by
      Sean
      McQuaid
     
    
   
   
    
     
      n
      unwritten
      rule
      of
     
     
      5%
      modern
      comics
      is
     
     
      the
      principle
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      safety
      in
      numbers;
      that
      is,
     
     
      super
      heroes
      and
      their
      ilk
     
     
      have
      a
      habit
      of
      forming
     
     
      teams
      in
      ever-increasing
     
     
      droves.
      Eminently
      practical
     
     
      reasoning,
      when
      you
      think
     
     
      about
      it:why
      risk
      life
      and
     
     
      limb
      when
      you
      can
      pursue
     
     
      bad
      guys
      in
      the
      relative
      se-
     
     
      curity
      of
      a
      crowd
      of
     
     
      superpersons?
      The
      concept
     
     
      also
      makes
      good
      financial
     
     
      sense:
      why
      risk
      money
      on
     
     
      the
      appeal
      ofsome
      lone
      char-
     
     
      acter
      when
      you
      can
      provide
     
     
      a
      gang
      of
      heroes
      more
      likely
     
     
      to
      attract
      a
      wider
      variety
      of
     
     
      readers?
      That
      was
      the
      ques-
     
     
      tion
      asked
      by
      young
      artist-
     
     
      editor
      Sheldon
      Mayer
      in
     
     
      1940,
      when
      he
      created
      the
     
     
      Justice
      Society
      of
      America.
     
     
      The
      JSA
      were
      the
      world’s
     
     
      first
      super
      team,
      and
      the
     
     
      model
      from
      which
      all
      the
     
     
      modern
      super
      teams
      were
     
     
      developed.
      Super
      teams
      like
     
     
      the
      Justice
      League,
      the
     
     
      Avenge’s,
      the
      titans,
      and
      the
     
     
      X-Men
      are
      among
      the
      most
      popular
      and
      suc-
     
     
      cessful
      comics
      in
      publication,
      and
      that
      being
      the
     
     
      case
      one
      would
      expect
      the
      JSA
      to
      be
      thriving;
     
     
      however,
      the
      JSA’s
      recent
      revival
      in
      their
      own
     
     
      title
      has
      proven
      less
      than
      profitable.
      The
      book
     
     
      has
      an
      appealing
      cast
      of
      classic
      characters
      and
     
     
      entertaining
      scripts,
      but
      suffers
      fatally
      from
     
     
      blatantly
      cartoony
      artwork
      and
      a
      nostalgic
      sen-
     
     
      sibility
      that
      sometimes
      strays
      into
      self-indul-
     
     
      gent
      corn.
     
    

    
     
      The
      JSA
      first
      assembled
      in
      All-Star
      Com-
     
     
      ics
      #3,
      dated
      Winter
      1940.
      It
      was
      a
      time
      when
     
     
      superheroes
      were
      still
      a
      relatively
      new
      idea.
     
     
      Superman
      had
      sparked
      the
      concept’s
      popularity
     
     
      when
      he
      exploded
      onto
      the
      scene
      in
      1938,
      and
     
     
      the
      trend
      gathered
      steam
      in
      1939
      with
      the
      ap-
     
     
      pearance
      of
      such
      masked
      mystery-men
      as
      the
     
     
      Crimson
      Avenger,
      the
      Batman,
      and
      the
      Sand-
     
     
      man.
      DC
      comics,
      publisher
      of
      the
      biggest
      names
     
    
   
   
    
     
      18
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      like
      Superman
      and
      Batman,
      expanded
      its
      pub-
     
     
      lishing
      with
      the
      new
      ‘‘All-American’’
      line,
     
     
      whose
      titles
      included
      All-American
      Comics,
     
     
      Flash
      Comics,
      and
      others.
      Early
      on,
      All-Ameri-
     
     
      can
      editorial
      boy
      genius
      Sheldon
      Mayer
      hit
      on
     
     
      the
      idea
      of
      publishing
      a
      book
      that
      would
      show-
     
     
      case
      the
      top
      heroes
      of
      the
      DC
      and
      All-American
     
     
      lines
      under
      one
      anthology
      title:thus
      was
      born
     
     
      All-Star
      Comics,
      but
      Mayer’s
      innovation
      didn’t
     
     
      end
      there.
      With
      the
      book’s
      third
      issue
      he
      intro-
     
     
      duced
      the
      Justice
      Society
      of
      America,
      the
      world’s
     
     
      first
      super
      team
      and
      the
      cream
      of
      the
      DC/All-
     
     
      American
      crop.
      Theassembled
      heroes
      included:
     
     
      the
      Sandman,
      a
      gas-masked,
      cloaked,
      gas-gun
     
     
      wielding
      Green
      Hornet
      derivative
      who
      was
      in
     
     
      actuality
      bored
      playboy
      Wesley
      Dodds;
      the
     
     
      Hourman,
      mild-mannered
      chemist
      Rex
      ‘‘Tick-
     
     
      Tock’’
      Tyler
      whose
      Miraclo
      pills
      gave
      him
      a
     
     
      sixty-minute
      charge
      of
      superhuman.
      strength
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      speed;
      Doctor
      Fate,
      a
      golden-helmetel
     
     
      mystic
      who'd
      been
      tutored
      in
      the
      magic
      arts
      b)
     
     
      an
      Egyptian
      sorcerer
      named
      Nabu;
      the
      Spectr’
     
     
      amurdered
      police
      detective
      who
      returned
      to
      tt?
     
     
      earthly
      plane
      as
      a
      near-omnipotent
      ghos!!
     
     
      avenger;
      the
      Atom,
      a
      diminutive
      chap
      who
      took
     
     
      up
      costumed
      crimefighting
      after
      having
      trained
     
     
      to
      the
      peak
      of
      athletic
      perfection
      to
      fend
      off
      b#
     
     
      bullies;
      the
      Green
      Lantern,
      whose
      magic
      ri
     
     
      when
      charged
      at
      the
      lantern
      from
      which
      he
      todh
     
     
      his
      name,
      enabled
      him
      to
      mystically
      affect
      a
     
     
      matter
      and
      energy
      save
      wood;
      the
      Hawkmat'
     
     
      reincarnated
      Egyptian
      prince
      who
      fought
      ¢
     
    

    
     
      with
      ancient
      weapons
      and
      with
      the
      wings
     
     
      ‘Nth
      metal’’
      harness
      that
      enabled
      him
      to!
     
     
      and
      the
      Flash,
      a
      scientist
      who
      accidentally
      ™
     
     
      haled
      a
      weird
      combination
      of
      chemical
      vap
     
     
      that
      gave
      him
      the
      ability
      to
      move
      faster
      that
     
     
      ‘the
      rapidity
      of
      thought’’,
      let
      alone
      a
      speeditt