Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Justice Society of America (spoilers!)

Gog was just granting my wish,

I begin to like JSA more and more every month. It was a little too much of recruiting since Lightning Saga, but the recent Gog story really captured my interest. Very clear-cut, mysterious without being too cryptic, and a thrilling connection to an existing DC Elseworld. I like it. I like Gog as a character. Like his smile. Though i fear he's about to loose it soon

Never was a JSA guy though I collected most of the major "team books" over the last two decades. Still hunting down the last Johns run on Ebay. But while JLA really seems lame most issues, JSA really got me. Kudos to Johns... again...

Ha! So now I've been lucky! Just won an auction at German ebay for the complete JSA series ##1-87, I'm really happy! Lots of stuff to read for me. Cost me about 100 bucks, but I guess that should be worth ist...

Congrats on your purchase, CK.

$100 is probably better than if you'd bought them brand new off the shelf. SCORE!

That's something I'm often thinking when I have a look at the incredible 2,99$ pricetag nowadays... most of the stuff I'm buying I would be able to track down much cheaper half a year later via Ebay. Heck, sometimes it's even cheaper to buy the Trade Paperback than to buy the single issues. Doesn't this kind of hurt the market?

The 100 bucks (67 Euros, to be exact) for the JSA series has to be considered a rather expensive deal as far as German ebay is concerned - mostly, you can get whole series for about half that price, like I did get a complete run of Preacher Trades for 35 bucks two years ago. The comics are worth so much more - but obviously, at least in Germany there are much more people selling than buying US comic books...

So, collectors luck - I'm very much looking forward to Johns' first run, very curious how this book got so "big" again...

Juuuust...keep rubbing that in.





Nice buy. I followed the series up to about the Black Adam wars. A terrific read.

Don't be too upset, I lost about 150 bucks buying this "Countdown" series... DC owes me one

Let's initiate a class action lawsuit. I was down about $75 before I just couldn't take it any more.

Well, I considered it collectable due to Karate Kid and Duo Damsel appearing... so it's even worse: I can't even SELL it again, it's just part of my collection now like the Timber Wolf mini...

As for the JSA: I really am kind of lost here: From the Wikipedia article I know about the convoluted continuity (yes! Another series which has one - don't you just love DC?) of JSA over the years. Especially with CoiE doing so much damage.

But where do I have to put all these series: All Star Squadron was pre-crisis, but what was Infinity Inc and Young All-Stars? What was the last thing that happened before 1999's JSA #1 - and in which series did it happen?

Infinity Inc. (not the new series about Steel's niece and Luthor's Everyman project) and Young All-Stars are both pre-crisis. I think JSA #1 was the first JSA/Earth-2 heroes series after Crisis.

And pre-crisis Infintiy Inc. was the sons & Daughters of the JSA (more or less); Young All-Stars was set in WWII (Like All-Star Squadron) and was like thier teen Titans (or Marvel's Young Invaders)

Ok, let's simplify it all... take WWII. Add some costumed crusaders there. (And Wonder Woman I/II (depending on your 'glass full/glass empty' take on time travel).) They are the JSA. When the war years reach the US, they are the A.S.S. And then the anti-Communist McCarthyism movement expel them...

Until heroes like Superman and the others surface. Now, remember, as IRL time passes... the gap between their forced retirement and their return gets longer and longer, until DC decides to retcon WWII to the Vietnam War. (They should do it by 2020, btw. Speed Force or no Speed Force, Jay Garrick can't live forever.) But the JSA is filled with the same veterans, and their sons, daughters, and protegés are sick of it. Their membership to the JSA are denied, and they form Infinity, Inc. SSK becomes Skyman, and soon dies. Then Zero Hour, when the effects of the rejuvenating Chinese medicine that those geezers been taking...

And then the JSA becomes the veteran/protegé team we all come to love. They had a headlining feature for two decades, counting the WWII years and JSA #1-... while the Legion had four decades of it (not counting their brief stints from '58 onwards, and the brief pause as a backup filler). Not much to complain.

I'm actually re-reading the full JSA run that you've bought and I'm surprised by how much I'd forgotten and how good it actually is. There's some brilliant stuff in there that I feel is missing somehow from the current series (which I've stopped buying because I'm just not very interested in it any mroe).

As for how it fits in with continuity...

Well, it's a bit vague but mostly all continuity stands with a few tweaks. It's safer to assume that all JSA, Infinity Inc and ASS stories happened mostly as published unless you get something that directly contradicts that. The age issue of the characters is dealt with in various ways (Green Lantern/Sentinal not aging properly because of the Green Flame, Wildcat having nine lives) but mostly because of them absorbing Ian Karkull's temporal energies and so not aging properly (which also explains the originals children not againg properly). If you want the full post-crisis JSA stuff it's also worth finding the short JSA series from the early 90s by Strazewski and Parobeck (about nine issues I think. Reintroduces the JSA into modern continuity and features Jessie Quick prominently, all happening pre-Zero Hour) and the Justice Society Returns mini-series that preceded the Johns/Robinson/Goyer series. There both really good little series but they help give you the set up for the full series.

Really though pretty much everything that you need to know about the Johns/Robinson/Goyer series is contained within that title. It does include new characetrs introduced in other series (like Dr Midnight and Mr Terrific) but they're all brought in in such a way that it doesn't really matter if you're not already familiar with them. You are also in for a treat with some of the artwork as well. Sadowski is superb and the Leonard Kirk issues are stunning.

Thanks for your explanations! Turns out that this JSA affair seems to be even more complicated than I thought - there were two short-lived series at the beginning of the 90s, some other mini-series and just reading All Star Squadron #1, I suddenly realize that this is NOT about the JSA...

Confusing, just the way I like it - I had a ball when I started reconstructing the history of the Legion 1994, when I returned to the field after German Legion comics had ceased to exist after #300 in the 80s... splendid.

With THE KINGDOM oneshot, the expected hammer begins to fall.

Some fine scenes here-- Atom-Smasher confronting Damage... and later vice versa... were highlights. Though Damage does seem more simple-minded than I remember the character being.

Sanderson Hawkins' story was also very well done. I'd totally buy a Sand/Sandman series. I was surprised that he was referred to as just 'Sand' once again, though. Which is it?

I'm glad he has the opposite reaction of Damage to his 'boon'. Hope he reaches some middle ground with his visions. Otherwise, this character'll crack, sooner or later.

My heart cracked a bit, when Sand's case reached its unfortunate conclusion. Cracked some more reading poor Citizen Steel's ongoing hope-- one destined to go unmet, I think.

The shift at issue's end was at once surprising and totally expected. Not a standard combination. The mood created earned whatever predictability there was, however. I was getting impatient with the series, even though I enjoyed each issue. The payoff appears that it will be worth it, though.

For the first time in a couple of months, I'm looking forward to the next installment of *this* storyline, as opposed to looking past it to future issues of JUSTICE SOCIETY, one of my favorite titles.

And the new regular team on JSA will be...

Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges.

Not who i would have thought of first, but i will give it the benefit of the doubt. Willingham is fantastic on Fables. And if he handles it the way he does fables, with respect to the origin material, i think it could be great.

Sturges, the name is familiar, but i can't say i know it right off hand.

Jerry Ordway will be the transition guy.

My first instinct was to wince for some reason. Maybe because SHADOWPACT never lived up to what it might have been, for me.

However, I read some posts by Matt Sturges at the COMICBLOC JSA forum, and his responses to readers' questions actually has me looking forward to their stint, to some degree.

I'm excited about these two guys. They have a great synergy and have shown the skill with large casts (Fables moreso than Shadowpact.)

The only Willingham thing that I remember reading was the Elementals, which I did like. I've probably read other things, but I'm not always conscious of who wrote what.

Me too. I followed Willingham's early stuff (like the Elementals) and I think he's fantastic when he takes his time on a project. When he rushes it for a deadline it's not so great but then again he's had several years of practice at the profession since I last followed his work. I'm definitely willing to give him a chance on this.

That last page of issue #22 sure is beautiful. Nice to see a Ross Legion.

AAAAGGGGHHHHHHH! Legion and JSA in one week, and i haven't made it to the store yet.

Geh...must ...not ...let...wife...hook...me...on...more shows....online....

Sturges is kinda Willingham's right-hand guy, isn't he... didn't he finish up Salvation Run for Willingham?

I'll miss Johns but maybe a change will do JSA good.

i'll be sad to see Geoff go from 'JSA' !

it's been my overall favourite book since it first came out !

i haven't followed the new guy's work, so it will be interesting to see what they bring to the team ??

Matthew.

#22 had a very powerfull ending, for those familiar with Kingdom Come and The Kingdom. Nice legion reference too!