Even DC Knows Its Justice Society Team Deserves Better

Warning: contains spoilers for Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4!Even DC Comics knows the Justice Society of America, comics’ first superhero team, deserves better. The venerable team has been sidelined by more than one of the publisher’s line-wide reboots, including the New 52, and this gets a sly shout-out in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4. The Justice Society recently made their grand return to the DC Universe during last year’s Infinite Frontier event, and the publisher has hinted at more to come. The issue is on sale now.

The impact of the Justice Society’s first appeared in 1940’s All-Star Comics #3 cannot be understated; it was the first time a comic book publisher brought their biggest guns together as a single team. As the Golden Age began to wind down, the various members of the Justice Society slipped into limbo for the first time; they would return during the Silver Age, where it was revealed the Society lived on Earth-2. The Society had annual team-ups with their Earth-1 counterparts in the Justice League. When the multiverse collapsed during Crisis on Infinite Earths, many of the Society members found a place on New Earth, but quickly went off to limbo again–this time literally. The Society would return a few years later, and remained fixtures of the DC Universe up until Flashpoint and the New 52 era, which erased the Society from existence–and they remained that way until Infinite Frontier. Now, with the Great Darkness laying siege to the Omniverse, the Society has returned–but not before calling out how they have been treated.

In the wake of the Great Darkness’ attack, the surviving heroes are seeking knowledge on their opponent. Nightwing, Wonder Girl, Jon Kent and Green Lantern Alan Scott descend into the basement of the Hall of Justice, to the headquarters of Justice League Dark. As they descend the steps, Green Lantern recounts to his younger teammates the Society’s history with the supernatural, mentioning his friends the Spectre, Johnny Thunder and Hawkman. He then goes on to say “we’ve been forced into Limbo a few times by some maniac. It’ll probably happen again.” The issue is written by Joshua Williamson, illustrated by Daniel Sampere, colored by Alejandro Sanchez and lettered by Tom Napolitano.

Green Lantern’s comment not only acknowledges the Society’s previous stints in limbo, but also admits they may end up there again. The Justice Society’s origins are rooted in the Great Depression and the Second World War; as these events began to recede further into history, it became more and more difficult to justify the Society’s continual existence. DC’s first attempt to solve this problem, shortly after Crisis on Infinite Earths, shunted the Justice Society off to a literal Limbo. The team was too good to keep away for too long, and upon their heralded return, became mainstays, even rivaling the Justice League in terms of popularity. It became apparent, however, the same issues that plagued the Society after the Crisis remained, and it was decided to erase the team all together. DC has now realized this is a mistake and has restored the team to its full glory–just in time to help Earth’s surviving heroes defeat the Great Darkness.

The Society is the first superhero team in history, and as such they deserve a place in the DC Universe. Yet due to a variety of issues, the publisher has had a difficult time with these characters, opting to send them to Limbo instead. Yet with the team set to make waves in the forthcoming Black Adam film, it looks as if the Justice Society may be returning to prominence once again.

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 is available now from DC Comics.