As a kid reading comics in the '60s, I knew almost nothing about the Golden Age of comics (the stories printed in the 1940s).That 20-year gap was a wide one - there were no old comics in my neighborhood (that I ever saw), and the only comic characters I knew about were the Silver Age heroes.
But there were a few places where we got some glimpses of that long-ago time. Green Lantern and the Flash would occasionally meet their Golden Age counterparts, but the most prominent appearances took place in the Justice League of America, where a crossover with the Earth-2 team, the Justice Society of America, became an annual event.
What a treat those were! Here was an entire team of brand-new (to me) superheroes to enjoy, and the menace they faced was always a true challenge.
In this issue (cover dated September 1966) the teams are facing several major problems. First is the earth-bound menace of the Hulk-like villains, Blockbuster and Solomon Grundy. Then a mysterious force is bringing Earth-1 and Earth-2 together - when they meet, it'll mean the destruction of both. And finally, a gigantic character called the Anti-Matter Man is nearing both Earths, and if he makes contact, it'll also mean instant destruction.
What follows is a fantastic series of battles involving 11 heroes, overcoming impossible odds and sometimes silly situations - what more could any kid want?
I always enjoyed the introduction of new characters - this story, for example, was the first time I read about the original Sandman, and I always enjoyed Black Canary, Wildcat, Dr. Mid-nite, the Spectre and Dr. Fate. They're all familiar faces now, but at the time they seemed fresh and new, while having the gravitas of a long history of heroics.
It was always a treat to see what the vastly underrated team of writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky could come up with for the summer event - and this was one of the wildest ever!
These days, reprints of Golden Age stories are widely available, and the JSA has its own comic (soon to be two comics). I'm not complaining - it's good to see the Golden Age getting its proper due - but I have to admit, I miss those special summer stories, and those brief glimpses into DC's glorious past.
Grade: A-
2 comments:
I saw a copy of JLA #45 at my dentist's office. Wondered what this was all about. On the fence.
Picked up JLA #46 and was FLOORED!
LOVED it! Couldn't wait until #47
was released. Still my favorite
two-part story of all time; I re-read it annually. I was not quite
12 years old when these comics first came out, making the summer
of '66 my all time high!
Sam Kujava
Sam, 1966 was a great year for comics! (Hmm, mental note: that would be a good future topic - what was the single best year for comics?)
Those JLA issues were among the few continued stories that DC produced, and they were always among my favorites.
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