JSA Classified #26 - DC

First of all, Frank Tieri is a fantastic writer. And he really does a good job with WildCat. Then Matt Haley is the artist. And I am just blown away. Especially in his flashback scenes, where he does the pages in black and white, or a whitewash kind of effect. They are just incredible. He has really captured this character. Anyways, WildCat is trying to put the SportsMaster down. He thinks he getting to old for the game, and if he gives him a proper beating, he'll rethink his position and maybe retire. He actually thinks he's saving his life. Well long story short, SM has a gambling problem. But now WC has a problem, because he finds out that there's a gambling ring that focus' on super-hero fights. And he definitely doesn't like the implications of where that could go. So he decides he's going to try to take it down, single-handed. Which brings out the big guns, literally, in the form of alien ray guns. Now he's gotta wonder, "Where did they get this kind of firepower?" He questions SM but he doesn't have any more answers that WC does. But SM is about to get a lot more answers when he's met at his house by Joe the Slob. He's a big mob guy, and one of the faces behind this gambling ring. He wants SM to take on the entire JSA to help them win back the money they've lost. He knows it's hopeless, and he doesn't have a chance . But Joe reassures him, "Oh, believe me, you'll do just fine. Let's just say we've got something in mind to even the odds a bit . . . " So I think SM is going to find out first hand just what their connection is. I feel he's got 2 choices here. Either he goes to WC, fills him in on the whole story, and they work together to try to bring them down. Or, SM goes it alone, with some new alien weaponry, which will give him the advantage for a little while. But eventually the JSA will still take him down. The first scenario he'd save himself some dignity and a little jail time. The second scenario, I think, jail time would be his best option. There's a lot worse things that could happen to him. So . . . we'll have to wait until next issue, to see which path he's going to choose.