Justice Society Showcase Collection

[samurainoir]

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: ALL-STAR COMICS VOL. 1 TP
Written by PAUL LEVITZ and GERRY CONWAY • Art by WALLACE WOOD, JOE STATON and others • Cover by BRIAN BOLLAND
The JSA’s 1970s adventures from ALL-STAR COMICS #58-74 and ADVENTURE COMICS #461-466 are collected in a value-priced Showcase edition! Don’t miss the team’s battles with the Psycho-Pirate, Vandal Savage, the Injustice Society and more.
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 448 pg, B&W, $19.99 US

[Earth 2 Chris]

Huh, that's the cover from the first of the color TPBs from just a few years ago.

I like the Showcase books, but I'll stick with my color ones for this series.

Chris

[madmarva]

I was so pleased when DC reprinted those stories because I sold off those issues about 20 years ago, and I'm glad the company did it in color. I won't be buying this version, but it's great if the price for this edition makes it more attractive and affordable to other readers.

I'm just glad it's not a hardcover or omnibus edition of these stories because that would have tempted me to make the purchase.

As for the cover, most or all of the previous showcase editions were recolored versions of original covers from the comics, not from collections. But that's a great cover by Bolland.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Yeah I prefer this one, even if Doctor Mid-Nite looks a bit to "angsty" here. Robin looks like a dweeb on the second cover!

Chris

[ThatBatmanGuy]

The cover makes the books look better than they really are.
Bob

[Earth 2 Chris]

Wally Wood is in there. That alone makes it worth the price tag.

And I really liked Joe Staton's early stuff too.

Chris

[samurainoir]

Not sure if I would have preferred this cover for this volume...




As much love I as I have for Wood, he wasn't always at the height of his powers by the early seventies during this run (I believe it's well documented his personal troubles in the years prior to his suicide). Not to say that the art here isn't still beautiful stuff. It just never seemed to ascend to the level of some of his other work, particularly the best of the EC stuff. It was just pretty obvious he'd rather be off doing his own thing like his underground/fanzine work at the time.



Although I'm sure he must be out there laughing in the the great beyond that his Power Girl gag has become an institution unto itself.

[madmarva]

I always thought Wood was kind of aping Murphy Anderson's style in the book, except with Superman, which of course which was a Shuster homage.

I also really liked Layton's inks on Joe Staton's art.

[bobws]

i got the color trades and am happy with them.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Staton and Layton were a great team. Layton reigned in Staton's cartoonier aspects, which worked better for Super Hero stuff.

I get the impression they had a major falling out. I wonder what the story was on that?

Chris

[madmarva]

I know this is way off subject, but Staton's inks on Sal Buscema's Hulk in the mid 1970s were the best Buscema's Hulk every looked to me.

[Riffster]

weird amazon shows it available now... I ordered it and vol 2 and the Huntress one

[ThatBatmanGuy]

Wally Wood is in there. That alone makes it worth the price tag.

And I really liked Joe Staton's early stuff too.

Chris

Don't get me wrong. I like both Wood and Staton and love the JSA. I remember reading these books when they were on the the spinner rack. These books never did anything for me.

OT:Several years back, I produced a model kit of Joe Staton's E-MAN. Joe is great guy!