Welcome to our re-read of the first and greatest superhero team in comics ... and quite a bit more!
My plan is to re-read and discuss the Golden Age Justice Society of America, which ran from All-Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940) to All-Star Comics #57 (February-March 1951), and is currently being reprinted in DC's "DC Finest" line.
But, as ever, I am consumed by context. What events brought us to All-Star Comics #3? What characters did editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox have available from which to choose? What else was competing in the superhero space? To achieve that context, I plan to start the discussion at the publisher's beginning, when Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson launched National Allied Publications Inc. in 1935. That was the first step toward the Justice Society — and to DC Comics as we know it today.
So before we even get to the JSA, I'll re-read and open for discussion all the solo stories starring JSA members, mostly from DC's Archives and Famous First Edition series. Which is actually quite a lot! (Although not as much as I'd prefer. I want it ALL!) I'll be writing about non-JSA superheroes created by National, Detective Comics Inc. and All-American Comics Inc. too, like Crimson Avenger and Doctor Occult. I'll also be tipping my hat to some non-powered characters, principally those who managed to appear outside their parent title, like Slam Bradley and Hop Harrigan. That means no re-read for the likes of "Bart Regan, Spy" and "Speed Saunders." Sorry, fellas, but I had to draw the line somewhere — before I found myself doing a deep dive into the history of Ginger Snap.
But I will be re-reading reprints, or availing myself of online information where reprints don't exist, of 14 of the 17 Golden Age characters who launched or appeared in All-Star Comics #3-57. Those characters include:
- The Atom: All-American Comics #19-46, 48-61, 70-72; All-Star Comics #3-26, 28-35, 37-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #80, 82-85, 87 89-95, 97-100, 102-104; Comic Cavalcade #22-23, 28; Sensation Comics #86.
- Black Canary: All-Star Comics #38-57; Comic Cavalcade #25; Flash Comics #86-88, 90-104.
- Doctor Fate: All-Star Comics #3-12, 14-21; More Fun Comics #55-98.
- Doctor Mid-Nite: All-American Comics #25-102; All-Star Comics #6 (text story), 8-57.
- The Flash: All-Flash #1-32; All-Star Comics #1-7, 10, 24-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Flash Comics #1-104, Flash Comics miniature (Wheaties)
- Green Lantern: All-American Comics #16-102; All-Flash #14; All-Star Comics #2-8, 10, 24-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Green Lantern #1-38.
- Hawkman: All-Star Comics #1-57, Big All-American Comic Book, Flash Comics #1-104, Flash Comics miniature (Wheaties).
- Hourman: Adventure Comics #48-83, All-Star Comics #1-7, New York World's Fair Comics [#2].
- Johnny Thunder: All-Star Comics #2-4, 6-35, 37-39; Big All-American Comic Book; Flash Comics #1-91; New York World's Fair Comics [#2]; World's Best Comics #1; World's Fair Comics #2-3; Flash Comics miniature (Wheaties).
- Mister Terrific: All-Star Comics #24, Big All-American Comic Book, Sensation Comics #1-63.
- Sandman: Adventure Comics #40-102, All-Star Comics #1-21, Boy Commandos #1, Detective Comics #76, New York World's Fair Comics [#1-2], World's Finest Comics #3-7.
- The Spectre: All-Star Comics #1-23, More Fun Comics #52-101, a single panel in More Fun Comics #51.
- Starman: Adventure Comics #61-102, All-Star Comics #8-23.
- Wildcat: All-Star Comics #24, 27; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-2; Sensation Comics #1-90.
The obvious exceptions here are Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. Superman and Batman, called "honorary members" in the text, appeared twice in All-Star Comics, but I don't plan to re-read all their adventures from 1938 to 1951. They are peripheral at best to the Golden Age JSA, and would overwhelm the discussion through sheer volume. This problem extends to Wonder Woman as well, who appears in four titles in the Golden Age (Sensation Comics, Wonder Woman, Comic Cavalcade, All-Star Comics). I'll re-read and report on her JSA adventures, but like Batman and Superman, I'll just note her solo stories in passing with a summary that I'll grab somewhere online. That will keep the discussion abreast of any major developments, like new supervillains, in Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman stories.
Here are their appearances that are concurrent with All-Star's run:
- Batman: All-Star Comics # 7 (cameo), 36; Batman #1-63 (February-March 1951); Batman 3-D #1; Detective Comics #1-169 (March 1951); New York World’s Fair Comics [#2]; World’s Best Comics #1, World’s Fair Comics #2-50 (February-March 1951).
- Superman: Action Comics #1-154 (March 1951); All-Star Comics #7 (cameo), 36; New York World’s Fair [#1-2]; Superman #1-69 (March-April 1951); Superman 3-D #1; Superman at the Gilbert Hall of Science; Superman Miniature; World’s Best Comics #1; World’s Fair Comics #2-50 (February-March 1951).
- Wonder Woman: All-Star Comics #8, 11-22, 24-57; Big All-American Comic Book; Comic Cavalcade #1-29; Sensation Comics #1-102; Wonder Woman #1-46 (March-April 1951).
Fortunately, Jeff of Earth-J is already doing a re-read of the Golden Age Superman. Jeff isn't doing a re-read of all Batman books, but he is compiling "The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told," by which he means "all of them." Recently he's begun re-reading other major Bat-villains, which he discusses in Batman vs. Penguin, Riddler — Prince of Puzzles, The Crimes of Two-Face and Catwoman: Nine Lives of a Feline Fatale.
I should note that my methodology changed over time, as realities required. For instance, I initially lumped books together by monthly cover date, but complications ensued for books without them, like quarterlies and one-shots. As the number of quarterlies and their importance increased, I ended up going by on-sale dates as the primary organizational tool. (Which aren't available for all books, but that's a lesser devil than chronologically misplacing Batman or All-Star Comics). Initially I only included mention of others strips in anthology books if they were of some importance, like Slam Bradley, but eventually I started including all of them. Here and there I would try to improve the format. And so forth. In some imaginary "someday" I'll go back through and make them all consistent.
I've tried to be comprehensive, relying on a variety of sources, from online to reprints to "companion" books. A tip of the cowl to a Luke Blanchard post in what amounts to an outline for this discussion. But I'm sure I've left out tons, especially stories I don't have or can't find, which may be at hand in your collection. I hope folks will do re-reads of stories I've left out, as well as comment on what I've written. So let's hear what I've missed Legionnaires — and what you think!
Replies
At one point, they said that Alan Scott's middle name was "Ladd"! Meta humor!
i always thought that was dumb. Alan Ladd didn't really become a big deal until the early 1940's, long after sny likely birthdate for Alan Scott.
The way I heard it, GL's original creators wanted to name him "Alan Ladd" after "Aladdin ", his inspiration (although in Aladdin's case, the genie of the lamp and the genie of the ring were separate entities), and editorial insisted on a name less on the nose. A couple years later, the actor Alan Ladd became famous, and even starred in his own DC title for a bit. Anyway, Green Lantern could have been named Alan Ladd before most people had heard of the actor.
Wow. Interesting. I did not know that.
Interesting fact: Napoleon was actually around 5'6" tall, which was average height for his day. The legend of his "shortness" was down to British propagnda.
Josephine actually did have affairs, but they were probably a bit exaggerated by propaganda. I assume Napoleon did, too, but that wouldn't have been as scandalous.
In All Star Squadron #20 (Ap'83), Jerry Ordway drew Alan Scott looking like Alan Ladd! Thankfully this did not become a thing!
MARCH 14, 1942
Cover by Fred Ray
Superman
"The Adventure of the Merchant of Murder"
By Jerry Siegel and John Sikela (13 pages)
Clark Kent and Lois Lane stumble across an accident, where the victims mention they just bought the car, but Clark's X-ray vision detects the brakes are worn out. This leads them to uncovering that someone named The Top is running all the used-car lots, doing cosmetic repairs to used cars on the outside, while leaving all the defects inside. At Speed Motors, owner Sid Speed, who answers to The Top, wants Lois and Clark to stop writing articles about the used-car business, but are given the bum's rush when they refust. Then they run into Jefferson Smith, who says he's a P.I. investigating the used-car racket. The used-car lot owners begin to balk at what amounts to murder, and The Top calls a meeting. Superman brings down the whole building, but doesn't learn who The Top is, because Sid runs the meeting. Clark and Lois are then kidnapped by The Top, who is the only suspect, Jefferson Smith. He tries to kill them with a metal press. But Clark "escapes" and leaves Lois tied up, telling her he's going to file the story. Instead, he breaks up the racket. Smith tries to escape in one of his own cars which, predictably, blows up on him.
In a twist on the usual stinger (where Clark somehow files first), Lois shows him her front-page scoop on the used-car racket. But Clark counters, saying he has a story about the used-car lot owners donating the unsalvageable cars to the government as scrap metal for the war effort.
Where I read it: Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 3 (2001)
Notable line: "Why do you always manage to come out ahead?" Lois asks Clark. "Someday I'll have to ask Superman. Maybe he knows the answer!" Yes, Lois, he just might.
Related: Jeff of Earth-J's Superman from the Beginning.
Continuing: Vigilante, Three Aces, Mr. America and Fatman, Congo Bill, Zatara.
Fatman, high on the list of characters that they will probably never make in action figure for.
If they can make Ambush Bug, Kite Man and Clock King, anyone is possible! Not very likely but possible!
That said, I would have loved if they made a Zatara or Mister Terrific!
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