The New Golden Age

"The New Golden Age" is a crossover event in DC Comics publications. Written by Geoff Johns, the story follows the Justice Society of America unraveling a mystery following the Golden Age heroes and villains and the untold stories that come with it. The story comprises an eponymous one-shot and the central storyline in the ongoing Justice Society of America, as well as tie-in limited series like Stargirl: The Lost Children, Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, Jay Garrick: The Flash, and Wesley Dodds: The Sandman.

The event received highly positive reviews from critics.

In August 2022, DC Comics announced "The New Golden Age",^[1] an event meant to reintroduce readers to the Justice Society of America and other Golden Age characters,^[2] as well as explore the past, present and future of the DC multiverse.^[3]

The New Golden Age was expanded to three new six-issue miniseries: Alan Scott: The Green Lantern by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey, Jay Garrick: The Flash by Jeremy Adams and Diego Olortegui, and Wesley Dodds: The Sandman by Robert Venditti and Riley Rossmo. The crossover event is also part of the "Dawn of DC" initiative.^[4]

In Star City, Green Arrow is training with Red Arrow as he tells her about the time when he and Speedy were transported to the Golden Age of Superheroes and joined the Seven Soldiers of Victory, consisting of Vigilante, Star-Spangled Kid, Stripesy, Shining Knight, and Crimson Avenger. The two are approached by Jill Carlyle / Crimson Avenger, who states that Lee Travis needs their help. The three battle the Clock King and learn that Travis is still alive, but he is killed when the Clock King's time machine explodes.^[5]

Meanwhile, Rip Hunter is informed that the Time Masters' capsules containing various missing Golden Age superheroes have shut down, returning their captives to their own time.^[6]

In an alternate timeline, Helena Wayne becomes Huntress to avenge her father Bruce's death. Meanwhile, the Stranger kills Doctor Fate's 30th-century descendant, the present-day Khalid Nassour meets with Detective Chimp and Deadman to exorcise Nabu from his helmet, and the Justice Society search for the missing sidekicks.^[7]

While searching for Doctor Fate, Huntress forms a new incarnation of the Justice Society consisting of Power Girl, Solomon Grundy, Gentleman Ghost, Harlequin's son, Icicle II, Mist, and Red Lantern II. The Stranger transports Huntress to 1940, where the original Justice Society find her. However, Huntress is soon returned to the present and meets with Fate, Detective Chimp, and Deadman.^[8][9][10]

Madame Xanadu informs the Society that Per Degaton made a deal with the Lords of Chaos and intends to kill the original Justice Society. However, Fate summons alternate universe variants of the Society to stop Degaton. Afterwards, Fate travels to the 31st century to assist the Legion of Substitute Heroes while the Society recruits Legionnaire, a young, heroic version of Mordru. However, the Legion of Super-Heroes arrive to stop them, believing that Mordru will inevitably turn evil.^[11]

While investigating the missing sidekicks, Stargirl and Red Arrow discover that they have been kidnapped by the Time Masters and Childminder, who seek to protect them from Doctor Manhattan's alterations to the timeline. Unable to return to their time, the sidekicks are instead adopted by various present-day heroes. Amidst this, Dan the Dyna-Mite crash-lands on an island in the Diablo Triangle and is mysteriously de-aged.^[12]

In the 1940s, Sandman battles crime, guided by his prophetic dreams. He occasionally experiences nightmares, such as his father's experiences in World War I, but learns to overcome them. After investigating the theft of his anesthetic gas, Sandman encounters a mysterious evil doppelganger of himself who he dubs Fog. He then defeats him and is invited to join the Justice Society.^[13]

The Flash battles Doctor Elemental while he and his wife Joan struggle with their inability to remember their daughter Judy, also known as Boom. In flashbacks to 1941, the Justice Society battle robots in Wutach Gorge. In the present, Jay learns that Elemental is Professor Hughes, a scientist who conducted the experiments that gave him his super-speed and created the robots as part of efforts to recreate Jay's powers. Elemental attempts to activate the meta-genes of everyone on Earth before Jay stops him.^[14]

Alan Scott is imprisoned in Arkham Asylum for being homosexual. After escaping, he is involved in a train accident that kills his friends Jimmy, encounters the Starheart, and becomes Green Lantern. He then becomes an enemy and occasional ally of Red Lantern (Vladimir Sokov), a Russian soldier who wields an artificial lantern ring.^[15]

On Comicbook Roundup, The New Golden Age #1 received an average review of 8.1 out of 10 based on 13 reviews,^[21] the main The New Golden Age story received an average rating of 7.8 out of 10 based on 76 reviews,^[22] and Stargirl: The Lost Children received an average rating of 8.6 based on 59 reviews.^[23]

Golden Age of Comic Books