It is a sad day for America.
Shocking news from someone who’s live and breathed the JSA since 1999. Here’s some of his goodbye:
It’s hard to say this but officially, I will be leaving the title after JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #26, which is a single-issue story entitled “BLACK ADAM RUINED MY BIRTHDAY.” Following the Black Adam arc with Jerry and I, #26 will be my last issue, Dale’s last and our fantastic editor Michael Siglain’s last. I think we’re going out on one of my favorite stories to date and I’m glad we are all going out on this together.
I’ve been writing JSA nearly my entire career. The book has steadily gained new and old fans and, with the re-launch two years ago, fixed itself as one of the staples of the DC UNIVERSE. Since then we’ve remained one of the top monthly books at DC alongside JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA and BATMAN.
So, why is he leaving exactly? He says he has more stories to tell. Coming up in 2009 he’ll be returning to The Flash, writing Superman: Secret Origin and being “obsessed” with making Green Lantern and Blackest Night the best they can be.
The JSA to me represents everything good about life, work and superheroes. In life, generations past, present and future all provide different viewpoints. There can be something magical when it’s past from grandfather to father to son or from mother to daughter or son to grandfather. There’s nothing more important than family – and family means a lot more than just blood relatives. That’s what my very first book, STARS & S.T.R.I.P.E., was about and that’s what JSA, and life, is about.
Thanks for the memories Geoff and keep up the amazing work.
Yeeesh! He’s one of the only reason I stay with any DC pull list! I’ve never gotten into the JSA newer stuff (I’m reading the reallllly old trades) but I love him on Green Lantern!
A sad day for JSA fans, much like myself. He’s the best writer Dc has right now.
I like the characters too much to say I’ll drop it after he leaves. I just hope it’s not Judd Winnick or Bruce Jones.
sad news indeed. the new team will have big shoes to fill.
I’ve been a big fan of the JSA since the yearly cross-overs with the JLA way back when. I remember reading their first revival in ALL-STAR COMICS and being thrilled then. IMHO, Johns was one of the best writers to work on the JSA and I’m going to be sorry to see him go.
If it hadn’t been for Johns and James Robinson, most of these great characters would have been left in obscurity because they were too ‘old’ and ‘no one cares about them’. Proof once again that there are no bad characters, only bad writers. And they did it all without a “Crisis” or “Countdown”! Ain’t that a kick in the nuts to DC?
I should add I’d recently read that Geoff Johns had expressed a definite interest in penning a possible Flash and/or Superman movie.
It was just an article I read and nothing was concrete, it was just his statement that he’d be interested if the opportunity presents itself.
I know it is probably coincidental that Johns is leaving JSA and the timing of the article was last week, but I can dream there might be a possible connection.
I know it’s Fanboy fantasy, but wouldn’t that be great?
THAT IS SAD NEWS!
I’ve been following JSA rather loyally all this time! It’s the ONLY book I vowed never to drop simply because of Johns.
It’s not even the characters or the team, which ARE great mind you, but it was his style of writing, how he “fixed” a lot of the continuity problems, and he did it while making the book ENTERTAINING.
(I LOVE USING CAPS TODAY.)
I digress.
There are only a small handful of comic book writers I get excited about; Kurt Busiek, Neil Gaiman and Geoff Johns rank at the top of my list.
I know Johns is only leaving the book and is still at work on other titles, but..aarrgghhhh…
I am curious if the new creative team will make any significant changes. It may be time for some changes anyway, but I don’t want them to include Johns leaving.
Thanks for the info, regardless of how depressing it is.