Geoff Johns' New Golden Age continues its introduction to the DCU with September 29's Justice Society of America #1, a story that begins 26 years in the future but a future in which Batman and Catwoman have a daughter Helena one year from now in mainstream DC timeline.
Got that straight?
25-year-old Helena/the Huntress is the star of the new series and a member of that era's Justice Society, which according to her soliloquy in the series opening pages (see below), exists to "give people a second chance."
Giving long-time Justice Society villain Solomon Grundy a second chance might stretch the definition of "people" some, but that appears to the case judging by the preview illustrated by series artist Mikel Janin, in which the Huntress appears to refer to Grundy as her teammate.
As readers of DC's solicitations know, in the early issues of the series the Huntress will time travel to the present-day DC to interact with current Justice Society members to solve a time-spanning mystery surrounding the legacy team, set up in the new Golden Age #1 and many deaths of Doctor Fates over the years.
And the preview also holds some other surprising elements, including the fact that Batman doesn't seem to know about Helena's existence when she's an infant (the Golden Age establishes he knows about her and helps raise her when she's ten), and that the Arkhams will emerge as a threat to the Batman family in at least Justice Society of America continuity.
That may be a follow-up from the moment in the New Golden Age #1 in which the Time Masters imply Batman will soon become preoccupied with his mother Martha Wayne's family, which might be an indication Johns is setting up a heretofore unknown relationship with the Kane family (Martha's maiden name) and the Arkhams, who founded Arkham Asylum, Gotham City's nightmare-ish psychiatric hospital founded by Amadeus Arkham.
Check out the four-page preview here:
"The stories we're telling span DC's history from the 20th century to the 31st," Johns recently told Newsarama. "Justice Society of America #1 will follow The New Golden Age #1's lead and introduce a new generation of JSA members, centered around a new legacy character to join the team."
Justice Society of America #1 goes on sale November 29.
The Justice Society of America is one of the best superhero teams of all time.
