related_results_labels_thumbs({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-12-28T10:40:03.057-06:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Collected Editions"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks, graphic novels, and collected editions -- featuring trade paperback reviews, commentaries, discount comic book alerts, comic book news, and the occasional scoop."},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/-/Justice+Society+of+America?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d10"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/search/label/Justice%20Society%20of%20America"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/-/Justice+Society+of+America/-/Justice+Society+of+America?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d11\u0026max-results\u003d10"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"18"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"10"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-1136074058495464676"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-09T08:02:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-09T08:02:00.903-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Society of America"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Review: Justice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come Vol. 3 hardcover/paperback (DC Comics)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401221661?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1401221661\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 320px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/Sk-HT2DCBEI/AAAAAAAAA6c/wstDlMkWkHQ/s320/justice-society-america-thy-kingdom-come-3-johns-ross-eaglesham.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"\"id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354647256962303042\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThe third volume of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401221661?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1401221661\"\u003eJustice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come\u003c/a\u003e ends an interesting experiment in trade paperback comics.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs much as has been beneficial about the rise of trade paperback collections, it's also at times been an excuse for writers to pad out shorter storylines to a neat six-issues in order to fill a trade, with done-in-one-trade stories that don't much forward the title's status quo (see recent volumes of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2009/02/review-teen-titans-on-clock-trade.html\"\u003eTeen Titans\u003c/a\u003e).  \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e instead introduces a seemingly new kind of long-form superhero comics, a storyline with a distinct beginning and end, but with a number of digressions along the way and unrelated storylines which weave in and out of the main thread.  At times this is a mini-series, at times these are single issues of \u003ci\u003eJustice Society\u003c/i\u003e -- it's a novel, it's a comic, it's a collage.  I have a sense that what writer Geoff Johns attempts here is wholly new, at least in terms of DC Comics superhero collections.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn a fashion, we could argue, Johns attempts the same thing with \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/search/label/Green%20Lantern?max-results\u003d10\"\u003eGreen Lantern\u003c/a\u003e, as Grant Morrison does with his run on \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/search/label/Batman?max-results\u003d10\"\u003eBatman\u003c/a\u003e.  The difference is that both \u003ci\u003eGreen Lantern/Blackest Night\u003c/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBatman RIP\u003c/i\u003e remain individual storylines among separate-but-connected storylines, whereas \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e is just one storyline at the near unheard-of size of twelve-plus issues.  If anything, perhaps only Johns and James Robinson's open-ended \u003ci\u003eSuperman: New Krypton\u003c/i\u003e story comes close; it remains to be seen how long this storyline will be or to what extent DC Comics will collect it under the \"New Krypton\" bannerhead, but that too may produce connected multiple volumes during its year-or-longer run.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThis is important, I think, because as a trend it would cause a certain equilibrium to enter the trade paperback reading experience.  No longer would trade paperbacks be collections of self-contained storylines on one hand, or a collected series of done-in-one issues on the other.  Instead this kind of long-form storytelling combines the best aspect of monthly comic book collecting (a deepening story that builds over time) with the more sustained reading experience one gets from a trade paperback.  At the outset I felt some frustration that \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e would take three volumes to tell, but in the end I marveled at how each issue and volume stood on its own, but combined to create a massive and involved storyline.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWriter and artist Alex Ross talks at the end of \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e about how the story is not as much a sequel to Ross and Mark Waid's original \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/08/review-kingdom-come-trade-paperback-dc.html\"\u003eKing dom Come\u003c/a\u003e as it is an homage and a \"checking back in\" with the \u003ci\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e characters.  I much prefer thinking about it this way, as the second volume of this series all but drops any ties to \u003ci\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e short of the presence of that series's Superman.  The third volume returns to the subject; though ultimately \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e might've been told without \u003ci\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e at all, Ross and Johns flesh out a couple of the original's scenes, and integrate enough of the new and old in the end that one might almost believe \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdome Come\u003c/i\u003e really fits between the pages of the original.  I for one wouldn't have minded the \u003ci\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e Superman sticking around a while longer, though likely that would cause more confusion for new readers than it would be worth.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAt the center of \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e are Gog and Magog, and I found the latter as fascinating as the former ridiculous.  No reader very well believed Gog would turn out to be the benevolent god he seemed, but his downfall left me shrugging; I was sure that the \"gifts\" he provided had some ulterior motive (restoring Dr. Mid-Nite's sight at the cost of his powers; sending Power Girl to her home universe, except everyone tried to kill her), but it turns out instead that Gog's just a very bad gift-giver.  Gog turns out to be in the end just what he says he was, a god of the Third World buried underground, and ultimately how the Justice Society members fought over Gog's presence was far more interesting than Gog himself.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe new Magog, however, provides one of the most chilling chapters of \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e.  Writer Peter Tomasi steps in for a surprisingly bloody chapter where Magog, former Lance Corporal David Reid, seeks out his captured former unit and takes gory revenge on their captors.  The chapter, which comes right in the middle of this volume of \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e and at a time when much of the Justice Society is at odds with one another, reveals Magog quite nearly as a villain, certainly someone Superman would sooner put in jail than team-up with.  It posits Magog as nearly the Black Adam of the new Justice Society (though he's back, too), a time-bomb waiting to go off, and it's a harrowing example of the powerful digressions \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e contains.  Based on this, I'm not running to read a \u003ca href\u003d\"http://dcublog.dccomics.com/2009/05/28/you-saw-the-teaser-now-some-answers/\"\u003enew \u003ci\u003eMagog\u003c/i\u003e series\u003c/a\u003e, but I'll be curious to see how it goes over.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ciframe src\u003d\"http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026o\u003d1\u0026p\u003d8\u0026l\u003das1\u0026asins\u003d1401221661\u0026fc1\u003d000000\u0026IS2\u003d1\u0026lt1\u003d_blank\u0026m\u003damazon\u0026lc1\u003d0000FF\u0026bc1\u003d000000\u0026bg1\u003dFFFFFF\u0026f\u003difr\" style\u003d\"width:120px;height:240px;float:left; margin-right:7px\" scrolling\u003d\"no\" marginwidth\u003d\"0\" marginheight\u003d\"0\" frameborder\u003d\"0\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003eAnother of \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e's digressions is Power Girl's trip to Earth-2, supposedly her long-lost home until that world's own Power Girl shows up (see \"Gog-the-really-bad-gift-giver\").  Here, Geoff Johns turns DC Comics's revamped Multiverse concept on it's head; Power Girl, we learned in \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2006/12/infinite-crisis-and-infinite-crisis.html\"\u003eInfinite Crisis\u003c/a\u003e, is the last survivor of the Earth-2 that was destroyed  in \u003ci\u003eCrisis on Infinite Earths\u003c/i\u003e, though seemingly at the end of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/06/review-52-volume-4-trade-paperback-dc.html\"\u003e52\u003c/a\u003e Earth-2 returned.  Except, what we come to understand is that the \"new\" Earth-2 isn't the same planet as the old Earth-2, but rather a recreated Earth-2 with its own Power Girl.  Maybe it's better that Power Girl can now see \"our\" Earth as her home, but it seems Johns causes no end of confusion here -- Power Girl is the last survivor of Earth-2 \"but not that Earth-2, the other one.\"  The Earth-2 sequences in this book (with art by Jerry Ordway) are much fun, but I'm stymied as to the story's ultimate purpose.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eGeoff Johns reunites us for a while with the \u003ci\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e Superman in \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e, in a powerful story that shows the depth of the \u003ci\u003eJustice Society\u003c/i\u003e characters even if it winds and rambles and doesn't tie all of its strings quite together.  Ultimately \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e strikes me as nearing what may be the next iteration of trade paperback comics, something that reads more like a series of novels than a collection of comic book issues; I'm curious if anyone else had the same reaction.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e[Contains full covers, character bios and summary section, sketches and thoughts from Alex Ross.]\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eA bunch of new \u003ci\u003eSuperman\u003c/i\u003e reviews coming up!\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e---\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis post was syndicated from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003eCollected Editions\u003c/a\u003e, the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks and collected editions -- reviews, commentaries, low price alerts, news, and the occasional scoop.  Visit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003ecollectededitions.blogspot.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10945794-1136074058495464676?l\u003dcollectededitions.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/1136074058495464676/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-justice-society-of-america-thy_09.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/1136074058495464676"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/1136074058495464676"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-justice-society-of-america-thy_09.html","title":"Review: Justice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come Vol. 3 hardcover/paperback (DC Comics)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02311963573867484833"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/Sk-HT2DCBEI/AAAAAAAAA6c/wstDlMkWkHQ/s72-c/justice-society-america-thy-kingdom-come-3-johns-ross-eaglesham.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-9138524244115902088"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-02T08:02:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-02T08:02:00.958-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Society of America"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Review: Justice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come Vol. 2 hardcover/trade paperback (DC Comics)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401219144?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1401219144\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 320px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/SkfjaEVQIvI/AAAAAAAAA6U/akazgWoR3IA/s320/justice-society-america-thy-kingdom-come-2-johns-ross-eaglesham.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"\"id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352496719132107506\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWhile writers Geoff Johns and Alex Ross, and artist Dale Eaglesham, have created an interesting, visually striking story in their second volume of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401219144?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1401219144\"\u003eJustice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come\u003c/a\u003e, it's a seeming departure from the intended point of this series.  While \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdome Come\u003c/i\u003e part two sees the culmination of Johns intent to make the former JSA into a real justice \"society,\" the aspect of this meant to be a sequel to \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/08/review-kingdom-come-trade-paperback-dc.html\"\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/a\u003e fades away.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eA fun pin-up that Eaglesham includes at the end of this book sports twenty-five Justice Society members, and even the first pages of the book involved Jakeem Thunder and Stargirl discussing how crowded the Justice Society brownstone has become.  Indeed Johns has suceeded in making the Justice Society a real society of heroes (that \"society\" didn't mean the same thing back then as now not withstanding).  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWith so many characters, it's understandable that some of them fall by the wayside -- Thunder, Hourman, and Judomaster, to name a few, while the young Cyclone somehow suddenly manifests a monkey -- but each also has a distinct personality as evinced by Eaglesham's pin-up.  One of my favorites without doubt is the new Amazing-Man, tied to a civil rights legacy; he shines in his success talking with a risen god as a man of faith, when Mr. Terrific fails to communicate using secular means.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIndeed, even as the plot of \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e tends toward the scattered and predictable, what's striking here are the pages upon pages that Johns devotes to discussing the different faiths and philosophies of the characters.  \u003ci\u003eJustice Society\u003c/i\u003e has mildly dealt with the beliefs of Mr. Terrific and Dr. Mid-Nite before, but here the amount of dialogue was akin to Greg Rucka's \u003ci\u003eCheckmate\u003c/i\u003e.  There are full-blown action sequences here, but also a lot of talking and comparing among the heroes, and I welcomed it.  In three volumes, \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e is a decompressed story to be sure, but Johns uses the decompression to give a great amount of depth to the heroes.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ciframe src\u003d\"http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026o\u003d1\u0026p\u003d8\u0026l\u003das1\u0026asins\u003d1401219144\u0026fc1\u003d000000\u0026IS2\u003d1\u0026lt1\u003d_blank\u0026m\u003damazon\u0026lc1\u003d0000FF\u0026bc1\u003d000000\u0026bg1\u003dFFFFFF\u0026f\u003difr\" style\u003d\"width:120px;height:240px;float:left;margin-right:7px\" scrolling\u003d\"no\" marginwidth\u003d\"0\" marginheight\u003d\"0\" frameborder\u003d\"0\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e didn't work for me in two places.  First, Johns replaces the initial villain of the piece with a second villain half-way through, and it has the effect of making many of the events of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/09/review-justice-society-of-america-thy.html\"\u003evolume one\u003c/a\u003e rather unnecessary.  Second, the replacement villain has even fewer ties to the \u003ci\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e Superman that appears here than the first one did; for a story that's supposed to be a sequel to \u003ci\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e, it begins to seem that the only tie between one story and the next is Superman.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFrankly, the initial story was the more interesting to me.  Volume two involves a resurrected god providing wish fulfillment that the reader just knows is going to go wrong.  I enjoyed the Multiverse aspects of this, as the god sends Power Girl to a Jerry Ordway-drawn Earth-2 to meet that world's equivalent of Infinity Inc., but ultimately it seems Johns spends too long suspending a hammer over our heroes heads, pretending it won't drop when we all know it will.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eCertainly in terms of depth and personality, it's no question why \u003ci\u003eJustice Society of America\u003c/i\u003e remains one of the best books on the shelves.  I'm just hoping part three of \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e binds the pieces together better, making the story more than just a frentic superhero romp.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e[Contains full covers, Dale Eaglesham \u003ci\u003eJustice society\u003c/i\u003e pin-up, \"What Came Before\" pages, brief character bios.]\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eCollected Editions is back!  We continue next time with \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e volume three.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e---\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis post was syndicated from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003eCollected Editions\u003c/a\u003e, the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks and collected editions -- reviews, commentaries, low price alerts, news, and the occasional scoop.  Visit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003ecollectededitions.blogspot.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10945794-9138524244115902088?l\u003dcollectededitions.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/9138524244115902088/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-justice-society-of-america-thy.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/9138524244115902088"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/9138524244115902088"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-justice-society-of-america-thy.html","title":"Review: Justice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come Vol. 2 hardcover/trade paperback (DC Comics)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02311963573867484833"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/SkfjaEVQIvI/AAAAAAAAA6U/akazgWoR3IA/s72-c/justice-society-america-thy-kingdom-come-2-johns-ross-eaglesham.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-183623467525298047"},"published":{"$t":"2008-10-20T08:02:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-10-20T08:02:00.657-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Society of America"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Review: JSA Presents: Stars and STRIPE Volume One trade paperback (DC Comics)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401213901?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1401213901\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/SPc22JMp8tI/AAAAAAAAAuo/3itMqWG742k/s320/jsa-presents-stars-stripe-1-johns-moder.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"\"id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257731393788179154\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSeeing Stargirl (nee the Star-Spangled Kid) and S.T.R.I.P.E. jumping out of the bold yellow title page of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401213901?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1401213901\"\u003eJSA Presents: Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.\u003c/a\u003e, I was struck by how long this book has been in coming.  Consider that when the first issue of this comic first hit the stands, Geoff Johns was a virtual comics unknown, Dan DiDio hadn't yet joined DC Editorial, and Hal Jordan was dead.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn his introduction to this volume, Johns waxes on the creation of \u003ci\u003eStars and S.T.R.I.P.E.\u003c/i\u003e much like Paul Levitz does with \u003ci\u003eHuntress: Darknight Detective\u003c/i\u003e: with a bit of cringing, but also with great affection.  Indeed while \u003ci\u003eStars and S.T.R.I.P.E.\u003c/i\u003e has its fits and starts, there's also much to like here, and overall it offers a revealing cross-section of it's era's DC Universe.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWith trademark Johnsian deftness, Geoff Johns sets up the Star-Spangled Kid's origins, her powers, and her motivations all in just the first few pages of this book.  Courtney Whitmore is a regular teenager given powers by the belt of the original Star-Spangled Kid (it's an origin, considering it, that's remarkably similar to another great teen hero, the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle) who superheroes mainly to aggravate her stepfather, the original Stripsey.  The kid's origins aside, Johns moves right in to her conflicts with any number of ever-present super-villains.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eDecompressed, therefore, \u003ci\u003eStars and S.T.R.I.P.E.\u003c/i\u003e is not. Fans of stories done in one or two issues will find much to like here.  And it's also clear that \u003ci\u003eStars and S.T.R.I.P.E.\u003c/i\u003e was not written with a collection in mind; the chapters weave in and out--and reference--Courtney's adventures with the Justice Society and in the Johns-written \u003ci\u003eDay of Vengeance\u003c/i\u003e crossover in ways that will likely confuse fans not familiar with this period in DC Universe history (I'm mildly surprised DC didn't include any explanatory text pages).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe stories vary in quality.  Johns shines, of course, in the interaction between Courtney and her stepfather Pat Dugan, and ultimately it's their relationship that sells the series.  Courtney's battles with some villains, like her opposite number Shiv or the original Star-Spangled Kid's foes Solomon Grundy and the Nebula Man, were riveting in their danger or their use of DC history.  Others, like Courtney's fight with her color-power-driven art teacher, smacked of the kind of high school soap opera silliness that, I think, made me stop buying this book the first time around.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ciframe src\u003d\"http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026o\u003d1\u0026p\u003d8\u0026l\u003das1\u0026asins\u003d1401213901\u0026fc1\u003d000000\u0026IS2\u003d1\u0026lt1\u003d_blank\u0026m\u003damazon\u0026lc1\u003d0000FF\u0026bc1\u003d000000\u0026bg1\u003dFFFFFF\u0026f\u003difr\" style\u003d\"width:120px;height:240px;float:left;margin-right:5px\" scrolling\u003d\"no\" marginwidth\u003d\"0\" marginheight\u003d\"0\" frameborder\u003d\"0\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003eI was also surprised to find that the Young Justice appearance here were some of the worst chapters of the bunch, especially considering how powerfully Johns would write many of these characters years later in \u003ci\u003eTeen Titans\u003c/i\u003e.  For my tastes, Johns wrote the Young Justicers just too stereotypically--Superboy lusting after everyone, Arrowette hating to get dirty--for me to enjoy.  It's also interesting to see Johns write the Marvel Family, and Captain Marvel, given Billy Batson's later relationship with Courtney in \u003ci\u003eJSA\u003c/i\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSome of the detailed, Seven Soldiers history that Courtney becomes involved with happens in the next volume of \u003ci\u003eStars and S.T.R.I.P.E.\u003c/i\u003e, so I'll definitely be picking that up.  I applaud DC for collecting this series, which is a good read overall--now I'd like to see similar volumes for \u003ci\u003eChase\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDamage\u003c/i\u003e ... what else?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e[Contains full covers, introduction by Geoff Johns.]\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMore reviews, coming soon!\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e---\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis post was syndicated from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003eCollected Editions\u003c/a\u003e, the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks and collected editions -- reviews, commentaries, low price alerts, news, and the occasional scoop.  Visit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003ecollectededitions.blogspot.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10945794-183623467525298047?l\u003dcollectededitions.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/183623467525298047/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-jsa-presents-stars-and-stripe.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/183623467525298047"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/183623467525298047"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-jsa-presents-stars-and-stripe.html","title":"Review: JSA Presents: Stars and STRIPE Volume One trade paperback (DC Comics)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02311963573867484833"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-5844952885026345269"},"published":{"$t":"2008-09-01T08:02:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-09-01T08:02:01.594-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Society of America"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Review: Justice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come Volume One collected hardcover (DC Comics)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401216900?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d1401216900\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236019072727468546\" style\u003d\"FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand\" alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/SKoTmuMXSgI/AAAAAAAAAfw/SxDBBOyywho/s320/justice-society-thy-kingdom-one-johns-ross.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThe only bad thing about \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401216900?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d1401216900\"\u003eJustice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come Volume One\u003c/a\u003e is how long we have to wait, as they say, for the next exciting episode. Geoff Johns brings his usual level of excellence to \u003cem\u003eJustice Society\u003c/em\u003e, making even the tiredest comic book cliches new again in a blast of costume-wearing superhero greatness, and if part one is this good, I can't imagine how rock solid part two will be.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe \"Thy Kingdom Come\" storyline that begins in the third chapter of this book stands as a sequel of sorts to the Johns-penned \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2006/12/infinite-crisis-and-infinite-crisis.html\"\u003eInfinite Crisis\u003c/a\u003e. Power Girl recalls the death of the Golden Age Superman Kal-L in that tale, tying his dying words to her new chairmanship of the Justice Society, just as a new Superman who strongly resembles Kal-L makes the scene. Other books have referred to \u003ci\u003eInfinite Crisis\u003c/i\u003e, but the way the characters recall both Kal-L and Superboy-Prime make this a natural follow to that story.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eJohns obviously tries to have his cake and eat it too here, having killed off the Golden Age Superman but still returning an \"older\" Superman to the Justice Society. I like the post-\u003ci\u003eInfinite Crisis\u003c/i\u003e attempt to bring the DC Universe more in line with its history, putting a Superman into the Justice Society case in point, though I worry about the effects it has on the DC Universe overall. The whole point of chasing off the Golden Age Superman in the first place was so that new readers wouldn't wonder why there were all these Supermen running around; having an \"older\" Superman around, in my opinion, makes the younger Superman less special.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhat I like so much about Johns's \u003ci\u003eJustice Society\u003c/i\u003e is how unabashedly the book embraces superhero culture. The first chapter brings us the origins of the new Citizen Steel, as the other heroes assume Steel will become a hero even before he himself knows. Johns similarly ends the book with the origins of a number of other heroes--a new Amazing Man, another of Black Lightning's daughters, the great-grandson of Franklin Roosevelt--their stories coming one right after another in simple, understandable form, all of them only too happy to play a part in the Justice Society. This is the legacy of \u003ci\u003eInfinite Crisis\u003c/i\u003e shown also in \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/03/review-brave-and-bold-lords-of-luck.html\"\u003eBrave and the Bold\u003c/a\u003e -- the DCU is filled now with interesting, easily understandable heroes who like one another and work toward the common good. We've been so long in the grim and gritty, this is a breath of fresh air.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ciframe style\u003d\"FLOAT: left; WIDTH: 120px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 5px; HEIGHT: 240px\" marginwidth\u003d\"0\" marginheight\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;p\u003d8\u0026amp;l\u003das1\u0026amp;asins\u003d1401216900\u0026amp;fc1\u003d000000\u0026amp;IS2\u003d1\u0026amp;lt1\u003d_blank\u0026amp;m\u003damazon\u0026amp;lc1\u003d0000FF\u0026amp;bc1\u003d000000\u0026amp;bg1\u003dFFFFFF\u0026amp;f\u003difr\" frameborder\u003d\"0\" scrolling\u003d\"no\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003eThere's a scene at the beginning of \"Thy Kingdom Come\" where the Justice Society serves pancakes at a fire station, straight out of Norman Rockwell, that by all rights shouldn't work. I'm hard-pressed to believe that the \u003ci\u003eAvengers\u003c/i\u003e ever end up riding to fight a fire with a dalmation tagging along, but the Justice Society does -- and it's not nearly as corny-looking as it sounds. These are not simplistic heroes -- the moving second chapter has Damage taking the villain Zoom hostage -- but they're also not ones that Johns understands have to be \"badass\" to be cool; they're just cool on their own. It's all helped a lot by Dale Eaglesham's art, which I've always felt has a dark tinge even in the lighter scenes, giving this aged team a modern feel (and when's Eaglesham going to get to pencil a major DC crossover, I'd like to know!).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe main villain of \u003ci\u003eThy Kingdom Come\u003c/i\u003e doesn't even make the scene in this volume, but the characters -- from the junior Red Tornado, Cyclone, to the new Amazing Man and Wildcat, Damage, and the Kingdom Come Superman -- are just so interesting that the story is gripping nonetheless. \u003ci\u003eJustice Society\u003c/i\u003e, frankly, more than \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/07/review-countdown-to-final-crisis-volume.html\"\u003eCountdown\u003c/a\u003e, seems to me the \u003ci\u003ereal\u003c/i\u003e spine of the DC Universe -- that is, the series that sets the tone -- or should, at least as far as I'm concerned -- for all the rest of DC Comics' titles.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e[Contains full covers, alternate covers, character biographies, \"Previously\" page.]\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOn now, at long last, to \u003ci\u003eSuperman: Last Son\u003c/i\u003e, and then a bunch of \u003ci\u003eSuperman\u003c/i\u003e stories from there.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e---\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis post was syndicated from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003eCollected Editions\u003c/a\u003e, the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks and collected editions -- reviews, commentaries, low price alerts, news, and the occasional scoop.  Visit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003ecollectededitions.blogspot.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10945794-5844952885026345269?l\u003dcollectededitions.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/5844952885026345269/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/09/review-justice-society-of-america-thy.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/5844952885026345269"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/5844952885026345269"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/09/review-justice-society-of-america-thy.html","title":"Review: Justice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come Volume One collected hardcover (DC Comics)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02311963573867484833"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-8747289270605541962"},"published":{"$t":"2008-08-28T08:02:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-08-28T08:02:01.251-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Society of America"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Review: Kingdom Come trade paperback (DC Comics)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401207685?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1401207685\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/SKoYMsSU9DI/AAAAAAAAAf4/AjqRXWHYLLc/s320/kingdom-come-waid-ross.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"\"id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236024123097150514\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e[This review comes from \u003cem\u003eCollected Editions \u003c/em\u003eguest-blogger Doug Glassman:]\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTen years ago, while comics were dealing with the relative tail-end of the “grim-n-gritty” phase, Mark Waid and Alex Ross came out with a little book called \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401207685?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1401207685\"\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/a\u003e. Waid was the writer on \u003cem\u003eThe Flash\u003c/em\u003e and Ross was not the superstar he is now, with his most notable success at the time being the epic \u003cem\u003eMarvels\u003c/em\u003e. Oh, how things change. For instance, Waid is now the writer on … \u003cem\u003eThe Flash\u003c/em\u003e. Huh. But \u003cem\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/em\u003e has not lost any of its resonance. It combines apocalyptic themes with the rich history of the DC universe. In fact, \u003cem\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/em\u003e has helped enrich said history, adding characters such as Jakeem Thunder, the new Cyclone and Wildcat and turning the oddly mohawked and ponytailed Nuklon into the masked Atom Smasher. With \u003cem\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/em\u003e now openly influencing \u003cem\u003eJustice Society of America\u003c/em\u003e, it’s time to take a look back at DC’s resident epic.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLet me just say that this isn’t a book that I’ve been hailing for years. In fact, I only read it for the first time a few weeks ago, partly because I needed something to read on the flight home and partly because of the \u003cem\u003eJSA\u003c/em\u003e tie-in mentioned above. (Yes, I haven’t fully switched to trades-only. \u003cem\u003eJSA\u003c/em\u003e is one of those books that I just have to get from month to month.) Usually I cover the art last, but \u003cem\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/em\u003e is almost more famous for its art than its story. Personally, I’ve never fully liked Ross’ artwork. I find it too static and too awkward for storytelling. As well, I’ve often thought that his women look a little … masculine. While I still hold to the latter claim, I was happily disproven on the former.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThough the artwork is cluttered and the expressions sometimes mask the intent of the characters, Ross’ battle scenes have a certain elegance to them and are filled with detail. I highly recommend using the annotations by \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.geocities.com/ratmmjess/annos.html\"\u003eJess Nevins\u003c/a\u003e which identifies all characters in fight scenes and point out the really tiny details. Some of them actually change the meaning of the art. For instance, one character’s death seems to be part of a montage, but is actually part of a scene—the start of the scene is just hidden in the background. Ross’ design sense when it comes to heroes, villains and those that fall between is outstanding, and it’s easy to see why a number of his designs were adapted into the main DCU. Could \u003cem\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/em\u003e have worked without Ross’ artwork? Perhaps. I personally would have loved to have seen George Perez, the king of crowd scenes, take this project on. But it wouldn’t have the same epic feel.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ciframe src\u003d\"http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026o\u003d1\u0026p\u003d8\u0026l\u003das1\u0026asins\u003d1401207685\u0026fc1\u003d000000\u0026IS2\u003d1\u0026lt1\u003d_blank\u0026m\u003damazon\u0026lc1\u003d0000FF\u0026bc1\u003d000000\u0026bg1\u003dFFFFFF\u0026f\u003difr\" style\u003d\"width:120px;height:240px;float:left;margin-right:5px\" scrolling\u003d\"no\" marginwidth\u003d\"0\" marginheight\u003d\"0\" frameborder\u003d\"0\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003eSo how’s the story? Well, it’s pretty good. There are some very apocalyptic overtones and almost too much adaptation of DC's heroes into biblical allegory. (For instance, look for three nails in Superman’s pocket during his introduction.) While there is a frame story featuring the Spectre and preacher Norman McCay, they are less narrators and more observers, giving the reader the bare essential information and taking little overt action. The book addresses a number of questions raised in \u003cem\u003eWatchmen\u003c/em\u003e about the necessity and authority of superheroes. It leaves a lot open to reader interpretation while offering its own answers. If you have a beloved major character in the DCU that was created before, say, 1990, chances are he or she appears in this book, albeit probably in an altered form befitting this dystopian world.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe most recent version of the trade contains a few extra pages involving a meeting with Orion, who has … well, let’s say “fulfilled Jack Kirby’s Fourth World destiny.” I didn’t read the story before this was added and it would have been weaker had this sequence not been inserted. The trade also has an identification guide for the characters, sketches and an introduction by Elliot S! Maggin, who wrote the novelization of the story. There’s an Absolute Edition that covers even more ground and features much commentary, but with Jess Nevins’ annotations available, I’m not sure if the extras are needed. The regular trade is quite affordable and a must-buy for DC fans.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cem\u003eKingdom Come\u003c/em\u003e earns its place as one of the most important works of the DC canon, despite the fact that it is an Elseworld. Its numerous new concepts reinvigorated the DCU and influenced stories that continue today. This skeptic has been won over.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e[Contains introduction, covers, sketches, character information pages, identification guide, restored sequence explanation, gallery of “Kingdom Come”-related artwork. $14.95.]\u003c/b\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e---\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis post was syndicated from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003eCollected Editions\u003c/a\u003e, the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks and collected editions -- reviews, commentaries, low price alerts, news, and the occasional scoop.  Visit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003ecollectededitions.blogspot.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10945794-8747289270605541962?l\u003dcollectededitions.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/8747289270605541962/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/08/review-kingdom-come-trade-paperback-dc.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/8747289270605541962"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/8747289270605541962"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/08/review-kingdom-come-trade-paperback-dc.html","title":"Review: Kingdom Come trade paperback (DC Comics)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02311963573867484833"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-7276042165703990456"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-28T08:02:00.000-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-08-18T19:34:47.334-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Society of America"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Review: Justice Society of America: The Next Age collected hardcover (DC Comics)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401214444?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d1401214444\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163303702547733602\" style\u003d\"float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; cursor: hand\" alt\u003d\"\" border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/R6e9XHHRHGI/AAAAAAAAAVM/yin2WH6otJM/s320/justice-society-next-age-johns-ross.jpg\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eIn a spirit similar to \u003ci\u003eGreen Lantern: Rebirth\u003c/i\u003e, Geoff Johns reinvents the JSA--again--in \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401214444?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d1401214444\"\u003eJustice Society of America: The Next Age\u003c/a\u003e. Coming as this does just on the heels of the new \u003ci\u003eJustice League of America\u003c/i\u003e, Johns offers a story that feels both more cohesive and better characterized than Brad Meltzer's first \u003ci\u003eJustice League\u003c/i\u003e arc, even as Johns works with far fewer issues that Meltzer does. \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e Perhaps on purpose, Meltzer and Johns each have the core heroes of their respective teams start with photographs, like trading cards, that they use to pick the new team members. But whereas Meltzer's heroes learn you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friends, Johns' do indeed succeed in filling their roster with new recruits. It's a difference that feels backward: the JLA should be the hand-picked strike force and the JSA should be the super-buddies, not vice versa, but there you go. \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e At the same time, it's a stretch to say that the \u003ci\u003eJustice Society\u003c/i\u003e \u0026quot;team\u0026quot; really appears here. There's not a mission \u003ci\u003eper se\u003c/i\u003e--in as much as the team has a corpse land in the center of their first meeting, and from there must protect their families from attack--and so it's hard to know what Johns, through the new team, really intends to do. Not that it matters, necessarily--Johns' story is a suspenseful, action-packed super-heroic joy, in which the Justice Society gets to trade blows with super-powered Nazis. Johns introduces a bunch of new characters very quickly, but does a great job making us sympathetic to all of them. \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e \u003ciframe style\u003d\"float: left; width: 120px; margin-right: 5px; height: 240px\" marginwidth\u003d\"0\" marginheight\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;p\u003d8\u0026amp;l\u003das1\u0026amp;asins\u003d1401214444\u0026amp;fc1\u003d000000\u0026amp;IS2\u003d1\u0026amp;lt1\u003d_blank\u0026amp;lc1\u003d0000FF\u0026amp;bc1\u003d000000\u0026amp;bg1\u003dFFFFFF\u0026amp;f\u003difr\" frameborder\u003d\"0\" scrolling\u003d\"no\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003eOverall, I like the new make-up of the team. \u003ci\u003eJSA\u003c/i\u003e stalwarts Mr. Terrific and Dr. Mid-Nite return; the bombastic Hourman and Liberty Belle take a parental role with the even more bombastic Damage, echoing Black Canary and Green Lantern's mentoring of Red Arrow in the \u003ci\u003eJustice League\u003c/i\u003e. I'm curious what plans Johns has for Cyclone, the grand-daughter of the original Red Tornado; I'm not convinced the Justice Society needs another enthusiastic teenager \u003ci\u003ea la\u003c/i\u003e present-member Stargirl, but I'm willing to be convinced. \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e My only concern was in the drastic changes in others of the characters; aside from Hourman's new reckless personality, we have an inexplicably ghoulish Sand, Obsidian as the headquarters' security system, and Jakeem Thunder nowhere to be found. These \u0026quot;missing moments\u0026quot; weren't handled in \u003ci\u003e52\u003c/i\u003e, and came across as a bit jarring. I did like the choice of Power Girl as the new Justice Society chairwoman, as deserved as Black Canary taking the same role in \u003ci\u003eJustice League\u003c/i\u003e. \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e Dale Eaglesham provides interesting, nuanced art throughout the book. I've so recently associated Eaglesham will \u003ci\u003eVillains United\u003c/i\u003e and drawing \u0026quot;creepy\u0026quot; characters that I wasn't sure he was quite right for the hero-oriented \u003ci\u003eJustice Society\u003c/i\u003e. This is a concern not completely laid to rest, but his scenes with the irrepressible Cyclone suggest Eaglesham can do \u0026quot;happy,\u0026quot; too. The book is a beauty to look at, with colors and papers befitting a hardcover. \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e In terms of premieres, I have to say I favored the first \u003ci\u003eJustice Society\u003c/i\u003e trade over the first \u003ci\u003eJustice League\u003c/i\u003e. While the \u003ci\u003eJustice League\u003c/i\u003e story was confusing and the team-creation suspect, \u003ci\u003eJustice Society\u003c/i\u003e delivers both a straightforward story and a well-characterized group of heroes about which I'm eager to read more. The two teams meet in the next trade, so we'll see how the two authors read working together. \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cb\u003e[Contains full covers, mini-profiles, introduction by Peter Tomasi, sketchbook section by Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham]\u003c/b\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e Been a very long time since we read any \u003ci\u003eCatwoman\u003c/i\u003e, so we might dip there next. And then ... you'll have to tune in and find out! See you. \u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e---\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis post was syndicated from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003eCollected Editions\u003c/a\u003e, the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks and collected editions -- reviews, commentaries, low price alerts, news, and the occasional scoop.  Visit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003ecollectededitions.blogspot.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10945794-7276042165703990456?l\u003dcollectededitions.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/7276042165703990456/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/02/review-justice-society-of-america-next.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/7276042165703990456"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/7276042165703990456"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/02/review-justice-society-of-america-next.html","title":"Review: Justice Society of America: The Next Age collected hardcover (DC Comics)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02311963573867484833"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-5349893380914236519"},"published":{"$t":"2008-01-21T09:02:00.001-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-08-18T19:34:29.208-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jsa classified"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Society of America"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Review: JSA Classified: Honor Among Thieves trade paperback (DC Comics)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401212182?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d1401212182\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149078919815987442\" style\u003d\"float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; cursor: hand\" alt\u003d\"\" border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/R3Uz_yAVgPI/AAAAAAAAASM/yp-2avzTaD4/s320/jsa-classified-honor-among-thieves.jpg\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eI have difficulty overall with the \u003ci\u003eJLA\u003c/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eJSA Classified\u003c/i\u003e series and their \u003ci\u003eSuperman\u003c/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBatman Confidential\u003c/i\u003e offshoots -- supposedly these are a-continuity series that anyone can pick up and get a quick story. Not coincidentally, they make great trade paperback fodder, for which you might think I'd be pleased, except that these are essentially inconsequential stories that glut the market and make it harder for the \u0026quot;true\u0026quot; trade paperbacks to shine. But I did buy \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401212182?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d1401212182\"\u003eJSA Classified: Honor Among Thieves\u003c/a\u003e (the second \u003ci\u003eJSA Classified\u003c/i\u003e collection after the \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2007/01/power-girl-mini-review.html\"\u003ePower Girl\u003c/a\u003e trade) and read it the other day looking for something quick, and what I found did exceed my expectations. \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e \u003ciframe style\u003d\"float: left; width: 120px; margin-right: 5px; height: 240px\" marginwidth\u003d\"0\" marginheight\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;p\u003d8\u0026amp;l\u003das1\u0026amp;asins\u003d1401212182\u0026amp;fc1\u003d000000\u0026amp;IS2\u003d1\u0026amp;lt1\u003d_blank\u0026amp;lc1\u003d0000FF\u0026amp;bc1\u003d000000\u0026amp;bg1\u003dFFFFFF\u0026amp;f\u003difr\" frameborder\u003d\"0\" scrolling\u003d\"no\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003eThe two \u003ci\u003eJSA\u003c/i\u003e stories here, one by Jen Van Meter and the other by Peter Tomasi, read like try-out stories by first-time writers, in an appealing way. Both stories have their problems--Meter's work, as with \u003ci\u003eOutsiders\u003c/i\u003e, suffers from a confusing denouement and some off characterization, while \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.comictreadmill.com/CTMBlogarchives/2006/2006_Individual/2006_03/001062.php\"\u003eThe Comic Treadmill\u003c/a\u003e does a good job showing how Tomasi's story seems to favor bloodletting over sense--but these are slight mis-steps in two stories where it's obvious the writers are learning to find their way. Meter adopts the tones of a crime procedural in \u0026quot;Honor Among Thieves,\u0026quot; and while this is not nearly as slick as Bill Willingham's early \u003cem\u003eFables\u003c/em\u003e heist, the narrating Icicle is an interesting character. Tomasi's story, \u0026quot;The Spear and the Dragon,\u0026quot; plays well with a bunch of old JSA history, and any admission price is worth artist Don Kramer drawing Wildcat. \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e Both stories are \u003cem\u003eInfinite Crisis\u003c/em\u003e tie-ins, and it's interesting in retrospect to see how some of the \u0026quot;outer\u0026quot; titles, like the loosely-connected \u003ci\u003eJSA Clas\u003c/i\u003esified, tried to tie themselves in. \u0026quot;Honor Among Thieves\u0026quot; features characters from \u003ci\u003eVillains United\u003c/i\u003e, but the heist that takes place here is never actually reflected in the mini-series itself. \u0026quot;Spear\u0026quot; proportedly takes place between the pages of \u003cem\u003eInfinite Crisis\u003c/em\u003e, though it's hard to believe either Wildcat or Jay Garrick had that much free time, letting alone the completely incongruous reference to New Year's Eve. One can hardly blame the writers and editors for taking advantage of the crossover, but the result reeks slightly of desperation. \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e[Contains full covers, short profiles of JSA members and villains.]\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e So \u003ci\u003eJSA Classified: Honor Among Thieves\u003c/i\u003e isn't going to win any battles, but it does strike me as an interesting study piece for someone looking for short pieces from which to learn about writing comic books. \u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e---\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis post was syndicated from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003eCollected Editions\u003c/a\u003e, the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks and collected editions -- reviews, commentaries, low price alerts, news, and the occasional scoop.  Visit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003ecollectededitions.blogspot.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10945794-5349893380914236519?l\u003dcollectededitions.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/5349893380914236519/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/01/review-jsa-classified-honor-among.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/5349893380914236519"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/5349893380914236519"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2008/01/review-jsa-classified-honor-among.html","title":"Review: JSA Classified: Honor Among Thieves trade paperback (DC Comics)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02311963573867484833"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-4981567793219659890"},"published":{"$t":"2007-11-22T08:58:00.001-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-08-18T19:34:29.210-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Society of America"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Review: JSA: The Liberty Files trade paperback (DC Comics)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401202039?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d1401202039\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/Rxv5pfJEulI/AAAAAAAAAOE/tK8eSP_k6mY/s320/Jsalib.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123963492193581650\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e[The following review comes from Collected Editions reader Simon Finger:]\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e The volumes in DC's Elseworlds line relocate familiar superheroes into a dizzying variety of genres, but they still tend to fall into two categories: those that show how the changed circumstances would result in changed characters, and those that show how the heroes would end up basically the same, no matter what the time or place.  \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401202039?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d1401202039\"\u003eJSA: The Liberty Files\u003c/a\u003e assuredly belongs to the later set. Perhaps that is not surprising, as writers Dan Jolley and Tony Harris, place their team, consisting of \u0026quot;The Bat\u0026quot; (Batman), \u0026quot;The Clock\u0026quot; (Hourman), and \u0026quot;The Owl\u0026quot; (Dr. Mid-Nite), into the context of World War II. At first blush, this may not seem like much of a departure, given the WW II origins of the Justice Society. But this is a world of spies and smugglers more reminiscent of \u003cem\u003eCasablanca\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Third Man\u003c/em\u003e or even \u003cem\u003eIndiana Jones\u003c/em\u003e, than of the four-color world of the original JSA.  \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e The volume collects two separate, but related storylines, the eponymous \u0026quot;Liberty Files\u0026quot; and the post-war sequel \u0026quot;The Unholy Three.\u0026quot; The first story follows a team of hard-boiled secret operatives across Europe and North Africa as they search out the truth about a rumored Nazi \u0026quot;Super-Man.\u0026quot; In the process, they attempt to capture and interrogate  an albino smuggler known as \u0026quot;Jack the Grin,\u0026quot; a chilling Joker-analogue, and then to fight their way from Egypt to the heart of the Nazi war machine, and back again in time to prevent an Allied disaster.  \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e \u0026quot;The Unholy Three\u0026quot; moves the action from the Second World War to the Cold War, with the embittered survivors of the first story reuniting to battle their Soviet adversaries for a nuclear macguffin called \u0026quot;The Trigger.\u0026quot; Replacing the WWII atmosphere with a sensibility suggestive of early James Bond (especially \u0026quot;From Russia With Love\u0026quot;), the story follows the team, joined by a new recruit named Clark Kent, as they try to unravel a string of murders targeting American agents. The climax brings together still more DC icons, including excitingly re-imagined incarnations of Huntress, Red Tornado, Hawkman, Flash, and Sandman, as well as a familiar visitor from Krypton. These and others come together for a thrilling throwdown in the Siberian wastes.  \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e In both stories, Tony Harris (\u003cem\u003eEx Machina\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eStarman\u003c/em\u003e) provides beautiful and expressive linework, conveying the subtle emotional beats of the story as effectively as he does the action sequences, which are frequent, exciting and sometimes surprisingly bloody. Though Harris ably handles the art in both storylines, the three years separating the publication of the two miniseries is evident in the coloring, which is significantly richer and more nuanced in \u0026quot;The Unholy Three.\u0026quot;  \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e The whole production never loses its forward momentum, breathlessly barreling from one set-piece to another. Jolley and Harris capably integrate the character development into the action, vividly establishing a \u0026quot;Bat\u0026quot; whose paranoia is not so far removed from the distrustful Batman of \u003cem\u003eJLA: Tower of Babel\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eInfinite Crisis.\u003c/em\u003e Bruce Wayne is clearly the star of the show, though all the players get moments of nobility and heroism amidst the cynical world of espionage.  \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e \u003ciframe scrolling\u003d\"no\" frameborder\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;p\u003d8\u0026amp;l\u003das1\u0026amp;asins\u003d1401202039\u0026amp;fc1\u003d000000\u0026amp;IS2\u003d1\u0026amp;lt1\u003d_blank\u0026amp;lc1\u003d0000FF\u0026amp;bc1\u003d000000\u0026amp;bg1\u003dFFFFFF\u0026amp;f\u003difr\" style\u003d\"width: 120px; height: 240px; float: left; margin-right: 5px;\" marginwidth\u003d\"0\" marginheight\u003d\"0\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003eStill, while the story provides accessible narrative thrills even for the non-comics reader, it will probably prove a more rewarding read for those deeply versed in DCU lore, able to pick up on the subtle references and revisions that fill both stories. The torture of a young secret agent in an abandoned theater is all the more powerful when you realize that the spy is Sandy the Golden Boy, who faced a similar ordeal as Sand in the pages of Geoff Johns' \u003cem\u003eJSA\u003c/em\u003e. Other cameos may likewise slip by anyone with a less-than-encyclopedic knowledge of the Justice Society, but they make fun little Easter eggs for anyone inclined to hunt for them.  \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e As a package, \u003cem\u003eJSA: The Liberty Files\u003c/em\u003e, provides a cracking suspense story, terrific art and rewards for both the casual and the dedicated reader. I recommend it without qualification.  \u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e---\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis post was syndicated from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003eCollected Editions\u003c/a\u003e, the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks and collected editions -- reviews, commentaries, low price alerts, news, and the occasional scoop.  Visit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003ecollectededitions.blogspot.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10945794-4981567793219659890?l\u003dcollectededitions.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/4981567793219659890/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2007/11/review-jsa-liberty-files-trade.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/4981567793219659890"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/4981567793219659890"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2007/11/review-jsa-liberty-files-trade.html","title":"Review: JSA: The Liberty Files trade paperback (DC Comics)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02311963573867484833"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-7597363191290877007"},"published":{"$t":"2007-07-10T09:07:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-06T11:16:42.984-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Society of America"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Review: JSA: Ghost Stories trade paperback (DC Comics)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401211968?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1401211968\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1bhS26_vGU8/RpFQ-pbLq8I/AAAAAAAAAHo/3eYX3QwNCqE/s320/Jsags.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"\"id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084934491479976898\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401211968?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026tag\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1401211968\"\u003eJSA: Ghost Stories\u003c/a\u003e works as the closing chapter to the uber-successful \u003ci\u003eJSA\u003c/i\u003e series.  Beginning during a rainy night in \u003ci\u003eInfinite Crisis\u003c/i\u003e and continuing One Year Later with undead specters on nearly every page, \u003ci\u003eGhost Stories\u003c/i\u003e actually accomplishes an air of creepiness that makes the story a joy to read.  Even better, the trade focuses solely on one plot, giving the book the feel of a graphic novel or an extended Justice Society adventure.  The continuity is light enough for the casual reader, but with enough hints of \u003ci\u003e52\u003c/i\u003e and the missing year to tantalize DCU fans.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ci\u003eGhost Stories\u003c/i\u003e does a good job emphasizing some of the stronger personalities of the JSA.  Front and center here are JSA stalwarts Jay (The Flash) Garrick and Alan (Green Lantern) Scott.  With the JSA having disbanded during One Year Later, each hero is considering retirement, especially Alan, who lost his daughter Jade in the Crisis.  Alan Scott has always been considered the most strict of the older heroes in the JSA, and in this story there's something very engaging about his brooding persona, especially during an extended sequence when he confronts a tragedy from his youth.  Jakeem Thunder, Stargirl, and even Ma Hunkel get moments to shine.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAt the same time, \u003ci\u003eGhost Stories\u003c/i\u003e risks making the JSA feel a little stodgy.  The trade is written by DC publisher Paul Levitz, and the trade reflects somewhat older sensibilities--the disbanded JSA still gets together every week, as it were, in order to play Scrabble.  During a later sequence, Alan Scott is injured and spends most of an issue in a hospital bed, looking fairly aged.  There's also an extended sequence that seems to have no more point than to point out Stargirl's, shall we say, \"innocence\" versus Power Girl's \"experience,\" that never really goes anywhere.  All of these things reinforce the sense that the JSA are not quite the hipsters that the Titans or the Justice League are, though regular writer Geoff Johns generally makes this feel less the case.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ciframe src\u003d\"http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026o\u003d1\u0026p\u003d8\u0026l\u003das1\u0026asins\u003d1401211968\u0026fc1\u003d000000\u0026IS2\u003d1\u0026lt1\u003d_blank\u0026lc1\u003d0000FF\u0026bc1\u003d000000\u0026bg1\u003dFFFFFF\u0026f\u003difr\" style\u003d\"width:120px;height:240px;float:left;margin-right:5px\" scrolling\u003d\"no\" marginwidth\u003d\"0\" marginheight\u003d\"0\" frameborder\u003d\"0\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003eThe trade copy emphasizes an appearance by the Golden Age Batman, and delivers, though Batman's role here is not nearly as large as the back of the book suggests.  Certainly if one were considering whether the Multiverse exists again or not, this would be your proof.  I do tend to wonder, though, whether even when the Multiverse's new role in the DCU is fully explained, if it will make sense why the Golden Age Batman should be stuck in the New Earth's spirit realm fighting beside Jade and the Golden Age Mr. Terrific.  The appearance is great, but perhaps shouldn't be studied too closely, but at the same time, I was somewhat disappointed to see Jade here; knowing that the hero \"lives on\" just beyond the heroes' sight tends to cheapen her death a bit, even with the caveat that the dead are more apparent because of the Gentleman Ghost's machinations.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLevitz' \u003ci\u003eJSA\u003c/i\u003e tale is not the greatest the book has ever been, but it is an interesting, fast-paced story, and a worthwhile introduction to the JSA (even as one series ends and another begins).  The next time a thunderstorm knocks out your power, \u003ci\u003eJSA: Ghost Stories\u003c/i\u003e is a good choice to read curled up with your flashlight.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003e[Contains full covers.]\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFollowing a bit of continuity now into the first \u003ci\u003eCheckmate\u003c/i\u003e trade, and on from there!  \u003ci\u003eWant to review a trade for Collected Editions?  Send an email to the address at right.\u003c/i\u003e \u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e---\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis post was syndicated from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003eCollected Editions\u003c/a\u003e, the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks and collected editions -- reviews, commentaries, low price alerts, news, and the occasional scoop.  Visit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003ecollectededitions.blogspot.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10945794-7597363191290877007?l\u003dcollectededitions.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/7597363191290877007/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2007/07/review-jsa-ghost-stories-trade.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/7597363191290877007"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/7597363191290877007"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2007/07/review-jsa-ghost-stories-trade.html","title":"Review: JSA: Ghost Stories trade paperback (DC Comics)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02311963573867484833"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-5586382951089252181"},"published":{"$t":"2007-05-12T12:18:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2007-05-12T12:26:55.012-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Justice Society of America"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Geoff Johns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"JSA"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Infinite Crisis"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"DC Comics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Greg Cox"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"commentary"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Infinite Crisis novelization: quick thought ..."},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ciframe src\u003d\"http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t\u003dcollectededitions-20\u0026o\u003d1\u0026p\u003d8\u0026l\u003das1\u0026asins\u003d0441014445\u0026fc1\u003d000000\u0026IS2\u003d1\u0026lt1\u003d_blank\u0026lc1\u003d0000FF\u0026bc1\u003d000000\u0026bg1\u003dFFFFFF\u0026f\u003difr\" style\u003d\"width:120px;height:240px;float:right\" scrolling\u003d\"no\" marginwidth\u003d\"0\" marginheight\u003d\"0\" frameborder\u003d\"0\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003eI'm reading the \u003ci\u003eInfinite Crisis\u003c/i\u003e novelization by Greg Cox--which I'm actually enjoying very much, and finding that it does add levels to my overall understanding of the themes of \u003ci\u003eInfinite Crisis\u003c/i\u003e, and I'll probably review it here later, but I digress--and reading the scene of Power Girl just before she meets the Earth-2 Superman, and seeing Cox describe her, I had a thought: would it really have been so difficult in, going from \u003ci\u003eJSA\u003c/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eJustice Society\u003c/i\u003e, for Geoff Johns to have Kara change her name from Power Girl to Power Woman?  Because, let's face it, Power Girl is even less of a \"girl\" than Barbara Gordon was as Batgirl, and I'm not talking about physical characteristics--Power Girl is an adult, and it's remarkably silly that the DC powers that be still call her \"girl\" just for tradition's sake.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSo there: your random thought for the day.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e---\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis post was syndicated from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003eCollected Editions\u003c/a\u003e, the chronicles of a \"wait-for-trade-er\" -- the new breed of comic book fans who forgo monthly \"floppies\" for trade paperbacks and collected editions -- reviews, commentaries, low price alerts, news, and the occasional scoop.  Visit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com\"\u003ecollectededitions.blogspot.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10945794-5586382951089252181?l\u003dcollectededitions.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/feeds/5586382951089252181/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2007/05/infinite-crisis-novelization-quick.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/5586382951089252181"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10945794/posts/default/5586382951089252181"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2007/05/infinite-crisis-novelization-quick.html","title":"Infinite Crisis novelization: quick thought ..."}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"collectededitions"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02311963573867484833"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}}]}});