Best Comics You’ve Never Heard Of: JSA: the Liberty Files
We all know who the Justice League is. The biggest and best heroes in the DC universe bound together to ward off evil. However, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of their predecessors, the Justice Society of America. In WWII, the heroes of yesteryear banded together to battle the evils of the Reich. Some were metahumans like Wonder Woman and the Flash, but many were just brawlers and badasses like Wildcat and the Atom. Often overlooked, they are unsung, prominent characters deserved of a book as brilliant as this.
“The Liberty Files” is an Elseworld’s title. An alternate reality for a writer to do any damn thing they want. Set in WWII we get a very different take on the JSA. Starring Hourman, Dr. Mid-nite, Mr. Terrific and a 1930’s version of Batman they are set to find the secret weapon of Hitler’s. What they don’t expect is the secret weapon is much different and much more powerful than they ever imagined. It’s a man. A flying man. A super man. How can four extraordinary human men deal with something like that? And that is only the first half of the book. The second half is bigger and more intense. The action is amped, the story is larger and the stakes are Earth shattering, the Society grows to a massive climax. I couldn’t imagine waiting for this month to month it’s too incredible with cliffhangers that make turning a page take too long to wait.
Writer Dan Jolley isn’t the best known writer but he deserves wide recognition, and “Liberty Files” stands as a shining beacon as to why. When a writer cares about source material is shows and he truly is a fan. The easter eggs for fans are fantastic. So many second and third tier characters make appearances just to make you smile as you read. But even someone that has never read the JSA can get so much from it. Renowned artist Tony Harris provides the gorgeous noir, shadow-realistic art that adds an extra dimension to it. He and Jolley take the WWII backdrop, add some of the most underrated super heroes ever, and a pinch of Indiana Jones’ style and we get the Liberty Files. It’s difficult to find, but more than worth it when you do.