Geoff Johns has announced he’ll be leaving Justice Society of America with issue #26.

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. 

While you can read his work in other areas of the DCU there’s always hope for his future with the JSA, “I’m sure I’ll return to the Justice Society in some form or another some day, but for now I’m passing them off a new creative team,” he wrote. No word yet on who that creative team is but Johns says it’s someone who’s never worked with the JSA before.

I will miss Geoff’s work on the JSA. I’ve read it all and was never once disappointed. It’s sad he’s leaving the book but his work will be enjoyed in it’s other forms. I’ll leave you with this proof as to why Geoff Johns is one of the best writers in the business:

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.

You can also view and discuss this article at my blog, TheNerdyBird.com.

For your holiday weekend enjoyment I present a tired, full and quite possibly lazy blogger’s idea of a Thanksgiving post.

Something tells me none of them catch it.

That turkey’s face is priceless.

I couldn’t decide which one of these Walt Disney’s Comics disturbed me more. Donald wielding an ax but a dead bird…

…or Donald with a rifle and three live nephews.

“Who wants breast?” Sorry, I had to.

I would be scared too.

Hope your Thanksgiving was better than theirs!

You can also view this over at my blog, TheNerdyBird.com.