To be completely honest, "Princes of Darkness" isn't exactly the kind of thing I look for in JSA. It's a big epic super-hero slugfest, but it also contains what some would consider the weaknesses of the book, namely a veritable army of characters with heavy continuity ties and some elements of the story that are more concerned with tweaking ignored or poorly-written characters than focusing on deeper characterization or plot. However, while these can be downsides for some, they're upsides for others, and those who read this book for the glimpses at long-forgotten Golden Age characters or for Johns and Goyers' admittedly strong instincts for fixing some of the character changes that have been introduced in the past will be in heaven this issue. Even though this story didn't focus as much on the aspects of the book (or indeed the characters) that are my favorite, I got a charge out of several moments in the issue, and "Princes of Darkness" does stand as an example of how to do this kind of big epic crossover-esque super-hero story.
Those looking for neat moments and uses of super-powers will find plenty to like here. The conversation between two men who can move faster than almost anyone else, taking place across three continents, is very well done, the new twist on Eclipso is a clever take on the character and Alan Scott fans will definitely not want to miss this issue. Johns and Goyer have packed a lot into this arc, with three major villains and a dozen or more guest starring heroes, and while there is a sense that some of them are there as mere window-dressing, there's also an impressive amount of story focused on the three villains and how they're defeated. There's even a little bit of character development slipped into the mix, especially the new relationship that has developed between Captain Marvel and Courtney Whitmore.
One thing that this book has never suffered from is a lack of good artists. Leonard Kirk is departing JSA, but he's definitely going out on a high-note, as this book is the kind of thing that super-hero pencillers dream of (or, depending on their temperament, have nightmares about). Amazing uses of power, including a clever use of two superfast characters having a conversation across three continents, powers used to stop an eclipse or stabilize Earth's tectonic plate structure, and heroes battling a 30-foot-tall super-villain are just a few examples of what Kirk and Champagne have to offer.
Johns has a rep for doing the straightforward super-hero thing very well, but he's got a bit of a dark streak in him as well, and these super-villains have really felt menacing. The payoff for that comes in this issue, as we get to see the heroes overcome seemingly impossible odds, and though there are definitely some sacrifices along the way, this is really the big heroic payback for all the villain shenanigans of the first few parts of "Princes of Darkness." In particular, Alan Scott really gets to shine as both a hero and a parent, with a splash page that will make fans of this Golden Age classic cheer, and Power Girl gets her moment in the sun as well, showing off a confidence and power that is all-too-rare in the way she's been presented. Johns and Goyer also work some further mysteries and hints into the story regarding Power Girl's true origins, a nice tease that's been boiling in the background and which will hopefully be revealed soon.
JSA is not a strange or new twist on the concept of super-teams like New X-Men or X-Statix. Instead, it's a traditional take on the super-hero team that fits right alongside books like The Outsiders, a book that probably would have worked just as well in the 80's or 90's. However, it's in good company there, reminding me of classic superteam books like New Teen Titans, Suicide Squad and other well-remembered classics, serving up solid super-hero fare without the deconstructionist or retro-oriented flavor that is common in so many other books. If you're a fan of the super-hero, and you're looking for a book that reminds you why continuity and super-hero weren't always dirty words, spandex and codenames weren't always looked down upon, or why many of us got into reading comics in the first place, JSA is not a bad place to look.
