{"id":36339,"date":"2026-08-31T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T08:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=36339"},"modified":"2026-08-28T18:40:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T18:40:52","slug":"dc-finest-justice-league-of-america-crisis-on-earth-x","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2026\/08\/31\/dc-finest-justice-league-of-america-crisis-on-earth-x\/","title":{"rendered":"DC Finest: Justice League of America – Crisis on Earth X"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Len Wein<\/strong>, Cary Bates<\/strong>, Elliot S! Maggin<\/strong>, Denny O\u2019Neil<\/strong>, Gerry Conway<\/strong>, Martin Pasko<\/strong>, Bob Rozakis<\/strong>, Mark Hanerfeld<\/strong>, Dick Dillin<\/strong>, Dick Giordano<\/strong>, Frank McLaughlin<\/strong>, Nick Cardy, Mike Grell<\/strong>, Ernie Chan<\/strong>, Jos\u00e9 Luis Garc\u00eda-L\u00f3pez<\/strong>, Tatjana Wood<\/strong>, Glynis Oliver<\/strong>, Neal Adams<\/strong>, & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-79950-883-0 (TPB)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Keystone of the contemporary DC Universe, the Justice League of America<\/strong> is the reason we still have a comics industry today. The day the first JLA<\/strong> story was published marks the moment when superheroes truly made comic books their own particular preserve. Even though the popularity of masked champions has waxed and waned repeatedly since 1960, and other genres have re-won their places on published pages, in the minds of America and the world, Comics Means Superheroes<\/em> and the League signalled that men – and even a few women and less definable options – in capes and masks were back for good…<\/p>\n

When editorial legend Julius Schwartz began reviving and revitalising the nigh-defunct superhero genre in 1956, his Rubicon move came a few years later with the uniting of his reconfigured mystery men into a team. Cover-dated March 1960, the JLA debuted in The Brave and the Bold<\/strong> #28, cementing the growth and validity of the revived subgenre, and consequently triggering an explosion of new characters at every company publishing funnybooks before spreading to the rest of the world as the decade progressed.<\/p>\n

Spanning cover-dates December 1972 to July 1976, this classic-crammed, full-colour paperback compendium re-presents issues #103-132 of the epochal first series, as a new wave of scripters provided steadfast illustrator Dick Dillin with increasingly challenging concepts he had no trouble bringing to vivid vibrant life. While we\u2019re showing our gratitude, lets also salute stalwart letterer Ben Oda (and occasionally Milt Snappin) for herculean but unsung efforts to make the uncanny and obscure clear to us all, colourists Glynis Oliver, Tatjana Wood and anonymous colleagues as well as cover specialists Nick Cardy, Dick Giordano, Mike Grell, Ernie Chan, Jos\u00e9 Luis Garc\u00eda-L\u00f3pez and the others…<\/p>\n

Richard Allen \u201cDick\u201d Dillin (17th<\/sup> December 1928 – 1st<\/sup> March 1980) started in the 1940s at Quality Comics, limning Blackhawk<\/strong>, Plastic Man<\/strong> and their war anthologies. Utterly reliable and prodigiously prolific, the draughtsman moved to DC when the company bought out Quality. He spent over a decade drawing their Blackhawk and when Mike Sekowsky left, he would draw every JLA issue for the next twelve years, as well as countless outings of DC\u2019s top characters and even a wealth of horror stories when DC started scaring kids for money again…
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\nThese yarns begin after a major JLA\/JSA team up returned the Golden Age Seven Soldiers of Victory<\/strong> to the expanding continuity. Appetites unsatisfied, the revival and expansion continued by adding more as yet unaffiliated mystery men to the team. Returned to their own planet the Justice League teamed up with and then inducted one of the few heroes who hadn\u2019t accompanied them to Earth-2 in \u2018A Stranger Walks Among Us!\u2019<\/em> (#103 by Len Wein, Dillin & Giordano) as cross-genre horror hero The Phantom Stranger<\/strong> foils a plot to slaughter six Leaguers during the annual Halloween carnival in Rutland, Vermont, after which Green Lantern<\/strong>\u2019s arch-enemy Hector Hammond<\/em> orchestrates an attack on his oldest foe by setting an unstoppable monster loose on the team in \u2018The Shaggy Man Will Get You if You Don\u2019t Watch Out!\u2019 <\/em>The \u201cMore-the-Merrier\u201d recruitment drive continued in #105 as Elongated Man<\/strong> signs up to save the day against marauding, malignant putty-men in \u2018Specter in the Shadows!\u2019<\/em>, albeit anonymously aided by a miraculously resurrected robotic Red Tornado<\/strong> who joins the party in #106, unaware that he has been reprogrammed into becoming a \u2018Wolf in the Fold! <\/em>Justice League of America<\/strong> #107\u2019s \u2018Crisis on Earth-X\u2019<\/em> ( Wein, Dillin & Giordano) was the first chapter of another landmark crossover with their Earth-2 counterparts and antecedents in the JSA.<\/p>\n

Following the revival of a forgotten superteam during their previous get-together, this time the annual get-together reintroduced another band of Golden Age warriors (from corporate acquisition Quality Comics) newly redesignated The Freedom Fighters<\/em>. It began when a recreational trip across the dimensional divide is accidentally sabotaged by android stowaway Red Tornado, depositing Batman<\/strong>, Green Arrow<\/strong> & Elongated Man from Earth-1 and Superman<\/strong>, Sandman<\/strong> & Doctor Fate<\/strong> of Earth-2 into another alternate universe – one where the Nazis had won World War II. Trapped and outnumbered, the seven displaced heroes were rescued by the last liberty-loving champions of a world dominated by fascist super-science and a secret dictator. Joining forces with embattled champions Uncle Sam<\/em>, The Ray<\/em>, Doll Man<\/em>, Phantom Lady<\/em>, Black Condor<\/em> & The Human Bomb, <\/em>the newcomers ended the Nazi threat forever in sinister sequel \u2018Thirteen Against the Earth!\u2019<\/em>…
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\nWith everybody returned to their home planes #109 brought back a cultish guest star as \u2018The Doom of the Divided Man!\u2019<\/em> revived the dormant career of 1960\u2019s hero\/villain Eclipso<\/em>, who attempted another cunning plan to conquer Earth. However, the real focus of this tale was the unexpected resignation of Hawkman<\/strong> following his recall to home planet Thanagar. <\/em>Wein, Dillin & Giordano then got to deliver a delightful but potent seasonal present in #110 as Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary <\/strong>& Red Tornado had to adapt to abrasive substitute Green Lantern John Stewart<\/em>. A controversial \u201cangry black man\u201d conceived at a time when non-Caucasian heroes could be counted on the fingers of one hand he turned up mid-mission, just as the League gathered to hunt down \u2018The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Murderous psychopath The Key<\/em> had set up the heroes for ambush and destruction, with the callous assassination of an actor hired to cheer orphaned kids, but his horrific deeper scheme was only foiled thanks to the supernatural intervention of another almost forgotten League member…<\/p>\n

For that issue, Bob Rozakis designed a \u2018JLA Puzzle\u2019<\/em> which follows accompanied by the answer page before JLA<\/strong> #111 introduced a seminal villain who became, decades later, a pivotal player in The Final Crisis<\/strong>. Here however, enigmatic Libra<\/em> merely uses his incredible abilities to revive the dormant Injustice Gang of the World<\/em>. Although his stated goal is to imbue Chronos<\/em>, Mirror Master<\/em>, Poison Ivy<\/em>, Scarecrow<\/em>, Shadow Thief<\/em> & Tattooed Man<\/em> with energies stolen from Aquaman<\/strong>, Superman, Batman, Flash<\/strong>, Elongated Man and fully recovered GL Hal Jordan<\/em>, the \u2018Balance of Power!\u2019<\/em> he truly seeks actually entails keeping all the purloined might for his own incomprehensible use…<\/p>\n

Those stolen super-powers feature in #112\u2019s follow-up \u2018War with the One-Man Justice League!\u2019<\/em> as the entire team gather to help restore their diminished comrades. The high risk solution is to resurrect power-stealing android Amazo<\/em> to collect the stolen energies and abilities… but nobody considers what the mechanoid might do after it absorbs Batman\u2019s vast intellect and suspicious mind…<\/p>\n

Justice League of America<\/strong> #113 (September\/October 1974) proved how desperate were the times for the spandex set as the epic annual collaboration with the JSA was restricted to a single issue. Nevertheless, \u2018The Creature in the Velvet Cage!\u2019<\/em> proved to be one of the very best team-up tales ever, as a JLA visiting party to Earth-2 (Batman, Superman, GL Jordan & Elongated Man) share the shame and horror of The Sandman when his greatest, most shameful secret was catastrophically revealed.<\/p>\n

Years ago the Master of Dreams had accidentally transformed sidekick Sandy<\/em>, the Golden Boy<\/em> into a ravening silicoid monster and been compelled to sedate and imprison his best friend. Now after three decades the beast is awake and free, seemingly intent on destroying the world. At least that\u2019s what Hourman<\/em> and the Golden Age Flash & Wonder Woman<\/strong> believe when they join their old comrade on his tragic manhunt…<\/p>\n

Wein, with the plotting assistance of Mark Hanerfeld, ended his run as scripter with a smart and decidedly effective little thriller in #114:\u2018The Return of Anakronus!\u2019<\/em> During a League-sponsored telethon, an enigmatic time-bending villain takes disgraced JLA team mascot Snapper Carr<\/em> and his family hostage. Although definitely dangerous, the crazed felon\u2019s ranting doesn\u2019t make much sense: after all, why would a man who claims to have repeatedly defeated the JLA stoop to demanding a mere cash ransom?<\/p>\n

The tone turned cosmic in #115 as Denny O\u2019Neil provided a fill-in yarn bringing back retired hero J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz, <\/em>Manhunter from Mars<\/strong> who implores his former allies to save the dying remnants of his people from \u2018The Last Angry God!\u2019<\/em> who has imprisoned them on a far-distant world. Cary Bates then contributed \u2018The Kid Who Won Hawkman\u2019s Wings!\u2019<\/em> in #116, as sightings of Hawkman in Midway City<\/em> lead Elongated Man, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Flash & Batman into a deadly duel against Matter Master<\/em>. Closer inspection reveals the Pinioned Paladin to be a baffled kid Charley Parker<\/em>, who has no idea why he suddenly changed into a Golden Eagle<\/em>, whilst the actual mastermind behind the plot is a shock to all concerned. The tale is followed by another Rozakis \u2018JLA Puzzle\u2019<\/em> and a picture posing \u2018JLA Super-Villain Quiz\u2019…<\/em><\/p>\n

After just over a year\u2019s absence the true Winged Wonder returned in #117. \u2018I Have No Wings and I Must Fly!\u2019<\/em> was scripted by Elliot S! Maggin, with Giordano\u2019s prot\u00e9g\u00e9 Frank McLaughlin assuming regular inking chores over Dillin\u2019s sleek and effective pencils. It saw alien cop Katar Hol<\/em> resurface to warn Earth of a deadly extraterrestrial menace dubbed The Equalizer<\/em>. This ineffable terror was driven to achieve pure balance in the universe, and to achieve this he somehow homogenised entire civilisations, making life forms exactly identical to each other. His Equalizer plague weapon was overwhelmingly contagious and – after reducing the population of Thanagar to imbecilic, four-foot tall clones of each other, (including Hol\u2019s beloved wife Shayera<\/em>) – the unfathomable voyager turned his single eye upon Earth…<\/p>\n

With his homeworld quarantined and after defeating the appalling threat as part of the JLA, Hawkman had no other refuge than our planet and promptly joined Aquaman, Black Canary, Flash, Red Tornado & Superman in resisting the \u2018Takeover of the Earth-Masters!\u2019 <\/em>(#118 by Maggin, Dillin & McLaughlin). This revealed a misguided attempt by trans-dimensional beings who sought to save our world from super beings by despatching eerie hyper-evolving Adaptoid<\/em> organisms. With even the Man of Steel unable to face the ghastly invaders, Hawkman devises a risky strategy involving his Equalization-infected wife, which happily turns out in Humanity\u2019s favour in #119\u2019s concluding clash \u2018Winner Takes the Earth!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Another old friend reappeared in #120 as \u2018The Parallel Perils of Adam Strange!\u2019<\/em> (written by Bates) sees the Earth-born champion of Planet Rann forced to re-fight his greatest battles after despotic Kanjar Ro<\/em> murders his beloved Alanna<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Even though Ro has cruelly stacked the deck, Strange and his newly arrived Earth allies triumph before pulling a rabbit out of the hat to restore the Rannian heroine in time for her own magical wedding in blistering conclusion \u2018The Hero Who Jinxed the Justice League!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

In #122 Marty Pasko delved into the team\u2019s private lives and revealed why the JLA shared their civilian secrets with each other in \u2018The Great Identity Crisis!\u2019<\/em> when old foe Dr. Light<\/em> used photonic super-science and the too-good-to-be-true mineral Amnesium<\/em> (guess what it causes?) to mess with the heroes\u2019 minds and lure them into what should be inescapable death-traps…<\/p>\n

Another year gone, it was time for the annual JLA\/JSA yarn and Bates, Maggin, Dillin & McLaughlin stepped far off the reservation with \u2018Where on Earth Am I?\u2019<\/em> & \u2018Avenging Ghosts of the Justice Society!\u2019<\/em> from issues #123 & 124. Back in Flash<\/strong> #179 (\u2018The Flash – Fact of Fiction?, <\/em>May 1968) Bates & Gardner Fox first took the multiple Earths concept to its illogical conclusion by trapping the Monarch of Motion in \u201cour\u201d Reality (Earth-Prime!) where the Sultan of Speed was just a comic book character. Now and here Bates and co-scripter Maggin return to the conceit as a story conference in editor Julie Schwartz\u2019s office leads to the oafish goons playing with Flash\u2019s hastily-constructed and long abandoned Cosmic Treadmill<\/em>, before catapulting one of them between dimensions.<\/p>\n

Transformed and empowered by the trip, Bates becomes the most dangerous villain alive, leading Earth-2 criminals The Wizard<\/em>, Shade<\/em>, Sportsmaster<\/em>, Huntress<\/em>, Icicle<\/em> & The Gambler <\/em>in a lethal assault on JSA heroes Robin<\/strong>, Hourman, Wildcat<\/strong>, Wonder Woman, Johnny Thunder<\/strong> and Dr. Mid-Nite<\/strong>. Maggin has followed his friend but ends up on Earth-1.
\n\"\"
\nUndaunted, he recruits Batman, Black Canary, Aquaman, Hawkman, Green Arrow & Flash to save three imperilled universes but it eventually requires the Divine Might of the supernal Spectre <\/strong>to truly set everything and everybody back to their assigned places and times…<\/p>\n

Gerry Conway began his long association with the Justice League in #125, in a smart 2-parter concerning dumping of toxic energy from an outer dimension onto Earth. \u2018The Men Who Sold Destruction!\u2019<\/em> craftily employ schizophrenic villain Two-Face<\/em> as their wily broker to expend these deadly forces, but the super-minds of Dronndar<\/em> completely underestimate double-dealing Harvey Dent<\/em>\u2018s capacity for betrayal. Almost as bad is the opportunistic action of the Weaponers of Qward<\/em>, and thus the JLA are easily – but only initially – fooled by the Machiavellian multi-visaged maniac in #126\u2019s Byzantine conclusion \u2018The Evil Connection!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

JLA<\/strong> #127 confirmed that \u2018The Command is \u201cChaos!\u201d\u2019<\/em> after The Anarchist<\/em> discovers a way to tap Green Lantern\u2019s power battery and desperate Hal Jordan begs his fellow champions to stop him recharging his ring at any cost, after which Pasko popped back to author a sharp, smart reintroduction for the Earth-1 Amazing Amazon in #128\u2019s \u2018Death-Visions of the Justice League!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

For a period \u201cour\u201d Wonder Woman had lost her powers and fought crime as a martial artist, but once her supernatural gifts returned she underwent a self-imposed set of trials before rejoining the team. Sadly her readmission coincided with the team disbanding following a cataclysmic, psychologically punishing assault by alien fear-eater Nekron<\/em>, and even she seemed unable to galvanise the Leaguers before \u2018The Earth Dies Screaming!\u2019<\/em>in #129.<\/p>\n

The next issue explored the revelatory early days of the team\u2019s orbiting satellite HQ as \u2018Skyjack at 22,300 Miles!\u2019<\/em> (scripted by Pasko) disclosed how an intergalactic interloper attempted to turn the space base into a spawning ground, putting the nonplussed heroes through a gamut of ghastly trials before order and equilibrium were unconventionally restored.<\/p>\n

This mammoth tome ends with a clever mystery double-bill from Conway, Dillin & McLaughlin. In #131\u2019s \u2018The Beasts Who Thought Like Men!\u2019<\/em> a new credit card currency for America somehow enhances the minds of animals and insects, simultaneously decreasing human brainpower to such a low point that bugs can enslave deadly villains like Sonar<\/em> & Queen Bee<\/em>. The tale takes a stranger turn in #132 as Superman vanishes and Supergirl <\/strong>steps in to help against animals organised enough to conquer the country. Even then there was still one more tangled twist in the tale of \u2018The Beasts Who Fought Like Men!\u2026\u2019<\/em>
\n\"\"
\nTo Be Continued…<\/p>\n

The Justice League of America<\/strong> was always the keystone of US comics and these tales are still among the most thought-provoking, controversial and purely entertaining episodes in their six and half decade history. These classical compendia are a dedicated fan\u2019s delight: an absolute gift for modern readers who desperately need to catch up without going bankrupt. They are also perfect to give to youngsters as an introduction into a fabulous world of adventure and magic.<\/p>\n

Come see for yourself…<\/p>\n

\u00a9 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 2026 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

Today in 1946 cartoonist\/scripter\/letterer Rick Parker<\/strong> (Beavis and Butt-Head<\/strong>, Deadboy<\/em>, Tales from the Crypt<\/strong>) was born, with mangaka Yumiko Ōshima<\/strong> (Gū-gū datte Neko de aru<\/em><\/strong>, Wata no Kuni Hoshi<\/em>) arriving one year later and Brazilian Underground Commix exponent Arnaldo Angeli Filho<\/strong> AKA \u201cAngeli<\/em><\/strong>\u201d coming on scene in1956 and writer G. Willow Wilson<\/strong> (Air<\/strong>, Invisible Kingdom<\/em>, Ms. Marvel<\/strong>, Poison Ivy<\/strong>) born in 1982.<\/p>\n

Swedish cartoonist turned diplomat Jan Romare<\/strong> (Pyton<\/em><\/strong>) died today in 2017, and the day also marks Scott McCloud<\/strong>\u2019s first 24-hour comic in 1990 and DC\u2019s controversial relaunch The New 52<\/strong> in 2011.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Len Wein, Cary Bates, Elliot S! Maggin, Denny O\u2019Neil, Gerry Conway, Martin Pasko, Bob Rozakis, Mark Hanerfeld, Dick Dillin, Dick Giordano, Frank McLaughlin, Nick Cardy, Mike Grell, Ernie Chan, Jos\u00e9 Luis Garc\u00eda-L\u00f3pez, Tatjana Wood, Glynis Oliver, Neal Adams, & various (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-79950-883-0 (TPB) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “DC Finest: Justice League of America – Crisis on Earth X”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[271,133,10,258,295,75,76,290,378,384,255,91,15,82,69,16,28,241,127,275,276,172,148,151,107,121,9,126,325,68,93,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adam-strange","category-aquaman","category-batman","category-black-canary","category-blackhawks","category-crime-comics","category-dc-superhero","category-dinosaurs","category-doctor-fate","category-elongated-man","category-environmentalism","category-flash","category-green-arrow","category-green-lantern","category-hawkman-hawkgirl","category-jla","category-jsa","category-martian-manhunter","category-nostalgia","category-phantom-stranger-graphic-novels","category-plastic-man","category-robin","category-romance","category-sandman","category-science-fiction","category-supergirl-graphic-novels","category-superman","category-the-atom","category-the-joker","category-the-spectre","category-war-stories","category-wonder-woman"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-9s7","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36339"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36365,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36339\/revisions\/36365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}