Joshua, John :: All-Star Squadron "alternate covers"

All-Star Squadron "Zero Issue"

Artist: Bambos Georgiou (All)

2 Comments - 1,032 Views - 3 Likes

Additional Images:

Dave Hoover pencils - from Alter Ego #9

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All-Star Squadron Annual #2 - "alternate cover" - from an unused design by Jerry Ordway

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All-Star Squadron #3 "alternate cover" - from a page in Young All-Stars Annual #1

Artwork Details

Title:	All-Star Squadron "Zero Issue"
Artist:	Bambos Georgiou (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Commission
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	1,032
Likes on CAF:	3 4
Comments:	2
Added to Site:	9/7/2022
Comic Art Archive:

Description

New commission: a couple of months ago I found a bit of previously-unpublished All-Star Squadron art which I thought had the potential to be a great cover. Here it is - and there's a bit of a backstory to it. In Alter Ego #9 (July 2001) there's a long article on Roy Thomas' unpublished projects, including a section outlining a proposal Roy made to DC in the mid-1990s for a follow-up All-Star Squadron series.

As the first issue would have featured the deaths of not just President Roosevelt but also Superman, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Arrow and Speedy, Green Lantern and the Flash, it would have been an ongoing Elseworlds book - and he outlined plans for a "core cast" of Johnny Quick, Liberty Belle, Hawkman, Tarantula, Dr Mid-Nite, the Atom, Robotman, Firebrand and numerous others, with possible guest appearances from Young All-Stars including Iron Munro and Fury - and potential plotlines in this wartime world where nothing about the future is certain such as Hawkman dying and being replaced by Hawkgirl, Starman being injured so he can fly, but can't walk, and the Spectre becoming "a ravening enemy of mankind for cosmic reasons - not just for one storyline but permanently".

Buried within the article is a small bit of artwork drawn by Dave Hoover which accompanied the pitch, and had it gone ahead the art might have been used as a promotional advert or a cover. Sadly DC didn't take the idea up - and Roy later used the core concept as the basis for his creator-owned series Anthem.

But the artwork was so tempting I asked Bambos Georgiou to work it up as a cover, using one of the Zero issue templates from 1994 (not least because it allowed me to easily replace the circular Zero Hour logo with the Elseworlds logo), and the strapline - "The Beginning Of Tomorrow" - seemed to work well for a series in which the future of the individual heroes, and the team, is unknown. I'll admit I've stretched things a bit - the zero issues were cover-dated October 1994, whereas Roy apparently didn't submit the proposal to DC until Spring 1995 - but I hope you'll forgive me that slight cheat.

I think this is a great cover - and in my view it would have made a terrific series! Hope you agree.

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About the Owner

	John Joshua
Joined:	May 2015
Last Login:	September 2025
Country:	UNITED KINGDOM
On CAF:	John's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

Posted on 9/7/2022

It evokes the look of a heroic age in comics where it was needed to provide inspiration to the masses!

Ben Herman
Member Since 2003

1 - Posted on 3/27/2023

Very cool commission.

All
	Dave E 9/6/2025 11:22:00 AM
	J Murdock 9/6/2025 11:20:00 AM
	Federico Bettini 9/6/2025 11:20:00 AM
	James Cline 9/6/2025 11:18:00 AM
	Ben H 9/6/2025 11:10:00 AM
View All


	P A 9/6/2025 11:02:00 AM
	Henrik Henrik 9/6/2025 10:58:00 AM
	Aasemoon ‎ 9/6/2025 10:54:00 AM
	Aidan (Re-Legion ) Lacy 9/6/2025 10:51:00 AM
	Wade AuCoin 9/6/2025 10:46:00 AM