The Society Pages - JSA #35

[Starocotes]

First of all let me say that I really like what Bill and Matt did to the JSA, storywise. It is intriguing, keeps me reading and leaves rooms for some more character development, without getting rid of characters. The story on both series is solid and I especially like the return of some "old" JSA foes. The one bad thing I have to say about JSA at the moment is the handling of Dr. Fate.

Even though I understand the reasoning behind it, I don't like the speeding along of Kent V. Nelson at all. Steve Gerber set this new incarnation of Dr. Fate up as a troubled person who starts on a road of discovery when he found the helmet (or the helmet found him). As normal with Steve this road started as a stony and hard road with many pitfalls and our hero was not so sure if he even wand to follow this road.

Now Bill took a very easy way out of it with Kent first remembering some of the knowledge of his ancestor and now in #35 he has a slight glimps into the mind of Mordru to know how to use the helmet better. I can understand why Bill used this plotdevice so he can use a Dr. Fate that doesn't need detailed psychological consulting to write, but I still mourn the passing of Gerbers Dr. Fate.

So it is with bittersweet feelings I read JSA nowadays.

[Chris Opperman]

You know how sometimes you put on an old coat and are excited to find $10 in the pocket?

Today I suddenly realized that I had purchased this comic but hadn't read it yet, so it was that same feeling!

It was a wonderful issue. I like shorter story arcs!

Chris