You have to love a big sprawling superhero wartime story. Unfortunately, judging by the solicitations, it looks like the new Earth Two series from DC will be taking place during current times, severing the JSA from the backdrop of World War II once and for all. While I can understand the desire to modernize their line, I think they are letting go of a big part of the appeal of the Goden Age characters. I always enjoy seeing superhero period pieces and even when those characters are brought into present day, it's cool to see how they interact with others, given their sensibilities from a bygone era.
as i'm sure long time Freedom Fighters fans know, there was a knock off of the Invaders that appeared in their book back in the 70s. i think issues 8 and 9, but not sure. i think they were the Crusaders, some comic book fans (that looked suspiciously like Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and some other comics writers working for Marvel. it was all, of course, a nefarious plot by the Silver Ghost.
ReplyDeleteTwo things occur to me: as I was saying to my brother the other day, the Invaders are primal creatures, archetypal and imposing. I love Bucky's dialogue here.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, why didn't DC set the Freedom Fighters in the Nazi-occupied world of Earth-X? I read five issues and they were almost all terrible.
THAT must have been one tricky, exhausting cover to pull off!
ReplyDeleteDidn't The Archie comics line publish a team book called the Crusaders.
ReplyDeleteIt was a tricky cover but it came together well. There are some real doozies coming up. Issue #300 almost put me in the grave.
ReplyDeleteYes, Archie has The Mighty Crusaders.
ReplyDeleteDave sez,
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful thing right there!
It just keeps getting better! Any plans to go outside of DC and Marvel and use characters from other companies like Image, Dark Horse, and others?
ReplyDeleteI admit it is a bit Marvel/DC heavy in the beginning, but I have already featured some characters from other companies and you can expect many more in the future
ReplyDeleteYeah it was Invaders #7 & #8 and Freedom Fighters #14 & 15.
ReplyDeleteThis is worth it just for Captain America vs. Uncle Sam.
ReplyDeleteHopefully something with just the two of them will come up some time in the future.
Fascinating concept! I'm surprised you did not arrange a more direct face-off: The Justice Society vs. The Invaders (or All Winners Squad).
ReplyDeleteJSA and Invaders will meet...
ReplyDeleteOr, All Winners Squad and All-Star Squadron!
ReplyDeleteTwo of my all-time favorite comic teams and series. And I also completely agree with you about the mistake it is to reboot the JSA outside of WWII. They're removing a LOT of their appeal by doing that.
ReplyDeleteWhile I look forward to finding out what DC has up their sleeve for the new JSA title, my dream version of the concept in the nu52 would have been to retain the characters' Golden Age appearances, set the book in either WWII or immediately after, and have Howard Chaykin run the thing. Maybe a mini-series like that could happen at some point...
ReplyDeleteI love this website, BTW. The juxtapositions are inspired, the wordplay is often dynamite, and the actual mechanics of the covers work exceptionally well. You clearly have a grasp of MS Paint which I can only hope to one day achieve. Thanks for putting these out there for us to appreciate!
Thanks, Brian!
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the Freedom Fighters was that the Nazi domination of Earth X was taken care of in JLA, when they introduced the world. The series followed that continuity. Nobody was really thinking about a period setting, until Roy Thomas came over to DC and pitched the All-Star Squadron. He then tied things to Earth X, with more of the Quality Comics characters. Then Crisis came along.
ReplyDeleteFreedom Fighters was a Jack C harris book and, outside of Warlord, he didn't have a great track record, as an editor. Then again, DC as a whole didn't, in that period.