Earth-2 Sensation! All-Star Squadron Review!

 

NOTE: First posted June 18th, 2009...

Following an encounter with The Monster at the Lincoln Memorial with Dr. Mid-Nite and The Atom, Hawkman wings his way back to New York and the meeting room of the Justice Society of America. There he is met by Plastic Man, who tells him that he has been sent to bring the Justice Society to the President in Washington. The two look for Wesley (The Sandman) Dodds, who owns the building the JSA meet in. They don't find him. Plastic Man turns on the radio and the two learn that Solomon Grundy has fought and overcome The Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman and disappeared with them in tow. Professor Zodiak has captured Superman, Batman and Robin; Wotan has captured Dr. Fate and The Spectre; and Sky Pirate has captured Starman, The Sandman, Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt.  Heading back to Washington to answer the President's summons, the pair encounter King Bee. Although they defeat him, the conflict takes its toll and the two are downed and out for the count.

Sir Justin, The Shining Knight, encounters vulcanologist Danette Reilly at work on a strange island near Pearl Harbor. They are over-powered by Grundy and Professor Zodiac, as her brother Rod, a Navy ensign, and his buddy Slugger Dunn become two victims - among many - of the December 7th, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

In Washington, at the Redskins football game versus the Philadelphia Eagles, Dr. Mid-Nite and The Atom, along with Robotman are alerted to the President's summons and head to the White House. As they make their way across the gate, Johnny Chambers and Tubby Watts literally run into Libby Lawrence. Johnny and Libby run into each other only minutes later in costume as Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle. Soon they are joined by Hawkman and Plastic Man.
 
In the Oval Office, President Franklin Roosevelt commissions them as the All-Star Squadron and dispatches them to San Francisco to curb a possible Japanese advancement. 

In the bay there, aboard a submarine, Degaton reveals to Justin and Danette that he plans to use the cover of the Pearl Harbor attack to his advantage!

I'm kicking myself for unloading both my All-Star Squadron and Infinity, Inc. issues after Crisis on Infinite Earths seemingly negated their very relevance. I know! When Earth-Two was wiped out at the end of COIE, I think I lost as much interest in reading the Earth-Two focused books as Roy Thomas did writing them. Not long after Young All-Stars launched. Very quickly, that book and Infinity, Inc. folded. Roy Thomas sent the JSA into limbo and turned the lights out.

I realize now that this is classic stuff from Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler, Jerry Ordway and Len Wein. As good as anything from the Silver or Bronze Age; All-Star Squadron and Infinity, Inc. stand the test of time right alongside Wolfman and Perez' run on New Teen Titans, and Barr and Aparo's run on Batman and The Outsiders. I enjoyed reading his stuff in The Invaders over at Marvel. This is more detailed in the history - both world history, current events from the war, and comic book history of the characters. Compared to what DC is producing now, All-Star Squadron is incredible, great stuff and worth a good thorough re-reading. At the current $3.99 cover price, I'm going to be tracking down and re-reading All-Star Sqaudron, and making Earth-Two my new home.