When I was a young man and burned with that gemlike flame for comic books, I could only dream of a collection like this, a book that captured the earliest super-team adventures in comics. This is so old that that you can see the format taking shape before your eyes. At first the company that would become DC only collected the adventures of sundry heroes in the first two issues of All-Star Comics. It was an attempt to advertise the heroes and perhaps pick up fans.
The first two issues are just anthologies. Wonderful in their own way, but not ground-breaking. They are not included in this collection. Comic historians agree the true revolution started with All-Star Comics #3. Nearly all the All-Star Comics tales in this tome were written by Gardner Fox under the editorial authority of Sheldon Mayer. The art was handled by a small flotilla of artists, many of them the same as worked on the heroes in their single appearances elsewhere.
In third issue they blazed a new trail and had those heroes meet, and they form a lasting association to battle threats to country and the world. They worked alone at first, then slowly but steadily the notion of heroes working in concert together came to be. In this first meeting, they just get to know one another and relate tales of their adventures. The Flash battled pirates to save some treasure, the Spectre battled a powerful creature who killed during the full Moon, and Hour-Man battled a bunch of thieves dressed in Hour-Man costumes. Sandman battled thugs as did The Atom. Hawkman confronted creatures emerging from a raging volcano while Doctor Fate battled an evil sorcerer.
The script this issue was handled by Gardner Fox, Jerry Seigel, Ken Fitch and Sheldon Mayor. The art was handled by E.E. Hibbard (Cover, Introduction, Chapter 1-3 / 5-8, Interlude 2, & Conclusion), Sheldon Moldoff (Chapter 2), Bernard Bailey (Chapters 3 & 4), Sheldon Mayor (Chapter 5 & Interlude 1), Chad Grothkopf (Chapter 5), Howard Sherman (Chapter 6), Ben Flinton (Chapter 7), and Martin Nodell (Chapter 8).
One of the oddest things about the Justice Society is that it was seen early on by its creators as purely a place to promote characters. Both Superman and Batman were deemed too popular to waste time hanging with these guys, though they are awarded honorary member status. Nonetheless, in the second adventure things got more organized as the various heroes responded to a plea from the head of the FBI to assist in stopping sabotage and other spy activities across the country.
The art was handled by E.E. Hibbard (Introduction, Chapter 1, Conclusion), Martin Nodell (Chapter 2), Bernard Bailey (Chapters 3 & 4), Howard Sherman (Chapter 5), Chad Grothkopf (Chapter 6), Sheldon Mayor (Chapter 7), and Ben Flinton (Chapter 8).
There is also that oddball thing about DC in these Golden Age times that it was really two companies -- National Comics Publications and All-American Publications, which had fused together, though they seemed to maintain separate universes for the most part. In the fifth issue the Justice Society members battle their first evil mastermind, a man known only as Mr. X. Mr. X plots out various crimes for various gangs to commit, while he stays away. But that doesn't mean his identity is much of a secret really. It is supposed that the cover for this issue was originally intended for issue three before the notion of a "Justice Society" was concocted since this only focuses on those three heroes which had starred in the book before.
The script this issue was handled by Gardner Fox. The art was handled by Howard Purcell (Cover), E.E. Hibbard (Introduction & Conclusion), Hal Sharp (Chapter 1), Cliff Young (Chapter 2), Sheldon Moldoff (Chapter 3), Howard Sherman (Chapter 4), Bernard Bailey (Chapters 5 & 7), Ben Flinton (Chapter 6), and Irwin Hasen (Chapter 8).
And when Green Lantern and the Flash both achieve a great level of success in the marketplace, they are pulled from the ranks to give others a chance to shine. In the sixth issue The Flash is elevated, and the hapless Johnny Thunder is tagged to replace him. We get a wild misadventure as the JSA members battle crime while at the same time attempting with limited success to rescue Johnny from a series of dangers.
The script this issue was handled by Gardner Fox. The art was handled by E.E. Hibbard (Cover, Introduction, Chapter 2 & Conclusion), Stan Asch (Chapters 1,3, Interludes & Conclusion), Cliff Young (Chapter 4), Bernard Bailey (Chapters 5 & 7), Ben Flinton (Chapter 6), Irwin Hasen (Chapter 8), and Sheldon Moldoff (Cover & Chapter 9).
In Green Lantern's final issue before his ascension, we get a story which tags the headlines of the day and has the JSA members fighting crime for money in order to make a cool million dollars to donate to the care of war orphans. They hunt treasure, collect bounties on hoods, and seek other monetary rewards for deeds they'd have done for free otherwise. Johnny Thunder attempts to collect three hundred thousand but finds many obstacles.
The script this issue was handled by Gardner Fox. The art was handled by E.E. Hibbard (Cover, Introduction & Conclusion), Martin Nodell (Chapters 1), Bernard Bailey (Chapters 2 & 7), Ben Flinton (Chapter 3), Stan Asch (Chapters 4 & 8), and Sheldon Moldoff (Chapter 5), and Cliff Young (Chapter 6)
Change comes to the Justice Society in a big way when they lose not only Flash and Green Lantern as regular members but Hour-Man is abruptly disappeared as well. Dr. Mid-Nite steps in to take Green Lantern's spot and Starman shows up to replace the mistreated "Man of the Hour". Dr. Mid-Nite makes the discovery that a scientist named "Dr. Elba" is using drugs to create madmen. He comes up with a cure and then the JSA is dispatched to various locations to help out. Dr. Fate is wearing a half mask, indicative of a reduction in his mystical might. Hawkgirl makes her debut as Shiera dons the wings for the first time. (Wonder Woman also debuted in this comic book, but her story is not included in this collection.)
The script this issue was handled by Gardner Fox. The art was handled by E.E. Hibbard (Cover, Introduction, Interlude & Conclusion), Stan Asch (Chapters 1,2 & 8), Ben Flinton (Chapter 3), Cliff Young (Chapter 4), Jack Burnley (Chapters 5), Sheldon Moldoff (Chapter 6), and Bernard Baily (Chapter 7).
This issue has the team working for the U.S. government and specifically accept a mission to help eradicate the Fascist menace from South America. Each hero is assigned a different country, and they head off to bring the villains down. Hawkman heads to Mexico, The Spectre goes to Argentina, The Atom travels to Chile, Sandman fights in the oil fields of Venezuela, Johnny Thunder tries his best to help in Cuba, Dr. Fate goes to Brazil, Starman battles in Bolivia, and Dr. Mid-Nite confronts propaganda in Colombia.
The script this issue was handled by Gardner Fox. The art was handled by E.E. Hibbard (Cover, Introduction & Conclusion), Sheldon Moldoff (Chapter 1), Bernard Bailey (Chapter 2), Ben Flinton (Chapter 3), Cliff Young (Chapter 4), Stan Asch (Chapters 5 & 8), Howard Sherman (Chapter 6), and Jack Burnley (Chapter 7).
This is a wild one in which the JSA elects to use a time machine to travel five hundred years into the future, a future where they hope to locate and retrieve the elements of a formula which will yield a bomb-proof dome for the United States. They have some wild adventures in the future and many of the members use flying wings to get around. Sandman appears for the first time in his classic gold and purple outfit. Many of the visions of the future draw heavily on the images seen in the comic strips Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers.
The script this issue was handled by Gardner Fox. The art was handled by E.E. Hibbard (Cover, Introduction & Conclusion), Sheldon Moldoff (Chapter 1), Cliff Young (Chapter 2), Ben Flinton (Chapter 3), Jack Burnley (Chapter 4), Stan Asch (Chapters 6 & 8), Howard Sherman (Chapter 5), and Bernard Bailey (Chapter 7).
The Justice Society members are rocked by the attack on Pearl Harbor and with patriotic fervor choose to abandon their roles as "mystery men" and enlist in the armed forces against Japan. Each member, save for the Spectre enlists in some military branch. As it turns out their masked identities prove quite useful in the fight. Wonder Woman, who had debuted in the comic a few months earlier gets a chapter. The Justice Society is dubbed "The Justice Battalion" for the duration of the war by FDR.
The script this issue was handled by Gardner Fox. The art was handled by Jack Burnley (Cover, Introduction, Chapter 7 & Conclusion), Sheldon Moldoff (Chapter 1), Harry G. Peter (Chapter 2), Ben Flinton (Chapter 4), Cliff Young (Chapter 3), Stan Asch (Chapters 6 & 8), and Howard Sherman (Chapter 5).
The JSA is back together for the most part and in this one they battle the forces of "The Black Dragon", an espionage outfit aligned with the Japanese Empire. Sundry inventions have been stolen which would give the U.S. an advantage in the war and the heroes work individually to retrieve these devices. Wonder Woman alas serves only as the secretary for the team and is anchored in Washington D.C.
The script this issue was handled by Gardner Fox. The art was handled by Jack Burnley (Cover, Introduction, Chapter 4 & Conclusion), Sheldon Moldoff (Chapter 1), Cliff Young (Chapter 2), Ben Flinton (Chapter 3), Bernard Klein (Chapter 5), Stan Asch (Chapters 6 & 8), and Bernard Bailey (Chapter 7).
As I was reading these fantastic stories from the Golden Age, I consulted The All-Star Companion by Roy Thomas and one of the earliest books from Twomorrows. No human being loves The Justice Society more than Roy Thomas and this tome is filled with details and background information.
I turn my attention to the second of two books released by DC this year featuring the Justice Society of America next time.
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