The JLA/JSA Team-Ups: Some Observations

[Philip Portelli]

I was going to do a thread on my FIVE favorite Justice League/Justice Society team-ups when I discovered that I couldn't pick just five! So I'm going to write about all of them. These won't be synopses since I am assuming that everyone is familar with them, thanks to the Justice League Archives and the Crisis On Multiple Earths TPBs. This will just be my personal recollections and observations with a few facts. I'll start in the Mister Silver Age sub-heading then continue in my Fan of Bronze.

The first seven team-ups were written, of course, by Gardner Fox and the first six illustrated by Mike Sekowsky.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #21-22 (Au-S'63): The Crisis on Earth One & The Crisis on Earth Two

The JLA: This was the only JLA/JSA meeting that the Martian Manhunter played a part in the Silver Age.

Green Arrow meets his future love interest, the Black Canary. Naturally no reaction.

Both Flashes are taken out of the story early since they already had three team-ups in Flash.

 

The JSA: Instead of including Wonder Woman and Doctor Mid-Nite, Fox revived Doctor Fate and Hourman, neither seen since WWII.

Doctor Fate-restored with his full golden helmet, something that Silver Age readers would not know or even Bronze Age ones since DC would only reprint one Dr.Fate story with his half-helmet! But his gloves would be missing for awhile.

Hawkman-was revived wearing a hawk helmet in Flash #137 yet returned to wearing his yellow cowl. He appeared in Justice League before his Silver Age counterpart, even though he was mentioned in #3.

Black Canary-her marital arts skills and amulet devices are highlighted.

Hourman and the Atom--neither's super-strength is mentioned.

Green Lantern-seemed to hit it off with Hal Jordan right away.

The Villains: The Crime Champions are a great idea but...

Chronos takes on Batman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman!

The Icicle goes one-on-one with Doctor Fate!

The Fiddler is bald and wears a wig. Take that, Luthor!

The Icicle looks like Groucho Marx! "Last night, I shot Green Lantern in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I'll never know!"

The Crime Champions have a HQ between the Earths in "a great sphere of vibratory energy" that is multi-leveled and tastely furnished. Their civvies however leave a lot to be desired!

Some Notes: The golden, chained cages that the two teams are trapped in #22 was ripped off inspired by Mystery In Space #18 from 1954!

While the two groups meet, they do not team-up until the end when sixteen heroes gang up on six villains.

The Crime Champions do not return until the 80s!

[Mr. Silver Age]

I agree, for some reason they're acting like it's a mystery, when Adam and Alanna are standing there in front of us in their nearly typical costumes with their backs turned. Who else COULD it be? 

That's the explanation for the bad layout, so the question is why they decided to do it that way. Why not have them in silhouettes with question marks on them if they wanted it to be a secret? It sure isn't the way they did it, it's just a bad cover for a fairly big event.

-- MSA

[Philip Portelli]

Hardly a mystery since Adam was cover featured on the previous issue but this way the kids (like me) could still see the Justice League!

Of course, I agree that Hawkman should have been the best man but there was always lingering pockets of Bat-mania around the DC offices! I thought it odd that Hawkgirl was so prominent on the cover when she only makes a cameo on the last panel! But it was a nice touch to include her!

Since Batman was as preoccupied in #121 as Superman was in #102, Wonder Woman went with the free one who could pay attention to her. Trinity, indeed!

[David Warren]

This was my first DC comic. I had no idea who was getting married.

I liked the cover enough to buy it. horses races and all

[Emerkeith Davyjack]

ClarkKent_DC said:

Dave Blanchard said:

Now that I think of it, GA also had a brief back-up gig in THE FLASH, shortly after the GL/GA comic was canceled. It was a story that apparently was planned for GL # 90, and was reconfigured so it could run as a three-part back-up. Considering that it was by the A-team of O'Neil and Adams, it was one of those occasions where the back-up was the main reason for buying the comic for those three months.

I remember that story, although, again, I read it well after the fact (I think in a DC Digest). It was an early effort to deal with the ramifications of killing. The story begins with Green Arrow chasing some crooks in a dark alley. Unfortunately, at the very moment he fires an arrow, he feels a muscle spasm, throwing off his aim, so the shaft punctures the hood through the chest, killing him dead.

Green Arrow is so shocked, so chagrined, so remorseful that he --

-- goes to a monastery?

There, he gets a lot of fortune-cookie wisdom from the head monk about being the snow that falls from the leaf, or some such.

That story never sat right with me; I always thought the right and proper thing to do would be to turn himself in and face trial, but, of course, the rules are different for superheroes. And, of course, in the years since we've had Wolverine skewering people left and right and Green Arrow, starting with Mike Grell's more "realistic" approach, puncturing people willy-nilly.

I guess that story would have been the start of some real character growth for Green Arrow. He certainly should have learned not to pop off at his more-powered cohorts on the Justice League knowing how a small thing as a tight muscle could cause him to end someone's life.

...After that 3-parter was burned off , BTW , the GL strip continued , as a recurrent feature in THE FLASH .

[Philip Portelli]

Actually it took a lot to faze Ollie as he handled the loss of his family fortune, the damage to his reputation, starting a relationship with a still-grieving widow, browbeating his best friend, learning his ward is a drug addict, etc with quick bursts of rage and indignation then moves on and wants the whole world to move on with him.

After his Flash appearances, Green Arrow was the back-up in Action teamed with Black Canary, though they shared their spot with the Atom and the Human Target. He later got a long running berth in World's Finest, then Detective.