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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN num: 9781401207113
ISBN number: 1401207111
Label: DC Comics
Manufacturer: DC Comics
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 200
Printing Date: June 01, 2005
Publishing house: DC Comics
Age index: Young Adult
Release Date: June 01, 2005
Sale Popularity Level: 224689
Studio: DC Comics
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Product Description:
Some of the greatest heroes of the 1940s JSA including the original Green Lantern, Atom, Hawkman, Starman and othersreturn in this spectacular Elseworlds tale. The story follows their postwar adventures as they battle evil in a world they fear may no longer need them. And as their importance wanes, a new hero, Dynaman, rallies the nation behind his fascist agenda.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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Oh, man! This thing is awful! This is purely subjective, of course, my personal experience. I guess the art's ok, though nothing to write home about.... I found the story difficult to follow: there're too many characters, most of which aren't particularly interesting. It's too wordy, and much of the dialog is too talky. Ironically, though, the big cataclysmic battle scene was too drawn out, so that doesn't really save it, either.
The best part was probably the introduction, but I got tied of that, too, and went to the story. He mentions Watchman in the introduction, and that's obviously a big influence here... most of the characters are miserable, they smoke and drink and battle depression and various other mental health issues, complain about their lives, and a number of them get killed in the end. Any of that might be ok if handled differently, but to me, it just came off as kind of depressing. Certainly the original golden era characters, aimed at a children's audience, could stand some fleshing-out, but weighing them down with psychological problems, sexual frustrations and substance abuse problems seems, in this instance, just some thing they did beacuse Watchmen had mede it trendy at the time. Hey! Remember Hourman, who's pill could make him super for an hour? Let's twist that into him being an addict and inhaling lines of white powder off a mirror and get hallucinatory side effects! Yeah, that's cool....
Supposedly this was done with reverence for the era and the era's superheroes, but I don't see that here. What I see is an endeavor to take a bunch of characters that mosstly weren't well known and write a gritty "adult", "real world" story -- just like with Watchmen.
Very similar. Except what Watchmen did was new, original and done well, whereas this was derivative of the same style and not good at all.
Rated by buyers 
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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.
Rated by buyers 
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This book surprised the hell out of me. Sure it was slow at times, but no book has ever given me as many flashbacks of the Alan Moore classic of Watchmen. It's neat to see the JSA in their prime, even if it is an Elseworlds.
Rated by buyers -
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 very first heroic age. It's got the best brawl in the past 25 years, and enough shocks to make you piddle in yer britches!
Rated by buyers -
The story opens with Green Lantern musing about how awesome his power is, surpassing the atomic bombs which later give Dynaman his power. Alas, he falls far short in battle. Managing only a single purple bubble which Dynaman shatters with one blow, the vaunted "Big Guy" is immediately reduced to slugging it out with the villain. The mob of heroes flings itself at Dynaman one by one, rather than attempting any coordination or teamwork. No one attempts a ranged attack, but rather puts himself in range of Dynaman's devastating fists. Heroes who might credibly ignore Dynaman's physical strength, such as the Spectre, Dr. Fate, or Sargon the Sorcerer, are either absent or take no part in the battle. The whole battle is staged to support DC's conceit that someone with Superman-style powers is automatically superior to all others.
Aside from these issues, this is a most impressive work in every regard.
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