Do you prefer the JSA to be on earth 2 or on the main earth?

[mathew101281]

I use to be a big earth 2 guy, but now I feel that putting them on a different earth has really lessened the characters' prominence. Look at Powergirl for example. Back when she was on the primary earth she was everywhere, but now that she has been relegated to earth 2 she barely shows up in anything, that isn't cosmic in nature. I feel that is the problem with the JSA being on earth 2. Most of the action( stories) takes place on earth 1 and inorder to involve earth 2 characters you have to make the story an interdimensional adventure of cosmic importance. That works for some types of stories (big crossovers), but it becomes hard to justify with most other types of stories. So you have a situation, where you took a bunch of interesting characters, and shoved them into a place where they can only interacted with your major characters in big crossovers, or in contrived situations, where the author really has to work hard to justify the need to cross dimensions.

Some people hate the 90's JSA, but you could never say they were shuttled off into irrelevance like the modern one has been. They were pretty effectively weaved into the DCU tapestry (especially during the John's run.) And some pretty important arches and runs spun off from them.(Starman for example). Plus I felt it was the place where the legacy element of the DCU was most prominent. The JLA was the face of the DCU, but I felt the JSA was kind of the heart. Plus JSA/JLA crossovers are more interesting when you have those quasi-family bonds between the two groups.

[Riv86672]

I don’t mind them on earth 2, but I prefer them on earth one. Like you said, they’re the heart of the DCU, and provide a sense of scope that’s hard to match.

[sifighter]

As someone who has read both thanks to the magic of the modern age I would I actually prefer them on main earth. Because as you indicated I like the whole legacy aspect to it but also a sense of history. It’s fun to me to consider that Superman was able to start out his career at a young age because the JSA preceded him, it’s cool to see that Batman went to Wildcat when he was first starting out, I like seeing Jay with Wally and Barry (now Wallace as well), it’s interesting to see newer characters like Stargirl or Jakeem Thunder who attempt to live up to the original heroes.

That’s why I like it, I’m sure that on Earth 2 they could explore some things differently from the confines of mainline continuity but I like having it be part of its history.

[Shadowcat]

Earth 2, because I loved seeing the parallels to how different the earths are. Also interesting to see them both interact with Earth 3, and so on. DC just needs to start investing and cultivating their multiverse.

[SiegePerilous02]

Earth-2 because the Multiverse is a cooler concept than clutter Earth, but the way things are with the direct market and continuity obsessed fans now I can see why they'd be more neglected if such a thing was attempted now. Not that there isn't precedent for an Earth-2 setup doing well for itself, they sustained a couple books Pre-COIE, but that wouldn't work as well now and there have since been even better received runs with the post-COIE setup (stuff in the Flash, Starman, Johns's JSA).

Superman coming after them and being inspired by them always seems artificial though. We know historically both in-universe (for 50 or so years) and in a meta sense they were peers of his, and most of them were only invented due to the success of Action Comics and kickstarting the genre. So scenes like that one I've seen of Clark giving Alan a pep talk and saying he and the JSA inspired heroes like him always gives a vibe of "who are you kidding?" to me. In-universe and scenes of writers blatantly saying "this is why they're important, because they inspired (specifically) Superman, Batman & Robin and Wonder Woman!" seems to be elevating them to a status they don't actually have.

I'm indifferent to the JSA, I could take them or leave them. Before some of the pitchforks come out though, them being on the main Earth also isn't a deal breaker for me and I agree it can help enrich the shared continuity if we're being invested in such a thing.

[Primal Slayer]

Earth 1 only because Earth 2 doesnt get that much play from DC so Id rather have one large world with a rich history than have them seperate where one is barely focused on.

In a perfect world, we'd have an Earth 1 line of books and an Earth 2 line of books. The big characters are shipped bi weekly and alternate Earth titles.

But since the JSA is always depicted as older on E1, let them be the younger ones on an E2 like when they were rebooted for New52 so we can have our cake and eat it to.

[Robanker]

Main/Clutter Earth. They're my favorite team in comics so I feel very strongly about this.

Everyone likes to say they can be special on their Earth but shuttling them off to the cameo planet just means they're the Legion of Substitute Heroes where **** like New 52 Earth 2 can happen (blowing up the planet every year, killing heroes off because we were never going to tell Earth-2 Green Arrow stories, etc).

I'm happier with them having their own book on the main Earth because it opens them up to cameo in other books, show up during events that don't have to go multiversal and overall just makes the universe feel richer. The Flash family is poorer for loss of Jay. The DCU suffers without Michael Holt. The Golden Age of heroes is dim without its Green Lantern to light the way.

Taking Jay, Alan, Ted (both of them, frankly), Michael, Rex, Dinah, PG, and so many others out of the mainline books so they can supposedly matter more on their sideshow planet isn't going to help anyone. Just because they're the premier team on their Earth isn't going to make readers care about them more. They're still going to be "the Geriatric Justice League and friends" or, if younger, "the low-rent Justice League" for all intents and purposes with respect to the fans who already weren't sold. Earth-2 was killing Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman and constantly at event level and nobody cared. Every page of that book mattered, so to speak, but not much of it resonated. Why try to fight that rather than just let them shine as the JS-flippin'-A. It just reminds me of when people try so hard to justify how reading superhero comics is totes for adults and not at all silly. Bro, there's a silly element. Embrace it. No amount of universe hopping or justification that Batman Beyond is totally the future has ever made that book sell any more copies (or, frankly, have any more narrative impact) than the simple concept of "read about Terry in Neo Gotham."

So I'm kind of against segregating the JSA to Earth-2, which effectively is still giving them their own book but significantly limiting the chance they appear anywhere else.

[Jim Kelly]

I like them on Earth-Two, but I admit that I haven't seen any of the current comics--I didn't even know they had come back--so I don't know if the new Earth-2 is anything like the Earth-Two that I know.

[mathew101281]

Earth 2, because I loved seeing the parallels to how different the earths are. Also interesting to see them both interact with Earth 3, and so on. DC just needs to start investing and cultivating their multiverse.

That will never happen though because all their main breadwinners are on the main earth. Crossovers are the main moneymakers of modern comics. putting them on a different earth essentially turns them into the Legion of Superheroes, a bunch of heroes that are sidelined because they aren't part of the ongoing storyline that really matters. (I love the Legion but you know their gradual slip into obscurity is because of this.)

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I want them to be from the main Earth, got sent to Earth-2 where time worked differently, then were returned to their originally Earth following the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

[Johnrevenge]

Main Earth please.

[The no face guy]

I use to be a big earth 2 guy, but now I feel that putting them on a different earth has really lessened the characters' prominence. Look at Powergirl for example. Back when she was on the primary earth she was everywhere, but now that she has been relegated to earth 2 she barely shows up in anything, that isn't cosmic in nature. I feel that is the problem with the JSA being on earth 2. Most of the action( stories) takes place on earth 1 and inorder to involve earth 2 characters you have to make the story an interdimensional adventure of cosmic importance. That works for some types of stories (big crossovers), but it becomes hard to justify with most other types of stories. So you have a situation, where you took a bunch of interesting characters, and shoved them into a place where they can only interacted with your major characters in big crossovers, or in contrived situations, where the author really has to work hard to justify the need to cross dimensions.

Some people hate the 90's JSA, but you could never say they were shuttled off into irrelevance like the modern one has been. They were pretty effectively weaved into the DCU tapestry (especially during the John's run.) And some pretty important arches and runs spun off from them.(Starman for example). Plus I felt it was the place where the legacy element of the DCU was most prominent. The JLA was the face of the DCU, but I felt the JSA was kind of the heart. Plus JSA/JLA crossovers are more interesting when you have those quasi-family bonds between the two groups.

Main earth, I agree it sort of lessens their prominence. I want them front and center in the DCU communicating with other heroes on a regular basis, be it Barry, Hal, Carter, Palmer or whoever.

[maxax]

Main earth, I agree it sort of lessens their prominence. I want them front and center in the DCU communicating with other heroes on a regular basis, be it Barry, Hal, Carter, Palmer or whoever.

Speaking of Carter... putting the JSA back on Earth-2 would make Hawkman confusing all over again.

[Restingvoice]

At first, I want the same earth for simplicity but now I prefer different earth so Superman can be first superhero

[The no face guy]

Speaking of Carter... putting the JSA back on Earth-2 would make Hawkman confusing all over again.

Agreed, it would.