Jsa Omnibus 2

I'll assume you already know that JSA Omnibus Vol 2 contains some of the best writing by one of the greatest writers in comics (see below for specific issues contained; Amazon's list is incomplete). If you love well crafted comics, you might as well sign up now to own all three volumes.As for the presentation: Vol 1 was the only DC omnibus I've ever had problems with, and this volume corrects most of them. The spine is glued rather than bound; I know, many people complain that gluing it is chintzy, but I find that makes it far easier to keep the book open. Which is important. One of my biggest complaints about Vol 1 was that it was difficult to read such a massive tome; Vol 2 actually adds more than a thousand pages (1401 in all!), yet I had no trouble keeping it open (laying it on a table, of course ... you won't be lying in bed reading this one). Some of the unnecessary title pages were taken out for this volume. Sadly, they still won't tell you what issues you're reading, but I guess we can do our research on the internet if that's really important to us.Volume 2 contains: JSA 26-75, JSA Annual 1, JSA Secret Files and Origins 2, and Hawkman 23-25.Stay tuned: Volume 3 will contain my personal favorite issues of the run.

The second omnibus of John's great run on the JSA is even stronger than the first. While the first volume oddly ended with a couple of out of order team up stories, the second is consistent and in proper order while also collecting some of the strongest JSA arcs of Johns' run. The book features the arcs in which the JSA is forced to fight one another in a super villain casino run by Roulette, battle against a magical team consisting of Modru, Eclipso, and Obsidian, travel back in time to prevent a Nazi time traveler from rewriting history to wipe out the original incarnation of the JSA, and an attempt by Rick Hunter (the modern Hourman) to save his father (the original Hourman) from a doomed fate. All of these arcs are fantastic and continue the title's great sense of legacy, but the real standout of the book is the focus on Black Adam in the arcs Black Reign and Black Vengeance. The former arc sees Black Adam put together his own variation on the JSA in order to free his home country from a brutal dictator. Adam's brutality and willingness to kill infects his new team, including Atom Smasher who defects to join Adam, and draws the ire of the JSA. The sequel story, Black Vengeance, ties in with the events of Infinite Crisis (specifically the story arc Day of Vengeance in which the new Eclipso seduces the Specter and convinces him to destroy all magic). Eclipso has a vendetta against Black Adam and has the Specter invade Adam's country. The JSA comes to his aid, despite Black Adam's protests. The great character study of Black Adam's brutal form of heroism is tremendous and the tragic arc of Atom Smasher makes it all the better. All in all, this one of the best comics I've ever read and proof of why Johns is one of DC's best.

I love this run!! I would recommend reading volume 1 first, however. It also goes well with the G.J. Hawkman and Brightest Day omnibi.Story-Johns builds with pay-offs for readers; periods of slower character stories that build into intense action, then cycle back to drams. This gives the book a nice balance (care more about the action b/c of slower pace/impace; then fast page-turner again). Very fun read. I think the pacing works better reading through in a volume than it would as a monthly...although if I remember correctly, the monthly run was critically acclaimed.HUGE volume, so lots of story for the $.

This is a collection of some beloved comics stories by Geoff Johns, Leonard Kirk, Don Kramer, Peter Snjebjerg and others.I think they are loved as much for their PROMISE as for their actual EXECUTION.Episodic works like JSA have a sort of hurdy-gurdy quality when they are collected in one volume. The crank is turned, the story revved up, the music plays, the crowd is entertained and then, on the last page or so, the crank is wound back up again and STOPPED at a cliffhanger or revolution that may -- and usually does -- pay off in the next issue. But there's always this lingering thought that it could have been better, than we are missing something, that more must exist offscreen.So I think a large part of the excitement of reading the JSA title used to EXPECTATION and HOPE. We readers would all be waiting on tenterhooks each month to find out what new artist, team-up variation, guest-star, or tribute would be shoehorned into the title. Somehow it always worked out. But it is a little like a soap opera, you live through the JSA series, you don't really read it. So when it is collected altogether, it can seem redundant or forced. For a reader unfamiliar with the series, it can be jarring and a little unfulfilling. Who is Hourman? And why does he matter? Well, it appears he is the long ignored son of the original Hour-man from he 1940's who was a member of the original Justice Society of America. That Hourman, Rex Tyler, was a brilliant chemist who invented a chemical named Miraclo that gave him super-strength, limited invulnerability, and speed for exactly one hour. He had also been written out of the Justice Society title three times before. Now, he -- and his son are back and this time it sticks. They finally become integral to the title.It's a fanboy's delight. And fans like me enjoy every minute of that.But the new reader might be a little lost, -- especially when that THIRD Hourman shows up. (In the dark days when the Justice Society was consigned to publishing limbo, the first comic book with the actual title "Hourman" was published -- and so he had to show up eventually, right?)Based in comics lore, updated for "cool" factor, but ultimately so self-referential that it may put off first time readers. If you loved the first volume, BUY this one. If you didn't love the first, be warned -- it's even more geeky fanboy fun.