JSA Omnibus Vol. 3

JSA: Omnibus, by Geoff Johns #3

by Geoff Johns (Writer), George Pérez (Illustrations), Alex Ross (Cover Artist)

Known for his groundbreaking work on Green Lantern over a decade ago, Geoff Johns brought the Justice Society of America characters once rooted in the Golden Age of comics back to the forefront of graphic storytelling.  Mixing younger, edgier characters with the elder statesmen of superheroes, Johns brought the JSA back to the forefront of the comics in what became the industry's best-selling comic series. Collected here is the second and concluding volume on Johns' now-legendary run on the original JSA.

Collected here are JSA #76-87, Justice Society of America #1-28, Justice League of America #8-10, Justice Society of America Annual #1, JSA Kingdom Come Special:Superman #1, JSA Kingdom Come Special: Magog #1, JSA Kingdom Come Special: The Kingdom #1.

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

1248 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2015

About the author

Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.

His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.

Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.

Reviews

[Evan]

“The Justice League is a strike force. The Justice Society is a family.”

TL;DR - this last stretch has its ups and downs, but damn, this is one of the best comics runs ever. I can't believe I devoured this whole thing in a day - it's an absolute masterwork.

Let's tackle this in order, shall we?

Paul Levitz’s Gentleman Ghost arc finishes up the first volume of JSA before its reboot, and it’s… fine, I guess. Of minimal consequence, certainly not worth hanging the entire storyline on. The bit about Courtney being a virgin being necessary to attack G.G. was a little goofy, but I like anything that foregrounds that she really is just a teen (the stuff about her learning to drive in this volume also qualifies there).

And then... things get kinda hairy with the relaunch. I found myself confused and worrying that Infinite Crisis and One Year Later may have fucked this series up.

Geoff Johns takes the reins again as we re-emerge with his second run: Justice Society of America, a new ongoing series. The Next Age arc starts off with some capable stories that lay the ground for what's to follow: the team recruiting some new members, Hawkman returning to fight Nazis, Wildcat’s son taking on Vandal Savage… and then it immediately hard-pivots into the Lightning Saga crossover with the Justice League.

Oh boy. While it’s fun that Doctor Destiny is part of this, given the Knight Terrors event going on this summer… I don’t know about this Legion of Super-Heroes stuff. This is my first exposure to them and they feel very X-Men to me. In general the scope of this crossover is overwhelming - overlapping dialogue, cluttered panels… it’s hard to keep track of everything that’s going on with the three(!) super-teams in play. It's especially a stark contrast to how effectively Johns juggled an enormous cast of characters in his first JSA run, in my opinion. There’s some good back-and-forth climax-building leading up to the conclusion, but frankly, the end of that storyline didn’t make any sense to me. I don’t know where Wally West was or why it matters that he’s back, and I don’t know who or what Braniac-5 wanted. It might be important to set other universe stuff up later, but it doesn’t work in the moment, for me. Seriously, what is Starman's mission!?

Then back to slice-of-life stories that actually work pretty well. Lots of Nazi stuff! I still feel like I’m missing a few things (When did Power Girl become JSA Chairwoman? When did Jade die? When did Hawkgirl join the Justice League? When did Alan Scott start wearing armor? When did Billy Batson become the wizard?) but I can roll with it. The team keeps growing and growing - the Schizophrenic Starman, Liberty Belle, a second Wildcat, Damage, Ma Hunkel’s granddaughter, Judomaster, Amazing-Man, and Citizen Steel the Indestructible Man all join the team, some of whom will go off and do their own thing later, but there are points of this where I'm legitimately overwhelmed and missing my favorite characters from the JSA run. My favorite of the new cast is Thom Kallor, the aforementioned mad Starman of the 31st century, who could've been a joke run into the ground very quickly, but actually provides worthwhile levity and universe-altering power in times of crisis.

And then the Superman of Earth-22 shows up… and Thy Kingdom Come is this book really coming into its own. It's absurdly compelling, and I found myself going "ugh this is SO GOOD!!!" multiple times through these issues. The tie-in to legacy of Gog and Magog with the new generation(s) of JSA members is so good. And Gog keeps doing wonderful things and we keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I love it.

I also love that this revisits Michael Holt and Pieter’s conversations about faith from way back in the first JSA run. And Power Girl’s manipulation by Psycho Pirate in the JSA Classified. And Jakeem and Courtney’s Solomon Grundy Halloween adventure. There's a real sense of history and lineage here that I appreciate so much - plus, Black Adam's mysterious quest for Isis in the background sets up the arc that follows. Johns weaves it all together so effectively, without sacrificing characterization: Hawkman’s brutality, Nate Heywood’s insecurities, Damage’s newfound vanity, and David Reid/Magog, a man who may have lost his soul even before he was resurrected. Alex Ross’s excellent painted work on this series is tremendous - it always stands out, and the Superman special, which is all him, absolutely astounds. It's a fascinating imperialist story of cosmic proportions, and one of the best arcs I've ever read. The Black Adam and Isis arc that follows pales in comparison only because Thy Kingdom Come is so spectacular. The art is pretty inconsistent - I don’t like a lot of Jerry Ordway’s faces, for example, but that's okay.

Then we wrap things up very sweetly with Stargirl's birthday - everyone on the team coming to cheer on Courtney trying to get her braces off feels like a perfect send-off to Geoff Johns’ time writing this title. It does justice to the characters and the legacy of this run, and is a fitting goodbye to this era.

(I don’t really understand the inclusion of issues #27-28 here, which are filler one-offs that Johns didn’t write… especially because #26 (the Stargirl’s birthday issue) is such a perfect ending. But frankly, these collected editions have been an absolute mess the whole time so I’m not surprised.

All in all, I'm so tremendously glad I read this. One of my favorite comics experiences I've ever had.

For posterity, my entire journey:
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Book Four
Hawkman One and Two
Book Five
TPB Vol. 9
TPB Vol. 10
TPB Vol. 11

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The conclusion to Geoff Johns epic run on JSA. Great stories and great production make this well worth the money

[Paul Cocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

After loving the first two volumes of the JSA omnibi, I knew I had to close the series off properly and read JSA Omnibus Volume 3. Those earlier collections felt like a real ride—a love song to the Golden Age heroes, showing how their spirit could survive and evolve in a modern DC Universe. This final omnibus had a lot to live up to.

Story-wise, Johns doesn’t miss. Volume 3 leans harder into DC’s big events—Infinite Crisis, 52, Final Crisis—but it stays rooted in character above all else. The fallout from Black Adam’s tragedy, Power Girl’s rediscovered past, and the JSA’s mission to rebuild by mentoring new heroes give this collection a strong emotional core. Thy Kingdom Come stands out as the centerpiece—bringing Earth-22 Superman into the fold and examining the nature of heroism, faith, and legacy with real nuance. Even with the heavier continuity ties, Johns keeps the JSA’s family dynamic front and center, making the book feel lived-in and personal rather than just another event tie-in.

Visually, the omnibus shines thanks to some standout artists. Dale Eaglesham’s work is a highlight—his stiffer figures still manage to capture a timeless energy, blending Curt Swan’s classic, solid anatomy with '90s-era lines and angles. Jerry Ordway, meanwhile, taps into the dynamism of '50s comic art and vintage advertisement illustration, bringing a warm, slightly nostalgic feel. Alex Ross’s painted covers and key sequences add mythic weight, especially during the Thy Kingdom Come arc. While the art shifts styles occasionally, the overall look of the book perfectly matches Johns’ vision of a modern world built on Golden Age foundations.

Compared to the previous volumes, Volume 3 feels the most intertwined with DC’s broader universe, which makes it a little less self-contained. But the payoff is worth it. The emotional beats hit harder, the stakes feel higher, and the sense of history is richer. If Volume 1 was about restoration and Volume 2 about evolution, Volume 3 is about ensuring the Golden Age legacy survives the chaos of the modern comics landscape.

All in all, this is a fitting conclusion to one of the best team runs in DC history. It captures everything that made the JSA special—honor, family, mentorship, and resilience—even while acknowledging the messy, complicated world these heroes now live in. Closing the final chapter of Johns’ JSA feels bittersweet, but it's a journey well worth taking.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This final omnibus starts in the middle of the events of the epic Infinite Crisis, before it fast forwards to one year later, when the Society once again shakes up their roster. And now that the multiverse has been restored, John’s begins to have a blast with multiversal shenanigans!

Like the previous volumes this has a good mix of vintage comic light-heartedness with thoughtful stories. The highlight here is the centerpiece of the book, “Thy Kingdom Come,” an event that once again shows how creative and clever Geoff Johns was being at this time, providing a “sort-of spin-off/sequel” to the classic story Kingdom Come, where the Superman from that universe comes to our Earth and joins the JSA, and ends up encountering a being that’s dangerously familiar to him. That story brings up great examinations of faith, the nature of God and worship, and what benevolence really means. It’s incredibly thoughtful for a superhero book.



I still wish that the series as a whole had a little more focus but damn if it’s not endearing! Good job Geoff Johns.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the best team series I have read. I got me involved in some minor heroes (new JSA recruits) I had never heard of before.
I guess it is better if you read Infinite Crisis and 52 between Omnibus 2 and 3.

What is Starman's mission ? I cannot believe it is teased during half of the Omnibus but not answered. That is my biggest deception. I guess it continues in Final Crisis (Omnibus sitting on the shelf).

Also the Black Adam arc (toward the end) is not self-contained, you would need to read Shazam on-going series of the time to catch up on the family's latest (which I have not, so I did not get a lot of what was going on...) and preferably to have read 52 too.

[Matthew WK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely lived up to the hype. This volume was outstanding...a lot of fun, great storytelling, beautiful art and I love the overarching theme strung throughout. Volume 3 and 1 are the best of this run - Vol. 2 was good, but had a few low points.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute love for this series. Complex team dynamics, incredible stories and seriously amazing artwork. You couldn’t ask for more.

[Bruvydsb · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not quite the 5 star rating of JSA Vol 1 & 2, Volume 3 is still an excellent book. The Kingdom Come stories were my least favorite if I’m being more specific. Overall, an all-time great series.