The Justice League Begins: Starro the Conqueror!

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[@mediumjohnsilver]

Gardner Fox sure set up a challenge for Mike Sekowsky. Draw an Air Force jet being attacked by a giant starfish, an atomic explosion being absorbed, a building complex flying through the upper atmosphere, and the entire population of Happy Harbor. Happily, Sekowsky was able to pull it off.

[@DanielsBibliophagy]

I love the decor at the Justice League HQ. I wonder if it has been modernized, like everyone is sitting on medicine balls instead of chairs.

[@MylesNewman-cc1tx]

I could see Raymond Chandler writing a story where Marlowe investigates the murder of Snapper Carr.

[@DDB168]

I always laugh when Snapper Carr makes an appearance. While we aim and wish for the professionalism of a Justice League team, we usually get the MCU. That's life.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Great blow by blow of the 1st issue of Justice League Michael! I thoroughly enjoyed this!

[@glockensig]

So JLA is like a volunteer fire dept?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Exactly.

[@austinmorris981]

I have only a very vague memory of "Starro the Conqueror" in the Justice League comic book. I think this was something I must have read just a few weeks after I had learned how to read! It must have grabbed my imagination because I have been a life-long reader of science fiction ever since.

[@wildmanz8233]

Sounds like such goofy fun! I think the lime was chosen to defeat Starro because at that time it was used in gardening to prevent snail and slug infestations. Starro being a starfish is not a mollusk, but Gardner Fox was probably not too worried about zoological accuracy!

[@steveoh9285]

Brave & Bold 28, a classic issue for sure! Right along with Showcase 4 (Flash) and Showcase 22 (Green Lantern).

[@danieltenney1896]

I have somehow never read this issue, but I'm a big fan of the Silver Age Green Lantern by Broome and Kane, and Fox wrote a few issues as well. So it was fun seeing these art pages which were much better than I expected. Love the humor of ribbing some Silver Age comics wackiness as well. Highly entertaining video. Thanks for sharing!

[@buckocean7616]

Who ever thought that Starro, who even as a kid when this came out, I found pretty silly, would be brought back on the silver screen in such an awesome way? The early silver age of DC was very status quo. Marvel was revolutionary. Kinda like punk rock was to classic rock. I read all the early DC comics that I could get, and enjoyed them, but when Kirby and Lee started getting comfortable with Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Silver Surfer, Thor, it was a renaissance for comics.

[@dalehoustman4737]

I am old enough to have read the original Justice League comics and it was likely my favorite. I also have those omnibuses (omnibusi?)… That Flash/Carr section whose art you praised (rightfully) is the only one inked by Murphy Anderson, which explains its more detailed look. But Sekowsky was underrated. I loved his work. Anyway… fun to see someone talking about these early Justice League tales. Snap Snap Snap…

[@Yesica1993]

Michael needs to be an audiobook reader. :)

[@russworks2882]

I read somewhere that the DC editors were protective, if not outright haughty, regarding their own separate little duchies and Mort Weisinger (Superman) and Jack Schiff (Batman) thought their characters would be over-exposed (not to mention beyond their control) if they appeared regularly in a Julie Schwartz book. DC's editorial superiority complex and denialism are big reasons why Marvel was able to pretty quickly eat their lunch. Not too many years later, when DC was barely hanging on and had the success of the Batman TV show, Batman was prominent on most Justice League covers and of course now seems to be in constant rotation on a slew of titles. No more worries about over-exposure.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Interesting.

[@freelivefree7221]

To be fair the JL taking Snapper was a charity case. Snapper had a real problem with drugs. Why else would he talk so stupidly? Fox of course edited this out. Don't mock Peter the Pufferfish. He's a solid guy. Not like Paul the Pufferfish. That douche I think they let Aquaman on the team because they felt sorry for him

[@bizarrebraincomics7819]

Yay oa

[@ellesse3862]

I'll ignore Snapper, irritating characters are not fun .. I'm looking at you too, early Hawkeye, you delusional pain, constantly being snarky and rude to Captain America .. poor Cap, that man's got the patience of a saint. Cool pick this week, I do enjoy vintage tales of heroic adventure. Starro is quite menacing years later in the issues 189 and 190 (fantastic cover too). Very professional and serious when they turn up for work, ah yes, beware Marvel, no nonscence when we fight crime. hehe

[@rickcantrell5302]

Love the characters (not Snapper!), liked the story, and the artwork was a little better than some of the Mike Sekowsky art I've seen, but still...not that good.

[@nunyabizness6595]

Snapper dancing around snapping his fingers. Classic cringe.😂😂😂

[@davebrzeski]

I never could understand why people liked Sekowsky's art. I really dislike it.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Well, you certainly are not alone in that.