Comic Book Review: Justice Society of America #32

Written by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham
Art and cover by Jesus Merino

Plot: As Power Girl, Mister America and The Flash punch their brains in attempting to find Mr. Terrific’s murderer, Dr. Fate and Green Lantern do all they can to keep Mr. T’s body in stasis. The mystery seems to be rooted in the strange occurrences of their two newest team members, All American-Boy and King Chimera. Of course, none of this is helping the fact that, at the JSA headquarters doorstep is a horde of hired villains out to collect their bounties on the JSA members heads.

My Thoughts: I can’t make up my mind! Was this a good installment in this story arc or not? On one hand, we have this gripping story where everything seems to be going down the drain for the JSA. Two team members suspected of murder, one member dead, villains relentlessly going after the Justice Society, and one member of whom the villains have been given strict orders not to hurt. Everything about this book screams a five star rating! On the other hand, I’m not sure the dialogue between characters is serving the story well.

When an issue becomes nothing more than a 22 paged debate session over who was right or what to do in a crisis, I begin to question the quality of the story. However, this book does push forward without any delays or attempts at stalling until next month’s climactic ending. Will Mr. Terrific die? Is King Chimera a part of something bigger? And who hired the villains and why does he/she want Stargirl unharmed?

Merino has good sense of emotion and bringing that to the characters, but it seems to me that the people he draws don’t always look the same from panel to panel, Power Girl especially.  However, I still felt very captivated by the artwork.  The green flames surrounding Mr Terrific were spellbinding.

I guess you could say this issue was a good one huh? It left me asking so many questions, and I couldn’t put it down.

Overall: Very good. One of the best books of October. Ever since Geoff Johns left, this title has been lacking in substance. Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges brought this book back to life with this issue. Two thumbs up!

4 out of 5 stars

Next Month: Justice Society of America #33

The traitor stands revealed, and his part in the destruction of the Justice Society of America is complete. While the team's headquarters lies in ruin, the same fate has befallen the team itself! Hold on to your seats, because the JSA as we've known it is torn asunder!