Saturday, January 21, 2006
Comic Art
So, I know you're wondering - Who was the first really great team of superheroes? It wasn't the Justice League - It wasn't the Avengers -- It wasn't even the X-Men. You're looking at them -- It was the Justice Society of America.This is their very first appearance and it is this image upon which a set of bookends in my office are based. What do you note about this original team? If you are observant, you note the absence of the big three - Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The idea of team books really came about to give a boost to the "B" list characters. The idea took off like a shot and it wasn't long before the Big Three had to be included, as the team book was getting near them in sales.
There is something extraordinaly appealing about superheroes intereacting with each other. Lately, they are looking more and more like superhero group therapy, but breaking the idea of the hero as loner was startling.
This image just cracks me up, all that super power and they are just sitting there tied up. Puh-LeezeThere is something just fun about the older books, they seem so pedestrian, but they have a charm that the books just can't duplicate today.
As the original, the JSA is very important in the history of comics, but they are one of the better books that is being published today. Many of the Golden Age characters have modern counterparts -- children and grandchildren taking the mantle. So interesting do I find this title that we are going to spend the next several weeks looking at some of the more prominent characters
My bias for the JSA may in part be rooted in the fact that I think they are one of the most visually stunning groups ever. There will never be a JSA movie. I mean on paper, spandex looks great, but in the movies, let's just say there is a reason the X-Men are in leather. I honestly don't think this bunch would be much fun anymore if they weren't in these bright colors.
The JSA is also powerful in ways other teams can barely dream of -- I mean the Spectre is a part of the team and he alone is virtually omnipotent.The Spectre with his Hood/Cape arrangement is really stunning - it's reflected in the look of Hourman -- the black-and-gold costume you see much smaller in this image -- it's a great look.
This, at last, is the modern JSA as published today. Some of the old-timers are still there - the Jay Garrick Flash, the original Green Lantern, they act as mentors for the new generation that you see all revamped and polished up here.This is a great one right now. If you want to start reading comics, you would do very well to start with JSA.
Related Tags: comic books, comic art, comics, superheroes, Justice Society, JSA
