JSA #1 Review

JSA No. 1 (January 2025)

 

   The new JSA series has kicked off! This review will be solely from a Hawkman/Hawkgirl point of view so if you're looking for a more complete review, please check out the other sites. 

   Jeff Lemire's series has finally kicked off and to be honest, it's a bit of a disappointment, from a Hawkfan's perspective of course. It appears that the Infinity INC and the Justice Society are together now and the younger heroes are trying to figure out why the veteran heroes suddenly vanished and where they went. While they squabble over how things should be done, it's revealed that the older members are in the Tower of Fate. Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, Wildcat, and Dr. Fate are trying to find a way out while Hawkman and Hawkgirl are outside fighting off the "locals." At the end of the issue, we find out that the Injustice Society may be behind it. 

   Now from a Hawkfan's perspective. The first issue's main cover doesn't feature either of the Hawks on the cover. They are on a couple of the variants though. Silver Scarab and Northwind are not there as well. In the variant featuring the Injustice Society villains, Gentleman Ghost and Shadow Thief don't show up either, even though they appear on the final page. Not a great showing there.  

Variant Cover C

Variant Cover B

   Hawkman shows up in here in there in the flashback panels and in the present. His costume looks almost identical to the Hawkman of the Venditti series that ended in 2020. He has had nothing but guest spots, background props, two panel battles and a couple of 8-page anthologies in holiday issues. It's been a bleak four years so I'm hoping Lemore finally brings him back. But it's very clear that the center of the team, or the veterans anyway, are Alan and Jay. Nobody mentions Carter by name so it's clear he's not one of the leaders of the team. How the past few DC events have change dhis story or background remains to be seen. 

JSA No. 1

   Why is Kendra Saunders back with the JSA? Back in the mid-00s, she broke off from the JSA and joined the Justice League. She was a prominent meber of Scott Snyder's Justice League series. So why is she suddenly back with Hawkman and the JSA? And what happened to the Kendra we saw in that abhorent Hawkgirl series by ...the name escapes me. The bigger question would be why she is back with Carter. Where is Shayera? At the end of the Hawkman series, Carter and Shayera were back together, members of the JSA, and finally free of the reincarnation curse. Kendra was off with the JLA and having some sort of relationship with the Martian Manhunter. I sure hope this gets explained in some way in the future because right it looks like Lemire is ignoring how the Carter-Kendra soap drama was finally resolved, or a DC editor didn't bother to check up on fairly recent Hawk history. 

   As for the Infinity INC, where are Silver Scarab (Carter and Shiera's son) and Northwind (Carter and Shiera's godson)? They are both original members of Infinity but are no where to be seen here. They don't even show up on the reserves panel. The covers and variants for the first three issues have been released and they aren't there either. Maybe they forgot to reboot the characters for rebirth and Hector is still dead in the Dreaming while  Norda is still the speechless Hawk-thing and flying around with Black Adam in Kahndaq. We'll have to wait and see what happens with them as well. 

   I had no idea that the Gentleman Ghost and Shadow Thief were in this at all until the final panel. I'll admit that was pretty cool to see them sitting side by side at the evil roundtable. Those two are probably the two most well^known and popular heroes from Hawkman's history so I'm very glad to see them included. It's been too long since we have seen a real fight between Hawkman and the Gentleman Ghost. Maybe we'll get one. 

   After a Geoff Johns series where Hawkman had very few appearances and Hawkwoman never showed up, I was hoping for Hawkman to have a bigger role but so far that isn't happening. It seems that Hawkman is featured on the main cover for issue No. 3 so I guess we'll have to wait and see. It's been four years so what's a few more months? 

   The art by Diego Olortegui and Luis Guerrero (colors) was good. I mean it wasn't Rags Morales level, but it was good. His Hawkman and Hawkgirl were spot on. I like the way he drew the wings and helmet, as well as the details he aded to the harness and belt. I look forward to more of his Hawkman and Hawkgirl art. 

   I've always liked Jeff Lemire's writing and I still have hope he'll explain the Kendra Conundrum as well as give Hawkman a more prominent role in the series. But who know? We had to wait until issue No. 23 of Geoff John's JSA series back in 2001 to finally see Hawkman so at least he is already in the story. And Hawkfans are used to waiting and bad editing until they figure it out. Right? 

Variant Cover D

Variant Cover G

Variant Cover H

Issue No.2 is out on December 4th! 

JSA No. 1 
January 2025 (released November 6, 2024) 
Script: Jeff Lemire 
Art: Diego Olortrgui
Colors: Luis Guerrero 
Letters: Steve Wands 
Editors: Andrew Marino, Marquis Draper. Katie Kubert, Marie Javins 
Cover: Diego Olorteguis 
Variant Cover B: Cully Hamner 
Variant Cover C: Travis Mercer, Andrew Dalhouse (colors) 
Variant Cover D: Jeff Lemire 
Incentive Cover: Sweeny Boo
Incentive Cover: John K. Snyder III