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Once again, Lady Obie graces us with a piece, this time in the spirit of the new Boneyard feature, concerning a title she had the good fortune to acquire even after its short, foredoomed run ended. While support from the publisher often brings viable projects to a premature foreclosure, some pieces definitely deserve a second look either as launching-points for style, concepts, or reprints. And, as she suggests, timing can play a crucial role here. So ignore the banner above and consider this piece more like unto what goes on in the Quarter Bin Boneyard.

The JSA That Came Too Soon ('92-'93 series)

You look at how the JSA now has a much-lauded very successful comic and might think to yourself of what came before...

• The Justice Society of America's original run in the All Star Comics of the 1940s?
• Their guest appearances in Justice League of America in the 1960s and 1970s?
• The All Star Comics continuation new interest spawned in the mid to late 1970s?
• The All Star Squadron books of the early 1980s?
• Their guest appearances in Infinity Inc. & Young All Stars in the mid to late 1980s?

You might even recall the 8-part mini from 1991 that showed how the JSA experienced their last heyday in the early 1950s just prior to their forced retirement.

But did you know the current JSA comic is not the first 1990s series to show how this Golden Age origin team of heroes adjusted to modern times?

Starting in 1992, the first comic entitled JSA appeared (more formally Justice Society of America, noting how this was from the time before DC got into using acronym titles with the mid-1990s JLA revitalization series). It ran for 10 issues, ending in 1993.

During this series, it was established the JSA had just returned from Limbo (where they had been trapped fighting a demon for years) and were adjusting to life in the real world.

The series pulled no punches as to their physical conditions. The revitalization that they had during their time in Limbo was wearing off and they were being forced to face the disorders that come with age: heart disease, aching joints, etc. In fact, some fans felt this 'geriatric JSA' focus was rather annoying!

I guess hearing your fave hero has arthritis in his knees is not that interesting to some. But to me it worked. It made them seem more real. They were getting old so why couldn't they be a bit fallible because of it? Not every superhero needs a Kryptonite weakness to be compelling.

Heck, Jay even had a falling out with his wife Joan while Rex struggled with the realization of his drug addiction and the fact use of his Miraclo seemingly caused his son Rick to be ill (years later another comic, ironically called Hourman, revealed that Rick's illness was more alien in nature and later showed him being cured by Amazo, an android out to discredit Ty, the comic's main hero, by bonding with his friends and taking over his life).

Yet despite those difficulties the various JSA members did come through and save our world! This comic really was the last hurrah for the Golden Age JSAers. I've heard its failure is part of what led to the extermination of several JSA members in the Zero Hour: Crisis in Time mini from 1994.

This book was also blessed with a very talented staff. Len Strazewski's writing was warm and reverential. The art by the late Mike Parobeck and Mike Machlan was wonderful to behold.

The Fickle Hand of Fate

This was a fun comic that seemed to be doing pretty well.

Every form of odds that could be stacked against it seemed to be:

1. I learned in a chat with writer Len Strazewski that the DC tptb didn't like his writing, Mike Parobeck's art or the idea of a comic featuring 'old' characters.
2. Because of this (and, possibly, some other unknown factors) the book was canceled prior to the publication of issue #1. Fortunately they allowed the book's first story arc to be completed before the ax was to fall. It was a long story arc, lasting 10 issues. With that '92 Justice Society of America fans lucked out. Had it been a short one we might only have had 2, 3 or 4 issues of this comic to speak of.

Even though this Justice Society of America did prove to sell moderately well, it was already doomed. It was a true dark horse of a comic.

Yet if this JSA had sold well enough (or gotten enough behind the scenes support), it would've reached its 100th anniversary issue a few months ago. Can you imagine how awesome that would've been? Sure, the current JSA may well reach its own issue 100 - but it's just not the same.

The Beginning of a JSA Fan

To put it succinctly, the 1992 Justice Society of America comic made me care about the team JSA.

I had been a fan of the JSA offshoot team Infinity, Inc. since I started getting that comic as back issues in the late 1980s. But I didn't see much of the JSA themselves in that comic.

Sure, I knew and liked their children and proteges - but what about the JSA?

Even up until the Zero Hour: Crisis in Time mini I didn't really know much about or care for the JSA team. It brought about the ends of several JSA members but when I saw that the only ones I liked, Jay Garrick (the Golden Age Flash) and Alan Scott (Sentinel, the Golden Age Green Lantern), were ok, I was fine.

It wasn't until I started reading 1992 Justice Society of America back issues as a curiosity about a year later that I realized just what had been lost with the destruction of several JSA members and Alan and Jay's decision to disband the team in light of that great tragedy.

Justice Society of America from 1992 really opened up the team for me - and my heart for the team. Oh, I still love Infinity, Inc., and if asked I would tell you I prefer them to their forbears.

But in a way, my love of JSA makes sense, too. If I like the young Infinitors, why can't I like their mentors and parents as well?

Could the 1992 Justice Society of America Have Been a Hit Today?

This is an interesting question to contemplate.

There are a couple factors to consider:

1. It had a very retro 1940s writing style. Translated, that means it was written very fancifully but simply, as if to appeal to child fans (which I have a feeling there were far more of 9 years ago than now - most fans these days are GASP! adults who are nostalgic about their beginnings with comics in their childhoods).
2. The art was also retro and old-fashioned in appearance. It was very cute (IMHO), but other fans felt it looked too cartoony and silly.

Perhaps the best bet for this Justice Society of America's survival today would be to join the DCU Animated family of comics. They're the comics DC made based on recent TV cartoon shows that carry on their themes.

Not that I know if there would ever be an animated JSA 'toon to support such a comic but it might well not need one for a springboard.

All it has to do is carve out a niche among fans who like that style of comic. It might also be a good way to introduce potential new fans to the concept of the Justice Society of America, a team who as it stands has a very muddled continuity.

Over the years the Justice Society of America has gone through many confusing changes. Children are pretty smart these days but anyone who can just jump in without any previous knowledge and understand all the JSA convolutions that have occurred over the years deserves a million dollar prize. I'll include adults here as well because it can be just as confusing to them.

The current JSA comic has its good moments but it's kind of dark and dreary at times. Add to that it can also be kind of slow and confusing sometimes, too.

So why not have a light, fun, not-heavily-bound-to-continuity version to introduce new fans to the JSA mythos?

Trading Place

Another possibility some fans have been clamoring for is a trade paperback (TPB) of the 1992 Justice Society of America.

At 10 issues, it is a good size to support one that wouldn't be terribly expensive. Note that the 12-issue Crisis On Infinite Earths maxi made it into one TPB.

So how about DC giving us one of the 1992 Justice Society of America?

Surely whatever rocked the boat back when the comic was fighting for life has eased up enough to see the sense in such an enterprise. Hopefully, anyway.

It would give 1992 Justice Society of America fans one convenient place to find all of their beloved comics, new JSA fans a glimpse at many of the oldsters while they were still active with the team, and DC plenty of money from all of them.

I'd say that would be a win-win situation, wouldn't you?

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