Your favorite version of Justice Society of America

[Jim Kelly]

The 70s revival had some really great stuff, but it was really inconsistent in its quality of art and story. I liked it all, but the time-travel arc was especially a mess. It was Wally Wood's (gorgeous) pencils allowed to run amok amongst the plot.

Most of all, except for a few brief snippets here and there, it never really grappled with the fact that we're looking at superheroes many years on, as other series did. That constrained it to being one more superteam book.

I agree but disagree and agree to disagree.

I agree that the art changed with the artists on ALL-STAR COMICS, but that's to be expected with different artists and I don't agree that it was that different or varied that much in quality. Wally Wood mostly was an inker on the book, first on Ric Estrada's pencils and then on Keith Giffen's. Woody only did full art on two issues--64 and 65--and then he left. In his place were Joe Staton and Bob Layton from 66 to 72 and then Joe Giella took over from Bob for the last two issues of the run. Joe Staton did full art when the team went into ADVENTURE COMICS--with the exception of issue 465, where Dave Hunt did the inks.

Bob Layton was apprenticed to Wally Wood, so it made sense to choose Layton as Wood's replacement (and heck Layton may have assisted on some of Woody's previous inks). Joe Orlando was an editor on ALL-STAR for part of the run and I recall an interview with him from back in the day where he said he preferred to work with talent who were married and had a stable home life, because he could depend on them to meet deadlines. He might have been thinking of Woody when he said that--even though he and Wally Wood had a long association from back in the old E.C. days and Joe was one of the few people in the industry who still gave him work. Woody did not have a stable home life and he couldn't be depended on to meet deadlines, giving his editor grey hairs. This is probably why Wood was mainly used as an inker by National Periodicals, because that was less risky.

Joe Staton taking over from Ric Estrada makes some sense, too, since Staton had been inking Estrada's pencils on KARATE KID (one of my favourite short runs from this period). I think Estrada was a consistent penciller and Joe Staton was always a favourite from his days on E-MAN.

I like that ALL-STAR didn't grapple "with the fact that we're looking at superheroes many years on" so much. I think it did do that, but not to the extent that other runs may have done. Because how age and time worked on Earth-Two never was nailed down, so it's hard to say if characters had aged that much. This is something that, for whatever reasons, editors didn't take on--and maybe it's a good thing they didn't. I prefer super-heroes to be timeless. But Paul Levitz did like to stir the pot and bring in politics--showing that on Earth-Two there was no Apartheid, but also that Quebec had become independent from the rest of Canada (I doubt that Levitz fully understood the situation in Canada).

It wasn't just another super-team--it was the Justice Society of America and it was based on a completely different world from the rest of the super-teams at the time. That gave it its own atmosphere. And because it didn't have to work with the Earth-One continuity that gave Levitz a free hand. I recall an interview with him where he said he was attracted to the Justice Society and the Legion of Super-Heroes because those teams existed in their own continuity.

[caj]

No, Major, the OP's got a good point. All-Star Squadron wrapped a few of it's stories around classic All-Star Comics stories but gave the 1942-1943 lineup characters (and plots) a bit more nuance. In my mind, that makes them a distinct version of the JSA, even if the comic wasn't centered on them, and thus they belong in the running.

The All-Star Squadron was my vote (and, boy, it wasn't an easy pick) precisely because they did give us the classic with a dose of the new.

Thanks for that, DrNewGod.

While my introduction to the JSA was in the crossovers with JLofA, it was actually All Star Squadron where I learned more about them and fell in love with some of the original team.

I just HAD to include them in the poll.

[Nomads1]

The 70s revival had some really great stuff, but it was really inconsistent in its quality of art and story. I liked it all, but the time-travel arc was especially a mess. It was Wally Wood's (gorgeous) pencils allowed to run amok amongst the plot.

Most of all, except for a few brief snippets here and there, it never really grappled with the fact that we're looking at superheroes many years on, as other series did. That constrained it to being one more superteam book.

I agree but disagree and agree to disagree.

I agree that the art changed with the artists on ALL-STAR COMICS, but that's to be expected with different artists and I don't agree that it was that different or varied that much in quality. Wally Wood mostly was an inker on the book, first on Ric Estrada's pencils and then on Keith Giffen's. Woody only did full art on two issues--64 and 65--and then he left. In his place were Joe Staton and Bob Layton from 66 to 72 and then Joe Giella took over from Bob for the last two issues of the run. Joe Staton did full art when the team went into ADVENTURE COMICS--with the exception of issue 465, where Dave Hunt did the inks.

Bob Layton was apprenticed to Wally Wood, so it made sense to choose Layton as Wood's replacement (and heck Layton may have assisted on some of Woody's previous inks). Joe Orlando was an editor on ALL-STAR for part of the run and I recall an interview with him from back in the day where he said he preferred to work with talent who were married and had a stable home life, because he could depend on them to meet deadlines. He might have been thinking of Woody when he said that--even though he and Wally Wood had a long association from back in the old E.C. days and Joe was one of the few people in the industry who still gave him work. Woody did not have a stable home life and he couldn't be depended on to meet deadlines, giving his editor grey hairs. This is probably why Wood was mainly used as an inker by National Periodicals, because that was less risky.

Joe Staton taking over from Ric Estrada makes some sense, too, since Staton had been inking Estrada's pencils on KARATE KID (one of my favourite short runs from this period). I think Estrada was a consistent penciller and Joe Staton was always a favourite from his days on E-MAN.

I like that ALL-STAR didn't grapple "with the fact that we're looking at superheroes many years on" so much. I think it did do that, but not to the extent that other runs may have done. Because how age and time worked on Earth-Two never was nailed down, so it's hard to say if characters had aged that much. This is something that, for whatever reasons, editors didn't take on--and maybe it's a good thing they didn't. I prefer super-heroes to be timeless. But Paul Levitz did like to stir the pot and bring in politics--showing that on Earth-Two there was no Apartheid, but also that Quebec had become independent from the rest of Canada (I doubt that Levitz fully understood the situation in Canada).

It wasn't just another super-team--it was the Justice Society of America and it was based on a completely different world from the rest of the super-teams at the time. That gave it its own atmosphere. And because it didn't have to work with the Earth-One continuity that gave Levitz a free hand. I recall an interview with him where he said he was attracted to the Justice Society and the Legion of Super-Heroes because those teams existed in their own continuity.

Well, I won't give such a detailed reply as Jim Kelly did (including some facts that I had no knowledge of), but I'll also agree to disagree. I really liked the All-Star Comics run, and it was a run that I took MANY years of back issue hunting to complete, which, of course, makes it even more special for me. However, All-Star Squadron is still my favorite and got my vote.

Peace

[Adekis]

Not going to lie, I lump in the All-Star Squadron, and to a lesser extent Infinity Inc, with the Bronze Age Justice Society, in the same way that I lump in the Super Friends with the Justice League.

[Jim Kelly]

It's interesting that when they first revived ALL-STAR COMICS--as part of Conway's Corner--they hyped the "Super Squad" and downplayed the Justice Society of America. The three young heroes were supposed to be the stars of the book--Star-Spangled Kid, Robin and Power Girl. But eventually the J.S.A. regained the title for themselves.

I guess the publisher didn't have faith that young readers would want to buy a book about a bunch of guys who had been around in the 1940s. But speaking for myself that's exactly what I wanted and I was happy when the Justice Society of America became the acknowledged stars of the book.

[CaptCleghorn]

It's interesting that when they first revived ALL-STAR COMICS--as part of Conway's Corner--they hyped the "Super Squad" and downplayed the Justice Society of America. The three young heroes were supposed to be the stars of the book--Star-Spangled Kid, Robin and Power Girl. But eventually the J.S.A. regained the title for themselves.

I guess the publisher didn't have faith that young readers would want to buy a book about a bunch of guys who had been around in the 1940s. But speaking for myself that's exactly what I wanted and I was happy when the Justice Society of America became the acknowledged stars of the book.

That's been a common belief throughout DC's silver and bronze age. Instead of a Justice Society book, we got Infinity, Inc. The nineties and oughts gave us JSA books, but it took a long time to get there. Even the nu52 had youth rookie variations of JSA characters.

[caj]

Curious as to which team in the poll would be the most powerful?

[Cat]

Curious as to which team in the poll would be the most powerful?

Any team with Dr Fate, GL, and The Spectre.

[MajorHoy]

By the way, I voted for Bronze Age, not the original Golden Age.

My first introduction to the Justice Society was in Justice League of America #101, where the Seven Soldiers of Victory were brought back. It was the second issue of the three-issue annual JLA/JSA team-ups, and was written by Len Wein. Wein wrote two more of the annual team-ups, #107-108 (which introduced the Freedom Fighters / the Quality Comics characters on Earth-X), and in #113 we had the fate of Sandy the Golden Boy revealed.

Then we later got the All Star Comics revival, which eventually became a feature in an expanded Adventure Comics. Plus Paul Levitz gave us an actual origin for the team.

I could go on and on, but this was the period that started my appreciation for those Golden Age "Mystery Men".

[captchuck]

I learned about the original JSA in a 80-page Giant in the late 60's. That and "All in Color for a Dime" made me want to read the original stories. So, I voted for the Golden Age even though it was before my time.

[MajorHoy]

I learned about the original JSA in a 80-page Giant in the late 60's. That and "All in Color for a Dime" made me want to read the original stories. So, I voted for the Golden Age even though it was before my time.

Man, that was a great book!

[DrNewGod]

Any team with Dr Fate, GL, and The Spectre.

Plus the Flash. Yah, with Dr. Fate at full wattage, and Johnny Thunder as an adjunct, the O8 had to be the JSA's peak. Even without Superman's or Wonder Woman's contribution. The Spectre alone...[shudder]...

[DrNewGod]

I agree but disagree and agree to disagree.

I agree that the art changed with the artists on ALL-STAR COMICS, but that's to be expected with different artists and I don't agree that it was that different or varied that much in quality. Wally Wood mostly was an inker on the book, first on Ric Estrada's pencils and then on Keith Giffen's. Woody only did full art on two issues--64 and 65--and then he left. In his place were Joe Staton and Bob Layton from 66 to 72 and then Joe Giella took over from Bob for the last two issues of the run. Joe Staton did full art when the team went into ADVENTURE COMICS--with the exception of issue 465, where Dave Hunt did the inks.

Bob Layton was apprenticed to Wally Wood, so it made sense to choose Layton as Wood's replacement (and heck Layton may have assisted on some of Woody's previous inks). Joe Orlando was an editor on ALL-STAR for part of the run and I recall an interview with him from back in the day where he said he preferred to work with talent who were married and had a stable home life, because he could depend on them to meet deadlines. He might have been thinking of Woody when he said that--even though he and Wally Wood had a long association from back in the old E.C. days and Joe was one of the few people in the industry who still gave him work. Woody did not have a stable home life and he couldn't be depended on to meet deadlines, giving his editor grey hairs. This is probably why Wood was mainly used as an inker by National Periodicals, because that was less risky.

Joe Staton taking over from Ric Estrada makes some sense, too, since Staton had been inking Estrada's pencils on KARATE KID (one of my favourite short runs from this period). I think Estrada was a consistent penciller and Joe Staton was always a favourite from his days on E-MAN.

I like that ALL-STAR didn't grapple "with the fact that we're looking at superheroes many years on" so much. I think it did do that, but not to the extent that other runs may have done. Because how age and time worked on Earth-Two never was nailed down, so it's hard to say if characters had aged that much. This is something that, for whatever reasons, editors didn't take on--and maybe it's a good thing they didn't. I prefer super-heroes to be timeless. But Paul Levitz did like to stir the pot and bring in politics--showing that on Earth-Two there was no Apartheid, but also that Quebec had become independent from the rest of Canada (I doubt that Levitz fully understood the situation in Canada).

It wasn't just another super-team--it was the Justice Society of America and it was based on a completely different world from the rest of the super-teams at the time. That gave it its own atmosphere. And because it didn't have to work with the Earth-One continuity that gave Levitz a free hand. I recall an interview with him where he said he was attracted to the Justice Society and the Legion of Super-Heroes because those teams existed in their own continuity.

I love the depth of your knowledge on the subject Jim. I stick my guns on thinking that whilst they showed time was passing (Power Girl), they didn't really deal with it. As you say, we can disagree.

Even if I think it fell short, I'm looking forward to rereading it when my rereading gets there.

[Lee Stone]

I really like the Golden Age stuff, but what really got me into the JSA was the Bronze Age era. The digest reprint with Power Girl's first appearance alongside an old Golden Age tale was what got me the most interested in them. While the '70s All-Star series wasn't sold where I lived, that era of the team had started appearing in the JLA/JSA team-ups.

[astro@work]

Voted JSA, but the Bronze Age was a close second. The JLA/JSA teamups and the All-Star Comics revival were some of my most favorite stories back then.
Hunting down those All Star Comics issues was a labor of love...and when i discovered the run had been extended into Adventure Comics was like learning Christmas had come a second time.

We obsessed a lot less in those days about how the JSA could still be running around at "their age"...maybe it was because it was still close enough to the Golden Age that we just didn't think about it as much? We just rolled with it and enjoyed some great stories.