JSA: My Thought...
I was thinking about JSA. And the fact that we still haven't seen Obsidian yet. And it occurs to me that it's reached the point that I honestly think it's deliberate. There were a number of points where having Todd stand in the room in costume would have been very easy. But instead, we've seen no sign of him.
And I realized, I have a possible idea as to why.
We've got bad guys hunting down all the descendents of heroes. Todd naturally should be part of this storyline. But he's at the JSA headquarters playing security guard (if he isn't on a beach somewhere and having some shadow puppet do the work for him. :-)).
The badguys are going to attack the JSA headquarters. It's a natural progression. Todd's there. Jessie Quick/Liberty Belle is there. Rick Tyler is there. The Commander Steel kid is there. Libby, Ted's brat and Pat Dugan will probably be brought there. So it's a very likely target.
Which is why I think we haven't seen Todd yet. He's descendent of a hero, so a likely target. He's got one of the awesomest looking powers on the team. And he's home-base security. With an eminent invasion.
Remember how prone Obsidian was to grandiose gestures as a villain? (Or even in Manhunter as a hero?) I think we're due for one HELL of a Grand Entrance!
I am admittedly an optimist, but I do think that Johns seems prone to slow build-up and occasionally dragged-out pacing, so I'm really really hoping for a payoff within the next two issues.
And I realized, I have a possible idea as to why.
We've got bad guys hunting down all the descendents of heroes. Todd naturally should be part of this storyline. But he's at the JSA headquarters playing security guard (if he isn't on a beach somewhere and having some shadow puppet do the work for him. :-)).
The badguys are going to attack the JSA headquarters. It's a natural progression. Todd's there. Jessie Quick/Liberty Belle is there. Rick Tyler is there. The Commander Steel kid is there. Libby, Ted's brat and Pat Dugan will probably be brought there. So it's a very likely target.
Which is why I think we haven't seen Todd yet. He's descendent of a hero, so a likely target. He's got one of the awesomest looking powers on the team. And he's home-base security. With an eminent invasion.
Remember how prone Obsidian was to grandiose gestures as a villain? (Or even in Manhunter as a hero?) I think we're due for one HELL of a Grand Entrance!
I am admittedly an optimist, but I do think that Johns seems prone to slow build-up and occasionally dragged-out pacing, so I'm really really hoping for a payoff within the next two issues.
posted by kalinara @ 7:56 AM
19 Comments:
At February 15, 2007 9:41 AM,
Anonymous said…
Well, we did see Todd at some point in the first issue, guarding the brownstone. I guess considering his shadowy powers and his recent past, it makes sense that he has a more stand-offish presense. I'm sure Todd's off-camera status makes some easy fodder for the people looking for symbollic offense (not saying you're one of them, Kalinara), but let's all relax and see where Johns is taking us. I'm enjoying the ride so far.
At February 15, 2007 10:04 AM,
SallyP said…
Hmmm...makes sense to me. And I hope that it is a darned impressive entrance. Using the word "miscreant", which always makes me weak in the knees.
At February 15, 2007 11:43 AM,
Dorian said…
Or, you know, Ross didn't want him getting "molested" in any other books, but neither he nor Johns had any idea what to do with him and settled on the "security guard" idea.
We're three issues in. We're past time for an entrance, much less a grand one.
At February 15, 2007 11:43 AM,
Anonymous said…
Yeah...like I said in the comments of my entry on this, I do think that Obsidian will show up eventually and, having also read JSA, I think you might be right on this.
I'm still at a loss as to where the diversity was in that splash page, but, I'm willing to let it go for now in the interest of seeing this story played out a bit more.
At February 15, 2007 1:46 PM,
Ragnell said…
This is Geoff Johns, one of the most predictable writers in copmics history. He always runs by a pattern, and if I remember correctly big reveals in 6-part storylines come at the end of part 4.
So, I'd give him one more issue, then start screaming for his head if Obsidian doesn't show up and do something cool.
At February 15, 2007 2:47 PM,
Evan Waters said…
I gave up on this one when an innocent civilian was cut in half by a Nazi speedster and an entire wedding party was dismembered off-panel.
This is not what I started reading for.
At February 15, 2007 3:07 PM,
Anonymous said…
jaon
msik
Loren: check My latest comment on the panel for some legit deversity in terms most don't realize. That's it! I'm starting a blog TOMORROW MORNING first topic: disabled superheroes.
I've only seen Todd in shadow form once and that was well Jade was TALKING to Alan. I feel sad:(
At February 15, 2007 3:13 PM,
Anonymous said…
Sorry for the first 2 lines. @#$% word verification! and it should be "diversity"
At February 15, 2007 4:31 PM,
kalinara said…
Mark: I'm enjoying it too. But I can definitely understand the feelings about this. I really want to see Todd too.
Sally: If anyone can pull off the word "miscreant" with panache, it's Todd!
Dorian: I've never gotten the impression that Johns shared Ross's opinion on Todd. I've always found his work to be pretty slow paced though and often with uneven focus on characters until the plot gets moving. Honestly, while I like his work, Johns usually ends up telling in five books a story that I think would be better suited for two. That's why I'm not terribly bothered by the delay for Obsidian's entrance yet. For most other writers, this whole thing would be the second issue, IMO.
Loren, honestly, in context, I have to agree with you. While I think the splash page is pretty, there really wasn't any reason that I could see to not have Terrific or Obsidian there.
Ragnell: Yep. That's my opinion.
Evan: I'm sorry to hear that. That happens sometimes though. I don't mind the graphic violence myself, but I can appreciate how it can be bothersome
Green: You're right that there's a lot of diversity in the characters themselves, but the thing is, that kind of diversity isn't something that can really be seen in a splash page. I'm disappointed myself, since JSA was always one of the best teams I thought at portraying a diverse membership. It'd have been better, IMO, if the group shot represented this a bit more.
:-) And you should totally start a blog!
At February 15, 2007 7:00 PM,
notintheface said…
Right now Todd's like a more non-lethal version of the Shade, so I say he's going to get revealed in issue#4 or 5, after mysteriously taking out several Nazi bad guys in JSA Headquarters with his shadow powers. I can see it now: the villains stalking through the hallways, with Todd picking them off one by one...
We saw that Terrific had a perfectly good reason for not being in that shot, as he was with Mid-Nite analyzing the aftermath of the Nazis' attack. What could make more sense than the two big-brains brainstorming?
Jakeem? Dunno. I trust Johns to do one of his fancy reveals again, like he will with Todd.
At February 15, 2007 8:23 PM,
Evan Waters said…
It's not so much the graphic violence as the emphasis on innocents being killed. It makes the heroes look kind of ineffective if you just pile it on.
At February 15, 2007 10:15 PM,
Ragtime said…
Remember how prone Obsidian was to grandiose gestures as a villain? (Or even in Manhunter as a hero?) I think we're due for one HELL of a Grand Entrance!
I am also waiting for the grand entrance of Superba, Superman's Black, Jewish, Gay twin sister -- the Man of Steel's true secret weapon -- in Action #846. I figure she's just been lying in wait for the past 845 issues, waiting for Superman to REALLY need her before making her first appearance.
Now THAT's building up suspense!
At February 15, 2007 10:21 PM,
Ragnell said…
Hmm...
Before I kill you, Ragtime, please clarify who you were mocking.
At February 15, 2007 10:56 PM,
Anonymous said…
Kill first, ask questions later. This is the internet, after all- we fight fire with napalm!
And more fire.
And 'splody things.
At February 16, 2007 12:41 AM,
Evan Waters said…
Heh heh heh. Fire! FIRE!
At February 16, 2007 10:38 AM,
Anonymous said…
Actually The blog has to wait until next week do to this friday being unexpectedly busy.
Kalinara: I understand but Loren did ask and I had a chance to spotlight my minority. Terrific is growing on me by the way after reading IC
Sugestion for blog title Kalinara
At February 16, 2007 11:39 AM,
Ragtime said…
Before I kill you, Ragtime, please clarify who you were mocking.
I was mocking the idea that failure to use your more diverse characters for the first three issues was potentially a GOOD thing, because it will make it more exciting when they are used later on.
When the suspense has been building for decades, I see little benefit in forcing a wait of a few more months.
Of course, a kickass grand entrance in #4 could certainly prove me wrong!
At February 16, 2007 11:47 AM,
Ragtime said…
The idea of "This bad thing is really going to turn out to be a really good thing" just struck me as a tad to Pollyanna-ish.
At February 16, 2007 8:19 PM,
kalinara said…
Honestly, and I probably didn't present myself well, I think it would have been better to use Obsidian the whole time.
But I really want to think that there's a reason for it, at least. Johns seems to like writing Obsidian, so I'm trying to give the benefit of the doubt.
I won't deny a certain element of Pollyanna to my post though. :-)
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