Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} JSA by JSA: The Golden Age by James Robinson. The so-called Golden Age of comics set a standard back in the 1940s. By today's standards, however . well, they're a little hokey. That is, they were until writer James Robinson got his hands on them. In one four-issue mini-series, printed in 1993-94 and collected in a single edition in 1995, Robinson gave the heroes of old their dignity back with a story of drama and intrigue that is anything but hokey. The big war is over. The soldiers are returning heroes, and the "mystery men" -- masked vigilantes -- are forgotten in the celebration. After all, they stayed home during the war, didn't they? Well, not of their own volition . they were ordered to stay home by the government, fearful that the death of even one high-profile hero would cripple morale. But a handful of heroes went overseas anyway, and one of them, Tex Thompson, a.k.a. Mr. America, a.k.a. the AmeriCommando, becomes an overnight public sensation and media darling. He's credited with single-handedly killing most of Germany's superheroes and supposedly offed Hitler himself. It seems only natural that, by the close of the 1940s, Thompson has been handed a Senate seat and is eyeing a run at the presidency. Meanwhile, the rest of America's heroes have mostly slipped quietly into obscurity, giving up their costumes and powers to find normal lives. Some are happy, some bitter -- and some perhaps a bit mad. But then Paul Kirk, the , sneaks back into the country from parts unknown, pursued by confusing dreams and men with guns, wracked by paranoia and a fear he doesn't completely understand. Al "the " Pratt, , Paula "Tigress" Brooks and the emotionless are recruited to join Thompson's new cadre of American superheroes. And Daniel Dunbar, the former Dyna-Mite, flunks out of Princeton . just before receiving a similar offer from Thompson. Soon, Dunbar is unveiled as the new Dynaman, with powers scientifically enhanced to make him the most powerful being on the planet. The plot thickens from here. The Manhunter regains his missing memories. A few heroes learn that Thompson isn't really the hero he's believed to be but, under the scrutiny of the anti-Communist backlash (a DC variation on McCarthyism), they're unable to come forward with their knowledge. And then they learn the truth about Dunbar. The Golden Age is a story with an incredible number of interwoven subplots, but the reader never loses track of the individual threads. (Although it is slightly confusing that so many Golden Age heroes were named Johnny. ) In the book's stunning climax, the simple courage of forgotten heroes like Miss America, the Tarantula, Captain Triumph and the rolypoly sidekick Fatman puts some of the modern superheroes to shame. Robinson has crafted an amazing book, and Paul Smith's art gives Robinson's story the appropriate 1940s feel without sacrificing modern techniques. The Golden Age is an excellent package, a welcome reminder of what made comics a popular storytelling medium in the first place. The Golden Age was reissued by DC in 2005 as JSA: The Golden Age . ISBN 13: 9781563892035. James Robinson is an acclaimed, award-winning writer whose works include STARMAN and JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE and . With Geoff Johns, he was co-writer of . In addition, he wrote the screenplay to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen , starring Sean Connery, and created the acclaimed young readers comic series LEAVE IT TO CHANCE. From Publishers Weekly : Clearly influenced by Alan Moore's Watchmen , this reissue depicts DC's superheroes from the 1940s hanging up their capes following the end of WWII. Whereas Moore's superheroes were forced into retirement, here the heroes succumb to disillusionment, personality flaws and even madness. Robinson unpersuasively projects the dark pessimism of 1990s superhero comics onto the idealistic, committed heroes of half a century before. One of these "mystery men," Tex Thompson, alias the Americommando, enters politics and initiates a government project that uses atomic power to create Dynaman, a "superman" who becomes a living weapon against the Soviets. Beneath their patriotic rhetoric, Thompson and Dynaman conspire to become dictators. But Robinson never explains why the "greatest generation" that just defeated fascism abroad would embrace a homegrown version. By revealing that Thompson's and Dynaman's identities have been usurped by impostors, Robinson shies away from demonstrating how an American superhero could morph into a neo-Nazi übermensch . Smith's realistic artwork and mastery of gesture and facial expression bring out all the dramatic potential in Robinson's scenario. But Darwyn Cooke's recent The New Frontier paints a more convincing postwar portrait of DC's superheroes. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. DC: 10 Best Forgotten Comic Storylines. With thousands of comics released, DC has plenty of famous and iconic stories. However, a few of the best have been largely forgotten by most fans. DC Comics has been telling stories for over eighty years and in those eighty years, they've gotten a lot of famous firsts- from the first costumed superhero, Superman, to the first super-team, the Justice Society, to reigniting public interest in superheroes with the introduction of the Silver Age and . The publisher has put out some of the greatest comic stories of all time, whether they're about the superheroes of the DC Universe or the creator-owned books of Vertigo. With so many years of great stories to choose from, some of them are bound to be forgotten, even if they don't deserve that ignominious fate. 10 Flex Mentallo: Man Of Muscle Mystery. Flex Mentallo: Man Of Muscle Mystery, by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, is a surrealistic masterpiece starring Doom Patrol member Flex Mentallo, the Man of Muscle Mystery who flexes his muscles to change reality, as he investigates the disappearance of his friend the Fact. However, way more is going on than meets the eye. Morrison uses Mentallo to tell a hallucinogenic story that traces the history of the comic medium and the effect of fiction on the author and the real world, using Flex to plumb the depths of a fictional world. Full of bizarre moments, the big concepts that Morrison was working with in the '90s, and Quitely's amazingly detailed art, this book is one of the greatest stories that few have read. 9 The Flash: The Return Of Barry Allen. The Flash: The Return Of Barry Allen, by writer Mark Waid and artist Greg LaRocque, is the story that really put Wally West on the map of as the Flash. Barry Allen, dead since Crisis On Infinite Earths, returns but he's a very different man—more violent than ever, Allen wants to be the Flash and the only Flash. After beating West, Allen sets himself up as the most powerful man in Central and Keystone City but there's more going on than meets the eye. Until this story, readers weren't completely sold on West as the Flash but Waid really made an argument for why Wally West deserved to be the Flash in this story, as well as putting West on the path to becoming the fastest speedster of them all. The story's twist is the icing on the cake on an action-packed story that made Wally West a greater Flash than his predecessor. 8 The Flash: Blitz. The Flash: Blitz, by writer Geoff Johns and artist Scott Kolins, gives Wally West a new arch-nemesis in the form of an old friend- FBI agent Hunter Zolomon. Zolomon, injured in an attack by Gorilla Grodd, asks Wally for his help to go back in time and save him. When West refuses, Zolomon takes it on himself to use the Cosmic Treadmill but it backfires. He becomes Zoom and decides to teach his old friend a terrible lesson. Johns was doing a bang-up job on The Flash up to this point but this was the story that cemented his status as one of the best Flash writers of all time. Zoom was the perfect foil for the Scarlet Speedster and would bedevil him, and others, throughout Johns's run on the book. 7 Final Crisis: Superman: Legion Of Three Worlds. Final Crisis: Superman: Legion Of Three Worlds, by writer Geoff Johns and artist George Perez, is ostensibly a Final Crisis crossover but one doesn't really need to know anything about that story to enjoy it. Superman finds himself in the 31st century just as Time Trapper and the Legion Of Supervillains attack. Superman and the Legion are going to need a lot of help to win and get it from a most unlikely place or places. This story melded the three rosters of the Legion and pitted them and Superman against their worst foes. Perez's art is amazing and the story is full of surprises, promising to keep fans on the edge of their seats. 6 : Year Two. Batman: Year Two, by writer Mike W. Barr and artists Alan Davis and Todd McFarlane, gets overshadowed by Batman: Year One but is still a great story in its own right. In his second year as Batman, Bruce Wayne falls in love Rachel Caspian, whose father was Gotham's first - the Reaper. With crime still running rampant, the Reaper resurfaces more violent than ever and Batman must stop his rampage. Most readers know nothing about this story and that's a shame; it's very good. Filling in some gaps in Batman's history, it's a must a read for any serious Batman fan. It was also the inspiration for the animated Batman movie, Mask Of The Phantasm , itself an underrated classic. 5 JSA: The Golden Age. JSA: The Golden Age, by writer James Robinson and artist Paul Smith, is an Elseworld tales starring the heroes of DC's Golden Age. WWII is over and the costumed superheroes of America have new challenges to , including a secret foe who has orchestrated the return of the greatest villain in recent human history. This Elseworlds tale of DC's Golden Age is one of the most important JSA stories of all time and just an amazing read. Robinson and Smith's love for the characters shines through in every panel. A highlight of '90s DC, this story has unfairly fallen through the cracks. 4 Vigilante #17 & 18. Vigilante #17 & 18, by writer Alan Moore and artist Jim Baikie, sees superhero lawyer Adrian Chase, the titular Vigilante, hunt down a man who kidnapped his daughter, a daughter he had terribly abused. With the help of a prostitute named Fever, Vigilante tries to find the man and his daughter before it's too late. Filled with Moore's trademark hyper-realistic style of writing, this two-issue story takes a Punisher knock-off and puts him into a terrible real- world situation. While this story is very dark and can be quite problematic by today's standards, it's still a great two-parter. 3 JLA: Earth 2. JLA: Earth 2, by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, was the debut of the modern version of the Crime Syndicate, their since Crisis On Infinite Earths. When an airplane full of strange things crashes, the JLA learns of another universe- one where evil always wins. They cross over, trying to fix another world. but their evil counterparts also cross over to the JLA's world. The Crime Syndicate was a huge part of the Silver Age Justice League and Morrison and Quitely's reintroduction of them brought them to life for a whole new generation of readers. Because of this story, the Crime Syndicate would go on to bigger and better things but most fans have never read this story. 2 JSA: Black Reign. JSA; Black Reign , by writer Geoff Johns and artists Rags Morales and Don Kramer, is one of the highlights of Johns's time on JSA and one of the best stories in the team's history. Black Adam and a team of former heroes have wrested control of Black Adam's homeland from a brutal dictator but the JSA doesn't trust the former villain and tries to end his reign before he can do something terrible. Johns, Morales, and Kramer supply an action-packed story, one that pays off years of stories. Full of killer art and great characterization, this story supplied Black Adam with his new status quo and cemented his place as one of the most interesting characters in the DC Universe. 1 JLA: The Nail. JLA: The Nail , by writer and artist Alan Davis, is an Elseworlds tale that asks the question of what would happen to the DC Universe if the Kents got a flat tire on the day they would have found baby Kal-El. While many of the same heroes still exist, things are very different and get worse as mysterious technology ends up in the hands of the villains from a shocking source. Davis kills it with this one. Easily of the best Elseworlds tales of the '90s, up there with Kingdom Come, it's a rollicking good time. The story's big twist is one for the ages as well, as fans will never foresee the identity of the mastermind of the whole plot. 10 Green Lantern Comics To Read In Preparation For The HBO Max Series. HBO Max's upcoming live-action Green Lantern series will introduce a number of new characters, so it's time to hit the comics to prepare for the GLC! While the character has yet to make a huge splash in live-action, fans were excited by the announcement that HBO Max was developing a live- action series for the streaming network called Green Lantern that would focus on a unique group of Lanterns, led by Finn Wittrock as the popular but as-yet unadapted Guy Gardner. Gardner will be joined by other members of the Green Lantern Corps like Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, and the Silver Age GL along with alien Lanterns like Kilowog and Sinestro. With all of these largely unknown characters set to appear in Green Lantern , it's time to hit the comic rack and begin preparing with a few of their greatest storylines that may be adapted for the series. 10 The Worst And Best Version Of Guy Gardner Starred In His Own Self-Titled Series. While Guy Gardner first appeared during the continuity-heavy Crisis on Infinite Earth 's maxi-series and starred as a member of Justice League International , he really became to shine on his own in his self-titled series by Gerard Jones and Joe Staton, which featured his rough personality at its most extreme. The series explored his drive to be a hero even without the backing of the GLC which led to his use of a yellow Qwardian and an extremely 90's costume. While the series' low sales led to a drastic reworking of Guy Gardner into the alien hero Warrior, it still serves as a great introduction to the character that helps explain his status in the DCU. 9 JSA: The Golden Age Explored Alan Scott's Difficulties As Green Lantern After WWII. While it was originally considered an out-of-continuity Elseworlds tale, James Robinson and Paul Smith's JSA: The Golden Age has been partially canonized over the years to become part of the established history of characters like Alan Scott/Green Lantern. Earth's first human Green Lantern who was unaffiliated with the GLC fought with his fellow heroes during WWII, though The Golden Age explored Alan Scott's time in court during the McCarthyism era following the war and the struggles he faced alongside the rest of the JSA. 8 Kilowog's Origin Was Revealed In Blackest Night: Tales Of The Corps. Kilowog is an alien from Bolovax Vik who served for years as the head trainer of the Green Lantern Corps who was known for his hard but loveable training style that helped prepare new Corps members as protectors of their individual space sectors. While he appeared in a number of storylines over the years that included some time working with the USSR, it wasn't until Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #3 by Peter J. Tomasi and Chris Samnee that fans got to see his own training as a Green Lantern and the tragedy that led to his own future as the GLC's drill instructor. 7 Sinestro Rejoined The Green Lantern Corps During The New 52 Run. The inclusion of Sinestro on the live-action series from HBO Max is very interesting, though it's unclear which role the former Green Lantern will take on the series as he has been both the GLC's greatest hero and most powerful enemy over the years. Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke brought the character back to the GLC during the New 52 run of Green Lantern as he was again chosen by a power ring with the intention of helping him redeem himself for his past actions, which may play a role in the HBO Max series. 6 Guy Gardner And Kilowog Begin To Rebuild The GLC In "To Be A Lantern" Dave Gibbons and Patrick Gleason put Guy Gardner and Kilowog together in Green Lantern Corps as the long-time friends began to put the GLC back together after the return of Hal Jordan during Green Lantern: Rebirth . While the series introduced a few new members of the Corps, it's likely those roles would be taken over by new heroes like Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz in HBO Max's Green Lantern . Regardless, the series is a fantastic look at Guy Gardner and Kilowog's friendship that also explores their history as Lanterns without making readers dive back decades. 5 Earth 2: The Gathering Featured A Younger Modernized Version Of Alan Scott. The New 52 reboot of the DC Universe introduced a new younger version of Alan Scott along with a number of other JSA characters with James Robinson and Nicola Scott's Earth 2 series, which featured a number of changes for the first Green Lantern. Not only was Alan Scott revealed to be gay for the first time in DC history (a change which has carried over to the returned original version), but his abilities were also drastically altered to further connect him to Earth as the avatar of the Green and wielder of the elemental Green as protector of all life on the planet. 4 Simon Baz Became A Green Lantern During the Rise Of The Third Army Storyline. Simon Baz was the first new Green Lantern introduced in the New 52 era as he was chosen by the merged rings of Hal Jordan and Sinestro in the pages of Geoff Johns and Green Lantern #0 before he debuted in the regular series for the Rise of the Third Army storyline. Baz was thrust into the fire almost immediately after becoming a Green Lantern, but he proved himself early in a great debut against the deadly Third Army, dark versions of the GLC who could assimilate and corrupt new hosts to build their army and eventually take over every living being. 3 Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz Were Paired Together As Earth's Protectors In Green Lanterns. While Jessica Cruz made her comic debut in the pages of Justice League and soon joined the team as Power Ring, she didn't officially join the GLC until the final moments of the Darkseid War event, which might be a lot to explore before the HBO Max series. Thankfully she was teamed up with fellow rookie Simon Baz as Earth's protectors in Sam Humphries and Robson Rocha's Green Lanterns , which also recaps the characters' origins before training them through extensive trial and combat to make them better members of the GLC. 2 Guy Gardner Became The Leader Of A Powerful Rival Corps In Red Lanterns. Guy Gardner's relationship with the Green Lantern Corps hasn't always been the most stable, as his established issues with authority have often seen him venture off on his own, or even seen him join with a rival Corps. After Guy Gardner was asked to go undercover with the Red Lanterns in Charles Soule and Alessandro Vitti's "The New Blood" storyline that eventually saw Gardner challenge Atrocitus to become the new leader of the Red Lantern Corps as he tried to guide the rage-filled Corps in a more useful direction while dealing with his own anger problems. 1 The Green Lantern Corps Fought One Of Their Own's Army During Sinestro Corps War. Sinestro's role in HBO Max Green Lantern has fans hoping that means we'll finally see a live-action adaptation of the Sinestro Corps War , which saw the long-time Green Lantern villain form his own powerful Corps using the yellow energy of fear that was powered by the dark avatar known as Parallax. The Green Lantern Corps were forced to defend themselves in an all-out war with some of the worst and most dangerous Lantersn they had ever encountered, which would be the perfect confrontation for the live-action series to build up to over the course of the series. JSA: The Golden Age: Deluxe Edition. From STARMAN scribe James Robinson, and in the beautiful Deluxe Edition format, comes an alternate history tale that pits the heroes of the Justice Society of America against a devastating, homegrown threat! Set during the start of one of the darkest periods of U.S. history, the infamous "McCarthy Era," THE GOLDEN AGE takes a thought-provoking look at what might have happened to DC's first generation of superheroes beyond their exploits during the Second World War, when paranoia has taken a chokehold on America. DC's first generation of superheroes have been driven into retirement or hiding, or madness--except for a few who are willing to change with the times. But behind the scenes, something even more sinister is unfolding--a subtle plot that may engulf the planet and remake it in one man's image. Collects JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE #1-4.