Justice League of America [SILVER to BRONZE Ages] Appreciation 2019!

[Phoenixx9]

I have always loved this look, but I seem to remember other heroes in this type grouping.

Aquaman, Dr Fate, but not Shazam. Was there more than one of these?

[Comic-Reader Lad]

Just for fun, list a Justice League of America issue that you've never read but would love to because you like the cover.

For me, it was #19. I saw it in a store years ago but it was more than I wanted to spend on a comic book. But it sure looks interesting.

I have this issue. I got it some years after I read the story reprinted in JLA #112, which was one of DC's 100-Page Super Spectaculars of the early 70s.


It's a fun issue by the classic team of Gardner Fox, Mike Sekwosky, and Bernard Sachs (my favorite Sekowsky inker).

Doctor Destiny is the villain who creates evil duplicates of the JLA using his then-new Materiopticon device by turning the JLAers dream selves into reality. When the villainous JLA commits crimes, the real JLA gets arrested and exiled from Earth. The JLAers then sneak back to Earth in their civilian identities to defeat their evil dream doubles.

At the time, the JLAers did not know each other's identities, so they had to reveal their secrets to each other for this mission. At the end, Superman used Amnesium from his Fortress to make the JLAers forget. The Amnesium was a plot point in JLA 122, which was an untold story which related why the JLA had to reveal their identities to each other once and for all.

[Güicho]

This ^ great (Neal Adams I believe) image would be re-purposed for the iconic Super Friends Challenge era intro.
They just swapped out Arrow for Robin.


I believe it's also re-worked again as the JSA in same positions (on the back cover?)

And again, swapping Aquaman with Captain Marvel- for the DC Superheroes Calendar (19[76])

I have always loved this look, but I seem to remember other heroes in this type grouping.

Aquaman, Dr Fate, but not Shazam. Was there more than one of these?

Posted (linked) to a sharper image of that one earlier. I guess I'll post them all together here again...

So just to to recap...

We have the original Neal Adams original Limited Collectors' Edition C-46

[Güicho]

Re-worked as the JSA in same positions for the back cover.



And again for the back of the 76 calendar swapping out Aquaman for SHAZAM!



Doesn't count just for reference the front of that calendar new layout again Neal Adams.https://d1466nnw0ex81e.cloudfront.ne...00/1147555.jpg

And again swapping out Arrow for Robin for the Super Friends

[Comic-Reader Lad]

I have always loved this look, but I seem to remember other heroes in this type grouping.

Aquaman, Dr Fate, but not Shazam. Was there more than one of these?

The image posted, which is not visible to all, is from the back cover of the 1976 DC calendar, published in late-1975 I would guess. This version includes Captain Marvel.

The more famous version is from the front cover of Limited Collectors' Edition C-46, dated Aug-Sep 1976, which has been posted earlier in this thread.

[Phoenixx9]

Thanks, Guicho! You are the best!

I was going off memory from many many years ago and thought there were other characters and that Hawkman had the other look, but then thought I might be imaging it, lol! Glad my memory is intact!

[Comic-Reader Lad]

And again for the 77 calendar swapping out Aquaman for SHAZAM!

It seems we responded at about the same time, but the calendar image is what came first. It is the back cover from the 1976 calendar published in late-1975.

[Phoenixx9]

Thank you too Comic-Reader Lad!

Thank you for the information and the details.

[caj]

I have this issue. I got it some years after I read the story reprinted in JLA #112, which was one of DC's 100-Page Super Spectaculars of the early 70s.


It's a fun issue by the classic team of Gardner Fox, Mike Sekwosky, and Bernard Sachs (my favorite Sekowsky inker).

Doctor Destiny is the villain who creates evil duplicates of the JLA using his then-new Materiopticon device by turning the JLAers dream selves into reality. When the villainous JLA commits crimes, the real JLA gets arrested and exiled from Earth. The JLAers then sneak back to Earth in their civilian identities to defeat their evil dream doubles.

At the time, the JLAers did not know each other's identities, so they had to reveal their secrets to each other for this mission. At the end, Superman used Amnesium from his Fortress to make the JLAers forget. The Amnesium was a plot point in JLA 122, which was an untold story which related why the JLA had to reveal their identities to each other once and for all.

Dr. Destiny? WOW now I really want this issue. One of my favorite JLofA villains. And the story sounds fantastic. Thanks for the breakdown.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

Dr. Destiny? WOW now I really want this issue. One of my favorite JLofA villains. And the story sounds fantastic. Thanks for the breakdown.

JLA 19 is a fun story as are all those early Fox/Sekowsky/Sachs issues.

However, I should mention, in case you didn't know, that the Silver Age Doctor Destiny was just an ordinary-looking criminal genius type like Lex Luthor, Professor Ivo, or TO Morrow. His skull look came during Gerry Conway's run on the title in JLA 154, 1978.

I'd recommend getting the Silver Age Justice League trade paperbacks for those stories unless you really want to invest in the expensive back issues.

Silver Age JLA 2 trade paperback reprints JLA 9-19 and is only $9.49 at Amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Leagu...s=books&sr=1-4

There seem to be 4 Silver Age JLA trades so far that go all the way up to JLA 41. The other 3 trades range in price from $12 to $16 each.

[caj]

JLA 19 is a fun story as are all those early Fox/Sekowsky/Sachs issues.

However, I should mention, in case you didn't know, that the Silver Age Doctor Destiny was just an ordinary-looking criminal genius type like Lex Luthor, Professor Ivo, or TO Morrow. His skull look came during Gerry Conway's run on the title in JLA 154, 1978.

I'd recommend getting the Silver Age Justice League trade paperbacks for those stories unless you really want to invest in the expensive back issues.

Silver Age JLA 2 trade paperback reprints JLA 9-19 and is only $9.49 at Amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Leagu...s=books&sr=1-4

There seem to be 4 Silver Age JLA trades so far that go all the way up to JLA 41. The other 3 trades range in price from $12 to $16 each.

Appreciate all the info. I'll look into that.

Yes, I was aware that Dr. Destiny was not the skull-version until Gerry Conway came along but I appreciate the 'heads up' anyway.

[caj]

It seems we responded at about the same time, but the calendar image is what came first. It is the back cover from the 1976 calendar published in late-1975.

Having grown up in the 70s, there seemed to always be great art with DC heroes all over the place: calendars, toys, coloring books, poster books, decals, etc...

I wish I would've kept a lot of that.

[WallyWestFlash]

I'm going through JLA from #1. Really enjoying them. These are some great, pure fun (and sometimes some corn,) adventures.

It was also cool seeing the heroes evolve and change. Aquaman and MM have casually faded out of the series. I'm assuming because they weren't that popular. No reason was actually given. Well a bit later by O'Neil I guess.

Now I'm in the transition stage from the Secret sanctuary era to the satalite era. About issue 76 or so.

Dick Dillin has taken over the art and he is really great. But now O'Neil has taken over as writer and I can't say I'm liking it too much. I see he is trying to be somewhat different which I get but I just don't care for his style or messaging stuffed in there. I don't generally mind it but at times I feel.like I'm being lectured to rather than being told a good story to entertain.

Also his extremely bias and love fest for Green Arrow is very much on display here and rams over you. After reading his GL run he clearly very much prefers this character. Which is kinda annoying. He's even thrown in some random disses at Hawkman, O'neil not GA, so I guess that's where that rivalry comes from.

I get some writers prefer some characters but the lack of subtley it's being done with muddles the stories for me and takes me out of it.

I'm looking forward to when a new writer takes over soon.

[caj]

I'm going through JLA from #1. Really enjoying them. These are some great, pure fun (and sometimes some corn,) adventures.

It was also cool seeing the heroes evolve and change. Aquaman and MM have casually faded out of the series. I'm assuming because they weren't that popular. No reason was actually given. Well a bit later by O'Neil I guess.

Now I'm in the transition stage from the Secret sanctuary era to the satalite era. About issue 76 or so.

Dick Dillin has taken over the art and he is really great. But now O'Neil has taken over as writer and I can't say I'm liking it too much. I see he is trying to be somewhat different which I get but I just don't care for his style or messaging stuffed in there. I don't generally mind it but at times I feel.like I'm being lectured to rather than being told a good story to entertain.

Also his extremely bias and love fest for Green Arrow is very much on display here and rams over you. After reading his GL run he clearly very much prefers this character. Which is kinda annoying. He's even thrown in some random disses at Hawkman, O'neil not GA, so I guess that's where that rivalry comes from.

I get some writers prefer some characters but the lack of subtley it's being done with muddles the stories for me and takes me out of it.

I'm looking forward to when a new writer takes over soon.

I think you'll really enjoy Len Wein when he takes over as writer in #100. He was great.

Steve Englehart was the best IMO. He wrote ten of the best issues - all GIANT size. #139-146, 149-150.

Glad you like Dick Dillin's art - he was amazing!!! He only missed one issue (except for reprints and #153) until his death after #183.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

I'm going through JLA from #1. Really enjoying them. These are some great, pure fun (and sometimes some corn,) adventures.

It was also cool seeing the heroes evolve and change. Aquaman and MM have casually faded out of the series. I'm assuming because they weren't that popular. No reason was actually given. Well a bit later by O'Neil I guess.

Now I'm in the transition stage from the Secret sanctuary era to the satalite era. About issue 76 or so.

Dick Dillin has taken over the art and he is really great. But now O'Neil has taken over as writer and I can't say I'm liking it too much. I see he is trying to be somewhat different which I get but I just don't care for his style or messaging stuffed in there. I don't generally mind it but at times I feel.like I'm being lectured to rather than being told a good story to entertain.

Also his extremely bias and love fest for Green Arrow is very much on display here and rams over you. After reading his GL run he clearly very much prefers this character. Which is kinda annoying. He's even thrown in some random disses at Hawkman, O'neil not GA, so I guess that's where that rivalry comes from.

I get some writers prefer some characters but the lack of subtley it's being done with muddles the stories for me and takes me out of it.

I'm looking forward to when a new writer takes over soon.

JLA doesn't really get "fun" again until Len Wein takes over with JLA 100. Wein's short run is definitely a throwback to the Silver Age, but modernized. It's basically what we think of when we think of classic Bronze Age DC -- a modernized Silver Age.

However, before that Denny O'Neill and later Mike Friedrich were part of DC's "relevant period," which featured issue-oriented stories either overtly or subtextually. Expect some pollution-oriented stories before long.

As far as the art, I'm a big fan of Dillin, but of course, a lot depends on the inker, and for the first few years, his art was largely inked by Joe Giella, an inker who detracted from every penciler he worked with -- not nearly as bad as Vince Colletta, but never great. Dillin's art really shines with the bolder inking of Dick Giordano and Frank McLaughlin. This doesn't happen until within JLA 102 where Giordano shares inking with Giella. From JLA 103, the art takes a dramatic upturn in quality.

In general, after the prime Fox-Sekowsky-Sachs period of the early years, JLA is a generally good read from issues 100-200. After that, it goes downhill and the Detroit era is actually better than the previous couple of years.