Giant Justice League Of America The Second

A look back at the second Justice League of America Giant, 80 Page Giant #G-29, otherwise known as Justice League of America #48 (November-December, 1966) with a cover by Mike Sekowsky and Murphy Anderson, highlighting Batman and three exciting reprints from the earliest days of the Justice League of America, with charter members Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman and Aquaman....as well as limited appearances by Superman and Batman.

Even though Batman was not such a big thing in the tales contained in this issue, he was on the cover, due to the giant success of the 1966 Batman TV series!

Brave and The Bold 29

Starting off with the last of the reprints of tales from before the Justice League had its own title with Brave and The Bold #29 (April-May, 1960) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Bernard Sachs and Joe Giella, with the "Challenge Of The Weapons Master", though this story did have about a page missing, losing parts of page 8 and 9.

Xotar came back from 11960 A.D., using his robot, Ilaric, planning to defeat the JLA using one of four different super-weapons, as part of a historical record he found said one of these weapons would defeat the super team.  Stopping the individual members at the Secret Sanctuary, Xotar has them face weapons individually, with the Flash facing the Microscopitor, Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter defeating the De-Evolutionizer Ray, and Wonder Woman and Green Lantern beating the Magneto-Bubble machine.  All five face off against the last weapon, the Illusion-Maker, which does look like it will defeat the five members, at least until Superman shows up, being summoned by Batman and Snapper Carr.  Xotar returns to his own time, not knowing why he was defeated, but gets the full story of the full page of the historical record...

Justice League of America 2

Next up is the tale originally from the Justice League Of America #2 (December-January, 1960/1961) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs, under this magical cover by Murphy Anderson, with the Justice League facing the "Secret Of The Sinister Sorcerers".

All science fails around the world, while, in Magic-Land - a parallel dimension ruled by magic - magic fails as well.  Merlin the Magician realizes that this has been caused by 3 evil sorcerers, Saturna, the Troll King and Simon Magus.  The JLA members resort to mystic measures to contact Merlin, who gets his magic back when he comes to Earth, and he sends the team to Magic-Land to face the magicians.  Green Lantern and the Martian Manhunter face Saturna, Flash and Wonder Woman go against the Troll King and Superman, Batman and Aquaman fight Simon Magus.  Defeating the three they return to Earth, with Merlin restoring the properties of each world to its own dimension.

Simon Magus would later return to face Superman, Batman and Robin in an issue of World's Finest Comics during its Dollar Comics era.

Justice League of America 3

Last, but not least, the reprint Justice League Of America #3 (February-March, 1961) with this Murphy Anderson cover, and story by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs (though missing 4 pages), this, "The Slave Ship Of Space".

Kanjar Ro of Dhor enlists the JLA to help him by paralyzing the inhabitants of Earth with his Gamma Gong, taking the five main JLAers to face his foes in space, using his Slave Ship.  Martin Manhunter fights Kromm of Mosteel, Aquaman and Wonder Woman face Hyathis of Alstair, and Flash and Green Lantern capture Sayyar of Llar.   The team defeat Kanjar Ro, even though he tried additional trickery, and would face Kanjar Ro again, usually with the help of Earthman Adam Strange on the planet Rann, even though the 4 alien despots were imprisoned on a planetoid created by Superman.

This issue, even with its missing pages, still continues the Giant Justice League of America tradition begun in Justice League of America #39 (November, 1965), and continued in Justice League of America #58 (November-December, 1967), though this was the last to have stories only featuring the charter members of the Justice League of America.