All Star Comics Archives, Vol. 6 by Gardner F. Fox

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book collects Issue 24-28 of the Golden Age All-Star Comics. This included three issues where due to All American Comics deciding to separate from DC's characters, some regular members were banished and Green Lantern and Flash returned dropping their honorary member title.

Issue #24: This Is Our Enemy: A man is unsure if fighting in the War is worth it, and so the Justice Society takes him on a tour through time highlighting all the cruelty and war-mongering in German history. It's War Propoganda, but it's fairly well done and enjoyable for what it is. Grade: A-

Issue #25: The Mystery of the Forgotten Crime: A man comes to the Justice Society with a very bad case of amnesia, but he does remember that a man convicted of a crime was innocent of it and the Justice Society sets out to investigate. It's a fun, if cliched mystery with some over the top twists. It's still very enjoyable. Grade: B+

Issue #26: Vampires of the Void: The Justice Society takes on a group of metal eating monsters. This is a very traditional superhero story, but enjoyable and a lot of fun in its own right. Grade: B+

Issue #27 : A Place in the World: A lovely and life-affirming story regarding disability. It was very timely because many men returned from war with new disabilities. One of these was a focal point in the story, a football player who lost an arm in the War. Prior to the War he'd been a football player who'd looked down on his own disabled brother. Now, he found himself not being respected and having to be encouraged by his brother. He asks the Justice Society to help a group of young men with disabilities who were struggling with depression. The Justice responds by each having a disabled person assist them in their own unique way. It has a powerful for kids as well as affirming people with disabilities. There are problems you could point to if you wanted to be skeptical but it's heartfelt and particularly for the era, is a brilliant moving story. Grade; A+

Issue #28: A dying man asks the Justice Society to thwart a murder plot he set in motion. The would-be killer is an artist who sent paintings painted with paint that causes the subject to come to life at night. It's an insane concept leading up to amazing insane conclusion. My big problem is that the framing story of people in the future finding paints from the JSA that it says not to use is completely unnecessary. Grade; B+

Overall, these are some of the better All Star Comics stories. I think the limited quarterly publication schedule really does help them maintain quality writing, although the art is iffy at times, though that's to be expected from a book that was produced by a variety of freelancers.

Still, this is a great collection full of sublime JSA goodness.



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