Month: May 2008

By Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky & Bernard Sachs (DC Comics)
ISBN: 1-56389-119-0

When Julius Schwartz revived the superhero genre in the late 1950s, the key moment came with the inevitable teaming of the reconfigured mystery men and the relatively unchanged big guns who had weathered the first fall of the Superhero at the beginning of the 1950s into a new, modern, Space-Age version of the Justice Society of America.

When the Justice League of America was launched in issue #28 of The Brave and the Bold (March 1960) it cemented the growth and validity of the genre, triggering an explosion of new characters at every company producing comics in America and even spread to the rest of the world as the 1960s progressed.

This second volume in the deluxe hardcover reprint series re-presents issues #7-14 of the pivotal and oh-so-enjoyable series featuring DC’s costumed adventurers in tales that combine mystery with adventure, battle villainy with true heroism and run the gamut of science fiction, crime and even black sorcery.

All the tales here were produced by the magical team of Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs and star Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Arrow and the Manhunter from Mars, as well as boy mascot Snapper Carr and an increasingly more involved Superman and Batman (whose editors in those simpler times initially feared that their characters could be “over-exposed”).

The fun kicks off with an intergalactic mystery tale in #7. An alien plot to secure a weapon–probe leads our heroes to a local amusement park and more specifically ‘The Cosmic Fun-House!’, whilst the next issue’s ‘For Sale – the Justice League!’ is a sharp crime-caper wherein cheap hood Pete Ricketts finds a mind-control device that enslaves the team. Once again ordinary guy Snapper Carr has to save the day.

Issue #9 is a well-known and oft-recounted tale, and the start of a spectacular run of nigh-perfect super-hero adventures. ‘The Origin of the Justice League’ recounts the circumstances of the team’s birth; an alien invasion saga that still resonates with modern readers and it’s followed by the series’ first continued story.

‘The Fantastic Fingers of Felix Faust’ finds the World’s Greatest Superheroes already battling an invader from the future when they’re spellbound by the eponymous sorcerer. Faust has awoken three antediluvian demons and sold them the Earth in exchange for 100 years of unlimited power. Although the Justice League defeats the magician they have no idea that the demons are loose…

In the next instalment, ‘One Hour to Doomsday’, the JLA pursue and capture the still undefeated chronal conqueror The Lord of Time, but are trapped a century from their home-era by the awakened and re-empowered trio of Demons. This level of plot complexity hadn’t been seen in comics since the closure of EC Comics, and never before in a superhero tale. It was a profound acknowledgement by the creators that the readership was no longer simply little kids – if indeed it ever had been.

Arch-villain Doctor Light attempted a pre-emptive strike on the team in #12, although ‘The Last Case of the Justice League’ proved to be anything but, and with the next issue the heroes saved the entire universe by solving ‘The Riddle of the Robot Justice League’.

Schwartz’s avowed intent with his new Superteam was to eventually include every costumed adventurer in the DC pantheon, but he limited himself – or was resisted by other editors – to his own stable after the introduction of Green Arrow in #4 (see Justice League of America: Archive Edition Volume 1 ISBN: 1-56389-043-7). ‘The Menace of the “Atom” Bomb’ in issue #14 was a clever way of introducing the next member The Atom whilst showing a fresh side to an old villain with a new gimmick, and is a fine tale to end this volume on.

These classic superhero tales are some of the finest to come out of the 1960s and are still as fresh and engrossing today as they ever were. That they are also perfect fare to introduce new and especially young readers to our world is an added and invaluable bonus.

© 1961, 1962, 1993 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

By Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky & various (DC Comics)
ISBN: 1-56389-043-7

After the actual invention of the comicbook superhero – for which read the launch of Superman in 1938 – the most significant event in the industry’s progress was the combination of individual sales-points into a group. Thus what seems blindingly obvious to us with the benefit of four-colour hindsight was proven: a plethora of popular characters could multiply readership by combining forces. Plus of course, a whole bunch of superheroes is a lot cooler than just one – or even one and a sidekick.

And so the birth of the Justice Society of America in the winter 1940 issue of All Star Comics is rightly revered as a true landmark in the development of comic books, and when Julius Schwartz revived the superhero genre in the late 1950s, the key moment came with the inevitable teaming of his reconfigured mystery men.

And that was issue #28 of The Brave and the Bold, a swords-and sandals classical adventure title that had recently become a try-out magazine like Showcase. In 1959, just before Christmas, the ads began running: “Just Imagine! The mightiest heroes of our time… have banded together as the Justice League of America to stamp out the forces of evil wherever and whenever they appear!”

Released with a March 1960 cover-date, that first tale was written by the brilliant and indefatigable Gardner Fox and illustrated by the quirky, understated Mike Sekowsky with inks by Bernard Sachs, Joe Giella and Murphy Anderson.

‘Starro the Conqueror’ saw Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and J’onn J’onzz, the Manhunter from Mars defeat a marauding alien starfish whilst Superman and Batman stood by just in case (in those naive days editors feared their top characters could be “over-exposed” and consequently lose popularity). The heroes also picked up a typical American kid as mascot. Snapper Carr would prove a focus of controversy for decades to come.

Confident of his material and the superhero genre’s fresh appeal Schwartz had two more thrillers ready for the following issues. B&B #29 saw the team defeat a marauder from the future in ‘The Challenge of the Weapons Master’ (inked by Sachs and Giella) and #30 saw their first mad-scientist arch-villain in the form of Professor Ivo and his super android Amazo. ‘The Case of the Stolen Super Powers’ by Fox, Sekowsky and Sachs ended their tryout run. Three months later the new bi-monthly title debuted.

Although somewhat sedate by modern standards, the JLA was revolutionary in a comics marketplace where less than 10% of all sales featured costumed adventurers. Not only public imagination was struck by hero teams either. Stan Lee was apparently given a copy of Justice League by his boss and told to do something similar for the tottering comics company he ran – and look what came of that!

‘The World of No Return’ in issue #1 introduced trans-dimensional tyrant Despero to bedevil the World’s Greatest Heroes, and once again the plucky Snapper Carr was the key to defeating the villain and saving the day. The second issue, ‘Secret of the Sinister Sorcerers’, presented an astounding conundrum when the villains of Magic-Land transposed the location of their dimension with Earth’s, causing the Laws of Science to be replaced with the Lore of Mysticism. The true mettle of our heroes was shown when they had to use ingenuity rather than their powers to defeat their foes, and by this time Superman and Batman were allowed a more active part in the proceedings.

Issue #3 introduced the despicable Kanjar Ro who unsuccessfully attempted to turn the team into his personal army in ‘The Slave Ship of Space’, and with the next episode the first of many new members joined the team. Green Arrow saved the day in the science-fiction thriller ‘Doom of the Star Diamond’, but was almost kicked out in #5 as the insidious Doctor Destiny inadvertently framed him ‘When Gravity Went Wild!’

This first deluxe hardcover concludes with ‘The Wheel of Misfortune’ a mystery thriller that introduced the pernicious and persistent master of wild science Professor Amos Fortune, who would return time and again to bedevil many incarnations of the League, and is perhaps their most underrated foe.

These tales are a perfect example of all that was best about the Silver Age of comics, combining optimism and ingenuity with bonhomie and adventure. This slice of better times also has the benefit of cherishing wonderment whilst actually being historically valid for any fan of our medium. And best of all the stories here are still captivating and enthralling transports of delight. This is a glorious “must-have-item” for every fan and thrill-seeker whatever their age.

© 1960, 1961, 1992 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.