The Massive, Extravagant, Over-the-top Golden Age JSA Re-read

Replies

- Philip Portelli > Captain Comics July 21, 2026 at 7:28pm
  
  I enjoyed every Boy Commandos reprint I could get my hands on!
  Especially this one that I got from a yard sale when I was nine!
- Commander Benson > Captain Comics July 22, 2026 at 12:39pm
  
  Of course, it's a bit of an eyeroll that Rip lets "mascots" go on deadly missions, but hey, it's comics. Robin and Speedy are already doing this sort of thing.
  
  It's easier for me to justify the boys' participation in combat. As I see it, Captain Carter has three options with regard to the boys . . .
  
  One, do nothing. But the boys are clear that they're determined to fight the Nazis on their own, alone if they have to, as their own ad hoc guerilla force
  
  Two, turn the boys over to the proper authorities. But they're brave, clever, and resourceful; no doubt they will escape their guardians, and then, option one comes back into play.
  
  Three, become the guardian of the boys himself and train them intensely, to at least give them some kind of chance in combat operations, and then oversee their missions.
  
  Aye, it still requires a little squinting, but at least one can come up with a rough justification. Especially during the days of wartime Europe, when the structure for dealing with orphaned children wasn't as organised or as solid as what we have in America, now.
Commander Benson July 22, 2026 at 12:27pm

I think Spectre would have worked fine as a ghost. Instead of giving him "do anything" powers, give him the usual powers of a poltergeist. As a crime-fighting spook, who had access to the real world via Corrigan, he could learn things and hobble criminals as Spectre. But he'd have to return to Corrigan for the cop to do the physical cop things. Spectre would be more of spy than a superhero, followoing the crooks as a ghost to find out what they're doing, and returning to Corrigan to spill the beans. And even then he could be limited by whatever is thought to limit ghosts. Other ghosts? Holy ground? Wolfsbane?

Heck, why would anybody even need to know there was a Spectre? If nobody ever sees him, Corrigan's colleagues would just think he's got some great snitches.

I would want him to become visible sometimes though, just for those fantastic covers. And maybe sometimes he could appear to scare the crooks, although be really limited in his contact with the physical world. Sort of like Topper or Here Comes Mr. Jordan, which 1940s audiences would be familiar with.

Also, I think you'd have to look at Spectre as Corrigan's soul, so when he emerged to do Spectre things, I'd expect Corrigan to be out of action. Probably looking pretty dead. There's your secret identity dilemma every issue. If they were two separate beings, it would be too easy. In my scenario . . .

Your concept of the Spectre has much to recommend it. It's obliquely similar to the light drama British series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (ITV, 1969-70). The premise is that the two men are partners in a private investigations firm. In the first episode, when Hopkirk is killed by the underling of the baddie to whom they're getting too close, he returns as a ghost. The basic rules of his "ghosthood" are: he's invisible and inaudible to anyone but his partner, Randall; he's intangible; he's unable to affect the physical world directly and not too much indirectly. He can do minor things like cause candles to blow out or electricty to flicker or glass to shatter, but only with intense concentration. Thus, Randall has to do all the physical derring-do. Change Randall and Hopkirk to Jim Corrigan (his physical self) and Jim Corrigan (his ghost), and that's pretty much what you outlined, Cap.

There's certainly more inherent drama in your concept of the Spectre than lies in that of a spirit who wields nearly the powers of God. The one thing in your version that fell flat with me was the idea that Jim Corrigan, when separated from his ghost, falls into a coma-like unconsciousness. To me, that eliminates one of the aspects of the Spectre stories especially in the SIlver Age---the situation of Jim Corrigan (the man) talking and discussing cases with himself (the ghost). Perhaps a slight spin on your idea: instead of Corrigan passing out, the separation of ghost from man causes a gradual enervation in both of them. For the first hour or so, it's not too bad, but as time goes on, they both grow weaker, with perhaps a time limit of twelve hours. If separated for longer than that, they both expire.
- Dave Elyea > Commander Benson July 22, 2026 at 1:03pm
  
  In the 1960s Spectre series, they played with the idea that the Spectre was adversely affected if he went too long without rejoining with Corrigan's body, but Jim didn't seem to experience any ill effects. The Spectre didn't get weaker, tho, just really irritable, as if he were sleep deprived.
  
  The idea of Jim collapsing without the Spectre would have been too similar to the Gay Ghost's situation in Sensation Comics, while the idea of more poltergeist like heroes was covered by the Ghost Patrol over in Flash Comics . I'm surprised Roy Thomas didn't team up all of DC's Golden Age ghosts for an arc in All-Star Squadron.
Captain Comics July 22, 2026 at 2:00pm
The next book DC/AA published after yesterday's Detective Comics #64 was All-Star Comics #11. But first ...

BONUS!

ALL-STAR SQUADRON

According to All-Star Companion Vol. 1, DC wanted to re-launch the JSA in the early 1980s and asked Roy Thomas to write it. The book says (and it's probably Thomas writing this in third person), "Not much interested in writing a comic in which the Justice Society existed in the same era (if not the same Earth) as the Justice League — and because the JSA's 1970s series was still fresh in everyone's mind — Thomas developed a new/old grouping: the All-Star Squadron, whose adventures took place during World War II, beginning at the time of Pearl Harbor in December 1941."

Philip Portelli started the Showcase Presents: All-Star Squadron thread when that book came out in 2021.

The top comment prize goes to Rob Staeger: “I just reread the original comics (up to 20, and including the JLA crossover), and I have to say, I love them as much as I ever did. Maybe more, since I really recognized them as relics of a bygone era, rather than just comics I bought when I was a kid. I don't think we'll ever see their like again, in attention to period detail, comics history and sheer plot density.”

He's right, of course, on all counts. In those days, All-Star Squadron was at the heart of status quo. Now it's a remarkable representation of a world long gone.

I didn't get that Showcase Presents, and — until last week — had never re-read the All-Star Squadron comics I bought some 45 years ago. So I've never read them as a knowledgeable comics fan. In the early 1980s, the only Golden Age stories I had read were those reprinted in 80-Page Giants, DC's Dollar Comics, "From the '30s to the '70s"-type books and various comics histories. I had read only a few JSA reprints, and had no gestalt of the series, or the Golden Age, as a whole. In fact, what I did know, extrapolated from JSA appearances in the Silver Age, was probably packed with erroneous assumptions.

But now I've read the entirety of All-Star Comics, and a goodly portion of DC's other Golden Age offerings. Reading All-Star Squadron now, for me, is like reading an entirely different book.

Because Roy Thomas wasn't just fitting stories in and around All-Star Comics, as I had assumed. Instead, he was re-writing DC's Golden Age entirely as he A) changed comic book events to match actual history, B) adapted the many changes made to the original lore by Silver/Bronze Age retcons; C) reflected DC's purchase of Fawcett and Quality; and D) fixed what he thought of as mistakes.

At the time, all I knew was the surface story. Now I see all the world-building Thomas was doing in the background. Sadly, it was for a world (Earth-Two) that came to an end in 1986. Which wasn't even imaginable in 1981, at least to me.

All-Star Squadron ran 67 issues, with three annuals. It launched in-story on Dec. 6, 1941, but only made it to late 1942 before Crisis on Infinite Earths turned the table over. After the Crisis, Thomas continued his re-write with Young All-Stars #1-31 and Young All-Stars Annual #1, which didn't make it much further. But I have no doubt that had Crisis never happened and sales held for All-Star Squadron, Thomas would have re-written every issue of All-Star Comics (and filled in between those issues) all the way to 1951. And maybe beyond!

However, this isn't an All-Star Squadron re-read thread. It's a thread focusing on the JSA, and that will remain our focus. All-Star Squadron tended to feature non-JSA characters like Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle, and I won't have much to say about them.

All that being said, the inaugural All-Star Squadron storyline focused squarely on the JSA, explaining where they were during Pearl Harbor. All-Star Squadron #1-4 are set a few days before All-Star Comics #11, which is where we are in the re-read. It began with a 16-page insert in Justice League of America #193, and that's where we begin as well.

APRIL 14, 1981

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #193 (insert)
August 1981, DC Comics Inc., 16 pages
Cover by Rich Buckler and DIck Giordano

The Cover

This "cover," really an interior page that functions as a cover, raises some questions.

It includes all JSA members active on Dec. 6, 1941, when the story takes place — except Starman. Also not appearing is Hourman, who was on "leave of absence" at the time. (And, as we shall see, was active at the time ... just not on Earth-Two.) The four honorary members (Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Superman) do appear, as do Wonder Woman (soon to be a JSA member) and Shining Knight (never a member).

I can excuse Wonder Woman's presence, as she is a player in this story, and would start appearing consistently in All-Star Comics with issue #11, set in-story literally two days after this story. The four honoraries also appear in this story, so also deserve inclusion on the cover. I can excuse Hourman's absence, since he doesn't appear in this story, never appears again in All-Star Comics after issue #7, and doesn't appear in All-Star Squadron until issue #32.

But the absence of Starman is a complete mystery. He was one of the eight active JSA members at the time — he appeared in 16 issues of All-Star Comics overall — and does appear in this story. So his arbitrary exclusion feels like a snub. And what's Shining Knight doing here? He doesn't appear in this story (yet) and wasn't a member of the Justice Society in the Golden Age — and maybe ever. If the argument is "he's vital to this story, even if he hasn't been introduced yet," you could say the same of Liberty Belle, Johnny Quick, Robotman and Plastic Man, and they aren't on the cover.

Maybe Rich Buckler just wanted to draw a horse.

"Special All-Star Squadron Preview"
By Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway (14 pages)

JSA Roll Call: The Atom, Batman, Dr. Fate, Dr. Mid-Nite, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Johnny Thunder, Sandman, Starman, The Spectre, Superman,.

All-Star Squadron Roll Call: Robin, Wildcat (cameo), Wonder Woman

Calendar Watch: Story takers place on Dec. 6, 1941.

Notes

GCD routinely lists Robin as a JSA member in All-Star Squadron posts, which he wasn't in the Golden Age, and wouldn't be until the Silver Age. And besides, GCD doesn't list other post-Golden Age recruits, like Star-Spangled Kid, as JSA members in All-Star Squadron. The GCD also lists the Thunderbolt as a member, whereas I see him as an extension of Johnny Thunder (since he can't appear unless Johnny's in the story). Ergo, I list neither Robin nor Thunderbolt as members, despite GCD, a source so important I feel I have to explain when I deviate from it.

The GCD also lists Wonder Woman as a member, but I don't, and won't, until she actually starts appearing in All-Star Comics. Which is soon!

The Preview

The story is set on the eve of "a day that will live in infamy." In America vs. the Justice Society #1 (January 1985, and covered on page 88 of this thread), Batman's diary read, "the whereabouts of the JSA on that day of days has never been established — almost four decades later!" The diary was later revealed to be a hoax, with Batman misrepresenting the JSA as Nazis to alert them, in a roundabout fashion, to a Per Degaton scheme. But there's no reason to disbelieve this particular line, since by 1985 no other story had previously addressed where the JSA members were on that historic Sunday morning. This story answers that question, which as of 1981 had been left unanswered for 40 years.

Looking ahead, All-Star Comics #11 begins shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, so this unnamed story (which runs through All-Star Squadron #4) directly precedes that issue. All-Star Squadron #5 begins with a replication of the first three pages of All-Star Comics #11 ... then inserts the rest of issue #5 and all of issues #6-18 before getting back to the rest of All-Star Comics #11!

As this story begins, FDR has received a decoded Japanese message. "This means war," he says, unintentionally quoting Groucho Marx from Duck Soup (and later, Bugs Bunny). But he can't reach the JSA. That's because, as we are then shown, Batman, Dr. Fate, Flash, Green Lantern, Johnny Thunder, Sandman, Spectre, Starman and Superman, plus non-members Robin and Wonder Woman, have been captured by four mystery villains. (Well, they're a mystery to the JSA. Those of us who have read a lot of reprints know them as Professor Zobar Zodiak, Sky Pirate, Solomon Grundy and Wotan.)

Dr. Mid-Nite, Hawkman and Atom were also attacked, by a strange creature called The Monster (Jason Rogers) at the Lincoln Memorial. But they defeated The Monster, thereby escaping the fate of their fellows. As in the encounters above, the bad guys (who are from the future) knew the good guys from a previous meeting, which the good guys don't remember, because they haven't happened yet. After failing in his mission,The Monster abruptly fades away. A mysterious man in a trenchcoat watches the encounter, but doesn't intervene. (Spoiler: It's Robert Crane, the 1940s Robotman.)

The Bad Guys

All the villains are time-displaced, as part of another one of Per Degaton's timey-wimey schemes.
- Wotan is the only villain to have existed before this story, debuting in More Fun Comics #55 (May 1940). But we are told this is Wotan "from the late '40s," that Degaton said he rescued from "an extra-dimensional limbo." How he got there was a mystery until 1998, when JLA: Year One #12 said The Spectre put him there.
- Per Degaton himself didn't debut until All-Star Comics #35 (June-July 1947), although All-Star Squadron #2 will place him in All-Star Comics #10 (1941). If you accept the retcon, he also pre-exists this story.
- The Monster debuted in All-Star Comics #20 (Spring 1944).
- Solomon Grundy debuted in All-American Comics #61 (October 1944).
- Sky Pirate debuted in Comic Cavalcade #25 (February-March 1948).
- Professor Zodiak debuted in All-Star Comics #42 (August-September 1948).
The (Non-JSA) Good Guys

Future stars of All-Star Squadron cameo, including:
- Johnny Quick (as reporter Johnny Chambers)
- Liberty Belle (as newcaster Libby Lawrence)
- Robotman (unnamed, in trenchcoat)
- Firebrand (as Navy officer Rod Reilly)
- Firebrand II (as vulcanologist Danette Reilly).
- An unnamed Plastic Man also cameos in shadow.
- Shining Knight makes a "cover" appearance, but doesn't appear in the story.
Name That Cover

The story begins with a foot race between Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman for the March of Dimes, lifted from the cover of Comic Cavalcade #1 (Winter 1942). On the original cover, Wilcat and Ghost Patrol are also in the race (on the back of a wraparound cover), but in the prequel Wildcat is the emcee who presents the trophy and the Ghost Patrol doesn't appear. At the time of this story, Flash and Green Lantern were only honorary members of the JSA, and Wonder Woman hadn't joined yet. But that didn't stop Roy Thomas from using them!

Note: Wildcat's cameo at this charity event means he met Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman in December 1941, which is mentioned later in All-Star Squadron.

The USO gig attended by Batman, Robin and Superman was inspired by the cover of World's Finest Comics #6 (Summer 1942). Batman and Superman were also honorary members, but Robin wouldn't become a member until Justice League of America #55 (August 1967), 25 years later. Who in 1942 could have guessed that these characters would still be around after a quarter of a century?

Note: That blue "S" on Superman's cape hurts my eyes.

JSA HQ Watch: Wesley Dodds, Ted Knight and Johnny Thunder are described as being in Dodds' penthouse (in New York), when Dodds says he might "zip over to JSA-HQ." It is unsaid where that is, except that it's almost certainly in Manhattan, close enough for a non-powered guy to "zip" to. Keep this in mind next issue.

Fun Facts:
- Wonder Woman refers to herself as "the new girl in town," which is true, as she had debuted in All-Star Comics #8, only six months earlier than All-Star Comics #11 (by cover date). But Wildcat appears too, and he's even newer, having debuted in Sensation Comics #1, five months earlier (by cover date).
- After Wonder Woman mentions she's romantically attached, Green Lantern says, "Flash and I have ladies of our own." That line almost reads as defensive, now that he's retroactively gay. Weirdly, GL is super-sexist when Solomon Grundy attacks. "Back, princess!" he tells her. "This is no place for a girl!" And to Grundy he says, "You hit her! You hit a woman! why, you inhuman —!" No doubt Thomas wrote this as legitimate 1940s sexism. But post-closet, should we interpret it now as performative heterosexuality?
This story continues directly into All-Star Squadron #1. Tomorrow!
- Jeff of Earth-J > Captain Comics July 22, 2026 at 3:07pm
  
  I've got the entire run of A-SS but I've never read most of it. At this point, I'm holding out for a DCF version.
- Captain Comics > Jeff of Earth-J July 22, 2026 at 5:22pm
  
  Unless you're OK with me walking you through most of it!
Philip Portelli July 22, 2026 at 4:51pm

Robin getting listed as a JSA member might be because he was name dropped in All Star Comics #3, along with Superman and Batman, despite not appearing in the Caped Crusader's two ASC appearances.

I had forgotten that I started that thread! And I keep bringing up the similarities between the All Star Squadron and Thomas' Liberty Legion from Marvel's The Invaders.

"They finally gave Johnny Quick a personality, too bad it's Hawkeye's!" I crack me up!

Best as I can recall, I was also confused by the Shining Knight replacing Starman. I suppose it was to show readers that the book was going to be more than the JSA. I believe that it reflected Roy Thomas' general disinterest in Starman, along with Sandman and Johnny Thunder.

Later it was redrawn with Starman replacing the Shining Knight!

To me, his rankings were:

1) Hawkman, the Atom and Green Lantern

2) Wonder Woman, Doctor Mid-Nite, Doctor Fate and Hourman

3) Superman, the Spectre and the Flash

4) Starman, Sandman and Johnny Thunder

5) Batman, Wildcat

6) Mister Terrific and Red Tornado

Again my opinion only!
Captain Comics July 22, 2026 at 5:57pm

I enjoyed every Boy Commandos reprint I could get my hands on!

I have at least one collection. It really was a good strip, at least during the war.

It's easier for me to justify the boys' participation in combat.

I have no trouble with it myself -- in fact I share your reasoning, and it's basically what SImon and Kirby said in the book itself. I just wanted to note that Boy Commandos came after Robin and Speedy, so the door had already been kicked open. Modern audiences may bring up the "child endangerment" concern, but to '40s audiences kid gangs and sidekicks weren't anything new.

Robin getting listed as a JSA member might be because he was name dropped in All Star Comics #3, along with Superman and Batman, despite not appearing in the Caped Crusader's two ASC appearances.

Could be. It's hard to say what the "thinking" is at GCD, since it's crowd-sourced -- and inconsistent. I just wanted to write down my procedure, so if anybody looks this stuff on their own, they'll know in advance why I did it differently.

"They finally gave Johnny Quick a personality, too bad it's Hawkeye's!" I crack me up!

That's because it's a funny line!

Later it was redrawn with Starman replacing the Shining Knight!

Where was that? The Showcase book?

Again my opinion only!

Which, by and large, is supported by Thomas' use of those characters.

I should mention that Thomas said in one of the Companions that his intent was to include Hawkman in every issue, in some form, since he was in every issue of All-Star Comics. Sometimes it was just a newspaper photo, but always something. This was said -- and I don't remember where, or I'd look it up -- because in one issue, the artist forgot an instruction, and Hawkman was left out. I don't remember what issue number, but I'll probably stumble across it in the re-read.

I bring this up only to note that Hawkman is a special case, in that Thomas was using him a lot on purpose. But at the same time, I don't have a doubt in my bones that the Winged Wonder was one of Thomas' favorites, and would have been used a lot even if it wasn't policy.
- Commander Benson > Captain Comics July 22, 2026 at 8:30pm
  
  I should mention that Thomas said in one of the Companions that his intent was to include Hawkman in every issue, in some form, since he was in every issue of All-Star Comics. Sometimes it was just a newspaper photo, but always something. This was said -- and I don't remember where, or I'd look it up -- because in one issue, the artist forgot an instruction, and Hawkman was left out. I don't remember what issue number, but I'll probably stumble across it in the re-read.
  
  It was All-Star Squadron # 49 (Sep., 1985).

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