Inspirations for Smallville’s JSA lurk in comic books

Television viewers were introduced to characters from the Justice Society of America in last week’s “Smallville” episode “Absolute Justice.” The two-hour event was written by Geoff Johns, who wrote the Justice Society of America comic book for DC Comics. According to Entertainment Weekly, “Absolute Justice” drew “Smallville’s” highest ratings of the season, with about 2.8 million viewers.

The Justice Society was originally introduced in the 1940s in the pages of All-Star Comics. It was the first-ever team of superheroes, and inspired the Justice League in the 1960s. “Absolute Justice” primarily featured Hawkman (Michael Shanks), Doctor Fate and Stargirl. Sandman and Star-Spangled Kid appeared in both modern-day and flashback scenes, and much of the rest of the Justice Society appeared in flashback.

Writers James Robinson (“Starman”) and David Goyer (“Batman Begins”) revived the Justice Society of

To catch up on the Justice Society characters, check out the following DC Comics, available in trade paperback: