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  1. #1
    Astonishing Member Kingdom X's Avatar
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    Default Biggest differences between the JSA and the JLA?

    Obviously besides the characters, what do you all think are the biggest differences between the JSA and the JLA. For example, what kind of threats would the JSA take on that the JLA wouldn't? What themes could be explored in a JSA book that wouldn't work in JLA?

  2. #2
    Ultimate Member sifighter's Avatar
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    I think the themes of the JSA is legacy but also training younger heroes who don’t run off to become Titans. Like the JSA goes all the way back to the WW2, and each one of its characters have had significant impact or connections to the dc universe, not to mention how they’ve helped train other heroes even some of the big leaguers (pretty sure Wildcat has trained Batman in some continuities and Alan Scott definitely mentored Kyle Rayner in the 90’s).

    While the Justice League I would see as seven heroes who first banded together as a team who spread out and became a huge community/army, the JSA is sort of a center if you would.
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    Astonishing Member Ra-El's Avatar
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    I think, that in a sense, the JSA is more of a team, while the JLA is more like a necessity thing.

    The characters that form the JSA are more team players, the ones that form the JL are more loners. That is for both in and out of universe reasons. But the results are the same, seeing the JSA characters having meeting, seeting around a table and taking group pictures feels way more appropriate, natural and resonant than see the same things with the Justice League.

    The JSA are a group of people who have chose to work as a team and have formed very close relationships with each other. The Justice League are a group of friends that get together from time to time.

  4. #4
    Astonishing Member Johnrevenge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ra-El View Post
    I think, that in a sense, the JSA is more of a team, while the JLA is more like a necessity thing.

    The characters that form the JSA are more team players, the ones that form the JL are more loners. That is for both in and out of universe reasons. But the results are the same, seeing the JSA characters having meeting, seeting around a table and taking group pictures feels way more appropriate, natural and resonant than see the same things with the Justice League.

    The JSA are a group of people who have chose to work as a team and have formed very close relationships with each other. The Justice League are a group of friends that get together from time to time.
    I agree, the JSA acts more like a family.

  5. #5
    Ultimate Member sifighter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Johnrevenge View Post
    I agree, the JSA acts more like a family.
    You know I didn't want to say that line but its true. When it comes to characters they are actually friends who care about each others personal lives. Where Wildcat would actually talk to Alan Scott about how his personal life is going, Batman would just consider how he would secretly beat Hal Jordan in a fight.
    "It's fun and it's cool, so that's all that matters. It's what comics are for, Duh."
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  6. #6
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    There are certain similarities of history that caused both to be created.

    The Society came at a time when the super-hero explosion was starting. Even at that early stage, they had a plurality of heroes to draw from, because comics were 64 page anthologies and had many features in a single issue available for use. Even so, ALL-STAR drafted from two different publishers--All-American Comics and Detective Comics/National Allied--which doubled the choices.

    The League started at a time when the super-hero explosion was re-starting, but they had a limited number of heroes from National Periodicals and they pretty much used all of them except Green Arrow (who would join shortly). They had to wait for other super-heroes to be developed before they could expand their roster. And as such those first seven members became the core of the group.

    The Society was not shy about cutting the big names from their roster. They excluded Superman, Batman and Robin because they had their own star vehicles. And they later dropped the Flash and Green Lantern. So there were greater chances for second stringers to get onto the team.

    Second stringers and new stars had a hard time getting into the League. Still, Superman and Batman were sometimes held back from use in the League--because editors didn't want them over-exposed.

    I'd say that the Society didn't take its ALL-STAR title as seriously as the League with their World's Greatest Super-Heroes sobriquet.

    In conclusion, I'd say the Society was more inclusive and less fussy about who they let in, where the League was about trying to have the biggest names they could get into the book.

  7. #7
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    As far as what sorts of missions each would handle; there's a good deal of overlap. Both are quite capable of dealing with cosmic level threats, and both are filled with powerhouses and some street level characters, though the League in its classic configuration had a greater number of cosmic level characters while the Society had the more powerful ones, (with the Spectre along being able to take the entire League). More recent additions to the Society add anywhere from one to several very high level supers to the mix.

    That said, the League more often handles the cosmic threats, that being a sort of specialty of theirs, while the Society more often takes on lower level but still serious threats.

  8. #8
    Extraordinary Member Restingvoice's Avatar
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    JSAs are old

    lol jk

    So JSA is a family, including previous and next generations, JLA are coworkers, and Titans are childhood friends

  9. #9
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    It depends on what era you're talking about.

    In the last 20+ years, writers really leaned into the JSA as a family and group nuturing legacies.

    In the years between the first JL/JS teamups and the late-1990s, the JSA were more about nostalgic looks back at the genre's roots, and something of a what-the-future-might-be for the "contemporary" characters.

    If I had to pick one key difference between the JSA in their original run and their successors, I'd say it was the mundanity of their opposition. The superhero genre was still in its formative stages, much closer to its pulp roots, and so the JSA (both as a team and in their individual features) were far more likely to tangle with generic crooks, saboteurs, or mad-scientists.

    Certainly, there were genuine super-villains from time to time, but they were in short supply. Trying to copy Dick Tracy's creators, Batman's stories tended to feature more colorful villains than most of the other Golden Age properties. It was so thin, that Roy Thomas had to employ time-travel and create new characters to provide a sufficient roster of threats for his characters in All-Star Squadron.

  10. #10
    Extraordinary Member Factor's Avatar
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    In my view, the Justice League should be the present day's big shots, who'd be in charge of protecting Earth from the biggest threats.
    The Justice Society would have been around for decades and now they'd act as the guardians of the metahuman community, making sure their legacy is preserved and heroes are always there to protect the world. So the JSA would watch over the JL and other superteams, keeping track of past threats who could resurface and keeping an eye on the new generations as well.
    The JSA would be the experts on all things super, while the JL would handle world-scale threats.
    The Titans would be the team closer to the people, being always on call to help regular citizens in danger (which could always escalate to world-scale threats too, since they'd be on the same level as the League in terms of power and competence).

  11. #11
    Extraordinary Member superduperman's Avatar
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    The JSA has more magic based characters. Dr. Fate, Green Lantern, Spectre. At least two of those could take Superman alone.
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  12. #12
    Ultimate Member Robotman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Restingvoice View Post
    JSAs are old

    lol jk

    So JSA is a family, including previous and next generations, JLA are coworkers, and Titans are childhood friends
    Yeah pretty much this. Plus I think the Justice League is more likely to deal with cosmic threats (angry gods, evil earth invasions, end of the multiverse sort of stuff).

  13. #13
    Mighty Member LifeIsILL's Avatar
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    JSA has good writing.

    JLA doesn't.

  14. #14
    Astonishing Member Mutant God's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by superduperman View Post
    The JSA has more magic based characters. Dr. Fate, Green Lantern, Spectre. At least two of those could take Superman alone.
    Wonder Woman is on the magical side and she would probably fit in with the JSA more lol

  15. #15
    Invincible Member Vordan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Johnrevenge View Post
    I agree, the JSA acts more like a family.
    Which is kind of the problem. Titans, Doom Patrol, every team that isn’t the Justice League, they’re all “we’re a family!” which means none of them really stand out as anything but B-Listers. The League is the premiere team that handles the “real” threats while everyone else fights second rate bad guys. It’s harsh but it’s true.

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