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Mild Mannered Reviews - JSA Comics

Justice Society of America #17 Justice Society of America #17

Justice Society of America #17

Scheduled to arrive in stores: July 9, 2008

Cover date: September 2008

"One World, Under Gog" - Part 2: "Wish Fulfillment"

Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Fernando Pasarin
Inker: Prentis Rollins and John Stanisci

Neal Bailey Reviewed by: Neal Bailey

Click to enlarge



Cyclone talks with Hourman about walking with Gog for forty miles. She runs into Damage, newly hunkified, and acts like a flustered teenager for a moment before explaining her new monkey, Frankie.

The heroes fly above Gog as he goes from place to place, with a cadre of followers walking below him. The two Supermen note that they expected Gog to create Magog, and that they're surprised there's no catch yet.

Gog speaks with Wonder Woman, and tells her that the birds like her, and that he does as well. Then he indicates that he will be the new protector for protectors, heroes like the JSA and Wonder Woman.

Terrific attends church and laments the fact that he can't believe in a God or gods, and wonders why Gog wouldn't speak to him, frustrated.

Hawkman ponders the staff, and refuses an offer to join the JLA from Hawkwoman.

The military ponders Gog and his implications with members of the JSA.

Gog begins granting miracles to the heroes, after Stargirl says she thinks she's useless. He grants Sandman a 24 hour sleep, he gives Dr. Mid-Nite his sight back, and he cures Starman of his insanity.

Starman promptly claims this to be a bad thing.

Gog sends Power Girl "home" to Earth-2.

Mid-Nite admires the colors of the vortex.

Gog is about to explain where he's sent Earth-2 (as the heroes do not know) when he smells death, and decides to eradicate war.

5Story - 5: Okay, Gog must have sent Johns, because sweet Gog, all of this... AND MONKEYS?

Those of you who know me know my holy trinity of comedy. Midgets, monkeys, and poo, in any combination. Midget on a monkey? HEE-larious. A monkey throwing poo at a midget? YES! A midget made out of poop? BING! Funny! A monkey that poops a midget? Carry on, sir!

So anyway, monkeys are like, the Jesus of that trinity, though, since we're talking religion here. Versatile. Adaptable. Fun to be around. And liable to overturn your money tables and go OOOOK! OOOOK!

Joking aside, however, this story is masterful, and honestly, if these two parts are the only good parts of this story, if this is all I get to read, I have had a GREAT time. This is why I can't wait until issue 4 "heats up" Final Crisis. Because a story, like this story, should be a culmination, a radness unto itself.

This story usurps your expectations. You were looking for a simple introduction of Magog and a fight. Gog was supposed to be a bad guy. Instead, we have a benevolent diety, something that the heroes don't know how to deal with. We share the dilemma of the heroes, because we're broadsided with the same dilemma as geeks. Very meta. Very fine.

On a personal level, I echo Terrific's problem. I wish for a deith, I wish for a world where an all-powerful being will speak to us, but instead, I find an unresponsive, cold world, and I imagine that in a world like the DC Universe, where it seems there are gods everywhere, I'd be equally skeptical, because look what happens when you trust in flying men with magical solutions? Parallax, fraud, and awful things. So imagine how a seemingly benign character must impact someone like me, like Terrific. Sadly, I think Terrific will be vindicated when Gog abuses his power and has to be stopped. Still, deeper than, say, a giant purple idiot named Konvikt, no?

It also initiated a larger concept for me, speaking a writer, something I'd like to explore some day. The heroes protect people, and people look to those heroes as saviors. All they do is suffer, fail, succeed, but they're in constant flux simply for doing the right thing. Who DOES look after them? Not who watched the Watchmen, who protects the protectors? Intriguing concept, and one I haven't seen in comics yet. I guess that's Superman, but then, who made that watch?

5Art - 5: Pasarin continues to rock, and I love Gog's every move in this book, top to bottom. All of the characters are very skillfully rendered despite the exceeding complexity of the story, and I can't wait to see this work as a whole.

5Cover Art (Gog Face) - 5: Awesome work, great pose, wonderful cover, brings you into this awesome issue at hand. All around greatness.

3Cover Art (Power Girl) - 3: Awkward pose, and it gives away a major part of this issue, which I suppose we've known for a while now, but still. Also, there appears to be little reason to cut off the sides of the cover here. Though I do compliment them on making the better cover the primary one...


Mild Mannered Reviews

2008

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

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