2016 Comic Challenge 216 All Star Squadron #01

TITLE-All Star Squadron #01
PUBLISHER-DC Comics

Back when this series started I wasn't reading much superhero stuff from DC. Sure I read the horror and war anthologies they published,but if I wanted some superhero comics I was a die hard Marvel fan.

Then I saw the above cover on the spinner rack at K&B Drugs in Pascagoula MS.Something about it caught my eye and I had to have it.After just one issue of this Roy Thomas written series and I was hooked. From then until DC had the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover I tried my best to get ASS every month.

Over the last 20 years I have been slowly acquiring every issue of the series.Never spending more than 2 bucks an issue,hell most of the time I was getting them outta 50 cent boxes at cons.

Starting the night before the Pearl Harbor attacks,we have Hawkman running into Plastic Man.After a bit of bickering they end up teaming up to fight some flying insect like villain.

The Shinning Knight is out on his winged steed.Flying over a new island with a volcano. He lands to check it out.Then finds out that Per Degaton has a secret base here.

The rest of the issue details the attack on Pearl Harbor.Which is when the first Firebrand dies. And then a bunch of mystery men goto the White House. Were the President asks them to team up as the All Star Squadron.

They head out to the west coast. Per Degaton has an underwater aircraft carrier. Which launches a bunch of Japanese Zeros into the California city.

It has been at least 8 years since I read this issue. Roy Thomas' writing holds up really well. Sure if you aren't use to early 80s comics it will seem kind of wordy. Rich Butler's pencils are decent. IIRC Jerry Ordway takes over the pencils fairly early on in this series.

All Star Squadron #01 gets a borrow.