Robin and The Young Allies

 

Robin has some history with these two on the blog:  

He met the Young Allies with the Teen Titans way back in STF #197, 

He fought alongside Toro in STF #3226. 

Robin last met Bucky battling Dr. Moreau in STF #1881.

Once, Robin considered taking over for Bucky...

There was the time they tackled zombies together...

They met later in their careers as Nightwing and The Winter Soldier...

Bucky has even tried to take over for Robin, once solo, and once with The Young Allies.

Blackhawk and The Human Torch

 

It's about time that Blackhawk me some other high-flying heroes from World War II.  let's just hope that he can keep his balance up there!

Mademoiselle Marie and The Invaders

 

Are fishnets and a mini skirt appropriate battle wear?  Maybe not, but Marie is an effective agent nonetheless. It would be cool to see her on a mission with The Invaders.

Kid Flash and The Young Allies

 

It looks like Wally West got his hands on the Cosmic Treadmill and found himself in a golden age adventure with wartime's greatest superhero sidekicks.  I'd read it!

Toro and Robin

 

If memory serves, one of the reasons Dick Grayson chose Robin as his superhero handle was in honor of the legendary tales of Robin Hood.  I wonder then, why he wasn't given a bow and arrow to use?  Green Arrow would not be created for another year at least, so it would have still been a novel idea.  Maybe they just  didn't want kids to emulate the young hero by trying out the weapons themselves?  Batarangs were harder to come by I suppose.

Robin previously met Toro as part of the Young Allies in STF #197, and a very early Lost Brave and the Bold cover... 

The Human Bomb joins The Invaders

 The Human Bomb had a simple concept and even simpler costume, but I always got a kick out of him as a kid.  I just liked the idea of a guy that could make his body combustible and survive to do it again.  Lots of heroes and villains could cause explosive destruction through weapons or energy beams from their eyes or hands, but this guy was the explosion!  I though it was cool then, and I think it's cool now!

Seven Soldiers of Victory Vs. The Invaders in: "Victory Slap!"

 

This year may be a bit tougher than most to find things to be thankful for, but I am still counting my blessings.  I am glad I will get to see at least a few of my relatives today for the holiday.  I am also of course thankful to all who take the time to stop and visit this blog on a regular basis so that I can share my love of comic artists and characters with them.  Happy Thanksgiving!

These two teams first crossed paths in STF #2824...

7 Soldiers of Victory and The Human Torch

When people talk about accessibility of comics, sometimes I don't think they give kids enough credt for being able to figure things out.  One of the very first comic stories I read as a kid - and one that got me hooked was Justice League of America #100-102, which featured the JLA, JSA and Seven Soldiers of Victory in one big adventure.  Even Metamorpho came along for the ride!  I wasn't put off by so many characters I hadn't seen before - indeed, I was dazzled by them and wanted to find out more.

Superman and The Invaders

I have been enjoying reading Superman's very first adventures in the collected Superman Chronicles series of TPB's lately.  There's an energy to those early adventures, from a time before superheroes were even a genre, that just cannot be replicated today.  I can only imagine what it was like for a young kid to have been reading those ground-breaking tales right off the newsstands.

Firestorm and The Human Torch

Flaming hair, puffy sleeves, pointed shoulders and an asymmetrical symbol - Firestorm's look is crazy but for some reason it always worked for me.  He definitely stood out among the other DC heroes back in the 80's.  The Original Human Torch and Toro, on the other hand, have incredibly simple looks that are equally as effective.  The flamed human appearance is so cool that they don't even need facial features!  Toro does look a little goofy when flamed off, though - I'm not sure why Jim Hammond gets to wear a full red suit but he is stuck with boots and a pair of shorts.

The Teen Titans and The Young Allies

The Teen Titans in their original form are still one of my favorite teams ever.  These days, the Titans are one of the biggest victims of DC's multiple continuity and timeline reboots.  Multiple versions of the same character, team members seemingly aging at different rates and confusion over who was actually a member and when have turned what was once a simple concept (superhero side-kicks form a team) into a muddled mess.  I was hoping the DC reboot would streamline things, but it has only exacerbated the problem.  Maybe for the next reboot they should just de-age all the original Titans and start from scratch!

The Freedom Fighters and The Invaders

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.

Batman and The Young Allies (Retro)

Long before the likes of the New Mutants or even the Teen Titans, the Young Allies blazed the trail for future teenage superhero groups.  Indeed they were Marvel's first ongoing team book.  Bucky, Toro and a plucky group of kids helped foil plots by the Red Skull and real world Axis Leaders.  With a renewed interest in Bucky these days due to his high profile return as the Winter Soldier as well as his recent cinematic exposure, I hope to see some new tales of this WWII super group hit the stands.