We've checked out at least two of these already, so why not this one? Justice Society of America 80-Page Giant 2011, with stories by Adam Beechen, Steve Niles, Ivan Brandon, and more; and art by Nic Klein, Howard Chaykin, Scott Hampton, and more.
No connecting thread this issue, as various stories catch up with the now-sprawling cast of the Justice Society. Current Spectre Crispus Allen delivers justice to some corpse thieves; Tomcat, Dr. Mid-Nite and Judomaster have an adventure in Japan; and Dr. Fate helps Alan Scott connect to his newfound magic powers. Citizen Steel saves a girl but still loses her, in a story that seemed kind of similar to one of J.Michael Straczynski's Rising Stars books. Then a Jesse Quick story, and a creepy Alan Scott story where he lets a band of criminals play out their "perfect score...in their heads."
The last story, though, "Duty, Honor, Country" delivers: in 1942, a young soldier is nearly killed, badly burned when Bundists blow up his barracks. Saved by the Justice Society, he falls into a deep pit of self-loathing, feeling like he contributed nothing to the war or to America. Eventually, though, his Purple Heart gets him a job with the Department of Justice as "a courier of sorts." More like process server, during the McCarthy hearings. Tasked with serving a warrant to the Justice Society, ordering them to unmask, he gets caught up in a battle with Brain Wave, and manages to repay the debt he owed the heroes. That one's not bad.
Of course, there's also a two-page Flashpoint ad this issue, so all of this is academic as best.
1 comment:
If nothing else, the Chaykin art on that JSA story looks absolutely gorgeous.
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