Rating: 
Summary: very enjoyable!!!
Review: I DECIDED TO READ THIS SINCE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A PREQUEL TO 'CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS' AND I WAS THRILLED TO DISCOVER THE STORY AND ART WAS THE SAME AS WHEN I BEGAN MY COMIC BOOK COLLECTION. THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR DIALOGUE ARE SOMEWHAT CORNY WHEN COMPARED TO TODAY'S WORKS BUT I STILL THOROUGHLY ENJOYED READING IT. RECOMMENDED TO ANY JLA FANS.
Rating: 
Summary: Great collection of historical JSA/JLA team-ups
Review: I guess as a means to collect more money from historical comics, DC has released this collection of JSA/JLA team-ups originally published as the yearly "Crisis" series in Justice League of America comics. For those of us who remember these comics, this is an enjoyable ride down memory lane. It also sets the early groundwork for the eventual 1986 "Crisis on Infinite Earths" maxi-series. If you are into the current JLA/JSA then these issues may be confusing since everything has been "retconned" several times since the 1986 crisis - it seems that every 5 or so years that everything is changed again (most recently with the WWII Wonder Woman). Amazing how DC's attempt at simplification just made everything more convoluted and complex - all the more reason to enjoy these original JLA/JSA team-ups.
Rating:
Summary: Review for 'Crisis.....' Vol. 2
Review: I just received the 2nd volumbe of the 'Crisis' books that cover the JLA/JSA crossovers. The quality of stories has been expounded elsewhere and I agree with these being classice comics to own, read and re-read. Let me share some 'nuts-and-bolts' about this book.
The stories reprinted range from JLA #55 (the last one drawn by Mike Sekowsky) to JLA #82 (the start of the Dick Dillin era). So a 3rd trade paperback would be needed to carry through to the end of the Silver Age/beginning of the Bronze Age. A blurb on the back cover stating this is the 2nd of 8 Silver Age Crisis Crossover adventures. Does this mean more JLA or will there be trades of the Atom, Flash and Green Lantern? Prior to each story is a page reprinting the cover (something missing from 'Batman In The 50s'). Martin 'Pesky' Pasko wrote an introduction to this volume. There is a 2-page pinup of the JSA by Murphy Anderson from a 70s 100 Page Spectacular.
A terrific extra is the last two pages being a selection from letter columns from then-fans, now-professionals on the JLA/JSA stories. This is a spectacular idea and should be used in the Archives books as well.
These stories will eventually covered in the Archive editions, but this is a smaller and less-expensive alternative. You also get stories that won't be reprinted for a while but you can enjoy these beautiful reproductions now.
Worth the effort and expense? Slam Dunk!
Rating:
Summary: Great companion piece for this great graphic novel
Review: I know of a great companion piece in the form of a book entitled "The Adventures of Darkeye: Cyber Hunter" whose odd manner of having log-entries over chapters reads exactly like the script for a graphic novel, even though it is in the science fiction/high-tech and cyberpunk genre along with books like "Cryptonomicon", "Snow Crash", "Prey", and "Altered Carbon". Very fast-paced, incredibly visual, and very exciting due to its action-packed pages.
Rating:
Summary: Great companion piece for this great graphic novel
Review: I know of a great companion piece in the form of a book entitled "The Adventures of Darkeye: Cyber Hunter" whose odd manner of having log-entries over chapters reads exactly like the script for a graphic novel, even though it is in the science fiction/high-tech and cyberpunk genre along with books like "Cryptonomicon", "Snow Crash", "Prey", and "Altered Carbon". Very fast-paced, incredibly visual, and very exciting due to its action-packed pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Reverting back to old school
Review: It was nice to have the history of te JLA/JSA team ups, but it didn't have all of the teams ups and the book kind of misled that it would.
Rating:
Summary: Much more fun than Crisis on Infinite Earths
Review: Obviously! These are stories from the early '60s, when comics were happy. This trade paperback collects the early interdimensional team-ups between the JLA and JSA. This is some good old-fashioned reading, complete with lots of inexplicable and downright ridiculous plot devices from writer Gardner Fox. BUT, for the all the absurdity in Fox's writing, he balances it with amazing creativity and some brilliant comedy (as when Johnny Thunder's T-Bolt travels back in time to put the kibosh on Batman's crimefighting career; it's like something out of MAD Magazine). Mike Sekowsky's artwork, while simple, is very appealing, especially from a design standpoint. I'd bet my lunch money that indy favorite Dan Clowes studied his work more than once. SEE the first appearance of the Crime Syndicate (in their original costumes) in a tale that puts Grant Morrison's JLA: Earth 2 rewrite to shame! SEE the eeeevil JLA, courtesy of the just-as-eeeevil Johnny Thunder! SEE Solomon Grundy and Blockbuster whip up on everything!This is a great companion volume to COIE, but I'd rather read this one any day. It's certainly not as convoluted, and afterwards, I don't feel as if I have to sit down and decompress. It could use a few more stories, such as the original meeting between the Earth-1 and Earth-2 Flashes. Also, some of the stories begin abruptly, and it'd be nice to have some background supplied before the tale begins, instead of having to read the panel notes. Oh yeah, the cover by Alex Ross is great!
Rating:
Summary: The Brilliance of Gardner Fox
Review: Perhaps no man in the history of superhero comics has had as many brilliant ideas as Gardner Fox. Sadly, though, his conceptual and narrative brilliance is often over-looked and/or dismissed as "kids stuff" in favor of Stan Lee's approach Marvel Universe. While I enjoy lots of the old Marvel stories (certainly much more than much of what Marvel puts out nowadays), I'm of a mind that bringing together the residents of two imaginary universes is a slightly neater trick than simply plopping your characters into the New York metro area. As another reviewer pointed out, these stories (early 60s vintage) are from an era when comics were pure escapist fun. While the dialogue is often cringe-worthy (a trait Mr. Fox and Mr. Lee shared), there's no denying the simple joy of these stories. And if they lack some of the (ostensible) complexity of Marvel's stories of the same era, so much the better. Some times it's more fun to read about heroes working together to beat the villains than to see them pulling apart and beating on each other. As a final note, I'm happy to say that I've heard DC has a follow-up volume in the works. With any luck, perhaps they'll cover the whole run of JLA/JSA team-ups. In the meantime, this collection is just wonderful on its own.
Rating:
Summary: The Brilliance of Gardner Fox
Review: Perhaps no man in the history of superhero comics has had as many brilliant ideas as Gardner Fox. Sadly, though, his conceptual and narrative brilliance is often over-looked and/or dismissed as "kids stuff" in favor of Stan Lee's approach Marvel Universe. While I enjoy lots of the old Marvel stories (certainly much more than much of what Marvel puts out nowadays), I'm of a mind that bringing together the residents of two imaginary universes is a slightly neater trick than simply plopping your characters into the New York metro area. As another reviewer pointed out, these stories (early 60s vintage) are from an era when comics were pure escapist fun. While the dialogue is often cringe-worthy (a trait Mr. Fox and Mr. Lee shared), there's no denying the simple joy of these stories. And if they lack some of the (ostensible) complexity of Marvel's stories of the same era, so much the better. Some times it's more fun to read about heroes working together to beat the villains than to see them pulling apart and beating on each other. As a final note, I'm happy to say that I've heard DC has a follow-up volume in the works. With any luck, perhaps they'll cover the whole run of JLA/JSA team-ups. In the meantime, this collection is just wonderful on its own.
Rating:
Summary: Classic, wonderful Silver Age stories!
Review: This book forms sort of a trilogy with two other DC trade paperbacks: "Crisis on Infinite Earths" and "History of the DC Universe." All three books are worth reading, but this is the one tailor-made for silver age fans and people who love the Justice League. Many years ago, you see, DC established that their heroes of the 1930s and 40s lived in a different universe than the heroes of the 50s they were currently publishing -- an "Earth-2." (Why was the home of the ORIGINAL characters called "Earth-2"? Who knows?) Since the Flashes of the two worlds had met on occasion, the creators of the Justice League of America comic book decided it was time for the current heroes to meet their predecessors, the first superhero team in comics, the Justice Society of America. That first story was successful and became a more-or-less annual event that lasted until the Crisis on Infinite Earths eliminated multiple universes from DC Comics. This book collects the first several JLA/JSA pairings, each two parts and all done with style, class and a touch of that campy silver age charm that still makes the stories a lot of fun 40 years later. It's great to see DC showing this kind of respect to the classic stories in its library...
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