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Alternate JSA

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Roygbiv666:
Check out this famous cover of the first appearance of the Justice Society of America, the first super-team in comics.

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/File:All-Star_Comics_3.jpg

Who would you put in each seat for different companies? They don't have to be power parallels, just who you like.

For example, if Standard/Better/Great/Nedor/whatever had done one, they might have had, left to right:

American Crusader
Black Terror
Captain Future
Doc Strante
Fighting Yank
Grim Reaper
Miss Masque
Pyroman

What about Centaur, etc.

I was thinking of getting a comic art commission, and this famous cover would be cool to replicate.

John C:
I don't really have an opinion, but it might be interesting to keep in mind the nature of All-Star Comics, rather than simply assume that the heroes should be chosen from "favorites."  The All-Star principle was closer to "American Idol" (I assume, never having watched it) than any sort of "all-star" anything.

The characters were explictly the second stringers from anthology books, with the goal of finding the next break-out character.  As a character got "promoted," he left the book (and team).

On top of that, there seemed to be the idea that you couldn't promote multiple characters from the same anthology:  Nobody from Action or Detective were on the JSA roster, because Superman and Batman had their own books already.  Oh, and the lineup is half-and-half split between All-American Comics and National Periodical Publications.

Not that you're "not allowed" to approach it differently, obviously, but I often find adding these sorts of restrictions make the selection both easier and more interesting.  For Nedor, especially, you have a schism between imprints (or companies) and you have characters like the Black Terror who did graduate into their own titles.  Playing with those ideas could give rise to a much more interesting team than you would otherwise have considered.

narfstar:
Yeah John All-Star was an ingenious marketing ploy. The JSA members had very little interaction with one another. The characters appeared on the cover so if you see some characters you like you get the book. Then like you said, one character may break out and not the exposure.

Guardian7:
Basing this on what has been said.

For Centaur I would probably go with...

Air Man

Fire Man

Vapo-Man

Minimidget (with Ritty)

Plymo

Solarman

Zardi the Eternal Man

Electric Ray

Blue Lady or Super-Ann (yes I know the inclusion of these two makes nine when there are eight. But in the eventual placement of a female member I would likely choose one of them. Blue Lady is vastly more interesting so I would personally go with her.

That is my picks at least.

The JSA's lineup is probably one of my all time favorite lineups ever to be created. Just a great blend of characters (even better after they added Wonder Woman).

G7

John C:

--- Quote from: narfstar on October 03, 2010, 10:21:41 AM ---Yeah John All-Star was an ingenious marketing ploy. The JSA members had very little interaction with one another. The characters appeared on the cover so if you see some characters you like you get the book. Then like you said, one character may break out and not the exposure.

--- End quote ---

It also shows how tastes have changed.  Many other companies tried to build a team out of their heroes and never got past the first appearance.  The JSA, though, was almost designed to NOT be a team, and they became a mainstay of the industry.  Meanwhile, today, you can get by with almost any team book, but nobody will publish an anthology.

I do wonder how seriously the characters were chosen, though.  It almost seems like the pairs were intentionally supposed to give a "correct" answer to the next solo character.  For example, did anybody really think there was a chance of the Atom getting his own book when fellow All-American hero Green Lantern is available?  Did Hawkman have a chance with Flash around?  Could Dr. Fate and the Spectre possibly each support a title?

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