The Justice Society of Would-Be Michelangelos – The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #21

The old DC digests are great, and always a pleasure to uncover. Easier to find nowadays in decent condition than their oversized cousins, they often sported splendiferous new artwork on their covers to sandwich the reprint material within. And the George Perez image we have above is one of my favorites — yes, kids, we can all get along.

It’s good to see the old Justice Society of America — the iteration where Batman and Superman are a part of the group — cooperate on sculpting an eagle/shield symbol, their superpower version of a weekend warrior Home Depot project. What makes it better is that each member is contributing in his/her own unique way. Superman karate chops while Alan Scott power rings. Wonder Woman (in her Golden Age granny panties) chisels while Hawkman hovers to do the same. Jay Garrick chips at super-speed while Dr. Fate etches with Ankh-blasts of magic. And Batman and old-school Atom consult the blueprints and direct. Teamwork!

One wrinkle, though: you think anyone had the stones to go over to the mercurial, nigh-omnipotent Spectre and ask “Hey, you wanna pitch in here or something?” He’s apparently the hero equivalent of the guy on a construction site leaning on a shovel while others dig away. Of course, he could be using his godly abilities in a way undetected to the naked eye. Or maybe Jim Corrigan just had a really strong union. You decide!