JSA, Vol. 1: Infinity, Inc vs. The Justice Society

JSA (2024)

by Jeff Lemire, Diego Olortegui (Illustrator)

Longtime fan favorites Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Jade, Obsidian, Jesse Quick, Hourman,Ted Grant, and Sandman are all back on the roster—but the team is fractured inmore ways than one. Will Golden Age ideals hold true as the JSA races to respondto its latest threat? Or does it need a more hardcore approach to stand a chanceagainst the new Injustice Society of America?Collects JSA #1-6 by writer Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Absolute Flash) and artistDiego Olortegui (Jay The Flash).

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2025

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.

Reviews

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fractured JSA team are thrown into the deep end when they find themselves divided both physically and morally. The heavy hitters are paired with the younger and more insecure members of the team, whilst Team B is wrought with infighting and indecision. Most of the volume is spent with a split Society, however, it concludes in a place where tragedy will undoubtedly bring everyone together again. It has enough intrigue to garner interest, with Lemire starting to craft his own iteration of these characters with moderate success, but there's just too much going on at the moment for anything or anyone to be explored in much depth. Despite this, it is a solid start, and there is enough here to decide whether or not this is of interest to you.

actual rating: 3.5 stars

[Bill Riggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting start filled with nostalgic and modern characters. The story could be a bit tight and move faster. Hopefully the series picks up and doesn’t fall apart.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 stars

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first JSA book I've ever read. I have no background knowledge, no sense of the stakes, and I know barely 20% of the cast, by name only.
It wasn't a sure thing.

However, I don't have a bad impression of this volume. It's a bit confusing and all over the place—I didn't understand the villains' endgame—and the characters aren't well developed—presumably assuming the reader already knows them?—and the narrative is fairly classic overall.
But between the gradual disintegration of the team, the betrayals, the meltdowns and the cliffhanger – predictable but still – I admit I didn't have a bad time.

As I get to know the characters, their pasts and their interactions – daughter of..., brother of... – this title may well hold my interest for a while.

I'm not a fan of the artwork, which isn't bad, but too cartoony for my taste.

[Paul W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeff Lemire's deliberate pacing and storytelling does no justice to this story. Its good but seems to be moving at a snails pace.

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Цей комікс від Джеффа Леміра — це спроба відродити одну з найстаріших і найшанованіших команд всесвіту DC. Після подій, що стерли їх з історії, герої Золотої доби повертаються у світ, який став похмурішим і цинічнішим. Цей том об’єднує шість перших випусків, у яких ДжеффЛемір і Дієґо Олертаґі намагаються створити фундамент нової ери Товариства Справедливості Америки.

Історія починається з короткого переказу минулого ТСА, а потім одразу кидає команду у вир подій. Група розділена не лише фізично, а й морально: одні герої намагаються дотримуватись старих ідеалів, тоді як інші сумніваються у їхній ефективності у сучасному світі. На тлі зростаючої загрози від нової Товариства Несправедливості, внутрішні конфлікти лише посилюються. Основна частина історії фокусується на двох паралельних командах, які діють окремо, що створює напругу, але часом забирає глибину окремих сюжетних ліній.

Лемір демонструє повагу до спадщини команди, але водночас не уникає складних питань про мораль, ідеали та зміну поколінь героїв. Попри велику кількість персонажів, сценарист намагається дати кожному власний голос і розвиток. Проте через масштаб історії бракує фокусу: деякі події виглядають поверхневими, а персонажі недорозкритими. Схожі проблеми я помічав й у інших командних серій від Леміра. Проте теми довіри, спадкоємності й компромісу між минулим і сучасним проходять через увесь том і надають йому емоційної ваги.

Серед найцікавіших сюжетних ліній боротьба Джед за лідерство, внутрішні сумніви Халіда як нового Доктора Долі та невгамовна рішучість Дикого Кота. Ветерани, такі як Алан Скотт (Зелений Ліхтар) і Джей Ґаррік (Флеш), виглядають менш упевненими, що підкреслює тему старіння та сумнівів у власній актуальності. Дівчина-яструб і Людина-яструб залишаються символами стійкості, тоді як молодші герої з Інфініті, Інк. борються з невпевненістю й тягарем спадщини.

Щодо малюнку Дієґо Олертаґі, то він мені сподобався і гарно пасує серії. Тому це один із плюсів цього коміксу.

Не сказав би, що це сильний старт, більше нерівний, але досить хороший для оновленої команди. Лемір закладає основу для масштабної історії, яка, ймовірно, розкриється повністю у наступних томах. Серія має потенціал, адже найголовніше те, що персонажі виглядають цікавими в тому амплуа і сюжеті, куди їх помістив автор.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of the JSA and the Infinitors. So glad to see them all back in action in this new series.

The story jumps right in the middle of the action, then we're eventually brought up to speed with the back story of how we got to where things are. This is a big cast with lots of heroes (well over a dozen) plus many villains (clocking in over ten when including the Three Demons). For anyone who is new, I could see them being a bit lost as there is very little time to explain who is who and what they do. Readers either need to be in the know or need to infer from the context. As a veteran reader, I had very few issues (outside of some of the current relationship statuses and such).

The artwork is fantastic. I like Olortgui's style (it is clean and sharp with a very classic feel). The colors are complimentary and not overpowering.

I do question the naming of this collection, though. The six parts are a story arc called "Ragnarok" so why was the collection given a different subtitle? The next volume appears to be subtitled "Ragnarok" but that story arc does not share the title. Odd choice.

[Eva B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankly I think the title here is a complete misnomer--this isn't about a fight between Infinity Inc. and the JSA, and the only Infinity Inc. characters who show up are working as JSA members (Jade, Obsidian well, sort of...turns out most of the Obsidian we see is Johnny Sorrow , Beth, Rick, and Yolanda) and most of the founding members outside of the twins are absent completely. To a normal person this is no big deal but I really love Infinity Inc. and was hoping to see them. Alas. However, I still liked this a lot. It focused more on the younger members of the JSA as they come into combat with the reformed Injustice Society of America (do villains just sit around until a group of heroes come up with a name and then invert it?) and begin to fight amongst themselves. Fun rosters for both teams (although...Scandal? Ruby? guys, come on! you know better than this!) and some good character moments, especially between Ted and Khalid. Cute burgeoning romance between Sandy and Jade, and--look, Yolanda kills someone for Beth! Maybe I've read too much JSA/II content on AO3 but COME ON, make them lesbians already! Third most obvious 'friends' who are actually a couple after reigning champions Blue Beetle and Booster Gold and Fire and Ice. Also I commend whoever made the decision to have Hawkman unmasked, shirtless, and hairy for most of the comic because hot damn, I finally understand what Shiera and Shayera see in him.
I'm also really excited to see what becomes of the new Kid Eternity--Kid Eternity has such a cool concept and I really hope she stays relevant instead of being another legacy character tossed aside after a few issues.




Popsugar Reading Challenge Prompt 23: Book That Doesn't Fit Any Other Prompt

[Ángel Javier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Correcto, sin más. La Sociedad de la Justicia me gusta, sobre todo los miembros jóvenes (los ex-Infinity Inc.), pero la historia de Lemire es más simple que el mecanismo de un botijo. Eso no es necesariamente malo, la verdad, pero tampoco bueno. De hecho, me parece absurdo que el malo de turno se haga pasar por Obsidian... porque por el pasado de este personaje sería siempre el primer sospechoso cuando las cosas empiezan a ir mal; pero los Infinitors son tontos porque ni se lo plantean. En fin...

Los veteranos tampoco salen mucho más airosos: Alan Scott y Jay Garrick parecen novatos. El único que se lo curra es Wildcat, y un poquillo Hawkman y Hawkgirl. El Fate nuevo es patético, por dios, que vuelva Kent Nelson de una puñetera vez. Y Lemire se lo curra tan poco que tiene que quitarse de en medio a Jakeem Thunder a las primeras de cambio porque como salga Thunderbolt, se carga a toda la tristísima Sociedad de la Injusticia, cuyo miembro más poderoso es Wotan, un mago de pacotilla que a Zatanna le duraría cinco segundo máx.

No todo es malo; la caracterización de los personajes es aceptable. El dibujo es dinámico y, sin ser ninguna maravilla, cumple de sobra. Pero la SJA se merece algo mejor, desde luego. Lemire no levanta cabeza desde que se convenció a sí mismo de que era el nuevo genio del cómic y, aunque lo suyo no es tan grave como lo de Bendis, Millar o algún otro mequetrefe que en su momento se creyera el rey del mambo (salvo a Aaron porque su Absolute Superman ha demostrado que no es irrecuperable), va en camino de hundirse en una mediocridad de la que le va a resultar difícil salir.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first thoughts when this book was announced were 1) Yay, a new JSA book, because I fucking love that team so much, and 2) Uh oh, Jeff Lemire.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Lemire fan. A lot of his books are awesome. But his team books have historically never hit well with me, feeling out of balance or not that well rounded. I'm pleased to announce however that he seems to have finally hit the mark with this one.

There are a LOT of characters in this series. From the original JSA to Infinity Inc and then the Injustice Society, I think we're pushing about 20 characters total to spend time with. And not only does Lemire have page space for all of them, but they all ring true to their origins, and get pushed along some new trajectories as well. It's fun to see Jade struggling with a leadership role, or Khalid with the legacy of Doctor Fate. And this is just one part of a larger whole, as the first 12 issues tell one big story, so there's definitely a sense that things are only just getting started with this first volume.

The artwork is ably handled by Diego Olortegui, who rolls with all of the punches Lemire tosses his way, and never lets up on the details even when there are tens of characters running around his panels at once. There's a certain Silver Age charm about his artwork that really works for a book like this.

I didn't expect to get a new JSA book so soon after Geoff Johns' latest outing ended, and I definitely didn't expect it to be this good. But I'm happy to be wrong on both counts!

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun volume seeing the team thrown in the middle of a conflict as the young generation looking for the members who are missing and then we pick up with what happened and like how Injustice Society attacked them and like their plans and the team being apart and all that and I love how it gives the writer the chance to focus on multiple characters!

There are so many cool scenes and I love these moments like Hawkman being captured and how he escapes from hell though I feel his big battle with the demons and especially Surtur maybe coming sooon and then there was Dr Midnite's escape and how she handled it and that was such a cool sequence of events while you have the main team looking for their old members and man the discord between them and the villain responsible for it.. Jesse and Hourman and whats going between them.. and especially Wildcat what she did.. like that will be a big thing going forward..

And speaking of the other Wildcat aka Ted Grant, seriously the way he is encouraging Khalid was so awesome and you see like how he is like I will be here and it gives Khalid aka Dr Fate the confidence he needs to go after the villains and save the team and seriously that one was so good! But what happened after will be the main thrust of the story next volume!

This volume might feel like being thrown in the middle of the story but its just set up for the next volume which I am sure will be so worth it.. the heroes losing here but its always dark before the dawn!!

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

'All In' does no favors for the JSA...

For a start to a new series about a classic team of heroes, we're given a voiceover of a quick version of JSA history. They were the OG heroes. They were as huge as Justice League Unlimited is now. They were around so long they inspired a new generation (some of their kids). THEY WERE WRITTEN OUT OF EXISTENCE (Dr. Manhattan stuff...don't ask) but they're back now to find the world is even bleaker than they last remembered.

Someone is pushing the JSA's buttons and making the team act in ways they normally don't. We're shown early just how deep the new Injustice Society has messed with the JSA. No roster given. No history, really. Just a few, 'Hey didn't you fight (insert classic JSA hero)? I thought you died') Not THAT helpful.

As always, the Injustice Society really wants what's inside the Tower of Fate. We're STILL dealing with Khalid (the newest Dr. Fate) not having confidence. I know their timelines have been wonky, but wouldn't SOMEONE have trained the newest wielder of the helm? Your head will spin if you remember how long Khalid has been around as the latest Dr. Fate.

Do they keep the Helm?
Does somebody die??
Do we have the patience to wait and see???'
===
Bonus: You couldn't give us ONE panel that gives us the roster(s) and their superpowers?
Bonus Bonus: Almost rather have a Infinity Inc. comic on its own...

[Norman Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writer Jeff Lemire does his best to create an action-packed story while reestablishing the JSA as a key part of the DC universe. For me, the biggest hurdle was that this 6-issue arc occurs immediately after DC's Absolute Power event, so the characters start in the middle of major plot points with little to no explanation. Some of this is eventually shown in flashback, but I felt off balance through most of the book. Another big hurdle is that there are a lot of characters to keep track of, not only the modern JSA, but their older counterparts from the original JSA and the several members of the Injustice Society as well as others, such as Kid Eternity. So, no one gets a real chance at more than superficial and somewhat clichéd character development. The artwork, alternating between Diego Olortegui and Joey Vazquez, is bold and modern.

[PebbleInTheBrook1794 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. After just having read this first JSA volume by Lemire, I can say it's impactful. If these changes hold, then it's a pretty big deal, and good on DC for not just spinning wheels month to month.

The characters range from two generations of JSAers, and they're one big 'family'. Lemire's book has some soapy elements but it's obviously going somewhere too and JSA Vol 1 is part of the first act in a bigger story. And the villians have some success here, which is good. The bigger story to come wiil no doubt have rises and falls as the heroes group together. It's good, and I'm tentatively down for the next TPB.

[AJ Easterday · Rating 3 out of 5]

So truth be told I just picked this up because I am a Jeff Lemire loyalist. I knew absolutely nothing about the JSA! And after reading this, I still know very little. This is almost definitely not the best entry point for starting with the JSA. It just throws you into the deep end with a cast of over a dozen characters to keep track of. It was a lot! But it also wasn't bad! I have the feeling if I had a bit more background knowledge on these characters, I would enjoy this a lot more. Also the art is pretty good, and that's important too.

[Manuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's OK. I wanted to like this more given the historical significance of the JLA in the overall DC narrative. The problem is that even though this is an issue #1, it presumes the reader already knows and is invested in all the characters. I walked into a lot of new faces with no context of any passing of the metaphorical torch, and the issues included in this volume does not try to get you to like any of the characters since the core of the story is that the team is falling apart. Felt like JSA's Avengers Disassembled (and I don't mean this as a compliment).

[Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

It kills me to rate this so low as I am a Lemire fan, but Infinity Inc vs The Justice Society doesn't do it for me. I think so much time is spent moving the plot forward that we lose the ability to dwell on the character moments that Lemire is best at. We see from Black Hammer that Lemire absolutely has the ability to tell a gripping story using archetypical super heroes.

It could just be that I've never been that into Infinity Inc and even now years later, this JSA still has the stink of Geoff Johns clinging to it.

Not my jam.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeff Lemire is such a good writer, but whenever he writes superheroes for DC or Marvel, the results end up mediocre.

Take this volume. The JSA, which was so ably written by Geoff Johns as a family, a fact that's flagged here. But we get six issues of bickering and betrayal with the cast split in two and almost nothing happening for six long issues, then a cliffhanger that doesn't even finish the story.

Disappointing!

[Malum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a bit confusing, like it was part of an event with chunks in other books but I think that's just how it was written for some reason. It still had some fun superhero action, but also some of the whiniest heroes I've ever seen (although that's part of the plot, too. It's still annoying though).

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's some great and a very cool and fun collection of heroes and villains. As a lapsed fan of the JSA this did feel like coming home. A lot of the characters felt exactly like they should. Only down side is I feel like this ended right as it was getting good. But I guess leaving us wanting more is a good thing.

[Eric Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It starts off a bit all over the place, mainly because there are so many characters that Lemire is juggling, and it takes it's time to develop the plot, but what it lacks for in initial momentum, it makes up for in great character interactions and the promise of more to come with some fun setup for the future.
I also really enjoy Diego Olortegui's art!

[Gabriel Rojo · Rating 2 out of 5]

How Jeff Lemire can earn a check as a writer is beyond me.
The guy barely writes. So little happens in each issue it cannot even be considered bad - there's just not enough going on to generate anything but indifference. If I didn't love the JSA I would have dropped this long ago.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always liked the JSA, and while I did like this story, I did not like the personnel changes.
This was volume 1, but I felt like I was missing a significant part of the story.
The art was ok, but some of the faces were less than nice looking.

[Andrew Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually very good. I'm not overly familiar with these groups of heroes or villains. The twists and turns have been so well done! The pace has been quick but in a way that moves the story along (instead of smother it). I'm excited to see where the next installment leads!

[Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this in singles.
it's not for me. the story isn't interesting. the art and colours I do not particularly care for. I'll wait for the next team.

[Adam Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

(read in singles)

[Mariano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times it’s like legion with way too many heroes with JSA and Infinity Inc and the villains. But I do like keeping JSA up and running as a team. But shouldn’t the League be helping them more?

[Alessandro Moretti · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amazing read

[Gus Casals · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not how you collect single issues of a storyline into a book. Very disappointed. Full stop.