JSA, Vol. 5: Stealing Thunder

JSA (1999)

by David S. Goyer (Writer), Leonard Kirk (Penciler), Peter Snejbjerg (Penciller)

This book tells the story of the Ultra Humanite's taking control of the Thunderbolt, a genie of immense power, and using it to take control of the world's most powerful heroes and villains. Now, it's up to the remaining members of the JSA (and some interesting new "recruits") to stop him.

Collecting: JSA 32-38

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

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread:02/10/2022

This was another solid one as we see Ultra-humanite take over the world through Johnny thunder and its a great "reality change due to the villain" story and I love the way how the heroes fight back and Johns gives everyone their big moment and its so awesome and then finally one of the greatest moments for Jakeem and an interesting change for Thunderbolt and it will make you love them both and finally the stuff on Father's day and especially with Rick and Rex Tyler which was so well done and truly will make you tear up! Definitely one of the best volumes written by Johns!

____________________________________________________________________
This is the story where Johns finds his groove with the book and its so good.

Johnny thunder back but not exactly aka Ultra humanite and with the power of Thunderbolt takes over the world and mind control and how the heroes fight against him plus great focus on Jakeem and Rex (Hourman). This was an epic story marked by fathers and sons and legacies and gives them great moments and sort of redemption for Johnny. Loved the whole thing. Plus the art is so good throughout.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geoff Johns's run on JSA continues to be great. In the main story Stealing Thunder, the Ultra-Humanite returns to take over the world leaving only a few remaining heroes to stop him. There's something about the Ultra-Humanite I've always found threatening. Maybe it's that he can take over anyone. Maybe it's that for a long time he was an albino ape that I thought looked cool as a kid. Who knows? There's a very good origin story for the new Crimson Avenger. I wish she had appeared more often. The final issue, Father's Day, is fantastic. Jakeem wishes to meet his father while Hourman has a heart to heart with his dad.

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collects JSA 32-38
Role Call: Atom Smasher, Black Adam, Captain Marvel, Dr. Fate, Dr. Mid-Nite, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Hourman, Jakeem Thunder, Mr. Terrific, Power Girl, Sand, The Star Spangled Kid, Wildcat.

What to tell you without spoilers: We get a short story-slash-intro of the modern Crimson Avenger, that appears to be a set up for a confrontation with Wildcat that is not in this volume. We get an introduction to the various dramas existing on the team, and witness the return of the original Johnny Thunder, miraculously recovered from Alzheimer's. The problem is, Johnny wants his magic thunderbolt genie back...

But it turns out, Johnny's body has been overtaken by the body-hopping villian, the Ultra-Humanite. The Thunderbolt cannot kill for him, so he puts most of the heros into hibernation, has the rest psychically conquered and transformed into his puppet-enforcers, and remakes the world into a near paradise.

Except for that pesky freedom and justice thing...

So a ragtag cardre of freedom-fighters, hero and villian alike, set out to free the downtrodden. The fun is in how the heroes triumph. Icicle, super-villian-on-the-side-of-freedom, takes down the speedsters (always first into the fray) with a near-perfect wall of transparent ice. Power Girl defeats a controlled Superman, and so on, but the battle seems that it will come to a draw. In the end, Hourman is able to briefly visit his father, trapped in a one-hour time bubble between his the fatal blow and his death, and Rick Tyler, Sr. has a hint that will "ground" the Thunderbolt, and free Johnny. Which they do.

Hourman gets an opportunity to see his "dead" father, Jakeem his unknown one, in a mini-Father's Day story that rounds out the volume.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the golden age superheroes from DC and the new JSA brings these original heroes back into the modern age along with their legacy namesakes. Well above average art and plot keep these 70 year old comic characters interesting and entertaining. Very recommended

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crimson Avenger introduction is quite good, and promises interesting conflict in the future [8/10]. The main plot, of "Stealing Thunder", is fun, though the whole world-gone-wrong-with-bad-supers-in-control has been done a million times [7/10]. The "Father's Day" character piece that finishes off the volume is terrific [10/10].

[Richard Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contains JSA 32-38

Consisting of a Crimson Avenger one-shot, the five part “Stealing Thunder” arc, and the single issue “Father’s Day,” this is another strong volume of JSA goodness.
The Crimson Avenger is an excellent character, sort of like the Spectre mixed with 100 Bullets. I’m a big fan of her appearances in this series; she raises intriguing questions about the nature of justice and vengeance.
“Stealing Thunder” gives us a reality rewritten by the Ultra-Humanite with Jakeem Thunder’s genie powers. DC, and Geoff Johns specifically, knows how to spin a “woke up in an alternate reality” type yarn, and this one satisfies.
“Father’s Day” is a touching look at Jakeem Thunder (who tracks down the father he doesn’t know) and Hourman (who spends time with the father literally living on borrowed time, in a room outside of time and space).

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hourman as a non-Grant Morrison human character is back, and the Ultra-Humanite is scary again. Johns' writing makes the action more character driven, even in the midst of gigantic apocalyptic events. Still enjoyable reads, and having them all at my disposal makes appreciation of the evolution of the team possible. One critique at this point: With old X-Men books, you got a chance to get attached to everyone before someone left. This isn't like that - many characters fall into the background to give others the spotlight because the team is so big.

[roberto ortiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo que comienza como el inocente regreso de Johnny Thunder, da paso a un futuro distopico y bajo el control de Ultra-Humanite. Así de sencillo se construye una saga divertida diferente y con los héroes jugandosela para derrotar al enemigo. Goyer, Johns y Kirk dan lo mejor.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this may be the most 'fun' storyline of the series. Admittedly, the fun is right at the end of things, but it still counts. The original Johnny Thunder was one of the silliest concepts of the Golden Age of Comics, but his heart was always in the right place. His inclusion into the JSA made for some crazy moments, but he always held his own by the end of the tales.

We also get the return of the Ultra-Humanite in a story that is so obvious, it should have been written years earlier. This particular villain and Johnny were perfect for each other in this case. At the end, we find revealed that the death of another hero, the Crimson Avenger, was engineered by the Ultra-Humanite, which made much more sense of his death in a back-up story from the old DC Comics Presents book from about twenty years earlier.

The last collected issue is centered around Jakeem Thunder and Hourman II. It is titled 'Father's Day' and is a nice story that should leave every reader with a smile on his face.

Find it! Buy it! READ IT!

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The evil Ultra Humanite has stolen Johnny Thunder's Thunderbolt and remade the world into his own kingdom that he rules with an iron fist.
It's up to a rag tag group of heroes, a villain and a couple new faces to form a rebellion and save the world.
Great epic of a story.
The final fate of Johnny Thunder gets a bit watered down, but otherwise has some good moments of building up the new generation of heroes while still respecting the Golden Age guys.

[Z.S. Diamanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

JSA "Stealing Thunder" was a fantastic read! After Ultra-Humanite takes over the world a rag tag group of a few of the JSA members from past and present have to free all the other meta humans and break his hold over them. "Stealing Thunder" heavily features Hourman, Jakeem Thunder, Sand, and even The villain Icicle, all with great success. Humorous and action packed, this one is well worth your time!

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ultra-Humanite, an evil body-swapping brain, takes Thunderbolt from Jakeem Thunder and recreates the world as his utopian state. The JSA intervene. (Guess who wins?)
This book is a great send-off to the original Johnny Thunder, and also does a great job introducing the second Hourman (I think) to the JSA.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, this is more like it. Great battles - but more character-driven storylines. (Esp. the Johnny Thunder story that ends the collection.)

[Jdetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still a good read, but Stephen Sadowsky isn't the main artist anymore. The others are good, but I have to admit, I really miss the feeling he brought to the book.

[READERS RETREAT · Rating 5 out of 5]

JSA is always a great read