All-Star Squadron Annual #10, homage to Giant-Size Avengers issue #5

Latest "Continuation Project" commission - All-Star Squadron Annual #10, drawn by Peter Clinton, and based as always on the cover of a comic written, plotted or scripted by Roy Thomas, in this case Giant-Size Avengers #5 (which slightly reworked the cover of Avengers Annual #1), original art by Don Heck. I was going to hang on until I'd picked this up at the weekend, but (a) I'm impatient and (b) it's great, so I wanted to share it...

Title: " The Justice Society Fight For A United America!"

Story: As with Annuals #6 and #8, this issue re-tells a classic JSA tale from All-Star Comics, in this case issue #16 - but with a twist. When Dr Charles McNider returns from his adventure in issue #141, he's confronted by his assistant (and now Army nurse) Myra Mason, who accuses him of being un-American and attacks him! After subduing her, McNider discovers that, all across the country, friends are turning against friends, creed against creed, bloodline against bloodline (yes, that's how I'm justifying using this story to fit in with the 1993 DC Annuals trade dress - sue me 😉).

Calling his fellow Justice Society members together, the team investigates what's happening, with each member having their own adventure - including encountering members of the armed forces such as Sgt Frank Rock, Ulysses Hazard, pilot Johnny Cloud and Navy man Captain William Storm, as well as one of the unsung army of women building war materiel, all having their own clashes.

Ultimately the JSA discover that what's causing the crisis is a secret Nazi plot, broadcasting a subliminal signal using the radio show of Axis sympathiser Lady Lorelei to provoke hatred - and the team track her down, smash the equipment being used, and reaffirm the importance of brotherhood and harmony in defeating their foes. The Justice Society are victorious once more!

(For those who don't recall her, Lady Lorelei is the forgotten Roy Thomas All-Star Squadron villain - never appearing in person, but making a broadcast in a few panels in All-Star Squadron #38. Roy's confirmed that, although he had no definitive plans for her, he's sure that he would have used her eventually if the series has continued - and this seemed to me to be an ideal opportunity to do so.)

And a huge hat-tip to Peter for delivering a brilliant cover, featuring not just the 1942 JSA line-up but also some of DC's characters from the armed forces - it seemed appropriate at this time to honour the heroes who really won the war.