All Star Comics Archives, Vol. 8

All Star Comics Archives #8

by Gardner Francis Fox, Robert Kanigher, John Broome

A collection of the adventures of the Justice Society of America, which at various times includes Wonder Woman, the Flash, the Green Lantern, Dr. Midnite, Wildcat, and Hawkman.

Genres: Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Adventure, Superheroes, Fiction

228 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic book historians estimate that he wrote more than 4,000 comics stories, including 1,500 for DC Comics.
Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroes the Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and the original Sandman, and was the writer who first teamed those and other heroes as the Justice Society of America. Fox introduced the concept of the Multiverse to DC Comics in the 1961 story "Flash of Two Worlds!"

Pseudonyms: Gardner F. Fox, Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, Lynna Cooper, Rod Gray, Larry Dean, Robert Starr, Don Blake, Ed Blake, Warner Blake, Michael Blake, Tex Blane, Willis Blane, Ed Carlisle, Edgar Weston, Tex Slade, Eddie Duane, Simon Majors, James Kendricks, Troy Conway, Kevin Matthews, Glen Chase

Reviews

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dumb silly stories with campy and cheesy villains, cringy dialogue and whatever script with a few exceptions on the idea of the plot but poor execution because, well, 40s.

What's stuck to me for 20 issues or so now, ever since Wonder Woman joined the team, they have her just being there doing pretty much NOTHING.. and all the while having right next to her name written "Secretary" so she's basically there throwing a line or two and doing nothing else. And she's Wonder Woman, I mean you got a guy named Johnny Thunder for fucks sake, who's got no powers pretty much, unless you count stating the obvious every now and then a power. Oh well... the 40s. I have to excuse everything on that.

Whatever I guess... wouldn't recommend. Better off reading some Garfield.

PS. There's an issue here which we get Supe and Bats guests, but of course it's 40s Supe and Bats, and that means it's like a 4 year old wrote them.

[Adam Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book collects Issues 34-38 of All Star Comics. There are several big changes that occurr. First, Johnny Thunder is benched, so no adventure is saved by him saying, "Say you."

Issue 34 sees the Introduction of the Wizard, a villain who believes the Justice Society must be pretending to be heroes for some reason but really trying to make money on the side. Issue 35 features the villain Per Degaton in time travel tale that was a bit advanced for the Golden Age and also a bit confusing. Issue 36 is a tale of men corrupted by drowning in a body of water that turns them evil. Superman and Batman appear in this one and actually take part in a JSA golden age adventure for the first and only time.

Issue 37 sees the introduction of the Injustice Society and our heroes face a grim battle. Disappointment in this one is that Johnny Thunder are captured off-panel. Issue 38 sees a big shake-up as all the male JSAers are apparently killed in the first pages and Wonder Woman has to revive them with the help of Black Canary (who makes her first JSA appearance.) and we get a long adventure without individual chapters which is a first for All Star Comics.

The book features an enthusiastic introduction from comics legend Roy Thomas. Whether you agree with Thomas that this was the JSA at its best, this is certainly one of the best volumes and showed that even though the golden age was nearing an end, this book wasn't running out of steam at all. My complaints are mostly minor. This book is a classic must-read if you're a fan of Golden Age comics.

[The other John · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this volume, the JSA takes on the Wizard, Per Degaton, the Injustice Gang of the World, five men under the influence of the "Stream of Ruthlessness" and wax figures of History's greatest villains come to life. Roy Thomas claims in his introduction that these tales are from the JSA's "golden age". They are good stories, but I'm more inclined to think that the JSA were at there best at the beginning of their run. Of course, maybe that's because one of my favorite JSA members happens to be Johnny Thunder and in this volume he's quietly being phased out. (sniff) The series' regular writer, Gardner Fox, also received his walking papers during this sequence. Him, I don't miss as much. But I did appreciate the ride he gave not only to the kids of the 1940s but also to us geezers in 1990s who got to experience these reprints for the first time.

[Rich Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly excellent volume in this series! First you've got classic artists galore: Joe Kubert, Harry Lampert, Lee Elias, Irwin Hasen, Carmine Infantino, Alex Toth, Stan Aschmeier. Then you've got some of the truly legendary Justice Society adventures: "The Day That Dropped Out of Time" introducing Per Degaton, the second appearance of the Wizard, and the first meeting of the Injustice Society. And Superman and Batman stop by to fill in for Johnny Thunder and the Atom.

This is the way comics used to be made. Classic tales. Definitely worth any comic fan searching out.

[Paul Dellinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was great fun, because I'd read some of these comics as a kid. A good old wallow in nostalgia.