:jsa_book_club: The Fall and Rise of Vandal Savage:jsa_book_club:

Hello all and welcome to the JSABC’s second June session. This one is a twofer. First we have a story from the JSA Classified series that focuses on Green Lantern Alan Scott and his continuing battle with Vandal Savage. Let’s see what what exactly he is after this time around. Also, in celebration of Father’s Day, we have two stories from JSA that deal with fathers that were suggested to me by our very own club leader @Aurora. (Thanks for the issue suggestions) The first features Rick Tyler having a heart to heart talk with his dad, Rex, while Jakeem goes in search of his own father. In the second we have Stargirl dealing with both her stepdad and the complex emotions she carries with regard to her bio dad.

So let’s get the party started members of the @JSABookClub

THE JSABC ROLL CALL

Club Leaders

@JasonTodd428 & @Aurora

Standing Members

Abrax, AggressiveIntellectual219, Alec.Holland, anthony.javier3, Applejack, Azrael_Jean-PaulValley14, BBlake, bbzo24, bigblock66, Blueandred BlueBeetlesAssistant, BobbinIrving, Brenticus_Rex, CaptainYesterday, CassTheStreet, CrazyQuilt, Daffern, Darkstarz dave7atgosky, dave_worrell, DC_Community, Deathstroke’sPunisher, december360, djganon, Doctor075, DocterFate1, Don-El, fawsid, frankie.lacy79, Flynn.P.Campbell, Frostbite30, ganaoque, harrist, HombreDeMaiz, hotstufflouie, Jay_Kay, Jflow, jlevin, Jurisdiction, kaliym73, lunalane, MatthewHecht, mbpbinder, _meegs, Meisaj, mgeiler, Midnitehour, MisfitCMJ, mitchellbpearson, MPMCN86, msgtv, Odbo255, PaintEater, parzival27, ProActress, QuadPen, ralphsix, Ravenrifft, ReaganFan78, Remember5NovEveyHammond, RexRebel, RickTylerHourman, rlynchfamily, ROMANLEGION rspezzano, rwm, Ryan22, scoop001, Sinestro1,slowp0Ketail, Smallengineerings, SuperBlue Grodd, TheCosmicMoth, TK52, Tommyskindlefire, TurokSonOfStone, YolandaMontezz, ZacharyLee1995.

THE JSABC WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
@Boswell99.31027

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Readings

* JSA Classified #10-13

Father’s Day Readings

* JSA 38
* JSA #81

Discussion Questions

  1. Again we have a story told from the villain’s point-of-view. Did you enjoy seeing into the mind of Vandal or would rather have seen this story fromAlan’s perspective instead?

  2. There was a lot of backstory here regarding the centuries Savage has lived. Which flashback was your favorite one?

  3. What did you think of Vandal’s plan to finally put an end to Green Lantern and ruin his legacy on top of that?

  4. The final two stories here are about fathers. Which one was your favorite?

Next Month we will be reading Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E to get a more indepth look at Stargirl. Hope to see you all there.

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hmmmmm

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At least I called Their Finest Hour being in the reading. I am short, but I can probably write about My Heroes in my sleep, as I have probably read it around 81 times.

I just heard the JSA is in the latest Flash issue.

So when Vandy goes to the dentist does he feel the need to bite the dentist’s hand off and eat it?

  1. I think Vandal’s perspective got repetitive. I would have preferred opening and closing with it, but other than that it is Green Lantern as protagonist.

  2. Blackbeard.

  3. It seemed like a lot of deus ex machinas versus diabolus ex machinas. It felt like I was watching too children play fight on a play ground and constantly insist they have an invincible trump card until eventually the one playing green Lantern just removes the other guy’s vocal cords to win.

I get it Vandal. You prefer the other type of white meat. You said you are out of descendants, but as Terry pointed out somwhere in JSA by that point everybody should be your descendant.

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So cool. Did anyone happen to read that issue by chance?

I always wondered why ole Vandy went through dentist’s so quickly. :stuck_out_tongue: Now I know.

Truth!

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Jay Garrick and The Ray (Happy Terrill) were in last month’s Flash. That issue took place during World War II and the plot was originally found in issue #1 of James Robinson’s Golden Age.

Today’s Flash issue (#771) has Wally “leap” into the body of a member of either the Geoff Johns JSA or the new one. Stargirl, Rex Tyler Hourman and Alan Scott’s hand are in the front with “Wally.” Jay, Yolanda Montez and I think some version of Dr. Mid-Nite are in the background. It is just the one splash page.

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Well at least it was something.

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Time to finish this up with question number 4.

One of these is my absolute favorite single issue storyline (over or under 5,000 words praising it coming up), and the other is something I am okay with, so this will be a very easy choice.

38- I was very disappointed when first reading it since the title and picture made me think this would be an action packed finale to a storyline, and it is instead a character focused with almost no action. Why is Jakeem not on the cover?

On my second and now third read I can appreciate it. It definitely worked better in a reread where I understood the whole Hourman plot. For the Thunder plot I think his dad might have just forced himself to forget he had a son. Wouldn’t it have been easier to tell him basics of a fuse instead of handing him a book?

Overall I am fine with it, but nothing about this issue grabs me.

81- This is a great case of a cover showing a personal story. You see the focus on Stargirl and her happy smile, and STRIPE watching her and his arms seemingly ready to pull her away from danger like the overprotective (And genre blind) dad he is.

Like in New 52 Courtney is shown watching a Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew TV show. I guess Johns really wants it to get made. It would not surprise me if his actual sister was a fan of them. It also means Star’s costume was inspired by Yankee Poodle like it was out of universe.

Did Mike read the Justice Society crossover in the Hourmans series, which said Star was 14 years old, since he also insists she was 14 instead of 15?




I really love that gag. As a group photographer it is very accurate.

With the possible exception of Shiv Mike is the most different character in the show. If he acted like that fans would have been rooting for Brainwave to maul him up. This how superhero siblings would probably actually act. I mean what is he supposed to do to win a sibling rivalry.

Mike: I did it! I am no longer failing English.

Star: Pat was Mordru that hard to fight when you battled him? Good thing I brought Dr. Fate back to life.

Mike sees Pat as a much bigger failure of a dad than Mr. Kurtis. I would never dare act like that around my dad. Pat is a much bigger pushover with him than Star, as his insults hit him close to home.

This story has a major callback to “JSA/JSA.” In it Mike did see Pat die so Star knows he does not mean it. I presume she did not tell Pat about that. Now that I think of it Star has within a few issues seen her mom die, her step-dad die, her step-brother die, her half-sister die, her future husband die, and now heard about her biological father dying. No wonder she needs a hug at the end of the issue.


I really love this panel. The reason for the fake smile is probably that Pat currently views himself as a failed dad to both Sylvester and Mike, and he is not excited about potential adding a third kid to the list.

I love that Stargirl’s first thoughts at Shade is she needs to rescue her surrogate big brother. It also fits with her family first personality and moral of the issue.

Sam pays attention to the TV only when they mention his daughter, and I think this is the only time in his 3 appearances he actually shows interest in her. I guess he was regretting his mistakes in “A Star is Born.” That or he was hoping she would break him out of prison in the future or something.

Eaglesham did a great job with the blood. It heightens the tension but it is not over the top.


The comedy here is great with scene like this or Shade rescuing the statue.

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  1. I do like to hear from the villain’s side on occasion, especially when it is some one the caliber of Vandal Savage.

  2. The man could get his fortune back by writing a book and going on the lecture circuit. I know who invented the wheel, I killed him and took the credit. All those ancient mysteries? I can tell you the answers, if the price is right. The Lindbergh baby? He was delicious.

One note from #11, you would think Hippolyta would have run into him a few times and knew how dangerous he was.

I really like Gulacy’s art in this one as he makes Vandal really look like a caveman no matter how “civilized” he dressed.

The JSA is gone. Alan give Geoff Johns six months to clear out his schedule and you’ll get your team back.

Forget Checkmate, Alan was really spending his time directing Airwolf.

image

  1. He’s putting an awful lot of faith in that clone.

  2. Courtney is Geoff’s favorite, so it has to be that one. I really like both stories.

From Justice League of America #9 in 2013

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That raises more questions since they found his body with a fractured skull. Most certainly the kidnappers immediately killed him with a hammer since toddlers make sucky hostages for obvious reasons.

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Well just got through with the Savage Stories, and yes, you definitely get the viciousness of Savage in these stories, not the cold impassionate immortal that he is portrayed from time to time. Truly a dog eat dog mentallly. Contrasted with the two heartwarming Father’s Day tales, and Savages fatherly love, does show the range of fathers g up.and families out there, and makes one appreciate the good family they had growin

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I swear that was more of a happy accident rather than something intentional on my part. Vandal is one screwed up “father” though that’s for sure.

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It’s probably difficult for him to win in any case. I actually like Mike in the show better than his comic book counterpart.

Poor Pat. He really needed a hug to I expect.

It’s probably this rather than the other. I don’t trust him as far as I could through him.

I agree. Sometimes I think artists miss the finer nuances.

Indeed he could. I’m not sure why he never tried it to be honest.

I would have thought that as well.

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