Black Adam could have an interesting discussion with Watchmen's Ozymandias.

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Product Description

Aided by Nemesis, Brainwave, Eclipso, Northwind and the JSAs former teammate Atom-Smasher, Black Adam brings old world justice to Kahndaq. His reasons are just, he proclaims, righting wrongs from millennia ago. The current population, though, doesnt necessarily want his help. Hawkman seizes control of the JSA and brings them to the turbulent Middle East where an epic battle, a long time in the making, is finally waged. The resolution will not be easy or pain-free, but it must be done. Fortunately, the Winged Wonder has a plan...

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #309205 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-01
• Released on: 2005-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–A densely packed, well-written superhero comic of epic proportions. The story itself is set in a place that will remind most readers of current-day Iraq. Characters (hero and villain alike) face serious moral questions like What is justice? Is a hero really a hero if he fights to stop people who are liberating their country? Is it ever right to kill? Often, readers must stop to ask themselves who the heroes really are–and there are no concrete answers. Very few comics have created superheroes with such realistic issues. The illustrations are reminiscent of those from the DC Comics' heyday; they are dark, action packed, and full of energy (even if they do have bustier women who show a little bit more skin).–Scott La Counte, Anaheim Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Geoff Johns' other writing work includes Flash, Hawkman and Teen Titans. Don Kramer worked on Dr. Fate before becoming the regular penciller on JSA. Rags Morales is the fan-favourite artist of Hawkman and Identity Crisis.

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Customer Reviews

Absolutely stunning!
After following the TPB series since the beginning, I found my interest lagging somewhat by volume 5 or so. JSA was still one of the better books out there, but some newer, more provocative titles came along that demanded my limited budget, so I stopped at vol. 6. After reading the enthusiastic reviews here at amazon.com, I picked things back up with vol. 8, JSA: Black Reign. Let me tell you that the reviews are true, and this is the strongest, most powerful JSA collection in the series.

Geoff Johns really pulls out all the stops here. Black Reign is a much deeper thinking, and ultimately more emotionally hard-hitting than what has come before. Tackling similar themes as Moore in The Watchmen, and Gruenwald in Squadron Supreme, Johns goes right to the heart of what motivates a hero and how far he or she is willing to go to satisfy these motives. Although all of these characters can be considered heroic, the questions of who will be saved and who needs saving, along with how far do you go to "save" people, goes through the minds of each of our colorful cast of characters with varying results. While similar in many ways, Hawkman and Black Adam are on opposite sides of the issue here, with everyone else somewhere in between. Johns is absolutely masterful in telling this tale. The pacing is perfect, with great, epic battles, and moving personal interaction. The gamut of emotions are presented to great effect, from anger and outrage to despair and grief. The ultimate success of this story lies with the blurring of certain boundaries. The issues are no longer just black and white, good vs. evil. The shades of grey, which naturally temper the real world, are introduced here and utilized throughout to great impact from start to finish.

JSA: Black Reign is about as good as superhero stories get. Geoff Johns, as well as the brilliant cast of artists (sorry about not mentioning the art sooner, as it is even better than fans of the JSA TPB's have become accustomed to), have put together one of the most powerful, adrenaline inducing, yet thought provoking tales in recent memory, and should be part of your collection, if it isn't already.

An excellent story for a low price.
While most trade paperbacks are comic book collections, this one nearly qualifies as a stand-alone graphic novel, easily accessible with strong character arcs.

This is Al Rothstein's (Atom Smasher) story. It's the story of his fall from grace and the beginning of his redemption. Though this series crosses over with Hawkman, he serves more as a catalyst, and for the first time, friendships as old as the Golden Age of comics are strained.

In many ways, this book marks a bittersweet return of Infinity, Inc., the sons and daughters of the JSA. They play the part of villains (more precisely antagonists), but when Hector Hall as Doctor Fate and a surprise return of a certain Infinitor, the tables are turned.

This book succeeds as a war story. Every character is altered by the events of this book and it leaves the reader with more questions than answers. Geoff Johns rocks!

SOLID SUPER TEAM OUTING!
In his writing run on JSA Geoff Johns has consistently delivered two types of stories: team battles on a massive scale and small character driven pieces. His smaller stories have always been handled well showcasing a real love for the characters. The larger epics have been of the more hit-or-miss variety.

Black Reign is written as well as any superhero epic. There's action, plot, and a strong moral ground (for both the heroes and villains...and rarely does that happen in comics). In fact the political end of the story hits solidly with current developments in Iraq. I was torn between my respect of the Black Adam as he fought to reclaim his homeland from tyrants, to my understanding of why the JSA were forced to go into the country and battle Adam and his companions.

JSA: BLACK REIGN is a great read for any comic book fan!