How Did You Discover DC's Golden Age Heroes?

[md62]

Did you read Flash of Two World's? Or was it thru the JLA/JSA crossovers? Or was it thru reprints in DC oversize issues (100 page Spectaculars or 64/80 page Giant Sized Specials)? Or something else?

For me it was a reprint in an 80 page Giant.

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

As a kid growing up in the '80s, I knew and loved the Justice League before I ever read a Justice League of America comic. I knew them from the Super Friends cartoon, Kenner's Super Powers action figures, and a Justice League of America illustrated storybook called "The Lunar Invaders," that came with an audio cassette that narrated the story with sound effects and music. And I always preferred Green Lantern and Flash to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman (which is ironic, because I can't stand Hal Jordan and Barry Allen now).

But one day, I picked up a random issue of Who's Who off the neighborhood newsstand in the mid-'80s, and it was the issue with the end of the "J"s, going into the "K"s. After the two-page spread of the Justice League, I turned the page to discover the Justice SOCIETY of America, a whole other team of heroes who fought during World War II (which I knew about thanks to my dad, a history teacher). Superman with graying hair! An older Robin! A blond Green Lantern who was hardly wearing any green! Flash wearing a Hermes helmet! Dr. Fate, who I had as an action figure! And cool-looking guys like Sandman, Starman, and Spectre!

This blew my little mind, and I remember spending the afternoon making up stories about the Justice League characters I knew traveling back in time to meet this unfamiliar Justice Society, while listening to big band swing records to set the '40s mood. I was a weird kid.

[T Guy]

I picked up this puppy.

I was already aware of Batman, but these other six characetrs were all new to me. I can still remember the odd detail about most of these stories to this day.

[CrazyOldHermit]

It's a bunch of things. I'm a fan of the movies and actors of the period and wanted to learn more about them. The Golden Age Flash and Green Lantern have a certain blue collar toughness to them that the modern heroes lack, and the Golden Age Batman and Superman were much more interesting to me as well.

[Pharozonk]

Flash of Two Worlds.

[Air Wave]

I started reading comics in the mid-70s, at a point when DC had been doing a lot of reprints but was just moving away from that. I do remember it was the early issues of BATMAN FAMILY with all its reprints of older stories that got me so into Batman. But I think it was a combination of these two introduced me to all the GA characters:

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At some point I must've read one of the annual JLA/JSA team-up stories but I think that came later, and eventually DC brought back ALL-STAR--but I think those two came first.

[bob fett]

Those back-up stories in Detective comics in the 70's.The blue ribbon digests also had some stories.I remember one story featuring Captain Thunder.

[Jon-El]

The JLA / JSA / Earth S crossover from 1976. I locked onto the golden age Flash for some reason. The hat maybe. I also bought an issue of All Star Comics & realized there was a world where Superman had gray hair. I read that version, the regular Curt Swan issues, & Mike Grell's Superboy with sideburns. Pretty weird but I followed it.

Always loved the golden age characters. I honestly haven't read many actual comics from the period but the setting of WW II really added a certain drama.

[mars]

Johns/Robinson/Goyer JSA

[Billy Batson]

All-Star Comics and Adventure Comics.

[Kid A]

Wikipedia.

[Jeff Brady]

1991 JSA miniseries.

[Jim Kelly]

Although I had seen the Earth-Two heroes in DC comics and references to the "Golden Age," I don't think it was really until I read ALL IN COLOR FOR A DIME (borrowed from the local public library) that I understood what this was all about.

[Diablo9B]

My introduction to the Earth Two heroes was through a chance pickup of an "Infinity Inc." back issue back in the early 90's. I'd been reading DC since the mid-late 80's, but that series really got me into the earlier era. Also, my cousin had a copy of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" #7, which coming off the film release of Supergirl, blew my mind with the outcome.

Since then, I've paid a close look to the JSA series, and gotten a few Showcase collections (most notably Green Lantern), and just picked "History of the DC Universe" a few months back (though rendered painfully obsolete now).

At the early peak of my collecting, "Zero Hour" really cemented the Golden Age's presence ironically in its nadir, and passing of the torches (particularly the really well received Starman run).

[signalman112]

My first exposure to the JSA was in ADVENTURE COMCIS #462.
That cover really got my attention, with Batman laying in a casket surrounded by grieving friends.