BLACK ADAM versus JUSTICE SOCIETY

Thunderstruck (DC)
Where: JSA #27 When: October 2001
Why: Geoff Johns How: Rags Morales

The Story So Far...
In ancient times Teth-Adam was considered a champion, but the Black Marvel has a long road to walk if he's to undo centuries of damage and restore his reputation as a hero.

Submitting himself to the Justice Society of America, Black Adam begins probationary tenure with the heroic ensemble -- but not everyone is convinced he should be there.

As Captain Marvel pays a visit to vouch for his predecessor, tensions are boiling over with Atom Smasher, who believes Black Adam will inevitably turn on the group like every other villain who attempts to reform.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Black Adam 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Terrific 5 (Professor)
Speed: Captain Marvel 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Black Adam 6 (Generator)
Agility: Sand 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Black Adam 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Stargirl 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Black Adam 34 (Super)

Black Adam is the ancient champion of Shazam, who gains the stamina of Shu, the swiftness of Heru, the strength of Amon, the power of Aten, and the courage of Mehen, when he speaks the wizard's name and receives his magic lightning!

The Justice Society are: Sand, Mister Terrific, Wildcat, Hawkgirl, Doctor Mid-Nite, Star-Spangled Kid, and Atom Smasher, with Captain Marvel.

The JSA have Black Adam outnumbered, but they don't particularly have him out-gunned. The Black Marvel has gone toe-to-toe with Superman and only Atom Smasher gets close to matching his incredible strength!

The enlarging strongman is generally in a lower class than Black Adam, but we saw him handle himself relatively well when Atom Smasher led the Suicide Squad against the Black Marvel Family, many years later, in 52 #34.

Fortunately for the JSA: Captain Marvel has come calling! With his own godly gifts supplied by SHAZAM, he's every bit Black Adam's equal, enduring his own battles with Superman, and besting the likes of the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man, an all-star Monster Society of Evil, and Neron corrupted Justice League.

Black Adam had the help of Brainwave when he defeated Captain Marvel some years later in Hawkman #24. This time the dynamics are very different, and it's Captain Marvel who has the entire JSA to back him up! Will it be enough?

The Tape: Justice Society & Captain Marvel Ranking: Black Adam (#22)

What Went Down...

Black Adam has Atom Smasher by the throat as Captain Marvel makes his entrance into the JSA brownstone.

"I heard you were seeking salvation, Black Adam. That you were looking to prove to the world that you've changed your ways. I came to vouch for you[,] but a bit of advice -- Don't choke potential teammates."

The Black Marvel releases his grip, blaming his impulse on the temper of the mortal Theo Adam. He apologises to his teammate, who preemptively responds in kind -- delivering a giant-sized uppercut he'll be sorry for later!

Adam explodes through the glass ceiling as he's launched into the night sky!

Atom Smasher knows he's made a bigger mess of things as Captain Marvel takes flight to pursue his fellow. He meets an enraged Black Adam in mid-flight -- cutting off his furious path back to the JSA brownstone.

The powers of SHAZAM collide in spectacular fashion as the strength of Hercules meets the might of Amon-Ra!

The Captain maneuvers himself to wrap a mighty bicep around Black Adam's throat and hold him back. He compels his comrade to reject the influence of Theo, but the anger incited by Atom Smasher's insult is great!

The Justice Society arrive on the scene just in time to see Black Adam power through Captain Marvel's hold and torpedo dive Atom Smasher!

Team chairman, Sand, draws his sleep gun and orders Atom Smasher to subdue the probate, with Hawkgirl looming in support holding a spear.

Atom Smasher leans in to Black Adam and pins an arm over his shoulder, while shoving Captain Marvel out of the way.

In the ensuing chaos, Black Adam's out reaching hand grabs Sand's gun and crushes it -- unleashing a bursting cloud of sleep gas that stuns Atom Smasher and Hawkgirl!

Wildcat darts around the room, questioning Black Adam's loyalties, as Doctor Mid-Nite looms behind the peril. The query appears to snap Adam out of his rage and pause him in introspection, but the zipping of two of Terrific's T-Spheres around his face renew his aggravation.

Sand commends the tactical potential for beaming holograms directly into Adam's eyes, but Mister Terrific finds himself unable to command his T-Spheres to execute the strategem!

He can only speculate the lightning storm and rain raging overhead is disrupting communication channels. It leaves his T-Spheres autonomously whirring around Adam as he bats Wildcat and Mid-Nite away with each hand.

With imminent threats dealt with, Adam sets his scornful sights on Sand and Mister Terrific.

Slamming his hands together -- Black Adam unleashes a shockwave that launches Sand and Terrific flying through the air!

While Stargirl spurs Captain Marvel to rejoin the fray -- Adam looms over Sand, cast in shadow by the lightning cracking behind him.

Whatever the Black Marvel's intentions for the Chairman may've been, they go unfulfilled as a spiked mace smashes into the ground at his feet, and Hawkman descends from the storming skies to declare: "This fight is over."

The Hammer...

The authoritative word of Hawkman helps bring Black Adam out of his rampage, but the intervention of the former-chairman only creates further divisions as he appears to undermine the leadership of Sand.

Inter-personal dynamics are criss-crossed all over this battle, with Hawkman returning from a night's flight after witnessing Sand kissing Hawkgirl, and Black Adam's admission to the JSA creating tensions with Atom Smasher, and his well meaning old rival Captain Marvel.

Atom Smasher echoes the expectations of readers who'd doubt the long-term viability of Black Adam as a hero, but the twist in their relationship comes when Atom Smasher actually sees things Adam's way, joining him in his attack on Kobra, and subsequent conquest of Khandaq.

To the uninitiated: JSA might've seemed like an attempt to capitalize on the late-nineties magic of JLA, but the 1999 collaboration between David Goyer and Geoff Johns had so much more to offer, laying the groundwork for significant foundational storylines that continued under Johns throughout the next decade!

Black Adam arguably became a minor sensation with his nineties revamp in Power of Shazam, and lingering appearances in various nineties DC Comics events -- but it was his return in JSA that began the ascent to breakout superstar!

Stories running through JSA, 52, and a Black Adam mini-series, minted the once obscure Captain Marvel villain into a full-fledged icon destined for the big screen, but for a while there, JSA was also the best place to find Captain Marvel himself.

DC seemed to effectively lose confidence in Captain Marvel as a viable property throughout the 2000s, leaving JSA to carry the flag in the ensemble series after Power of SHAZAM was cancelled in early '99. It was then in issues like JSA #27, and the Black Reign crossover of Hawkman #24, that fans could again see the two Marvels renew their seemingly settled rivalry.

Issues like these highlight the absurdity of emerging reports that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson blocked Captain Marvel from appearing with the Justice Society on the big screen, but there's a lot more to the JSA than was seen in the movies.

Once everyone has calmed down, the team decides to resolve their leadership issues with a vote, which installs Mister Terrific as the new Chairman.

An exciting new role for the genius successor to Terry Sloane's legacy of fairplay, which at least sidelines any issues brewing between Sand and the returned Hawkman, but comes at a time when his trademark T-Spheres have been infiltrated by a similar device controlled by Roulette!

The infiltration was the real reason Terrific's devices weren't responding during today's featured fight! The mistress of competition sent her drone to whisk the team away for more adventures in the next issue.

I very much intend to take a closer look at that adventure some time in the future. There are a few different sessions with Roulette that are surely right up our combat-loving alley, and I look back upon this period of DC Comics, and its revival of classics like JSA and Hawkman with great fondness. A time when Geoff Johns mastered intuitively fusing the old with the new alongside artists like Rags Morales.

As for today's contest: Although Hawkman brought proceedings to a relatively peaceful conclusion, you can clearly see that Black Adam had the best of the Justice Society. A majority of the team was subdued. A win's a win.

If you'd like to see more from the characters featured in today's entry you can follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 700 battles and ranked well over 1,000 characters! You can help keep us in the fight by showing your support for all this content by becoming a Patreon backer. As a thank you you'll receive access to various additional updates and customizable content options at the higher tiers, including Rank & File Top 10 lists.

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Winner: Black Adam
#19 (+3) Black Adam
#40 (--) Captain Marvel
#51 (-3) Hawkgirl
#369 (-186) Wildcat
#429 (-48) Atom Smasher
#430 (-23) Sand
#653 (-108) Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)
#654 (-110) Doctor Mid-Nite (Pieter Cross)
#27 (--) Hawkman [+1 assist]
#100 (+3) Stargirl [+1 assist]

JUSTICE SOCIETY versus SANDMAN
Waking the Sandman Part Two: Night Terrors (DC)
Where: JSA #64 When: October 2004
Why: Geoff Johns How: Jerry Ordway

The Story So Far...
In the 1940s Sanderson Hawkins was adopted by wealthy socialite Wesley Dodds; also known to citizens of New York City as the crime-fighting mystery man, the Sandman! Hawkins would soon find himself involved in Dodds' clandestine operation, eventually leading to accident that would turn him into a horrible silicon monster! Dodds placed his ward in suspended animation in an effort to protect both Sandy and the world from his mistake.

Resurrected in the modern era, Hawkins is cured, and inherits the JSA Brownstone and leadership of the team in a new age. Alas, Hawkins' time for this world was brief, and when the forces of Mordru, Obisidian and Eclipso unite their powers, Sand perishes in a heroic sacrifice to protect the Earth from multiple earthquakes -- or so it seemed! Forces far beyond this dimension had other ideas, and so, Sandy Hawkins enters a state of suspend animation once more, waiting to be woken from his nightmarish dreamstate...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Brute 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Dr. Fate 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Flash 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Sand 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Sand 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting Ability: Hawkgirl 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Dr. Fate 7 (Cosmic Power)


- The Justice Society of America are: Dr. Fate, Lyta, Flash, Stargirl, Hawkgirl, and Brainwave.

During the Golden Age of superheroes in the forties, many of the heaviest hitting heroes united to form a powerful syndicate of heroism called the Justice Society.
Among the well-known founding members were; Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Sandman, The Spectre, Dr. Fate, Hourman, and the Atom.

Despite an ebb and flow through time that has seen the team maintain varying degrees of activity, they have endured to the modern day. Extending the JSA's lifespan is a new "legacy" policy which allows the inclusion of new members related to former members, by blood, or by inheretence of power.

- In the 1940s Sanderson Hawkins finds himself orphaned, his only living relative, a well-to-do woman about town, Dian Belmont. Eventually Hawkins finds himself adopted by Belmont's boyfriend, Wesley Dodds, a wealthy sociallite who secret prowls the streets as the clandestine mystery man - the Sandman!

Sandy joins Dodds in his war against crime as "the golden boy," but in an accident involving one of Dodds' experimental weapons, Sandy finds himself transformed into a horrible silicon beast after being bombarded with radioactive silica particles. Hawkins lay in stasis for decades until, in the modern era, his humanity was restored by his ward, but not without a strange twist. As a result of his ordeal Hawkins could now manipulate silicon matter, and transform his physical form into sand particles. He adds these fantastic new powers to the arsenal left to him by his mentor, adopting the crime-fighting handle: Sand!

The Math: Sand (Avg) Justice Society (Ttl) Ranking: Hawkgirl (#86)

What Went Down...
While one-half of the Justice Society makes the arduous trek deep into the Earth to find the lost body of Sand; the other half of the team, by means provided by Dr. Fate, travel into Sand's psyche, where they find themselves trapped in the plane of the Dream Dimension!

Sand attacks the Society with no apparent recollection of their identity, using his influence over the Dimension to divide the team through savage sandstorms!
Dr. Fate and Lyta find themselves unable to help their fellows as the all-too-familiar reveals the machinations at work.

The Flash finds himself separated with Brainwave, who had recently recovered from possession at the hands of Mr. Mind. The pair find themselves the first target in Sandman's strategic assault, but Brainwave is able to use his mentallist abilities to freeze the confused hero in his tracks.

Believing the JSA to be another of a series of absurd obstacle thrown against him in the Dreaming; Sand exerts his will over the dimension to overpower Brainwave's commands, summoning enough will to reach for a tiny whistle...

The whistle beckons the true architects of the Dream Dimension - Brute and Grom! The pair of creatures, known well to Dr. Fate and Lyta, have been responsible before for the imprisonment of Sandmen, all a part of their scheme to control their own piece of the Dreaming as a means of creating their own Dream King! They gladly lend their assistance to the beseiged Hawkins, who remains thoroughly under their spell.

His hand forced, the Flash is the first to retaliate, but his super-speeding efforts are for naught as the Sandman shifts his body to a particle array. He reforms, unleashing a devestating attack on the elder statesman, who he instead beleives to be little more than a villain-of-the-week!

Grom launches his disgusting body at a slightly bewildered Hector Hall, confused by the familiarity expressed by the creature. His partner, Lyta, however, remembers their ordeal in the Dream Realm quite well, as she finds herself beseiged by Brute, who also remembers. Lyta exerts her strength on the aptly named creature, while Hall blasts his opponent with magical energy, and begins to slowly recall the memories of another life.

Stargirl and Hawkgirl double team Sand with a diving assault, giving Brainwave another opportunity to sift through the fog of Hawkins' manipulated mind. While they hold him down, Hawkgirl removes her cowl in a bid to appeal to romantic feelings Sand developed during his tenure as JSA chairman. The gambit pays off.

Meanwhile, Glob recalls the tortures of the last time they programmed a hero as their own personal Sandman. Hector Hall's inherited cycle of reincarnation proved to be their undoing, earning the attention of cosmic entities like Death!
The nightmare creature enforces it's sorrow with suffocating results, as Fate succumbs to Glob's aptly oozing body.

A surprise ambush from Lyta sees Glob torn asunder!
She then turns her Amazonian fury to Brute, whose strength proves futile beneath the heel of the powerful Fury. Freed, Dr. Fate is finally able to stamp his will on the battle, condemning the two imps to a lifetime of torture in a prison of children's dreams. In doing so; Sand is freed!

The Hammer...
Brainwave is able to untangle Sandy Hawkins' mind from the web of deceit spun by Glob and Brute, putting the finishing touches on a nice Justice Society victory! For you fantasy leaguers, make a note: Flash, mostly ineffective, only picks up the assist. Awww.

Backstory: Last month we had a poll to let you choose between movies and teams. You chose movies, and we took a look at some of the characters who'll be hitting screens in feature films. With that out of the way, we're jumping into team talk! We already talked a bit about the Invaders in a sorry excuse to talk about one of my favourite books of the past few years [New Invaders #1]; and now, to balance the books, the JSA!

You might be wondering what possessed me to pick this issue as our JSA spotlight. Honestly, I was asking myself the same question when it dawned on me just how much baggage comes along with this story. See, if you somehow missed it, this isn't the first time Glob and Brute have pulled a stunt like this.
Before his most recent resurrection, Hector Hall was the manipulated guest in the Dream World, where the nightmare creatures hoped to foster their own Dream King. All of this stuff, which happened in Infinity Inc, but ties directly into Neil Gaiman's work with Morpheus, and other characters in that tangentially related mythos of the other Sandman. The goth one. Yeah...

Frankly, it's all a bit too garbled for my liking, but I foolishly thought I could combine this fight with the battle to rescue Sand's physical form, to make for a rankings super-spectacular. A double feature, however, was not to be, and you'll have to wait a while to see what happened to Powergirl, Green Lantern, and the rest of the gang.

I started by complaining about the history associated with this otherwise simple issue. I mean, really, it's a two-parter about Kirby-inspired camp in a pocket dimension. It might be a mouthful to describe, but it's a pretty simple scenario of biff, pow, and thwarting evil! Of course, here in lies the brilliance of Geoff Johns and the inherent charm of the Justice Society's far reaching history in the DC Universe.

One can almost imagine Johns holding his breath as he maticulously performs micro-surgery on the convolutions of the DC characters. He makes it look easy, as he deftly streamlines Hawkman's many histories, passes this definition on to the mortally damned Hector Hall, and skims across the surface to finish it off with a seemingly throwaway allusion to Hall's fatal past. All in a day's work, and satisfying sequential story, for Geoff Johns, master of all he surveys!

For those of you who keep tabs on the site, you'll already know he's been on top of the creator top ten for quite some time. It's a position that will only further with this review as his unassuming dominance of the site, and comics, continues.

Johns' legacy is seemingly already secured. With defining runs with Flash, JSA, Hawkman, and in particular, Green Lantern; his mark on history is secured.
Just as he has provided [re]defining moments in the lives of characters, so too has Johns had an influence over the DC Universe as a whole, putting his best foot foward with intense involvement in projects like; Infinite Crisis and 52.

This was supposed to be a discussion about the Justice Society, but with Johns, it's just so hard not to spiral off into so much more. It's this penchant for association and unfolding story that makes Johns, and DC comics right now, so very involving. As much as Countdown to Final Crisis has earnt it's share of detractors; I think we will one day look back on this era of the weekly series and regard DC's display of editorial cohesion with awe. Johns has been key to that, being perhaps the most immediately influential member of the 52-four [w/ Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid].

As a guy who's been around reading comics for a fair while, one of the most fascinating elements of this evolution has been the reversal of roles.
While writers like Johns have spent the last decade and a half crafting a more engaging sense of the DC Universe, the folks across the street, who were once far better known for the Stan Lee model of asterix marketing [why was it always Thor flying overhead?..], seemed to crumble to the demands of individualized stories.

By now the horse has to be well and truly dead, but the message I constantly find myself coming back to is what I regard as perhaps the single most valuable asset of comics as a medium: the implications of longevity -- continuity!

JSA provides not only contemporary reference for the work of writers like Geoff Johns; but the very spirit of what it means to have history in the fictional realm. So few other mediums can claim to have the depth of fiction that comics do, with some of these characters' histories spanning the full sixty years!
I can understand and empathise with the negative association some have come to have about so-called "continuity," but all too often this replaces the cold indifference of fact. Absurdist theories, particularly those surrounding DC comics for some reason, have a way of permeating through the fanboy culture, and yet, even the most chic of geek finds himself ultimately counter intuitively going down a path to loving their own piece of history.

I can't pretend I'm making any kind of profound statement here, or even something you haven't heard time and time before. I just hope that this, the 400th official post on the Infinite Wars, can be one staunchly advocating the value of persistence and history.

When I started reading comics, I was looking back as much as I was looking forward. Maybe societal changes have made us lazy, but there's no reason to see the back issues as a chore. Why, a back issue is just a comic you didn't buy!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 4.5

Boy! If that last paragraph wasn't fifties enough for you, how about a little product placement? Yes, you too can check-out the "Waking the Sandman" two-parter, as well as a whole lot more the "Lost" TPB collection. By starting your back issue journey on Amazon with the purchase links provided, you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! Which is good, because then you can sign-up to the Fantasy League, browse through the Secret Archives, and maybe make some more purchases from the Amazonian Gift Shop! Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: Cures tired blood!

JSA versus SOLOMON GRUNDY
Out Of Time: Part 1 (DC)
Where: JSA #65 When: November 2004
Why: Geoff Johns How: Don Kramer

The Story so far...
During the Golden Age of superheroes in the forties, many of the heaviest hitting heroes united to form a powerful syndicate of heroism called the Justice Society.

While the team recovers from their defeat at the hands of former ally and new ruler of Khandaq, Black Adam; they enter into a battle against time as Rick Tyler lies dying in the Timepoint: A place in space that will exists for only an hour's worth of external reference.

While the android Hourman from the future does his best to aid the original Hourman, Rex Tyler, and Dr. Mid-Nite in saving Rex' son; the rest of the Justice Society must respond to another rampage by the undying creature called Solomon Grundy!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Powergirl 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Terrific 5 (Professor)
Speed: Flash 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Solomon Grundy 6 (Generator)
Agility: Sand 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting Ability: Hawkgirl 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic)


- The Justice Society of America are: Green Lantern, Flash, Dr. Mid-Nite, Stargirl, Hawkwoman, Mr. Terrific, Sand, and Powergirl.

During the Golden Age of superheroes in the forties, many of the heaviest hitting heroes united to form a powerful syndicate of heroism called the Justice Society.
Among the well-known founding members were; Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Sandman, the Spectre, Dr. Fate, Hourman, and the Atom.

Despite an ebb and flow through time that has seen the team maintain varying degrees of activity, they have endured to the modern day. Extending the JSA's lifespan is a new "legacy" policy which allows the inclusion of new members related to former members, by blood, or by inheretence of power.

- The true origins of Solomon Grundy are unclear, but it is widely believed he is the spirit of wealthy merchant, Cyrus Gold, who is said to have been murdered in the late 1800's and dumped in Slaughter Swamp. Rising from the marsh, Grundy becomes an undead force that would come to menace Batman, Green Lantern, and both the Justice Society and Justice League.

Grundy possesses superhuman strength and endurance, and a penchant for returning from even the most fatal of scenarios. His personality is seen to shift after many of these lethal experiences, usually with minimal higher brain functions, reducing him to a lumbering and disgruntled monster.

Due to his marshy origins at Slaughter Swamp, Solomon Grundy has been seen to possess the ability to negate the Green Lantern's ring by way of it's weakness for things made of wood. This is presumably due to the bark and debris from the bog that saw his formation.

The Math: Justice Society Ranking: Hawkwoman (#84)

What Went Down...
While Rex Tyler reunites with the android Hourman in order to save his son's life in the Timepoint, a majority of the rest of the team is in Central Park, New York, where Solmon Grundy has returned for another rampage.


Grundy's old foe, the Green Lantern, attempts to talk the rampaging monster down. Grundy responds by wrenching a tree from the ground, using it to capitalize on the Green Lantern ring's only weakness -- wood!

Having already flung the rest of the team around with his brute strength, Grundy grabs Stargirl by the ankle, taking her as a pleasant trinket for future use.
Sand emerges from the battlefield, coming to Stargirl's rescue with a harpoon gun, which he fires with expert marksmanship, shooting it into Grundy's open mouth.

With Grundy anchored, Sand stuffs his sleepgas gun in the monster's mouth, letting the paralyzing gas seep directly into his maw. The notoriously powerful Solomon retaliates quickly with an overhand blow that sends a quake through the earth.

Sand recovers swiftly, turning his own earth-manipulating powers to a similar offensive, sending a focused tremor into Grundy's immediate vicinity. The move is sufficient to level Solomon Grundy, putting an end to his warpath.

The Hammer...
We come into this fight with the action already underway, so I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt to the rest of the team and assume they were of some assistance, but Sand gets full credit for another Solomon Grundy defeat. One of many that have been sitting in my go-to pile for quite some time.

It's just now dawning on me that this is going to be a very short entry. That's maybe a convenience since I'm trying to maintain daily updates through February, and that can get tiring, but on the other hand, I like to draw some sort of quantity-based distinction between normal entries, and quick fixes.

I'm not sure it really matters. DC coverage has been something that's demanded attention here on the Infinite Wars, and the JSA characters were among the most glaring omissions from the first two years.

Over the past five years I've probably enjoyed DC's creative directions far more than Marvel alternatives, despite some historic sense of loyalty to the House of Ideas [showing up in the Marvel bias on the Infinite Wars].

He appears quite regularly in our DC representation and it takes but a glance at the top ten creators to recognise that Geoff Johns is one of the most dominant writers to contribute to the big two over the past few years. His work on titles like Hawkman, Flash, and of course, JSA, made up a sizable portion of my conversion to the DC Universe, making good use of a wide variety of historical references in each.

If One More Day is the current measure of the very worst possibility; then Johns' talent for appreciating and utilizing characters that might otherwise be dismissed, succeeds in ever way OMD didn't. Likewise, new characters, particularly extensions to the JSA legacy, are a very positive feature of Johns' crafting of the brand even in current 2008 issues.

It sounds like naive arrogance to say I have an "affinity" for the Golden Age characters, but there are certainly a lot of characters I'm very fond of. Sandy Hawkins, featured here as the uber-Sandman successor, is one of those great I wish we could see more of, because if there's a flaw in the JSA model, it's the sheer number of characters!

I haven't had an opportunity to check out JSA: Classified, but without estimating the quality of the stories, it's a great opportunity to showcase these fantastic characters! I wouldn't want to call them under appreciated, given the success the JSA title attained around this issue, and the core influence the characters have had in the DC Universe. That might have cooled off a little as books like 52 push the successes of more modern characters, but that influence is still there.

I've really enjoy the intergration of these characters into other well associated corners of the DC Universe. Characters have mentored others in combinations both obvious, and inspired. Jay Garrick joins the speesters of the Flash; Alan Scott's association with the Green Lantern has grown, despite being notable for not being part of the Corps; Mr. Terrific succeeded Alan Scott as a leader in Checkmate; and Wildcat has been intergrated into Catwoman's corner.

JSA, even more so now, sort of embodies DC's great strength.
They've killed Superman and they've broken Batman's back, but a few black times aside, DC are the company that don't throw anything away. The company and it's properties seem endear that respect, and even if it's commanded by over zealous editorial edicts known for their interruptions, it's worked in the long run.

This reverence is seen throughout Johns' growing catalogue, and I suppose his relationship with DC is a big part of what's made him an industry powerhouse.
I've just remembered that there was another reason I wanted to talk about this issue, and it actually connects with Johns' current work on Booster Gold.

We've seen in the past that resonance between projects is not only possible, but likely. Johns maintains a consistency throughout his work that contributes a sense of reality to the universe in which he works, and JSA establishes a lot of rules and conceits of the way he treats time travel. That's not to say Booster Gold won't form it's own thesis dependent on the requirements of a story, but here, dealing with the Timepoint created to give Rick Tyler one hour with his father before he dies fighting the villain, Extant.

Though not pertinent to the feature fight, I have to lament on the central story, which sees a concession granted to time travel that references writing in fiction. Because, as Rick and Rex Tyler soon learn, an Hourman dies fighting Extant, but much like a well written retcon, it depends only on dressings and appearances.
Just to spoil the story for you, Rex Tyler returns to active duty with the JSA when he is replaced by an alternate who only appears to be Hourman. Food for thought for those reading Booster Gold, where Booster has been told he cannot save Blue Beetle due to the inevitabilities of time and space.

We talked a lot at the end of 2007 about the importance of reflecting contemporary movements on the Infinite Wars. The tenuous connection this issue has is the current issues of the relaunched Justice Society of America, which currently sees Johns reaching the epitomy of his use of history, drawing upon the alternate Earth from the Kingdom Come universe! Featuring those issues, or reviews of Kingdom Come, would be the obvious thing to do, but as a cash strapped reviewer, that isn't very likely.

Actually, y'know, I don't want to cast aspersions about the status of our humble blogsite, but you know what would be cool? Imagine if DC and Marvel were to get behind the notion of a fighting sports league of their characters and added me to the 'review copylist' to deliberately sponsor their characters. I'M JUST SAYING -- that would be cool. And it's not like I'm not doing my part to sell the stuff... DC, Marvel... Come and find me!...

I had a looong night, readers. This post is hitting turbulence that threatens to throw it completely off the rails, and self-referencial claims to review copies are probably the epitomy of that. I should probably wrap things up before I start weeping about lost loves!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 5

Finding yourself looking for a jumping on point? JSA is available in a wide series of trade paperback collections, and while this might not be the ideal starter, it's going to give you a crash course introduction to the Hourmen! I'd be very surprised if you didn't find yourself attached to them after this story! The trade contains this, and the following story.
Head over to Amazon where you can buy this, and many other trades, all while supporting Secret Wars on Infinite Earths (if you use the provided links to PURCHASE)! Amazon: it's not just for the ladies! Yay!