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Justice League of America Archives #1
Justice League of America Archives, Vol. 1
DC Comics has created some of the world's most legendary super-heroes. In the 1950s, they decided to bring them all together and form the Justice League of America. In this beautiful hardcover book, Batman, Superman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman come together to form the most powerful super-hero group of all time. Included in these stories is the origin of the League itself as well as its first battle against the alien menace, Starro the Conqueror.
This hardcover collects stories from the following comic books:
The Brave and the Bold #28 (Justice League of America)
The Brave and the Bold #29 (Challenge of the Weapons Master!)
The Brave and the Bold #30 (Case of the Stolen Super Powers!)
Justice League of America #1 (The World of No Return!)
Justice League of America #2 (Secret of the Sinister Sorcerers)
Justice League of America #3 (The Slave Ship of Space!)
Justice League of America #4 (Doom of the Star Diamond!)
Justice League of America #5 (When Gravity Went Wild!)
Justice League of America #6 (The Wheel of Misfortune!)
This hardcover collects stories from the following comic books:
The Brave and the Bold #28 (Justice League of America)
The Brave and the Bold #29 (Challenge of the Weapons Master!)
The Brave and the Bold #30 (Case of the Stolen Super Powers!)
Justice League of America #1 (The World of No Return!)
Justice League of America #2 (Secret of the Sinister Sorcerers)
Justice League of America #3 (The Slave Ship of Space!)
Justice League of America #4 (Doom of the Star Diamond!)
Justice League of America #5 (When Gravity Went Wild!)
Justice League of America #6 (The Wheel of Misfortune!)
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Gardner Fox
1,240 books94 followersGardner 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 23, 2020
Usually, I greatly enjoy classic DC comics. These... not so much.
There was just way too much text. I get it, in the past, comics relied more heavily on text than artwork compared to the comics we have today. There's always a bit of adjustment that needs to be made when reading classic comics after so many modern ones. That being said, I never really felt all that bored when reading several other classic comics. I enjoy World's Finest and some classic Detective Comics. I like some of the Wonder Woman and Teen Titans comics I've read that were written pre 90s.
However, the Brave and the Bold and Justice League of America were just boring to me. Way too many ridiculous events to make the stories go on longer, villains I will not remember in the next hour, and... what is the point of the Snapper? I don't get why he's here.
Anyway, the best part was Aquaman riding into battle on a sea turtle. This is definitely not a recommend from me.
There was just way too much text. I get it, in the past, comics relied more heavily on text than artwork compared to the comics we have today. There's always a bit of adjustment that needs to be made when reading classic comics after so many modern ones. That being said, I never really felt all that bored when reading several other classic comics. I enjoy World's Finest and some classic Detective Comics. I like some of the Wonder Woman and Teen Titans comics I've read that were written pre 90s.
However, the Brave and the Bold and Justice League of America were just boring to me. Way too many ridiculous events to make the stories go on longer, villains I will not remember in the next hour, and... what is the point of the Snapper? I don't get why he's here.
Anyway, the best part was Aquaman riding into battle on a sea turtle. This is definitely not a recommend from me.
January 10, 2013
Man, comics from the early Silver Age sure are goofy, but endearingly so. Before Aquaman was a punchline, before every hero needed a tragic backstory and dark secrets, everything was just brightly colored do-gooders keeping the world safe from mad scientists, alien despots, and wicked sorcerers, with threats arriving and dispatched inside of 24 pages. (Also for some reason a disproportionate number of these threats had names ending in "o" - the ten comics reprinted in this book include the villainy of Starro the Conqueror, Amazo the android, Kanjar Ro, and Despero. But sadly, no Love Boat crossover with special guest appearance from Charo.) Simple pleasures from simpler times!
April 21, 2023
Gardner Fox was a mainstay of DC Comics from the Golden Age into the Silver Age. His Justice Society stories in All-Star Comics are beloved and legendary. So why does his first year of Justice League of America fall so flat? It seems to be a combination of editorial interference and a lack of familiarity with the characters.
Superman and Batman are clearly members of the team, but are almost uniformly relegated to background characters (they are almost always excluded from the covers and in issue 6 they don't appear at all). That seems to be the weight the respective editors of each character wielded back in 1960; the introduction to this volume claims that those editors didn't want the two characters overexposed. But, considering in 1960 Superman sold over 800,000 copies per month and Batman over 500,000 copies, I suppose they did have that power (today's comics are a "hit" if they crack 40,000).
Also, there are moments that - even in the wacky world of the Silver Age - leave the reader shaking his head in confusion. In one tale, the android Amazo steals the powers of the League including Green Lantern's power ring and Wonder Woman's magic lasso. But those aren't powers, they're tools. And in another scene, Aquaman leaps from a spaceship high above the earth...since when can he fly?
The art is also not up to par. Mike Sekowsky seemed to have difficulty with every character except for Wonder Woman. And don't get me started on the tremendously annoying Snapper Carr (who became a wonderful character in the late 1990s in Hourman).
Something must have worked, though, because by 1961 Justice League of America was selling a very respectable 335,000 copies per month (credit for sales figures to Comichron).
Superman and Batman are clearly members of the team, but are almost uniformly relegated to background characters (they are almost always excluded from the covers and in issue 6 they don't appear at all). That seems to be the weight the respective editors of each character wielded back in 1960; the introduction to this volume claims that those editors didn't want the two characters overexposed. But, considering in 1960 Superman sold over 800,000 copies per month and Batman over 500,000 copies, I suppose they did have that power (today's comics are a "hit" if they crack 40,000).
Also, there are moments that - even in the wacky world of the Silver Age - leave the reader shaking his head in confusion. In one tale, the android Amazo steals the powers of the League including Green Lantern's power ring and Wonder Woman's magic lasso. But those aren't powers, they're tools. And in another scene, Aquaman leaps from a spaceship high above the earth...since when can he fly?
The art is also not up to par. Mike Sekowsky seemed to have difficulty with every character except for Wonder Woman. And don't get me started on the tremendously annoying Snapper Carr (who became a wonderful character in the late 1990s in Hourman).
Something must have worked, though, because by 1961 Justice League of America was selling a very respectable 335,000 copies per month (credit for sales figures to Comichron).
August 7, 2011
Wonderful stories and tales from the original author of the Justice League.
August 20, 2013
Hokey, even for the Silver Age, but interesting that many villians that were later used to better effect had their orgins here.
April 4, 2018
It's so campy but I love it. It also has the introduction of Snapper Carr (???) and Aquaman, so that's good.
November 24, 2025
These earliest stories of the JLA are just not good, even for the campy plots that DC was churning out at the time. The villains are lame (used to much better effect in later stories) and the heroes rather wimpish in action. In the nine issues collected in this volume, each story has some excuse to mostly sideline Superman and Batman so the others can have the spotlight; the villains are always setting up scenarios so the team has to split into pairs to take on aspects of the plot; and, most annoying there is always something yellow conveniently around to mess with Green Lantern's ring and always an unexpected flame-up to send the Martian Manhunter into shock.
I was also expecting the first story (Brave and the Bold #28) to be the origin of the JLA, seeing as how it's their first appearance, but no, they are already an established team with a secret headquarters and successful team missions under their belt when the issue starts!
These stories were all written by Gardner Fox. I have 9 more volumes of JLA archives to read and the next 7 are all written by him as well (groan). I know he's famed for writing "The Flash of Two Worlds" in the Flash comic. Hopefully new editors or something will have some of his later JLA stories having some girth to them. At least I know Denny O'Neil starts as writer in the later issues of volume 8.
I was also expecting the first story (Brave and the Bold #28) to be the origin of the JLA, seeing as how it's their first appearance, but no, they are already an established team with a secret headquarters and successful team missions under their belt when the issue starts!
These stories were all written by Gardner Fox. I have 9 more volumes of JLA archives to read and the next 7 are all written by him as well (groan). I know he's famed for writing "The Flash of Two Worlds" in the Flash comic. Hopefully new editors or something will have some of his later JLA stories having some girth to them. At least I know Denny O'Neil starts as writer in the later issues of volume 8.
June 15, 2024
It can be formulaic and I don't love how barrel-chested they draw everyone ( excluding Wonder woman) but I will say, I had fun.
The adventures are big and goofy, nobody is grim or messed up because it's more 'realistic', there's cool little in group team ups, Martian Manhunter has super martian breath, Green Arrow is in short sleeves and drives the Arrow-mobile, aliens and time travelers show up to mess with earth every other week and every story ends with Snapper Carr using some hip teen lingo to sum events up.
The history article in the forward was interesting, and once he mentions that the editor wanted Batman and Superman in every story, but the writer didn't, it's fun seeing how many times Gardner Fox finds ways to get the World's Finest duo quickly off stage.
The adventures are big and goofy, nobody is grim or messed up because it's more 'realistic', there's cool little in group team ups, Martian Manhunter has super martian breath, Green Arrow is in short sleeves and drives the Arrow-mobile, aliens and time travelers show up to mess with earth every other week and every story ends with Snapper Carr using some hip teen lingo to sum events up.
The history article in the forward was interesting, and once he mentions that the editor wanted Batman and Superman in every story, but the writer didn't, it's fun seeing how many times Gardner Fox finds ways to get the World's Finest duo quickly off stage.
November 5, 2025
Un archivo inesquivable para el comienzo de los equipos de superhéroes tal y como los conocemos.
Este trae:
The Brave and the Bold #28 (Justice League of America)
The Brave and the Bold #29 (Challenge of the Weapons Master!)
The Brave and the Bold #30 (Case of the Stolen Super Powers!)
Justice League of America #1 (The World of No Return!)
Justice League of America #2 (Secret of the Sinister Sorcerers)
Justice League of America #3 (The Slave Ship of Space!)
Justice League of America #4 (Doom of the Star Diamond!)
Justice League of America #5 (When Gravity Went Wild!)
Justice League of America #6 (The Wheel of Misfortune!)
Este trae:
The Brave and the Bold #28 (Justice League of America)
The Brave and the Bold #29 (Challenge of the Weapons Master!)
The Brave and the Bold #30 (Case of the Stolen Super Powers!)
Justice League of America #1 (The World of No Return!)
Justice League of America #2 (Secret of the Sinister Sorcerers)
Justice League of America #3 (The Slave Ship of Space!)
Justice League of America #4 (Doom of the Star Diamond!)
Justice League of America #5 (When Gravity Went Wild!)
Justice League of America #6 (The Wheel of Misfortune!)
September 17, 2017
I really wanted to like this book, but just couldn't do it. I knew not to expect the stories or art to be of the same quality as today's but these stories were particularly atrocious. I've read other comics from this same era that were much better. The art was fine for this time period, but the writing was a chore to read. I don't think I'll be getting any more of these archive editions, especially with the price point they're at.
March 16, 2019
What an absolute treat back in time... Justice League of America first appeared in Brave and Bold and then they had their own series. 1960, so yes the writing and the sign of the times is prevalent with the storytelling. I had no idea about a teen hepcat named Snapper Carr was named an honorary member...who snaps a lot when he's happy. Ha! Classic villains like Starro and Amazo, amazing to see their first appearance.
August 20, 2018
Got it for Wonder Woman, learned a lot about Flash. Lots of fun.
Read
January 12, 2024Archivo con las primeras historias de la JLA en plena Silver Age deceíta.
ME quedan muchos personajes pendientes por catalogar.
ME quedan muchos personajes pendientes por catalogar.
January 1, 2016
This is a book about how a group of seven superheros formed a league to prevent a giant starfish from dominating the Earth, and about how they later dealt with other villains, such as a time-traveling megalomaniac and a sinister professor who meddles with luck. Batman and Superman are the two most famous members of the original Justice League, although they’ve often got far more important things to do than actually appear in the comic. Other members of the league include Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Martian Manhunter and later the Green Arrow.
The entire Justice League share a sidekick in Snapper Carr, a weird suburban kid who talks in a baffling dialect and clicks whenever he’s happy. He originally got involved with the Justice League as he was immune to starfish mind-control, due to being covered in lime from mowing his parent’s lawn. Apparently you mowed lawns with lime in the Sixties, I didn’t quite get that detail. My guess is that the Justice League keeps him around so that he can provide them with the perspective of an average American. I mean, it would be quite easy for a cabal of aliens and other weirdos to become detached from the people they’re trying to protect, so talking to Carr ensures that they stay in contact with at least one normal person. Also, Snapper Carr can usually be relied to say something slightly amusing at the end of each issue.
Every member of the League seems to have completed a high-school chemistry course, and you’d be surprised how useful that knowledge is when performing superheroics. Especially if you’re the Flash. I guess Gardner Fox wanted the comic to be education, but it comes off as unsubtly didactic.
My favourite story in this book was the one with the luck professor. Glands were a vital part of the narrative.
I’d recommend this book for people who like superheros and chemistry.
The entire Justice League share a sidekick in Snapper Carr, a weird suburban kid who talks in a baffling dialect and clicks whenever he’s happy. He originally got involved with the Justice League as he was immune to starfish mind-control, due to being covered in lime from mowing his parent’s lawn. Apparently you mowed lawns with lime in the Sixties, I didn’t quite get that detail. My guess is that the Justice League keeps him around so that he can provide them with the perspective of an average American. I mean, it would be quite easy for a cabal of aliens and other weirdos to become detached from the people they’re trying to protect, so talking to Carr ensures that they stay in contact with at least one normal person. Also, Snapper Carr can usually be relied to say something slightly amusing at the end of each issue.
Every member of the League seems to have completed a high-school chemistry course, and you’d be surprised how useful that knowledge is when performing superheroics. Especially if you’re the Flash. I guess Gardner Fox wanted the comic to be education, but it comes off as unsubtly didactic.
My favourite story in this book was the one with the luck professor. Glands were a vital part of the narrative.
I’d recommend this book for people who like superheros and chemistry.
March 9, 2010
Lo marqué como read hace añares pero ahora no estoy tan seguro de haber leído todos los números que componen este tomo. Dejo acá el índice para corroborarlo issue por issue la próxima vez:
The Brave and the Bold #28 (Justice League of America)
The Brave and the Bold #29 (Challenge of the Weapons Master!)
The Brave and the Bold #30 (Case of the Stolen Super Powers!)
Justice League of America #1 (The World of No Return!)
Justice League of America #2 (Secret of the Sinister Sorcerers)
Justice League of America #3 (The Slave Ship of Space!)
Justice League of America #4 (Doom of the Star Diamond!)
Justice League of America #5 (When Gravity Went Wild!)
Justice League of America #6 (The Wheel of Misfortune!)
The Brave and the Bold #28 (Justice League of America)
The Brave and the Bold #29 (Challenge of the Weapons Master!)
The Brave and the Bold #30 (Case of the Stolen Super Powers!)
Justice League of America #1 (The World of No Return!)
Justice League of America #2 (Secret of the Sinister Sorcerers)
Justice League of America #3 (The Slave Ship of Space!)
Justice League of America #4 (Doom of the Star Diamond!)
Justice League of America #5 (When Gravity Went Wild!)
Justice League of America #6 (The Wheel of Misfortune!)
September 23, 2014
Comics from the 60's are painful, and while these are a different pain than the Stan Lee Marvels, they are just as formulaic, just a different formula. I'm also not a fan of Mike Sekowsky's art. I've never liked the way he makes these characters look.
March 19, 2014
taken at face value the stories in this volume are just plain awful. the exceptional art is the real reason to check this book out.
September 21, 2014
Classic Tales Of Teamwork, Friendship & Justice!
February 10, 2016
Dated, of course, but fun.
January 15, 2017
The Age of SciFi in DC Comics...very much in full-force in this issue as the JLA encounters all form of otherworldly adversaries. Simple stories from a simple time!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews