The All-Star Companion, Volume 3

All-Star Companion #3

by Roy Thomas, Alex Toth (Artist), Neal Adams (Artist)

Comics legend Roy Thomas presents still more amazing secrets behind the 1940-51 All-Star Comics and the 1941-44 Seven Soldiers of Victory -- an illustrated speculation about how other Golden Age super-teams might have been assembled! Also, an issue-by-issue survey of the JLA-JSA team-ups of 1963-85, the 1970s JSA revival, and the 1980s series The Young All-Stars and Secret Origins, with commentary by the artists and writers!

Genres: Comics, Nonfiction, History

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2007

About the author

Roy Thomas was the FIRST Editor-in-Chief at Marvel--After Stan Lee stepped down from the position. Roy is a longtime comic book writer and editor. Thomas has written comics for Archie, Charlton, DC, Heroic Publishing, Marvel, and Topps over the years. Thomas currently edits the fanzine Alter Ego for Twomorrow's Publishing. He was Editor for Marvel comics from 1972-1974. He wrote for several titles at Marvel, such as Avengers, Thor, Invaders, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and notably Conan the Barbarian. Thomas is also known for his championing of Golden Age comic-book heroes — particularly the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America — and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and DC Comics' All-Star Squadron, among other titles.

Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.

Reviews

[Fraser Sherman]

This would get five stars except that a lot of it covers stuff I already know — synopses of the JLA/JSA teamups, All-Star Squadron, Young All-Stars etc. — which is not Thomas' fault.
Comics writer turned nonfiction-about-comics writer (Twomorrows Publishing) Thomas is a huge Justice Society of America fan and it shows. This discusses the 1960s revival of the JSA, getting their own book again in the 1970s and the very mixed treatment of the team in the 1980s. While the synopses don't tell me stuff I don't know, the interviews with various creators were informative, as were some of the background details, such as why Len Wein had the Plastic Man of Earth X killed off before the JLA and JSA even visited Earth-X.
If you're reaction to all that is "who cares?" this may not be the book for you. But it definitely suits me.

[Jdetrick]

See volume 2 review.