to the page in a way that feels strikingly organic. There is no apparent attempt to amplify the intensity of what's going on. The portrayal of a motion in this issue is covered with such deft and intricate hands. When the action comes, it shoots across the page like a bolt of lightning. It's all handled quite brilliantly. Bellaire and Kalisz cast depth and radiance into the action and inspired a sense of style.
In its short run thus far, the new Justice Society is consistently one of the best series that DC has put out in recent memory. We're not tackling anything new. In fact, it's all an echo of an echo of an echo. It's just a really good iteration of themes that have been ricocheting back and forth around DC for a long time. How long these teams have been moving in and around various titles for years, it's kind of impressive that Johns has managed to bring it to the page with an impact that truly seems to fit the concept of the new Golden Age that he's reaching for in his corner of the DC universe.
