JSA versus KOBRA #5 Preview+Discussion (Awesome DAMAGE moment)

[Karl O'Neill]

Here is the preview.

This book is awesome.

http://www.dccomics.com/media/excerpts/13218_x.pdf

[Bullcityjl]

This book continues to rock, and it gets better with each issue. Trautman's quickly jumping up to an A-list writer in my book. The way he's written Kobra has elevated them to the point where they make Hydra look like a street gang.

[Jarath]

I smell a future trade purchase *sniff sniff*

[Artificial idiot]

I smell a future trade purchase *sniff sniff*
Do it! Good lord do it!!!! This is easily the best JSA related comic out there right now, and the best the JSA has been written since Johns original JSA run. :biggrin:

[Bullcityjl]

I smell a future trade purchase *sniff sniff*

You'll be happy you did. This is one of those stories that you'll consume.

[Jarath]

Glad to hear it. The JSA is a team I've been wanted to get more in to. I've got some singles which were fun but I never found myself getting my teeth into it.

Alot of the characters I really enjoy, Alan Scott, Wildcat, Stargirl, Power Girl, and Hawkman; to name a few.

I've ordered Black Adam and Isis to go with The Dark Age and I'm planning on picking up the start of the series. So Robinson's trade and then the Johns stuff.

But I am very much looking forward to this! Don't think it's been dated yet, but bring it on :D

[Artificial idiot]

Well, it'll just give you time to catch up on the original run while you wait! :biggrin:

[mofo]

Sweet issue

Crap just keeps flying at the fan

Only problem... They had a second artist come in for 2 or 3 pages... Art was really good by this fellow and a similar style to Kramer's... but I wouldv'e preferred Kramer only

[dupersuper]

Thanks to this book, I'm buying The SHIELD now. Stupid Trautman...costing me $. Plus, since I already picked up the Red Circle 1-shots since I'm a fan of B5 by J. Michael Lastnamehardtospell, I'm getting The Web because at this point I might as well get the whole set.

[Dave Hackett]

This book was great, it's easily topping the current team on the main title. I hope Trautman gets a shot at these characters in the future.

[Jarath]

Is it worth getting the Robinson trade or just skipping straight to the start of johns' run on jsa?

[Sean Walsh]

Only problem... They had a second artist come in for 2 or 3 pages... Art was really good by this fellow and a similar style to Kramer's... but I wouldv'e preferred Kramer only

Was that Cliff Richards? I thought I saw "Richards" on the cover when I saw the issue on the stand yesterday.

Cliff did a bunch of CHECKMATE stuff with Rucka and Trautmann, so it's nice to see him re-appear in a similar title. But IIRC his style is nowhere near as detailed as Kramer's.....so that seems a bit jarring...

[FemGeek]

Excellent issue, as usual. I really hope this team does another JSA mini. The writing, the plot, the art, the characterisation: all first class. Easily one of the best books out there right now. A shame it has to end soon.

[titanfan]

To me, this isn't really a JSA-mini. It's a KOBRA mini-series guest starring the JSA. Which (surprisingly) is fine with me! I'd buy a KOBRA series from this team in the future.

Poor Mr. Terrific got stabbed by Kobra almost the same month he nearly got hacked to death in JSA.

[Karl O'Neill]

Great issue. So many things going on all at once. I think this is more a Mr terrific centric mini than a kobra one, or just as much.

The cliffhanger wasn't that great though. Was that washington burr teleported to at the end?

[BWilly]

Is it worth getting the Robinson trade or just skipping straight to the start of johns' run on jsa?

I really Robinson's work on the opening arc of JSA. It really did a good job of bringing the team back together. I would recommend it.

[Desaad]

This continues to be an amazingly intelligent storyline. Strong characters, brilliant plots, terrifying villains, effective and creative use of continuity (Opal City, Erdel Gates, Rock of Eternity, etc). It's one of the best non-Morrison pieces of work I'm reading, in fact.

My only problem with it - or rather, the only problem that I can see OTHERS having with it - is that for all their presence, this really ISN'T JSA vs Kobra. This is Michael Holt AKA Mr. Terrific vs Jason Burr. The JSA and Kobra organizations act as backup, but aren't really more than support for the big guys. And I have no problem with that whatsoever, because Trautmann is giving us the best Michael Holt I've ever seen - even better than a lot of his appearances in Checkmate, certainly better than a lot of those in JSA. And Jason Burr is a spectacular villain...I pray to Kali (No god but god, after all!) that he survives the final issue, because he's quickly risen to the status of one of the greatest masterminds of the DCU. One adept in both technology in magic, with a fervent faith in his actions and an unmatched strategic mind and a vast, sleek, efficient, modern terrorist organization at his disposal...it's pretty amazing, really, that Trautmann (and Brandon before him) were able to accomplish this kind of character build in so short a time.

Anyway, the story itself spins it's wheels a little bit here, but does so entertainingly. I guess I should say that nothing ultimately gets accomplished save a close encounter and the destruction of a number of Burr's bases, but the insight we get into the characters is invaluable as ever, and there are plenty of plot twists along the way that are well worth the price of admission.

Don Kramer's artwork is, as always, a revelation on this title....it's hurt a little bit by the discordant fill in pages by Neil Edwards (himself a highly skilled artist, but more of the Hitch, rather than Cassady, school) but it's still an amazingly strong effort, and it's looking much, much better than any of his previous projects.

8.5/10

[CYOTI]

Is it worth getting the Robinson trade or just skipping straight to the start of johns' run on jsa? Actually from what we have learned recently half of the robinson issues were ghost written by Geoff Johns so you might as well start from the beginning.

[Xero]

Excellent issue! Now that Trautmann has revitalized Kobra, I'd like him to bring back their biggest enemies SKULL, and their leader Simon Pons. Or at least have SKULL show up in the Shield.

So many old school DCU criminal and terrorist organizations need revamping: The Moondancers, SKULL, Scorpio (Kurt Busiek brought them back), H.I.V.E., The 1000 (the 100 showed up in Black Lightning Year One, but the 1000 were Booster Gold's main bad guys), Academy of Crime, Black Dragon Society (Kurt Busiek brought them back), D.M.T., Eurocrime, Les Mille Yeux, O.G.R.E., S.C.Y.T.H.E., Shadowspire, S.P.I.D.E.R., Veil, and VULTURE.

Yeah there were a lot of these guys, and they help flesh out the universe and give the writers more tools to play with.

[americocaine]

Great book, real edgy and honestly what I hoped would follow Johns' run on JSA. Instead they do all 2007-08 New/Mighty Avengers with a billion villains fighting the team.

The pencils on the issue were split this time and explains why the art was so off. Otherwise, I hope it finishes strong. DC editorial still doesn't get this type of JSA story works and not the team destroying/rebuiding junk that Willingham is doing right now to Johns old stuff. Here's hoping that changes in 2010 with DC Entertainment reorganizing and putting an old cow out to pasture.

[Gavin G.]

I know I can't be the only one who's enjoying this more than the monthly JSA title right now. This series has been phenomenal since issue #1, and I can't wait to see how it concludes next month. Though I never read his Checkmate, between this and his The Shield, Trautmann has definitely become a writer I'm going to be watching for now.

[Freakzeek]

Isn't mr. terrfic steal dead?

[brundlefly]

I know I can't be the only one who's enjoying this more than the monthly JSA title right now.

You're not, as I'm right there with you. Trautmann & Kramer's book should be the JSA ongoing, while Willingham's should be the 6-issue miniseries, imo. JSA vs Kobra has become the DC book that I look forward to the most each month (vying for that place against Batman & Robin and Secret Six). I'm definitely going to start picking up the Shield if it's anywhere near the same quality level.

[Kid Kamikaze10]

Isn't mr. terrfic steal dead?

He's alive and kicking ass in this book. And that's all that matters to me.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Isn't mr. terrfic steal dead?

I pity the fool that thinks Mr. T is really dead!

[Gavin G.]

I'm definitely going to start picking up the Shield if it's anywhere near the same quality level.
The Shield has been awesome so far, in my opinion. Not as good as JSA vs. Kobra, but it's quickly picking up steam. I only started getting it on a whim because I'm trying to stay on top of all of Magog's appearances, but it's probably going to stay on my pull list long after this opening arc concludes. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try.