Should the Justice Society exist in the main DCU?

[The Darknight Detective]

Mot only that, but you can get flashback minis set in the 40s and 50s. So you really get the best of three worlds.

Now it's up to the people who want them to appear in their own world to go out and support the Earth 2 title.

I'm not sure any version of the JSA would be a big seller in today's market, unfortunately.

[MajorHoy]

From 05-20-2016:

So between plans for their return in some form for DC Rebirth and spoilers:

their introduction to the Arrowverse

end of spoilers there's been some talk about the JSA lately and their importance. But as far as their importance goes, a question: should they actually be something that exists in the main DC universe, or should they be off in their own corner of the Multiverse?

I'm still waiting for DC to decide this and let us know, but I'm afraid what their possible "return" may give us nearly two-and-a-half years later (and counting!) . . .

Oh, as for poll results, last count showed:

* The classic JSA should exist on the main Earth. = 31 votes
* The JSA should be on another Earth if they're around at all. = 29 votes
* The JSA should be on the main Earth, but with alterations. = 3 votes

However, I have no idea how long it's been since anybody voted on this.
(Last post is dated 05-21-2016.)

[Thaxander12]

In my opinion the JSA should remain in the Main Earth, alongside Captain Marvel/Shazam. I just don't see the reason in removing these heroes, they not only have a special place in the DCU but also a special place within the hearts of fans.

[lemonpeace]

Put them on another earth. I simply don't care for more nostalgia being injected into the main DC universe. They should be able to crossover but let them do their own thing on their own earth, set it in their prime era, and go the Astro City route where we get vignettes of their adventures. There could and should be crossover but use it sparingly.

That being said, it's likely gonna end up with them being on the main earth.

[CaptCleghorn]

I don't like the idea of the JSA on the same earth as the JL and most other DC superheroes. My reasoning is that the JSA has long been thought of as an older, more experienced team. Even back in JLofA 21, they were referred to as older. having them on Earth Two would allow them to actually have done something. The current DC Universe has a world which is very much like our own. DC really hasn't changed the setting much despite multiple Alien invasions, visitations, cities and nations being wiped out, mysterious hidden lands, and resurrections.

I don't want the JSA's early career to be as unimportant so the world where Bruce, Clark, and Diana started playing in was exactly like our own. I've made the point before about wanting to see what decades of superhuman activity would do to a world. And Alan Moore has looked at that in Miracleman and Watchmen. Stuff changes, but the changes aren't the same in every book. make the JSA's earth something different.

That's my take.

[dswynne]

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but anyone who states that "there are too many heroes on a single Earth" really don't know what they are talking about. The JSA and the JLA can certainly exist on the same world, with the JSA being the heroes that inspired the JLA. Perfect example of this working is BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD. And not all of them would be active anyway; maybe be mentors to a new generation of heroes who would take up their namesake's legacies.

But, here's how I would do it:

1) Earth-1 would have Silver Age JLA only, Earth-2 would have its own twist of the JSA, Earth-3 would have the Crime Syndicate (different from the Anti-Earth's Crime Syndicate), Earth-4 would be Charlton Heroes only, Earth-5 would have the classic Fawcett Heroes only, and Earth-10 would have the Freedom Fighters only (battling Nazis in all of their glory). Earth-Zero/Main Earth would be the Earth where we, as readers, would focus on, and would have elements of all the other Earths, but done in a way that is unique to the main Earth. Basically, I would use MULTIVERSITY as the template.

2) JSA, the Freedom Fighters and the Fawcett Heroes would operate during the Golden Age; Charlton heroes would operate during the Silver Age; JLA would be the premier heroes of the Modern Age.

The placing of the heroes is important here. Example: JSA is mostly magic and "mystery men" (which is why I also placed the Fawcett Heroes and the Freedom Fighters here as well); the Charlton heroes, aka Law's Legionnaire/Agents of LAW, would reflect the Cold War/New Frontier zeitgeist; the JLA would usher in the Renaissance of superheroes, as evident by the arrival of Superman (hence the term "superheroes" coming into fashion).

Food for thought.

[Jekyll]

Right now I really don’t care what earth they are on, I just want them back!

[MajorHoy]

Happened to stumble across this old thread:

So between plans for their return in some form for DC Rebirth and spoilers:

their introduction to the Arrowverse

end of spoilers there's been some talk about the JSA lately and their importance. But as far as their importance goes, a question: should they actually be something that exists in the main DC universe, or should they be off in their own corner of the Multiverse? . . .

The thread was originally started back in May of 2016, and it's just now (late August of 2019, a little past Rebirth) that we're FINALLY getting a "return" of a 1940s JSA in stories.

And at last check, the poll with this thread had:

* The classic JSA should exist on the main Earth = 38 votes
* The JSA should be on another Earth if they're around at all = 32 votes
* The JSA should be on the main Earth, but with alterations = 3 votes

[Robanker]

I think they work both ways. If you want to preserve Superman's status as the world's first public superhero, it would be best to have them on Earth-2. If that isn't so important to you, have them be the WW2 era heroes who were lost in time after their forced retirement in the 1950s and reappeared a decade or so ago, which gives them time to have full-grown kids, but keeps them young enough to not be full blown senior citizens.

This really is how I feel as well, but I prefer them on main Earth if only to see them interact with other characters and influence the DCU more often.

One thing I loved about Hush was how Bruce and Thomas freaked out over Alan Scott. It never diminished Batman or his motivation in any way and added a lot of history to the DCU. Same with his team up with Jay in Waid's Brave and the Bold. It was fun and added a lot more than it subtracts having them on the main Earth.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

This really is how I feel as well, but I prefer them on main Earth if only to see them interact with other characters and influence the DCU more often.

One thing I loved about Hush was how Bruce and Thomas freaked out over Alan Scott. It never diminished Batman or his motivation in any way and added a lot of history to the DCU. Same with his team up with Jay in Waid's Brave and the Bold. It was fun and added a lot more than it subtracts having them on the main Earth.

In the end, I think the "Disappeared into limbo in the 50s and reappeared a couple decades ago" idea is what Johns is leaning towards with Doomsday Clock. He loves those characters too much to let them get completely mangled by endless reboots, but he also understands that they need a simple and elegant solution to the widening gap between WW2 and the modern day. Having Johnny Thunder wish away his friends to protect them from the paranoia and persecution of McCarthyism and had them reappear decades later, when they could quietly retire and start families allows DC to have its cake and eat it too.

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman get to usher in the modern age of superheroes in a perpetually "15ish years ago" sliding timeline, while the JSA gets to remain in the traditional role as the elder statesmen of the DCU with a perfectly understandable explanation for why they remain forever in their 50s, just as the JLA's generation remains forever in their 30s. The broad strokes of everyone's history gets to stay somewhat intact, the existence of the Earth-2 Superman, Batman & Robin, and Wonder Woman get to be referenced on the rare occasion as a consequence of Multiversal time shenanigans, thereby allowing Power Girl to carry on in her classic form.

In a post-Spiderverse world, the old notion that mainstream audiences will somehow be turned off by the very existence of alternate versions of established superheroes no longer holds water. As long as creators don't get too caught up in the minutiae and focus on telling interesting stories, new readers will keep up, because they want to keep up.

[Riv86672]

I say yes.
DC’s history and legacy from the JSA to today is one of its best features. Marvel has it too, but w. nowhere near the grandeur and scope. And yeah, considering the set point in history these characters come from, keeping them vital can get a little gimmicky, but this is comics, gimmicky is just something to get you from A to B.

[MajorHoy]

Since I bumped up this thread a little over twelve hours ago, the poll is currently at:

* The classic JSA should exist on the main Earth = 45 votes (+7)
* The JSA should be on another Earth if they're around at all = 36 votes (+4)
* The JSA should be on the main Earth, but with alterations = 4 votes (+1)

[Lee]

If the Justice Society are to be part of the main DC universe, then I think it makes the most sense for all (or at least most) of them to be dead in 2019, and for a Justice Society comic series to be a period piece.

[Vampire Savior]

I would put them on their own Earth and have them crossover with the JLA in Crisis comics like they regularly did Pre-Crisis. Those characters just don't jive very smoothly being on the same Earth as the Earth 1 characters, especially if one tries to retain that World War 2 background.

[CaptCleghorn]

In the end, I think the "Disappeared into limbo in the 50s and reappeared a couple decades ago" idea is what Johns is leaning towards with Doomsday Clock. He loves those characters too much to let them get completely mangled by endless reboots, but he also understands that they need a simple and elegant solution to the widening gap between WW2 and the modern day. Having Johnny Thunder wish away his friends to protect them from the paranoia and persecution of McCarthyism and had them reappear decades later, when they could quietly retire and start families allows DC to have its cake and eat it too.

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman get to usher in the modern age of superheroes in a perpetually "15ish years ago" sliding timeline, while the JSA gets to remain in the traditional role as the elder statesmen of the DCU with a perfectly understandable explanation for why they remain forever in their 50s, just as the JLA's generation remains forever in their 30s. The broad strokes of everyone's history gets to stay somewhat intact, the existence of the Earth-2 Superman, Batman & Robin, and Wonder Woman get to be referenced on the rare occasion as a consequence of Multiversal time shenanigans, thereby allowing Power Girl to carry on in her classic form.

In a post-Spiderverse world, the old notion that mainstream audiences will somehow be turned off by the very existence of alternate versions of established superheroes no longer holds water. As long as creators don't get too caught up in the minutiae and focus on telling interesting stories, new readers will keep up, because they want to keep up.

I agree with this.

If the JSA is going to exist on the main DC Earth, enough time has passed to make their ages problematic. Without some sort of comic book devices, they are all pretty much at the ned of natural lifespans. And that problem gets worse every year. The relevant characters aren't just heroes, but villains and supporting cast members as well. A jump to a few decades before the current era allows the aging and the birth of the Infinity, Inc. characters. It works without a lot of explanation. Jumping the JSA to today from 1951 does nothing but add a selection of additional characters to the already wide variety of heroes sharing a name. At least if Alan and Jay are the "experienced" version, they have a reason to stand out.

Personally, I'd prefer an Earth 2 (or Two) where the JSA can actually have an effect on the planet and we see development differ from our world.