Justice Society of America, Vol. 5: Black Adam and Isis

Justice Society of America (2007)

by Geoff Johns (Writer), Jerry Ordway, Dale Eaglesham (Illustrator)

The new Justice Society regroups just in time to face one of their greatest and most personal enemies - Black Adam! The sorcerer Felix Faust has imprisoned the soul of Isis, Black Adam's deceased wife. But the Black Marvel just figured that out, and nothing will save Faust from his wrath -- nothing except maybe the Justice Society of America.And in Geoff Johns' farewell story, the team celebrates the birthday of one of their own - Stargirl! That all leads to an all-new two-parter by classic creator Jerry Ordway as a villain from the JSA's WWII days returns!Collecting : Justice Society of America 23-28

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Fiction

Hardcover

First published September 8, 2009

About the author

Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.

His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.

Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.

Reviews

[Trisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lengthy, boring & bland! I watched Black Adam yesterday and wanted to know about this super hero with villain vibes but this volume barely had him. He’s lovesick and weak, and is only there in the first story. The rest of the stories, except for Stargirl’s birthday, were tasteless.

[James DeSantis · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I were to rate this it's really broken down like this.

Black Adam and Isis Arc - 2/5 - Boring and kind of just there. There's a few glimpses of interesting character development but the rest is just meh.

The final two part story 1/5 - Boring, bad dialog, nothing connects.

The farewell issue - 4/5 - It's a birthday for stargirl and it's really well done. Has heart, humor, and well done dialog that we've come to enjoy in this series.

I'ma have to go with a 2 out of 5 for this one because only one good thing worth reading. However, just for that issue alone read it, skip the rest.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts with Adrianna coming back and well she is mad and her teaming up with Adam after getting free from Faust and going on a quest to destroy everyone and its a fun story and team up with JSA of some people to stop Adam and Adrianna and its a sad and emotional love story and good moments for Billy and Mary. And another story about the team celebrating Stargirl's birthday which was cute and ends Johns run on JSA which has to be one of the best.

And finally JSA vs victims of Japanese-American war and well some guy named Kung who becomes a shinigami and good spotlight on Stargirl and also has the Spectre! And some pages of blackest night and its a good run and hints at things to come but is just classic JSA storytelling and is a fun 2 parter adventure showing the team at their best! An okay one time read!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Longer review possibly coming.

The Black Adam tale with Isis was the best part. The other tales were not as stellar but above average to somewhat good.

I hope to see more of Black Adam, the ultimate DC anti-hero.

ARTWORK: B; STORY/PLOTTING: B minus to B; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B;
JSA MYTHOLOGY: B to B plus; OVERALL GRADE: B; WHEN READ: early February 2012.

[Charles · Rating 1 out of 5]

The interesting and coherent moments in this were few and far between. This is really a hodgepodge collection of some modern JSA stories. It's called Black Adam and Isis, but they're only in the first few issues. The art is pretty bonkers at times. Didn't really enjoy their look of Mary Marvel in BDSM gear and weird pink pigtails. Power Girl's look varies wildly from one issue to another. Jay Garrick looks normal for the most part, but totally strung out, skinny, and greasy hair in the issue about Stargirl's birthday. More dings for gross content, like opening the story with an implied rape of Isis at the hands of Felix Faust and Atom Smasher "doing the right thing" by turning down Stargirl... Because she's a kid. Seriously, we need that explained and defended by other characters? Who wrote this? Roy Moore?

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weak sauce, as Geoff Johns winds up his various Justice Society runs. Terribly weak, ill-thought out story, which utilizes few of the gargantuan cast in a story that feels old because we've been through it so many times before. Five years later, poor Atom Smasher and Black Adam do the same song and dance seen four or five years earlier. The ending is predictable and mechanical, and I'm wondering why we should care. Johns went out with a whimper, and this arc is just as forgettable.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a collection of what feels like random stories. Labeled Black Adam and Isis but turns out it’s just 3 issue story arc which really needed to be told in 6 with what happens with the Rock of Eternity etc.

Farewell issue for Stargirls birthday was awesome. Heartfelt funny and hits the tone of what the JSA is all about

And then another 2 part story where nothing happens and just wasn’t very good.

Yup. Read the issue about Stargirls birthday and call it good

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like Jerry Ordway's pencils on issues #23-25 and the story was ok.

Issue #26 was Geoff Johns farewell story to writing the JSA and it was really enjoyable, with fun character moments throughout.

Issues #27-28 seemed like filler or some bonus story one-shots. They were ok as well, but nothing special.

[Keith Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

DC tries to dig Captain Marvel out of the hole they put him in, but only succeed in digging the hole deeper. Great Alex Ross cover though, and always nice to see Jerry Ordway pencils.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 3 out of 5]

Digo ya de entrada que la etapa de Geoff Johns en JSA me parece de las mejores de un autor en un periodo tan largo, y creo que estaría justo por debajo de los X-Men de Claremont. Y que aprovecho esta reseña para hablar de los dos últimos arcos que su etapa en la serie, el larguísimo Thy Kingdom Come, que ocuparía más de un año de la serie, y el mucho más breve Black Adam e Isis, que pondría fin a su estancia en la colección.

Thy Kingdom Come es probablemente uno de los proyectos más ambiciosos de la primera década del siglo XXI, y para él, Geoff Johns contaría con la ayuda del mismísimo Alex Ross, un artista poco prolífico pero espectacular y que ha marcado la historia del cómic por sus álbumes especiales sobre muchos de los personajes más emblemáticos del Universo DC, la creación de Tierra-X y Marvels para Marvel, y la serie limitada Kingdom Come, en la propia DC y de la que este arco de Geoff Johns bebe directamente. Recordemos un poco, Kingdom Come fue una serie limitada con guión de Mark Waid y arte de Alex Ross en la que se planteaba un futuro alternativo para el Universo DC. En ella, una serie de eventos habían provocado una escalada bélica entre los propios metahumanos después de la aparición de un nuevo héroe de tinte bíblico, Magog, con una actitud violenta que se había extendido a muchos otros jóvenes metahumanos. Kingdom Come es una auténtica maravilla, no hay estrellas en goodreads suficientes, y se había convertido en una leyenda hasta que Johns, en Thy Kingdom Come, la trajo de vuelta, con Alex Ross haciendo portadas y algunas páginas (aunque el dibujo habitual continuaría en manos de Dale Eaglesham, Fernando Pasarin y Jerry Ordway), y haciendo labores de argumentista junto a Johns.

En este amplio arco y mientras crea un agujero negro para apagar un incendio, Starman lleva junto a la Sociedad de la Justicia al Superman de Kingdom Come (Tierra-22 en la nueva numeración del Multiverso posterior a Crisis Infinita), y con este como testigo de excepción, el mundo parece comenzar a dirigirse hacia los acontecimientos que en el mundo de ese Superman llevaron a los enfrentamientos entre metahumanos, coincidiendo con la aparición de un precursor del Magog de Kingdom Come en la colección de Superman, donde había aparecido un tal Gog, idéntico prácticamente al Magog que se había enfrentado a Kal-El en el futuro. Mientras se adapta a este mundo, Superman, con la ayuda de la Sociedad (que además continúa reclutando jóvenes miembros, como Judomaster, Relámpago, Amazing Man, Lance o la vuelta de Jakeem Thunder) tiene que hacer frente a Gog... y toda la Sociedad tendrá que hacer frente al descubrimiento de que Gog sólo es el avatar de una entidad mucho más antigua, un dios del Tercer Mundo que responde a ese mismo nombre y que comienza a obrar milagros en el Congo, congregando a varios seguidores... y provocando una escisión en la propia Sociedad debido a su forma de actuar. Además, durante el avance de Thy Kingdom Come, Johns profundiza en la figura de Power Girl, recuperando uno de los conceptos más chulos de la DC pre-Crisis de los 80, Infinity Inc y la Sociedad de la Justicia de Tierra-2. Thy Kingdom Come es una auténtica maravilla en todos los sentidos, con un Johns en estado de gracia que sabe dar a cada personaje su momento y su importancia, con una clara subtrama sobre la religión y la fe.

Y finalmente, tras Thy Kingdom Come, llegaría Black Adam e Isis, donde Johns recuperaría a estos dos personajes, que habían sufrido grandes cambios durante 52. Y la verdad es que el cierre flojea, es la historia más light de todo lo que Johns contó en JSA, quizá por imposiciones editoriales o quizá ya porque estaba metido en otros proyectos, pero la verdad es que se nota cierta "desgana" en esta historia, donde trabaja con un equipo de personajes muy reducido para que la Sociedad pueda hacer frente al matrimonio formado por Black Adam e Isis, decidida esta a acabar con toda la vida sobre la faz de la Tierra para crear un nuevo jardín del Edén, aprovechando Johns para replantear la situación de toda la familia Marvel después de las consecuencias de Crisis Final, donde Mary Marvel se había convertido en una especie de criatura oscura después de ser poseída sucesivamente por Eclipso y Desaad.

En fin, que aunque la nota de este último arco es un 3, no puedo dejar de hablar de JSA sin ensalzar una vez más el maravilloso trabajo que hicieron todos los que participaron en esta etapa de la Sociedad de la Justicia de América y que la convierten en una etapa maestra de la historia del cómic.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good, but the Black Adam & Isis part is only about half of this graphic novel (and with that awesome Alex Ross cover, it really should be a lot more), while the rest is a few other stories of the JSA dealing with the aftermath of the events of the Thy Kingdom Come story. Unfortunately, those stories don't really do anything to move the narrative of the team forward. One is about Stargirl's birthday and another is about the ghost of a Japanese assassin with superpowers from WWII seeking vengeance on the original JSA members after dying at Hiroshima.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reprints Justice Society of America (2) #23-28 (March 2009-August 2009). The Justice Society of America is in tatters, and the future of the team and its members are in question. When Black Adam makes a power grab at the Rock of Eternity, the JSA will have to hold together in the hopes of stopping him and the “Black Adam Family”. Plus, a ghost from the past forces members of the JSA to experience the release of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima…and only the Spectre can save them!

Written by Geoff Johns, Jerry Ordway, and Matthew Sturges, Justice Society of America: Black Adam and Isis is a DC Comics superhero collection. Following the events of Justice Society of America: Thy Kingdom Come—Book 3, the collection features art by Jerry Ordway, Dale Eaglesham, and Fernando Pasarin. The issues in the collection were also collected as part of the JSA Omnibus—Volume 3.

As a fan of Jerry Ordway’s The Power of Shazam series, I was rather excited by this volume. Ordway and Captain Marvel have matched up well and recent events (aka bad Mary Marvel) needed rectification. This collection somewhat solves that problem, but most of the collection isn’t very satisfying.

I will say that Justice Society of America has always been a great soap opera comic book and this collection continues it. The series is largely about families and the rifts and arguments between the family members. Examples include Hawkman taking flight (pun intended) from the team and Al and Courtney’s requited love. It is largely emotionally driven stories and characters which gives them more depth than some other comic book teams.

The two stories in this volume aren’t the most satisfying. While I certainly like aspects of the “Black Adam and Isis” issues, I feel that the middle part of the series and the conclusion is too rushed. The action suddenly jumps to Kahndaq, the Wizard is restored, Black Adam & Isis are stopped, and Billy and Mary are left in the lurch…it seems like a lot happened that wasn’t explained or expanded upon.

The second storyline likewise is rather confusing and needs clarification. The Justice Society is pulled back in time (maybe) and faces the ghosts of war. The story feels like it should have been a three issue storyline and developed more. The villain could have been more rounded, and I wish that the Crispus Allen Spectre was more explored.

Justice Society of America isn’t always the best title, but I enjoy the characters and the story of the JSA so it gets more of a pass than other DC titles. The issues of the collection still have some of the great Alex Ross cover art which makes them worth reading alone. Justice Society of America: Black Adam and Isis was followed by Justice Society of America: The Bad Seed.

[Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a rather rough denouement. A kind of bumpy coda where Johns lays a lot of groundwork for the future of DC as far as the Justice Society is concerned. He ties a messy bow on Black Adam, after sprinkling his arrival some seven or eight issues prior. He reintroduces Billy Batson. He handles the swelling ranks of the Society, always destined to be a bloated roster of what is more or less DC's B team (look, these guys are often my favorite heroes, but they get relegated to the minor leagues or the retirement pick-up games in favor of the JLA). But it's all kind of sloppy.

The highlight for me is without a doubt Stargirl's birthday party. Johns's final issue. It's handled with a deftness, and the warmth that has become his signature on the series. It's also heartbreaking for anyone who has dug anywhere beneath the surface of the character's origin. Johns's sister, Courtney, was one of the victims on board TWA 800, and in memoriam he created the character of Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl). She has always been a decidedly different type of hero than anyone else I'd encountered in the DCU, and watching her growth from the plucky brace-faced youth to the upper echelon of the JSA has been a real joy of the series, and letting Johns have a final victory lap with JSA with her birthday party and an almost complete lack of violence and action was really nice.

That being said, I'm concerned for the direction of the series from here. Jerry Ordway pinch hits for the last two issues of the volume. It's an interesting concept bringing the heroes back to the war that defined them, and facing them with the horror of Hiroshima, and the reality of it in counterpoint to the spirit of the society they've created, but to be honest, it was all rather bland. Next up is Bill WIllingham. Hopefully he'll bring his own fantastic flavor to the series without losing what I loved so much under Johns's helming.

[Russell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this because I love the character of Black Adam, being one of the most power beings in the DCU, and also the malevolent antidote to that doofus Captain Marvel, he has always been one of the more interesting characters in comics. I’m admittedly not a constant reader of JSA mostly due to its revolving door of loser superheroes like Judomaster and Cyclone; a 19 year-old who dresses up like a witch. She also has an awesome origin. From Wikipedia:

“As a 6-year old, Maxine was once kidnapped by T.O. Morrow, the mad scientist who created the second Red Tornado, a powerful android. Morrow infects Maxine with "nanobytes" that are the apparent source of her powers.”

Whatever. On to the “Black Adam and Isis"...garbage. Black Adam beats the crap out of a 75 year old Captain Marvel who is guarding some stupid magical totem called “The Rock of Eternity”. The rest of the Keystone Cops, I mean JSA, come to intervene after Captain Marvel gets turned into whimpering schoolboy Billy Batson. So apparently the plot is the JSA trying to stop Black Adam and his main squeeze Isis for trying to kill every man, woman and child on Earth. Also, a simmering love affair between Atom Smasher and Stargirl lingers. Gimme a break.

Honestly, Jerry Ordway’s terrible pencils really take away from what could have been a decent, if not spectacular story. I’m sure he can draw better than me, but I am not getting paid to do so either. His pencils look like an 80’s cartoon. Seriously, Ordway = Ass. The putrid combination of asinine characters and F list artwork makes Black Adam and Isis a resounding failure. Look elsewhere.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of this tale recently and it was pretty much what I remembered. The story (prior to this entry) deals with the redemption of Black Adam as the original individual instead of being 'possessed' by his descendant, the same man who killed the Batson parents in Jerry Ordway's The Power of Shazam graphic novel (read it if you haven't).

The entry is the final chapter of that storyline. It takes Isis (reincarnated wife of Adam) and turns her into first a victim of Felix Faust and then a villain seeking a poorly defined revenge. The reason it gets three stars instead of two is how it brings the JSA back together and helps to redeem Atom-Smasher.

Supposedly, this is part of the script for the upcoming Black Adam movie, and I am interested to see how it is adapted for the big screen. Hopefully something along the lines of Aquaman or the first Wonder Woman in terms of respect to the original material but still able to create a film everyone in the audience enjoys.

Find it. Buy it. Read it!

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you've read "52", you might want to see more of Black Adam and Isis, as they had a very compelling storyline. However, the story is entertaining but feels incomplete. Black Adam seeks out Felix Faust, who is holding the soul of Isis (Adrianna) and demands that Faust bring her back to life. Things don't go according to plan--do they ever?--and Isis comes back wrong, as TV Tropes would say. Billy Batson and Mary Batson become Black Marvels themselves, and it's up to the JSA to stop them.

There's also a funny story called "Happy Birthday Stargirl" which is a stand-alone story featuring Courtney and the JSA's attempt to give her a surprise birthday party. It's filled with humor (particularly from Starman) and feeling.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only the first 3 or 4 issues in this are about Black Adam and Isis. It's kind of cut-and-dried as Adam rescues Isis and then they take the power from Billy Batson, who at this point is the wizard Shazam instead of "Captain Marvel." And the Justice Society has to stop them.

The other issues involve some other stuff. A fun one involves Stargirl's birthday party. A two-parter about a Japanese ghost gets a little cringey.

Overall it's OK but not really memorable. The art is decent. Pretty standard DC stuff for this time period.

If you watched the Black Adam movie this really has nothing to do with that.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geoff Johns leaves the title after what is, for now, his final Black Adam story. No one can questions Adam is arguably DC's finest anti-hero when written correctly. A man who loves his country and his wife, with a very black and white view of right and wrong. Isis, his wife is resurrected but her death has altered her world view and where she previously tempered his violence she now wants to cleanse the Earth to start everything anew. The ending of their story is somewhat tragic, Johns does a decent of Billy Batson and Mary Bromfield, as he turns the title over to new writers.

[Caleb · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first couple of issues in this book are okay, but a definite step down from Johns' "Thy Kingdom Come" series that precedes. 3 stars. The last several issues are awful. For example - Stargirl's birthday party? Really?

I think the JSA is a great team and has a lot of fun stories that can be explored, but this was a letdown.

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I jumped in the middle of the story with this, but I seem to do that with JSA stories. The Black Adam/Isis thing is only the first part of this, and the second part is a mystic Japanese revenge story that makes you want to cry a little. Good ending for Johns run on the title, lots of JSA family vibes to be found - classically great art here, and Ross covers.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johns' final look at the Marvels is a good conclusion to the story [7/10], while his final issue is terrific [10/10]. Ordway's story starts off strong, but peters out in the fight-heavy second issue [5/10].

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the golden age superheroes from DC and the new JSA brings these original heroes back into the modern age along with their legacy namesakes. Well above average art and plot keep these 70 year old comic characters interesting and entertaining. Very recommended

[Victor Orozco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too sure how to make of this collection. Set amidst the time after the events of the 52 storyline and a little bit before the Final Crisis as the Justice Society of America does what it can to quell Black Adam.

All things considered it was a bit forgettable. C-

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

this volume has some good stories, but also has the scenes of mary marvel acting as a character from image comics.

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story of love and loss on a super-human level!

[Ola · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is 3 pretty bad stories with pretty bad pencils... The second story (not the title story) is the best and is written by Geoff Johns...

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty blaaaah except for Stargirl's birthday party.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Episodic, but an entertaining distraction

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Marvel family just doesn't do much for me... it's not a bad collection, but less interesting than what came before it.

[Alek Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two rushed stories is all this volume is. With Geoff Johns leaving the Title, his Black Adam story was hurried to a sad and bitter conclusion.