Kids today have no idea just how insane comics used to be – and I recognize that I sound like a cranky old man when I say that, but it is absolutely true. Comics for people like my parents – baby boomers who bought comics for a couple of cents – were not the sophisticated, nuanced comics we get today. But damn it, they were fun.
In 1985, DC released “America Vs. The Justice Society of America,” a book that served to tell a fantastical story – that the late Batman’s diary revealed that the JSA were actually Nazi sympathizers – as well as summarize their careers for a whole host of new readers. The results were mixed, but quite interesting.
AMERICA VS. THE JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA TP
Written by ROY THOMAS
Art by RAFAEL KAYANAN, RICH BUCKLER, JERRY ORDWAY, ALFREDO ALCALA, HOWARD BENDER and others
Cover by JERRY ORDWAYFollowing the end of World War II, Batman accuses the Justice Society of America of collaborating with the Nazis, which leads to a Congressional investigation that could mean disgrace for the JSA! Collects AMERICA VS. THE JUSTICE SOCIETY #1-4.
One of the really nice things about DC reprinting so many Silver and Bronze aged comics is that it gives newer fans a chance to read stories that came out either before they were born, or when they were too young to be buying comics, and to show them what their favorite heroes and books were like in the past. I started reading comics in 1985, when I was three years old, so while I didn’t buy this comic as it was coming out, a lot of the tropes and techniques are quite familiar to me, and bring back a bit of nostalgia.
But that said, this miniseries really reinforced something I’ve long since held to: while modern comics don’t recap events enough, the Bronze Age recapped everything, all the time. On a macro level, this entire miniseries is a recap of the past 40 years of the Justice Society. Every major villain, mission, and character is given at least a cursory mention. Sure, it might be odd that someone like Mister Terrific is relatively absent here, but he still gets more panel time than a dead character with no bearing on the story should get in the slightest. Hell, Thomas gives Wildcat this panel in the fourth issue, just in case someone was screaming at their comic “YOU’RE LEAVING OUT WHEN WILDCAT WORKED WITH KIDS!”
The best part is the ‘No sense in bringing that up’ tag – of course there’s no sense in bringing that up! Wildcat, at best, is of tertiary importance to this story, and his time as a faux-youth councilor couldn’t be less relevant.
So, what is the big story? So, on Pre-Crisis Earth 2 – where the Golden Age heroes continued to age at, more or less, a real time rate, making young men in the 40s now in their 60s – Batman is dead, but before he died, he gave a scientist acquaintance his diary, with the instructions to, upon his death, give it to Clark Kent of the Daily Star. Well, Batman died, and Clark got the diary, which asserts that the JSA were actually working for Hitler during World War II, and continued to be evil right up to the modern day.
This gets printed in the Daily Star by Jimmy Olsen, after Clark asked him to fact-check it, and after it does, the JSA has to appear before a congressional committee to clear their innocence. It is during this committee hearing that the entire history of the JSA is reiterated. One of the committee members, in particular, keeps saying “What exactly does this have to do with the allegations?” Thank goodness he does, because I was thinking that a number of times. Don’t get me wrong, it is amazingly fun to read stuff like this:
But does any of that really have to do with whether or not the JSA were Nazis? Not even in the most abstract sense.
The book is filled with double page spreads, the likes of which that above image was pulled, that attempt to tell 6-12 months worth of stories in one big image. These spreads are both incredibly informative and shockingly puzzling. For instance, Sandman mentions twice in the book his ‘purple and gold period,’ which can be inferred to mean when he changed costumes, but that’s a pretty casual way to put it. While the book makes noble attempts to make sure that you’re following along at home, the density of pre-Crisis Earth 2 is staggering. Even just naming the members of the Justice Society and their relationships is taxing. And don’t forget, at this point, they have been relegated to back ups and anthologies for years – if anyone knew Batman in 1985, they didn’t know about a cancer-stricken dead Batman, who had a daughter with Catwoman and became Gotham Police commissioner.
Continued belowBless his heart, Roy Thomas really tries to give everyone reading a comprehensive history of the Justice Society, but is that really the best use of this time? It’s a debatable point, but there is one reason why that answer is yes: because he has folks like Jerry Ordway and Rich Buckler to draw little recaps of the various adventures. These Silver/Bronze Age artists all draw in a style that is more or less extinct now, and the tone of the stories matches their abilities perfectly.
If this comic came out today, this panel would be full of shadow and sneer – but look how bright and clear this image of the Justice Society pledging allegiance to Hitler is:
Hitler is an interesting part of this story, too, because the comic paints him as by far the most evil person who has ever lived, and by a long shot. In comparison, when the JSA are brainwashed into slaves by the Injustice Society, look at what they are made to do:
“We’ve finally defeated the Justice Society! Now, we can finally get that soup pot really spic and span!”
All of this is to say that there’s a weird disconnect in the issue between the crimes for which they are being tried – being Nazi sympathizers/abetters – and the stories of their heroics. Granted, no one wants an invasion from the Gold Universe, but does that really seem that bad after the Holocaust?
One of the most nuanced and interesting characters in the book is that of Dick Grayson, a grown man still acting as Robin, but also as an attorney for the prosecution. He feels that Bruce couldn’t have been lying – and the various tests, including those done by Superman, prove that he wrote the journal in his patented left-handed handwriting – and therefore the JSA must be guilty. His struggle to see his mentor/friend as anything but perfect is the best part of this book.
The conclusion to the story is muddled to say the least – it involves time travel, cancer, an apparent split personality between Bruce Wayne and Batman, Power Girl showing up, and a long-talked about villain showing up in the end. To be honest, it’s a clusterfuck of epic proportions. But that doesn’t take away from the fun that is had in the book. Look, the Golden Age was a very specific time in comics, and this book, made nearly 40 years later, manages to nail the tone of its era (1985) while not making the stuff from the 40s seem all that silly. If the goal was to help the youth of 1985 appreciate the Justice Society, I think the book is successful.
But the next time someone tries to tell you that all modern comics are garbage and all older ones are better, be thankful that you don’t have to get a recap in every single issue of a miniseries. Or, that companies feel the need to tell ‘new’ stories in order to rehash their 40 years or so of history. Modern comics aren’t perfect, but no age’s are.
But not all eras can boast having Dr. Mid-Nite fetching coffee for the Fiddler, either.
