Writer – Len Strazewski
Artist – Rick Burchett
Colours – Tom Ziuko
Letters – Janice Chiang

It is 1950, and a press conference being held by Ted Knight is interrupted by an old man exclaiming of gloom, doom and the destruction of all there is. Ted humours the old man who gives him a map of the stars, which, of course, Ted is going to investigate, and that is where his problems truly begin. The constellation Ted sees comes alive,e and the book cuts to a week later when the Flash arrives on the scene. He has come to help his friend Ted, who not only has a wrecked lab to show for his recent activities but an injury that has confined him to a wheelchair. As Jay Garrick races away to stop the interstellar threat which has been attacking power stations, readers find that Ted is not acting of his own volition. There is a villain controlling the hero, and seeing just how cowed he is, the man is more than a little scared, considering he would betray his old teammate as he just did. Len Strazewski, writer of things like Starman and Flash, would take the reins of this new iteration of the Justice Society of America along with artist Rick Burchett for a new generation, and they would do so in grand fashion. Despite not featuring the entire team, the book feels like the Justice Society simply due to the presence of the Flash. Sporting that classic costume with one of the most recognizable helmets in all of comicdom, Burchett makes the team come alive, making it both thrilling and exciting to see the Flash in action once again. The bulk of the latter half of the book finds the Flash facing off against that energy monster from the stars, and despite getting a little help from the locals, is unable to defeat it, with him getting injured. As for those shadowy figures, one is revealed to be Solomon Grundy, though just who the mastermind is, that is left for inquiring minds to ponder on or at the very least, for those who were able to pick up the second issue. That is the great thing about this story: it leaves readers wanting more as Strazewski pens a mystery that will draw people back. Who could make Ted Knight, Starman, submit the way that he has? It is more than interesting, and even further than that, it makes one wonder who could bring Grundy under their control as well. With Starman and Flash out of commission and Black Canary set to debut in the second issue, it also leaves one guessing what she might accomplish where the Flash has failed. All of this makes for a great first issue, one filled with just a touch of drama, some mystery, and a whole lot of action, with a cliffhanger as the cherry on top.

4 out of 5

JSApril begins here and continues all month long. Find more JSA-related content at other fine sites through this link below:

https://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/jsapril/