When I first started reading comic books, my only exposure to super-heros up to that point had been through other media, specifically the cartoon "The Super Friends". Imagine my surprise to learn that there was more than ONE of nearly every Super Friend in the comic books. Adding to my confusion was the fact that these counterparts lived on a parallel Earth, and that some, like Superman and Batman, were identical to the heroes I knew, but that others, like Flash and Green Lantern, were entirely different from the characters I watched Saturday mornings.

It didn't take me long to figure out what was going on: the heroes of the forties, the more famous revisions in the late 50s and early 60s, and the fact that after 1985, SOME of that didn't matter anymore. The Superman and Batman of Earth 2 were gone, but the GL and Flash remained along side their more famous Silver Age counterparts. And, for the most part, they retain a strong measure of popularity in their own right, co-starring in DC's monthly "JSA", as well as playing supporting roles throughout the comic book line. AND, for the most part, their golden age adventures were still part of continuity.