JLA:THE SILVER AGE TPB Review

[Brian Adkins]

Chapter 3: Green Lantern and Aquaman have landed on Thanakon,a water-world! Wow,that's convenient. Tell Kevin Costner we said Hi. There's a huge,yellow-again,convenient- burning glass in the sky focusing the sun's rays on the water causing it to boil and evaporate. GL points out that," like a satellite, the burning glass rotates at the same rotational speed as the planet itself! It remains poised between sun and water thus focusing the sun's rays to an incredible heat which will eventually boil away the oceans!"

After realizing there is nowhere to take shelter and that it has sea life,Aquaman tells GL that the temperature of the water is 150 farenheit and when it reaches 212,they'll boil away. GL puts him and Arthur in green bubbles and flies into space to try and find a way off this planet and they find out it's ringed by yellow radiation similar to the Van Allen radiation belt on Earth so GL can't get them through. So how does Hal get on and off Earth on his own? Since they're stuck, GL decides to cool off the waters and makes giant icebergs in the sea.

GL contemplates what won't work. Green thunderbolts he shoots at the glass do nothing due to it being yellow,he can't move the yellow sun away due to it being a star like the Earth's sun- again,how does he operate on Earth then?-nor can he move the planet out of orbit because it would kill all the life in the oceans and that would be inhumane. Pfft,screw the fish! Who's with me? GL has a different idea as he has Aquaman summon "alien octopy" to the surface where GL scoops them up and then Aquaman commands them to squirt ink on the top surface of the glass. After that,GL returns them safely to the water and makes 3 verdant triangular weights on the newly covered surface and the weight sinks the glass downward into the sea!

After following the submerged glass down into the sea,submarine-like vehicles appear. They look suspiciously similar to WW's invisib- er,robot plane. The alien sea creatures communicate telepathically- seems like most do- thanking GL and Aquaman and tell them their telescopes have found other humans like them on another planet. Aquaman spies with his little eye that it's Batman and J'onn. GL and him borrow a vessel and with GL's power ring charges it up to propel into space. Once they reach the yellow radiation belt,GL turns off his power ring and they "coast" through on momentum past the belt,then turns it on again and the vessel flies towards the other Leaguers at light speed! ...do they know any other speed?

[Brian Adkins]

Batman and J'onn get teleported to a city that seems to lack inhabitants but they hear a loud telepathic voice counting down to something. Suddenly, a new voice-can you guess how it's communicated? If you said telepathically,take a shot!- it's from a yellow skinned alien who comes into view and tells them it's a "countodwn of doom!" When it ends,it will have meant that a "flammerite" missile that had been launched will have exploded into their sun,exploding it and will destroy this world they call Narx.

The alien explains they gave up war completely so have no weapons to blast it. Also,they have spaceships but Despero has a creature in a tower who will shoot down any ship that attempts to redirect the missile. Batman surmises that Despero is destroying this world just to get rid of him and J'onn! So,J'onn is going to tackle the metal tower and its ray gun wile Batman learns how to fly a spaceship so when J'onn is done he can go after the missile. They're all keeping a watch on the time.

Hmm,couldn't J'onn just have flown- at light speed!- and blew the missile off course? Or fly up super fast and just wreck the barrel of the gun that's sticking out of the tower? Nah,then Bats wouldn't have any fun.

J'onn uses super-speed to avoid the ray gun's blasts then uses- can you guess? you said super-breath didn't you?- Yep! but can't blow the tower down. Maybe there's a little pig in there. Then he just starts throwing rocks at it. Seriously. Not huge ones ,more like gravel. No dice. So,he pulls a Flash and drills underneath it while noting that his super-strength is generating such heat and pressure,the dirt he's dislodging is being fused to the walls of his self made tunnel! All of this digging sinks the tower! Once the tower is completely underground J'onn signals The Batman.

Batman takes off in his new ship worrying that he only has half an hour to stop the missile. Once in pursuit,he wonders if he can stop it without being caught in the gravity of the sun and being pulled into it!?

J'onn,meanhwile,has ripped open the weaker bottom portion of the tower and discovers the Despero creature inside is made of flame! What are the odds? "Flame" is about to leave via another dimensional traveler but notices J'onn weakening and closes in to finish him off! But a wind from nowhere surrounds Flame "cooling" him off,paralyzing him.

Batman has succefully tilted the missile and now it will go into orbit around the sun saving Narx!

We -ahem-flash back to J'onn who was saved by...The Flash! He tells J'onn,he was teleported there and ran to the falling tower just in time to run inside and help.

They move to the surface,reuniting not only with Batman but the other JLA'ers and use the dimensional traveler to get back home.

[Brian Adkins]

Chapter 5!:

Despero is gloating that's he found Jasonar and his anti-weapon weapon thanks to his sonoscillator-it was real cheap on QVC. We see Sanpper Carr hiding behind a tube watching him.

Jasonar is field testing his energy absorber on an underground stream inside his cave hideout. It succesfully makes the water come to a halt as it will absorb any energy. That's science-y,right? He's so happy it works and that he'll be able to use it to defeat Despero and rescue Saranna. Unfortunately,Despero catches him! Now he's going to use it to do more evil stuff! Bwahaha! But, Snapper Carr races out to...throw weird dialogue at him. " You're a real "bad dad",Despero! I'm gonna queer your game!" Despero unleashes extensive exposition at him,telling Snapper he'll use his mental domination on him instead of,you know,just doing it outright. Snapper becomes rigid,with his eyes glazed over but he's faking it! When Despero turns around Snapper grabs Jasonar's energy weapon and blasts Despero with it claiming he'll leave Despero with just enough energy to stay alive!
Carr is told he's a hero by Jasonar,but he's dismayed that he couldn't rescue the JLA. Just then-ta da!-they show up and he's "rocking on cloud nine!"

Jasonar takes the now helpless Despero and the energy absorber with him into a dimensional traveler to go back to their world to be punished for his crimes.

Snapper wonders why Despero's hypnotic eye didn't work on him. Flash tells him it's the same reason he was immune to it-the blue glow from Jasonar's dimensional traveler,Snapper had absorbed it while inside Despero's! "Crazy,man,crazy!"

[Brian Adkins]

Well,whoever had read this far,I hope it was fun. I'm stopping now due to time constraints but if anyone else wants to carry on,please feel free.

[Brian Adkins]

Wow,this was over a year ago! Definitely needed to proofread better. Just recently bought JLA:Silver Age vol. 2 and the two volumes of CRISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS which have all of the classic JLA/JSA crossover fights! More great ridiculousness!

[JackDaw]

Well,whoever had read this far,I hope it was fun. I'm stopping now due to time constraints but if anyone else wants to carry on,please feel free.

It was. (fun)

Next time I steel myself to make some comixology purchases must make a few JLA purchases....will certainly be old ones, but not sure I'll dare to go as far back in time as your intrepid self.

[Phoenixx9]

I love love love the Crime Syndicate (of America)!

Their first appearance is in #29/#30 I believe, and was their best showings of power.

[Brian Adkins]

It was. (fun)

Next time I steel myself to make some comixology purchases must make a few JLA purchases....will certainly be old ones, but not sure I'll dare to go as far back in time as your intrepid self.

Thanks! Much appreciated. Wasn't sure how far back to go either as a lot of these older books are,of course,expensive especially in good condition. Probably the oldest individual issues I have are from the 70's.

My first introduction to these characters was the SUPER FRIENDS cartoon on ABC. My first JLA comic book bought from ye olde spinner rack at a local grocery store,I believe,was an issue from the 80's where they were "trapped in the micro-cosmos!" Naturally,it prominently featured the Atom. Also remember the first ANNUAL was the introduction of JL Detroit.

After that was the LEGENDS mini series and the beginning of what would become JL International. Only read that on occasion. Really got into JLA with Grant Morrison's run.

[Brian Adkins]

I love love love the Crime Syndicate (of America)!

Their first appearance is in #29/#30 I believe, and was their best showings of power.

If you know, was Owlman ever supposed to be telepathic?

[Phoenixx9]

If you know, was Owlman ever supposed to be telepathic?

I do know.

Owlman was supposed to have a superior brain, as I they called it I believe. With it he could mentally suggest things unknown by other characters. So for instance, he influenced GL Hal Jordan to make the bars of the cage he was making so far apart, Owlman could escape. Hal was surprised he made the cage that way, then thought he needed to make the bars closer, which he immediately did, preventing Owlman from squeezing through. But, he made it without a top, so it could be scaled providing an exit!

While I would not call it telepathy like most Telepaths use, it was indeed a mental super power, most likely very limited TP. Apparently he can get in the mind, know the surface thought or current thought and influence it.

[JackDaw]

Thanks! Much appreciated. Wasn't sure how far back to go either as a lot of these older books are,of course,expensive especially in good condition. Probably the oldest individual issues I have are from the 70's.

My first introduction to these characters was the SUPER FRIENDS cartoon on ABC. My first JLA comic book bought from ye olde spinner rack at a local grocery store,I believe,was an issue from the 80's where they were "trapped in the micro-cosmos!" Naturally,it prominently featured the Atom. Also remember the first ANNUAL was the introduction of JL Detroit.

After that was the LEGENDS mini series and the beginning of what would become JL International. Only read that on occasion. Really got into JLA with Grant Morrison's run.

Finally got round to buying rest of John Ostrander Firestorm run on comixology run today.

So stuck to "plan" of buying a few of the older Justice League of America comics at same time. Since costing on comixolgy is same for annuals/ 80 page giants as for normal size issues bought a few of the giants/ annuals from the late sixties/ seventies: numbers 58, 67, 76, 85, 146. When I finally get round to reading them, will post brief thoughts.

[Brian Adkins]

Finally got round to buying rest of John Ostrander Firestorm run on comixology run today.

So stuck to "plan" of buying a few of the older Justice League of America comics at same time. Since costing on comixolgy is same for annuals/ 80 page giants as for normal size issues bought a few of the giants/ annuals from the late sixties/ seventies: numbers 58, 67, 76, 85, 146. When I finally get round to reading them, will post brief thoughts.

Cool. Have a few of those 80 Page Giants as well. Looking forward to your thoughts.

[JackDaw]

Cool. Have a few of those 80 Page Giants as well. Looking forward to your thoughts.

Really enjoyed them.

I didn't realise till I started reading them that quite often they reprinted stories from the past, so they included stuff like Green Arrow and The Atom joining the league.

I think as I read very first one, my gut reaction was "wait a minute, I remember Brian's review of this...and yet I've bought stuff from a period years later than stuff he read."

Then I realised: "Reprints".

But lots to like. Fast pace, plenty of panels, straight into the action. And heroes that worked together intelligently...knowing each other's strengths, and how to compensate for each other weaknesses.

It was certainly refreshing to see Batman and Superman being friends, and effectively act as informal joint leaders pretty often. (Superman often spelling out what needed to be done, then Batman deciding how it could be achieved...with all the rest happy to disagree if they could see a real difficulty with the proposed way forward.)

In a way it brought a smile to my face to see the heroes portrayed as effectively more intelligent and better team players than they are portrayed in today's more "sophisticated" comics.

[Brian Adkins]

Really enjoyed them.

I didn't realise till I started reading them that quite often they reprinted stories from the past, so they included stuff like Green Arrow and The Atom joining the league.

I think as I read very first one, my gut reaction was "wait a minute, I remember Brian's review of this...and yet I've bought stuff from a period years later than stuff he read."

Then I realised: "Reprints".

But lots to like. Fast pace, plenty of panels, straight into the action. And heroes that worked together intelligently...knowing each other's strengths, and how to compensate for each other weaknesses.

It was certainly refreshing to see Batman and Superman being friends, and effectively act as informal joint leaders pretty often. (Superman often spelling out what needed to be done, then Batman deciding how it could be achieved...with all the rest happy to disagree if they could see a real difficulty with the proposed way forward.)

In a way it brought a smile to my face to see the heroes portrayed as effectively more intelligent and better team players than they are portrayed in today's more "sophisticated" comics.

Yeah,the fist time I read GIANT SIZE X-MEN #1 thought it was the new book MARVEL had been touting in their "Soapbox" columns in their books. Obviously,it was not. Found out not too much later it was a reprint that introduced Storm,Colossus,etc. and did see that new book which was,of course,NEW MUTANTS. It was on issue 3 by then.


Amen to all of that at the end!

[Brian Adkins]

A long time ago someone asked about photos. Here's the cover for their first adventure:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AhheL56MRX...he-Bold-28.jpg