Secret Origins #1 – Review

By: Greg Pak, Kyle Higgins, and Tony Bedard (writers); Lee Weeks, Doug Mahnke, and Paulo Siqueira (pencils), Sandra Hope, Lee Weeks, Keith Champagne, Christian Alamy, and Hi-Fi (inks), Dave McCaig, John Kalisz, and Hi-Fi (colors)

The Review: When the New 52 launched two and a half years ago two of the biggest complaints I remember hearing were the disinterest in seeing the heroes’ origins replayed once again and the surprise and outrage when the comics did not provide origin stories. People were expecting new The Man of Steel’s and Batman: Year Ones. The fans wanted to see how their icons had changed, what justified this new continuity, while others worried that new readers would struggle without the origin stories.

Well, it certainly took them long enough, but the release of Secret Origins #1 this week finally answers those concerns.

For an impressive $5.00 price tag, readers get three twelve-page stories from the writers currently handling the characters. I’m not sure that such a hefty price will endear this series to new or lapsed comic readers, but I suppose what really matters is how well it justifies that price point.

The first story, quite appropriately, is Superman’s, penned by Action Comics and Batman/Superman scribe Greg Pak. While there isn’t that much changed from the traditional tale of Krypton’s demise, and certainly nothing secret, Pak’s tale sets itself apart through its perspective. Written from the point of view of Superman’s two moms – wouldn’t that have been an interesting twist? – Pak creates a believable, non-sappy story that pins down the essential value of our ‘Man of Tomorrow’ as love.

Given that Pak is handling the part of the story that Clark can’t tell himself, I think it was a very wise choice to focus on Martha Kent and Lara Van-El. Particularly with Man of Steel still fresh in our minds, and the original Superman (1978) before it, it’s not hard to make the argument that Jor-El has often eclipsed his fellow Kryptonians, and occasionally even his son. Likewise, I think that many stories spend a lot of time focused on Jonathan Kent in Clark’s boyhood. By focusing on the women in Clark’s life, Pak presents a new look at this classic tale.

Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons #3 – Review

By: J.T. Krul (writer), Fabrizio Fiorentino (artist), Kyle Ritter & Ander Zarate (colorists)

The Story: Wow Boston—we’re so close now, it’s like you’re in me.

The Review: Here’s a pretty good indicator of worthwhile series: when each episode, chapter, or issue has its own agenda yet plays together with the others to form a cohesive story.  In other words, if you can predict how things will turn out the next time around by what you get at the moment, then you lose nearly the whole point of a continued plotline.  When the element of surprise disappears, so does your reason for investment.

Krul has set up a pattern of movement which every issue of this title has followed, even to the very end.  We again start with a foreboding monologue: “But instead of bringing a spectacle of thrills, we brought the dogs of war.  We brought the Amazons.  We brought death.”  Gag-worthy melodramatics aside, let’s commend Krul for that “dogs of war” bit; way to skirt the line on calling those women something offensive, sir.

We also have the obligatory scenes of Boston trying to weasel the easy way out of the life-and-death situation our circus crew find themselves in, and of Dick acting impulsively self-righteous.  It’s a noble attitude, no doubt, but grating just the same, especially when coupled with claims like, “We became soldiers the day the war started.  We just didn’t know it until now.”  Their squabbling over survival vs. justice is part of a tiresome formula we’ve grown all too used to.