The Justice Society of America (JSA), since their relaunch in 1999, has once again become a major team in the DC Universe. Until that point, the team had been subjected to some pretty harsh treatment, culminating in DC’s Zero Hour.

Before Zero Hour, a story in which members of the original team were either killed or aged, there was a pretty good attempt at bringing the characters back in their own series. That’s what we’ll be talking about today…

Justice Society of America (vol.2) #1 - “Home Again”
Original Release Date: August 1992
Writer: Len Strazewski
Pencils: Mike Parobeck
Inks: Mike Machlan
Letters: Bob Pinaha
Colors: Glen Whitmore
Edits: Brian Augustyn

It’s a sunny day at Gotham Stadium and Gramps, taking advantage of a major event, thought today would be the perfect day to share something with his grandson, Justin, which he’d loved as a boy; a group of people that started it all-a group of heroes. As Gramps tries to impress upon Justin the importance of these people, he realizes just how much he’d missed them himself.

Out on the field, in front of thousands, the group Gramps remembered loving as a boy takes the field: the Justice Society of America!

With them is the mayor of Gotham, who introduces each of them on this day of their retirement: the original Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, The Flash, Doctor Midnight, Hourman, Starman, Wildcat, The Atom, Johnny Thunder, and Sandman!

Also in attendance this day, sitting with his Lois Lane, is Clark Kent. Lois realizes how futile it is to hold a conversation with Clark right now, because the guy’s so caught up in the moment, just like Gramps and Justin are on the other side of the stadium.

Things tend to go wrong when large groups of heroes are gathered together and this day proves no different as the very field the heroes are standing on opens up under the mighty force of a massive creature. The Justice Society scatters, saving people in danger after the creature’s entrance cuts a swath of damage through the stadium.

Before they can tackle the creature, a familiar red and blue hero swoops down. The team watches on in awe as this young hero does, seemingly better, what they used to go all the time.

Superman makes fast work of the creature and lands near the team. Unfortunately, before any pleasantries can be exchanged, Johnny Thunder alerts the heroes to the Sandman’s condition: he’s just had a heart attack!

Time passes and we find Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, and Jay Garrick, the original Flash, sitting at a diner on a snowy evening. They talk about Wesley Dodds, the original Sandman, who has been confined to a wheelchair after not being able to fully recover from his heart attack.

The two talk of their lives and how the world around them has changed. Before that day of their retirement party those months ago at Gotham Stadium, the team had been trapped in a magical dimension (Note: too much continuity for me to cover here.). Alan admits to still wanting to keep a hand in the world of super heroes, to still be able to do what he’s done for so many years.

Fortunately for them something big is occurring and the news on the TV in the little diner is covering it! A power plant has been taken over by an armed paramilitary group calling themselves The New Order. They are demanding one billion dollars that all mutant wild life be freed. Seeing the opportunity for what it is, Alan and Jay suit up and make their way to the power plant.

In very little time the two take care of this rogue group of villains, realizing that maybe they’re just not ready for retirement…

*****

And so ends the first issue of what was supposed to be an ongoing series that was cut too short with its cancellation as of issue number 10.

If you’re not immediately familiar with the name of writer Len Stazewski, then you might realize who he is when I mention Malibu Comics’ Ultraverse title, Prime or, perhaps, Prototype. These were two fun little titles that came out of the ill-fated Malibu Comics Ultraverse line.

The artist here is from the fantastic and sadly no longer with us Mike Parobeck. The art immediately reminds you of an animated series style in the fashion of “Batman: The Animated Series.” Appropriately enough, by issue number 7 of Batman Adventures, the amazingly good comic book that took place in the Animated Series Universe, Mike was the regular penciller until his death in 1996.

For a really cool article on Mr. Parobeck, check out THIS old piece at Newsarama.

As much as I’d like to spend some time writing about the history of the JSA, it’s already been done by authors much better than me. If you’re interested, check out THIS by my hero, Scott Tipton.

Overall, this book is an interesting and fun footnote in the history of the Justice Society of America that, if you’ve ever been cautious about seeking out, is well worth the few bucks you’ll plunk down to get the entire run. It’s not rare, so it should be pretty easy to find.