Customer Reviews

The Golden Age (Elseworlds)

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With GOLDEN AGE, writer James Robinson mesmerizes the reader with some very simple, very haunting images of superheroes who have lost their reason to wage metahuman battles and have been forced from the skies, by a public that no longer requires them. The superheroes are then forced to face their own fragile humanity, or lack of same. What they find in themselves is more frightening than the massive conspiracy that these self-absorbed beings have ignored, until it is almost too late. The primary fascination in GA is Robinson's ability to show how scary it really is to be a metahuman, a being with powers paranormal, or scientifically-enhanced, or merely the result of severe physical training. This is the case with the several most intriguing character threads, notably the paranoid delusional Manhunter, traumatized by a horror witnessed in the war pertinent to the conspiracy emerging within the government; the tragic brutality of Robotman, a living brain trapped inside a robot body, with that brain no longer able to cope with its inhuman state and the justification for murder; the severely disturbed Hourman, seeking the proper Miraclo formula for his enhanced strength, coming to grips with his addiction; and Hawkman, an Eygptologist who believes himself to be the literal reincarnation of a mythical god of a dead culture. Dealing with their various psychosis, and the escalating threat of metahuman registration and control by the Red Menace-seeking US Goverment, the heroes are barely able to perceive the danger around them. They are swallowed in pits of despair and desperation for lost glory; when finally the heroes, motivated by their own weaknesses and desires, ascend to battle the common threat, they gladly race toward death with heroic grandeur, freed of their cloaks of humanness. It is this ascension that the heroes go to find redemption, in one of the truly awesome displays of sacrifice I've ever seen in a story, in any medium. Without a doubt, GOLDEN AGE is one the best, most literate stories from a superior writer Robinson, with powerful art by Paul Smith. A must-read.

This is one of the finest miniseries DC has done in years--it's debts to Alan Moore's and Dave Gibbons's WATCHMEN are clear, but it's also a work all of its own. Except for a few minor errors (the Black Canary is addressed as "Diana" not "Dinah"; the Sportsmaster is apparently killed at the end when we know he goes on to live for decades later), this work actually could fit perfectly with the previous work done on the JSA and the DC Universe and their continuity. The story involves several members of the Justice Society of America (the Atom, Green Lantern, Hourman), several members of Roy Thomas's All-Star Squadron (Liberty Belle, Johnny Quick) and several obscure 40s DC/National heroes (the Tarantula, Miss America, Manhunter) after the Second World War. A minor hero, Mr. America, has been credited with the deaths overseas of Adolf Hitler and several other Nazi supervillains; based on this fame, he runs successfully for Senate and starts an anti-Red Menace program involving the recruiting of superhumans, while most of the other heroes languish in misery, either forgotten by the public or involved in HUAC hearings. The ending is very dramatic and worth the slow unravelling of narrative surprises, and the art of Paul Smith has never been more beautifully employed than here. Most remarkable is James Robinson's surprising evocation of genuine patriotism: the courageous heroine Miss America, Joan Dale, makes a speech at the climax of the story that it is almost impossible not to feel moved after reading, as corny as that may sound. This is really DC at its finest.

I'm a huge mark for Golden Age heroes. The major problem with the comic books of yesteryear is that the heroes were two dimensional, completely lacking in personality. They were all upstanding, usually rich, and basically boring, when not in costume. If it wasn't for the creative gimmicks and colorful costumes, the men and women behind the masks were interchangeable. James Robinson's updating of these classic Golden Agers is insightful and refreshing. He takes these legends and creates distinctive, and relatively believable, personal backgrounds for each of them. Yet he does this without diminishing the fun and nostalgia of those earlier tales. While congratulating Robinson, I feel inclined to point out the influence of Alan Moore's Watchmen. While Watchmen may have set the standard for alternate takes on the traditional DC/Marvel universes, Robinson and Smith's work here easily lives up to that lofty standard.

Paul Smith does a great job on the art, subtly employing updated pencilling techniques along with a very distinctive golden age era style. The colors in this book are also great, obviously far superior to the comic books of decades past. My only problem with the art lies with the lack of differentiation between some of the alter egos of these costumes heroes. Since most of these guys basically had the same blonde hair, chiseled features, erect postures, and well tailored suits back in the day, sometimes it's difficult to tell them apart, at least in the early chapters. As you read on, Robinson adds humanistic touches of doubts, addictions, regrets and redemption to enrich the characters well beyond their original incarnations.

This collection covers a complete story arc, which is great, but I must admit that I would love to read more tales of the Golden Age from James Robinson and Paul Smith. James Robinson is easily one of the top 5 to 10 comic book writers out there. Check out his popular, and critically acclaimed, Starman (another update of a Golden Ager) series if you don't believe me.

The Golden Age is another "Elseworlds" examination of comics history. By using such rarely seen characters as Captain Triumph and Mr.America along with the "big guns" of the era (Green Lantern, The Atom,etc.)James Robinson visits a Post WWII America where superheroes are considered suspect, and only those who conform are to be trusted. Using superheroes to comment on McCarthyism may seem to be a stretch, but Robinson makes the story challenging with many twists. The "alternate history" concept gives the author the freedom to take chances, but also eliminates the element of "this can't be happening" suspense. Too many sub plots (Hourman's addiction, Starman's breakdown) get in the way of the more compelling central tale.

Paul Smith's art is a wonder throughout. Shifting from the well-lit scenes of Dyna-man to Paul Kirk's despair, Smith constantly creates visuals that hold your attention and never let you forget the true wonder of this medium; the ability for two dimensional, brightly colored figures to fascinate and entertain.

The so-called Golden Age of comics set a standard back in the 1940s. By today's standards, however ... well, they're a little hokey. Or they were until writer James Robinson got his hands on them. In this volume, Robinson gave the heroes of old their dignity back with a story of drama and intrigue that is anything but hokey.

The big war is over. The soldiers are returning heroes, and the "mystery men" -- masked vigilantes -- are forgotten in the celebration. After all, they stayed home during the war, didn't they? Well, not of their own volition ... they were ordered to stay home by the government, fearful that the death of even one high-profile hero would cripple morale. But a handful of heroes went overseas anyway, and one of them, Tex Thompson, a.k.a. Mr. America, a.k.a. the AmeriCommando, becomes an overnight public sensation and media darling. He's credited with single-handedly killing most of Germany's superheroes and supposedly offing Hitler himself. It seems only natural that, by the close of the 1940s, Thompson has been handed a Senate seat and is eyeing a run at the presidency.

Meanwhile, the rest of America's heroes have mostly slipped quietly into obscurity, giving up their costumes and powers to find normal lives. Some are happy, some bitter -- and some perhaps a bit mad.

But then Paul Kirk, the Manhunter, sneaks back into the country from parts unknown, pursued by confusing dreams and men with guns, wracked by paranoia and a fear he doesn't completely understand. Al "the Atom" Pratt, Johnny Thunder, Paula "Tigress" Brooks and the emotionless Robotman are recruited to join Thompson's new cadre of American superheroes. And Daniel Dunbar, the former sidekick Dyna-Mite, flunks out of Princeton ... just before receiving a similar offer from Thompson. Soon, Dunbar is unveiled as the new Dynaman, with powers scientifically enhanced to make him the most powerful being on the planet.

The plot thickens from here. The Manhunter regains his missing memories. A few heroes learn that Thompson isn't really the hero he's believed to be but, under the scrutiny of the anti-Communist backlash (a DC variation on McCarthyism), they're unable to come forward with their knowledge. And then they learn the truth about Dunbar....

"The Golden Age" is a story with an incredible number of interwoven subplots, but the reader never loses track of the individual threads. (Although it is slightly confusing that so many Golden Age heroes were named Johnny.) In the book's stunning climax, the simple courage of forgotten heroes like Miss America, the Tarantula, Captain Triumph and the rolypoly sidekick Fatman puts some of the modern superheroes to shame.

Robinson has crafted an amazing book, and Paul Smith's art gives Robinson's story the appropriate 1940s feel without sacrificing modern techniques. "The Golden Age" is an excellent package, a welcome reminder of what made comics a popular storytelling medium in the first place.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor

During World War II, the superheroes of America could not get involved in the battle against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, they were held out by one of Hitler's secret weapons. And so, with the Golden Age over, many of them simply melted away, hanging up their masks and renouncing their powers. But one hero succeeded in fighting the Nazis, and now he has returned a hero to post-War America - Tex Thompson, Mr. America (the Americommando during the War). But, Tex is a changed man: he is setting out to remake America in a new image, an anti-Red place where the House Un-American Activities Committee hunts out America's internal enemies, and he has bigger plans yet. Tex has plans to make new superheroes, but what is Tex really up to?

OK, where do I start with this one? This graphic novel is not your normal superhero story. The heroes you might remember from the Golden Age are recast in a new light: Carter Hall, Hawkman, is lost in his dreams of reincarnation; Alan Scott, the Green Lantern, has renounced his powers and wants to stay out of adventure; Theo Knight, Starman, has gone insane; Paul Kirk, the Manhunter, has lost his memory and is now on the run; and so forth.

This is a dark story of America betrayed and yet embracing the betrayal of its ideals. Gone is the idealism of the Golden Age, and in is the angst and depression of the new post-modern age. Overall, I found this to be an interesting and very well made story, giving the reader a lot of food for thought. Also, the illustration work is absolutely excellent. So, if you are interested in a completely different look at the Golden Age, then this book is for you.

In comics (and usually here, by readers and historians) the golden age refers to a period of time from the mid-late 1930s to the mid-late 1950s, where the comic book super-hero was born and enjoyed incredible popularity. Shortly after the end of WWII, America moved on and there was little demand for costumed mystery men (and women). Heroes soon found themselves sharing (and eventually loosing) their magazine space to characters of totally different genres (humor, western, horror, and many more).

It is not often suggested (or even suspected) that these heroes new what hit them; that that felt a change in the air, or saw the end coming. The heroes faded away, for a time, until many of them were resurrected (in one way or another) years later during a resurge in super hero interest.

The most interesting thing about The Golden Age, by Robinson, is that in this story the heroes are fractured and lost; unsure what to do in an America that suddenly doesn't need them. Though super heroes in the story (as on the comic stands) were patriotically pitting themselves against Axis powers, they had very little direct impact in ending the war. Due mostly to a secret weapon of Hitler's, most heroes were kept from directly stopping the Nazis in Germany and were left impotent and humbled by conventional warfare, and eventually the atomic bomb.

Robinson glimpses into the lives of a number of DC's more popular 2nd (3rd and 4th ) string heroes, as they move on, struggle with their past, and try to get a grip on their future. The characters are given dimension and depth, mostly thanks to thought balloons full of self-doubt, worry, and angst. This is not a brooding or gritty tale, like Alan Moore's Watchmen, and by the end is generally optimistic of both the human (and heroic condition).

This slow brewing tale, was originally released as a four-issue limited series, but is collected here in its entirety. Much like NBC's hit "Heroes", The Golden Age follows a number of parallel but connected story lines, which meet at the story's conclusion. There is Johnny Quick, former super-speedster, through which the reader is able to visit and catch up with a host of other retired and recovering super-heroes. Paul Kirk, the Manhunter, on the run and without memory, but holding the key to a deep dark secret and unthinkable conspiracy. Finally, there is Tex Thompson, know as Mr. America, and later as the Americommando, an American hero turned politician bent on recruiting his fellow mystery men to help usher in a grand new age for the country.

Robinson is no freshmen to the golden age, having explored its roots while writing "Starman" for DC comics. His love for comics and the legacy of its earliest heroes is apparent in every line. Equal to the challenge of Robinson's writing is illustrator Paul Smith, a long time veteran of the comic book industry. Smith's distinctive style has the long elegant strokes of J.C. Leyendecker, and his expressive but subtle depiction of facial features tells a story with or without dialog. The pages-long epic battle, which features just about every golden age hero (and some villains) in DC's stable is nothing short of amazing to look at.

While this book is admittedly not "The Grapes of Wrath" or "Of Mice and Men" it is certainly deeper than most comic book fare and worth a read. Part of DC's "Elseworlds" brand, this story can shake the bonds of continuity and use all of the characters at Robinson's disposal to tell a gripping and human tale of people trying to find their place in new and terrifying times.

It is 1995 and I'd like you to imagine two things: 1) I was into the 11th straight month of wearing the same 1958 Pendleton flannel shirt, and 2) I was ready to quit reading comics. Despite the olfactory treat I must have presented, I insisted on going to my local shop. On that day I purchased The Golden Age, by James Robinson, Paul Smith and Richard Ory. The book focused on Johnny Quick, Green Lantern, Manhunter and the rest of DC's stable of crime-fighters in the waning days of the 1940's. The mix of action, mystery, paranoia, conflict and conspiracy made me a comics fan again. It reacquainted me with Paul Smith, co-producer of one of my favorite runs on Uncanny X-Men, and introduced me to writer James Robinson. Smith channels his inner Mac Raboy, golden age great Captain Marvel Jr. artist, presenting visuals that are classic and clear, while Robinson gives a gripping tale about the decline and fall of the first heroic age. It's got the best brawl in the past 25 years, and enough shocks to make you piddle in yer britches!

This was one of James Robinson's best works. He excels at taking little used characters (especially Golden Age ones) and making them human and more relevent for the reader. For the first time I have encountered the JSA they felt more then the cardboard heroes that they have been portrayed as before. Although the plot is not horribly original, they are enough twists and mysteries to keep you guessing. If you are a fan of Starman and want a little bit of a mroe realistic edge on your superheroes, give this a shot.

The Golden Age is James Robinson's finest work to date. The wide cast of characters are all presented as vibrant individual's with flaws and passions. The plot is intriguing and the resolution is thoroughly satisfying. It may say Elseworlds on the cover, but if you read Starman you know this book is DC lore.