Your favorite version of Justice Society of America

[Zero Hunter]

My favorite version is always the one that does not have the direct copies of other characters. I know they came first but I always like it better when the Big 3 or any other direct character that has a direct copy in the modern day. No Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, or Robin. I give a pass to Hawkman because the Golden Age Carter Hall is now and will forever be better than the space cop Kater Hol version. I don't mind the legacies of the big 3 being there but to me if they themselves are there it just takes all the focus away from the more original characters.

[Sutekh]

My favorite version is always the one that does not have the direct copies of other characters. I know they came first but I always like it better when the Big 3 or any other direct character that has a direct copy in the modern day. No Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, or Robin. I give a pass to Hawkman because the Golden Age Carter Hall is now and will forever be better than the space cop Kater Hol version. I don't mind the legacies of the big 3 being there but to me if they themselves are there it just takes all the focus away from the more original characters.

I do prefer stories about some of the more unique folk, like Wildcat, Hourman, Dr. Midnight, Starman and Dr. Fate, but I'll admit that I also like Jay and Alan, as well, even if there are Green Lanterns and Flashes aplenty in various Leagues and stuff. The JSA versions of Superman, Wonder Woman and the Atom, particularly kind of bore me. (And while I remember the grown-up Robin with the pants and grey streaks at his temples, I'd totally forgotten there was ever a JSA Batman, which is whacky, since I'm a fan of his daughter, Helena Wayne, the Huntress!)

But I even more enjoy some of the All-Star Squadron / Young All-Stars folk that may not have ever been Society members, like Sargon the Sorcerer, Danette Reilly/Firebrand, Amazing Man, Commander Steel, Tsunami, Arn Munroe, Sylvester Pemberton/Star-Spangled Kid/Skyman, Helena Wayne/Huntress and Airwave.

[MajorHoy]

. . . (And while I remember the grown-up Robin with the pants and grey streaks at his temples, I'd totally forgotten there was ever a JSA Batman, which is whacky, since I'm a fan of his daughter, Helena Wayne, the Huntress!) . . .

Back in the Golden Age of the 1940s, Batman was only an "honorary member" of the JSA who basically made a cameo appearance or two with the exception of one issue of All-Star Comics when he filled-in for The Atom.
During the Silver and Bronze Ages, he was only involved in one JLA/JSA annual team-up, the one that also involved the original Captain Marvel and Earth-S.

His death was seen in a JSA story in Adventure Comics, but those appearances were as Police Commissioner Bruce Wayne, not really as Batman.

[Jim Kelly]

Given that Al Pratt was at almost all the original meetings--only missing two--that puts him next to Carter Hall as the most dedicated member of the Justice Society (Carter, of course, was at every meeting). I'd agree that Pratt's stories were kind of weak--but I see that as an opportunity for new writers to add more to his character (he would be better as a gay man than Alan Scott, I think).

Mr. Terrific and the original Red Tornado were only in one issue each of that ALL-STAR COMICS run--much less than Superman, Batman or Robin. And Wildcat was only in two issues.

As long as a character was in one issue, I'm good with saying they were part of the original team. However, I don't like when characters that were never in any of the original stories are retconned into the J.S.A. For the All-Star Squadron, okay--I can accept that on "Earth-Two" (which is a retcon itself), in the background, there was this bigger team that consisted of virtually every character that was around in the 1940s plus a bunch that have been retconned into the 1940s, but I want the Justice Society to be closer to its original history.

While Earth-Two Batman didn't appear a lot with the Justice Society--being on Earth-Two allowed writers and artists to do a fair number of solo stories about a character closer to the original Bill Finger and Bob Kane creation. Likewise with Siegel and Shuster's Superman (although a lot of liberties were taken with Kal-L's continuity).

[MajorHoy]

. . . Mr. Terrific and the original Red Tornado were only in one issue each of that ALL-STAR COMICS run--much less than Superman, Batman or Robin. And Wildcat was only in two issues.

I'm going to quibble a bit on Red Tornado here. Yes, she did appear in one issue (that first meeting of the team), but that appearance was:


Mr. Terrific's appearance in All-Star Comics #24 (Spring 1945) rated a few more pages than that (including a five-page chapter). So grouping them both under just "only in one issue each" seems a bit unfair to poor Terry.

[Factor]

JSA for me, but I also love the 70s revival of All-Star Comics. Plus those 90s minis were really charming.

[Zero Hunter]

I do prefer stories about some of the more unique folk, like Wildcat, Hourman, Dr. Midnight, Starman and Dr. Fate, but I'll admit that I also like Jay and Alan, as well, even if there are Green Lanterns and Flashes aplenty in various Leagues and stuff. The JSA versions of Superman, Wonder Woman and the Atom, particularly kind of bore me. (And while I remember the grown-up Robin with the pants and grey streaks at his temples, I'd totally forgotten there was ever a JSA Batman, which is whacky, since I'm a fan of his daughter, Helena Wayne, the Huntress!)

I do like Alan and Jay a lot too. They are different than their silver age counterparts while sharing the same name which I like. I actually really liked the post Flashpoint Earth 2 book because they were doing twists on classic characters. I like the female Red Tornado with Lois Lane's mind, the Thomas Wayne Batman, the Val Zod Superman, and the Khalid Ben-Hassin Dr. Fate.

[Sutekh]

I do like Alan and Jay a lot too. They are different than their silver age counterparts while sharing the same name which I like.

It is cool that Alan can be *a* Green Lantern, without necessarily getting dragged into various Corps drama, and that Jay's stories don't revolve 24/7 around the Speed Force. Both the Green Lantern and Flash mythos have gotten particularly dense and integral to the other Green Lanterns and Flashes, and Alan and Jay have kind of sidestepped a lot of that connective tissue and just sort of do their own thing.

[DABellWrites]

I'm going to quibble a bit on Red Tornado here. Yes, she did appear in one issue (that first meeting of the team), but that appearance was:


Mr. Terrific's appearance in All-Star Comics #24 (Spring 1945) rated a few more pages than that (including a five-page chapter). So grouping them both under just "only in one issue each" seems a bit unfair to poor Terry.

To be fair, Red Tornado was a joke character.

[MajorHoy]

By the way, with 53 people having voted,

* JSA = 25 votes
* Bronze Age = 12 votes
* All Star Squadron = 7 votes
* Golden Age (All Star Comics) = 2 votes
* Infinity Inc. = 2 votes

All other options currently have either 1 or no votes at present.

[caj]

It's probably too soon for people to decide how they feel about Geoff Johns' new book. Perhaps it was unfair to include it on the poll but there was so much excitement for it at the time.

[kcekada]

Definitely pre-Crisis version, so I voted Bronze Age.

There is much to recommend about JSA, but it's hurt by being post-Crisis version. I know a lot of 'younger' people are used to and prefer JSA on same earth as JLA. I am not on of those.

[kcekada]

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).

Wow! Was not aware that Layton apprenticed under Wood. He's one of the best of the Bronze Age inkers (along with Cockrum, Wood, Austin, Leiloha, Rubenstein, etc.). Cockrum's work was hugely influenced by Wood's as well -- so that helps explain why Layton was one of Cockrum's best embellishers.

I agree that the art on the 70s book was pretty consistent. I think it only suffered after Layton left (he did a good job of making Staton's art less cartoony).

[Stanlos]

For me it is All Star Squadron, Post Crisis, and James Robinson. Handily.

[MajorHoy]

With 64 people having now voted,

* JSA = 32 votes
* Bronze Age = 13 votes
* All Star Squadron = 7 votes
* Robinson's The Golden Age = 3 votes
* Golden Age (All Star Comics) = 2 votes
* Infinity Inc. = 2 votes
* Silver Age = 2 votes

All other options currently have either 1 or no votes at present.