The comics luminary turns 81…
Roy Thomas — born 81 years ago on November 22, 1940 — needs no introduction, so we’re gonna dispense with that.
Instead, we’re gonna jump right into a 13 COVERS birthday tribute featuring the ’80s cult-fave DC title The Young All-Stars, co-created by Thomas, his wife Dann Thomas, and artists Michael Bair and Brian Murray.
Oh, and by all means check out contributor Fred Van Lente’s terrific piece, THE TOP 13 ROY THOMAS AVENGERS STORIES – RANKED. (Click here.)
Rad.
Brian Murray
Michael Bair pencils, Mark Beachum inks
Murray
Murray
Bair
Ron Harris
Malcolm Jones III
Dave Simons
Bair
Murray
Bair
Ron Harris pencils, Bob Downs inks
Lou Manna pencils, Bob Downs inks
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MORE
— The TOP 13 Roy Thomas AVENGERS Stories – RANKED. Click here.
— ‘GOD BLESS’: ROY THOMAS’ Final Meeting With STAN LEE. Click here.
November 23, 2021
The Young All-Stars never made it with the general comic-buying readership because they all looked too unfamiliar. What made it a cult favorite is that we all knew they were substitutes for the big golden-age DC heroes (Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, etc.) that Crisis on Infinite Earths whisked away from Earth-2 and merged into a single earth existence. (DC finally realized the mistake and has tried to “Crisis” their way out of the results several times to no avail.)
But oh, what glorious work Roy Thomas was doing with All Star Squadron when COIE stopped it in its tracks! The settling dust harmed All Star Squadron more than any other DC series at the time. It never quite recovered, lapsing into a series of origin stories and attempts to pull itself up by its bootstraps. Infinity Inc. and then Young All-Stars tried to carry on the legacy but neither spin-off series developed the same following.
I am so looking forward to Alter Ego #175! And maybe someday DC will finally give us a complete reprint of All-Star Squadron and its offspring. It’s much deserved!