Could A Justice Society With No Original Members Work?

[Kaijudo]

I liked Hector as Doctor Fate; and the helmet doesn't have a human host at present, from what I understand.

Khalid Nassour is currently Dr. Fate in the JL Dark backups.

[9th.]

That's kind of what they are doing on Stargirl where the JSA are dead/missing and the main cast is made up of legacy heroes.

That's exactly why I said it too, Stargirl makes it work really well.

[DrNewGod]

That's kind of what they are doing on Stargirl where the JSA are dead/missing and the main cast is made up of legacy heroes.

That's exactly why I said it too, Stargirl makes it work really well.

Yes-ish. The Stargirl show makes a legacy JS it work if you're not a JS comic fan or if you're willing to take the show on its own terms (I am, and have enjoyed it). I don't know if enough of the JS' fanbase would come onboard to support it without their favorites on the roster.

That said, a good writer with the right story in mind can make almost anything work.

[Jim Kelly]

I like STARGIRL, but it's like a backwards tape loop. The main story is based on what Geoff Johns did back in 1999 with STARS AND S.T.R.I.P.E. mixed with bits of the Roy and Dann Thomas INFINITY, INC., from the 1980s. It works backwards toward the original Justice Society--with the new Justice Society being essentially a different version of Infinity, Inc. In turn the success of the show is pushing a revival of the characters, so we're recycling back on storylines that are decades old.

And I do love the Beth Chapel character in this iteration--who is nothing like the doctor in the INFINITY, INC. run. Her relationship with Charlie is one of the freshest elements of the show and stands out for that reason.

[sifighter]

Khalid Nassour is currently Dr. Fate in the JL Dark backups.

Yeah but isn’t Kent still around?

Though I would love to someday see Khalid join the JSA, he’d fit right in as another superhero who is family related to a member of the classic JSA.

[achilles]

Yeah but isn’t Kent still around?

Though I would love to someday see Khalid join the JSA, he’d fit right in as another superhero who is family related to a member of the classic JSA.

I prefer him as a future Doctor Fate, with Kent as the present version. And Inza around as well.

[dr-brainwave]

Could A Justice Society With No Original Members Work?

Actually DC already tried that:



and it wasn't a huge success.

[John Venus]

^ That happened out of necessity because of how large the JSA roster was at the time. It sank because of the lackluster writing and a lot of people didn't like Magog whom they kept trying to center as the lead. If the book had a fresh tone, centered on Power Girl and Mr Terrific as co-leaders, focused on the JSA members who usually don't get the spotlight, synergized with the Power Girl ongoing and with the already stellar back up feature starring Hourman & Liberty Belle, then it might have been a bigger success.

[CaptCleghorn]

Yes-ish. The Stargirl show makes a legacy JS it work if you're not a JS comic fan or if you're willing to take the show on its own terms (I am, and have enjoyed it). I don't know if enough of the JS' fanbase would come onboard to support it without their favorites on the roster.

That said, a good writer with the right story in mind can make almost anything work.

With most concepts, we should ask what factors make that concept that concept. There are rarely straight well defined ansers, but with the JSA, the mix of older heroes from the Golden Age and the advancement of the rest of the superhero universe is what separates the JSA from the JLA. I fully realize I may be considered a purist, but somehow a Justice Society without some heroes who were active in the forties seems like a substitution. Possibly well worth reading and sellable. But for me, it isn't the JSA regardless of the title on the cover.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Could A Justice Society With No Original Members Work?

Actually DC already tried that:



and it wasn't a huge success.

In fairness, "X-Force, but JSA!" isn't a great concept

[DrNewGod]

With most concepts, we should ask what factors make that concept that concept. There are rarely straight well defined ansers, but with the JSA, the mix of older heroes from the Golden Age and the advancement of the rest of the superhero universe is what separates the JSA from the JLA. I fully realize I may be considered a purist, but somehow a Justice Society without some heroes who were active in the forties seems like a substitution. Possibly well worth reading and sellable. But for me, it isn't the JSA regardless of the title on the cover.

Meh. YMMV

There were probably some fans in 1941, who said, "They dropped GL and Hourman for those Starman and Dr. Mid-Nite losers? That's not the JSA!"

Still, I think the no-originals concept probably works best in a coherent history where the originals are all retired, or gone. That's not what we got.

[Nomads1]

Would a Justice Society of America team without Ted Grant, Jay Garrick, or Alan Scott even appeal to fans of the JSA? Or is always having a handful of the original Golden Age members on the roster a fundamental aspect to the group's popularity?

Could it? Yeah, but it'd be called Infinity Inc. And as much as I've been a fan of that team, ever since it's inception in the pages of All-Star Squadron, I don't think that's what I want to see in a Justice Society book. The mix of old and new is something that has been going on ever since the All-Star Comics revival in the 70's (Mixing original members Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Flash, Dr. Mid-Nite, Geen Lantern, Wildcat, etc... with newbies Robin - standing in for Batman, Star-Spangled Kid - standing in for Starman, and Power Girl - standing in for Superman), and, IMHO, it works, and it has become the identity of the Justice Society post-Golden Age. It's what differes it from the many super-teams of the DCU. Legacy has always been a persistent theme for DC, much more than, say, for Marvel, and the JSA has always been the personification of this theme (golden age JSA passing the baton to the silver age JLA, the veterans training their kids, etc...), however, I feel this mix of old and new is necessary. Just my two cents.

Peace

[Dataweaver]

For what it's worth, I think the mix of old and new is necessary, at least for a while; but it doesn't need to feature the old guard still being on the active roster. They can and should stick around in supporting roles, even if the team in the field consists entirely of legacy heroes. And given enough time, the next generation can take over entirely. It just needs to be an organic development and not something that's forced.

And we are most of the way there. As things stood just prior to Flashpoint, the only old guard who were still active were Alan, Jay, and Ted. Everyone else on the team was of the younger generation. Ted can take time off to bond with Tom; Jay really is getting a bit old to be running around all the time, and can just go home to his wife. That only leaves Alan; and he could end up spending most of his time running his business while his children take his place on the team. Again, not something I'd do in issue #1 of a new JSA series; but I could see the final member of the old guard bowing out by the end of the first year of publication, with plenty of foreshadowing leading up to it.

[Doctor Kent Nelson]

Would a Justice Society of America team without Ted Grant, Jay Garrick, or Alan Scott even appeal to fans of the JSA? Or is always having a handful of the original Golden Age members on the roster a fundamental aspect to the group's popularity?

No and avert your eyes children... need I remind you of this abysmal monstrosity?



Awesome cover by the way but this is not Infinity Inc, nor will a new JSA be a JSA

[finfan]

I prefer him as a future Doctor Fate, with Kent as the present version. And Inza around as well.

In a perfect world yes but Kent Nelson is too "white bread". And yes, Khalid and Kent could have co-existed but not according to world of Ram V.

And yes, Kent Nelson will die in the Black Adam film, only to be replaced by Kahlid