Remember when comics used to be fun? Why does everything have to be so miserable these days? If you go into any comic shop today or search the newly released solicitations, all you’ll find from DC is a load of dark stories that take themselves far too seriously. Most writers of today don’t seem to understand that you can have serious storytelling while also the making the comic itself fun. Of course, Secret Origins isn’t a great example of that. It may be fun, but the very idea of serious storytelling would be scoffed at by some of those who wrote them. But maybe this is what we need. Secret Origins has been an ongoing feature of DC for decades now. For a period, it simply reprinted origin stories of all the heroes we loved, while in the 1980s, the project was relaunched and featured original origin stories. Yet why have I picked Secret Origins of all things? Why have I picked a compilation of random and silly stories. Truth be told, I could do with it after Mark Waid’s JLA run. However, in this rather miserable time, I think everyone could do with something like this…
Secret Origins was published as an eighty-page giant in 1961 and reprints World’s Finest 94, Showcase 4, 6 and 17, Green Lantern (vol 2) 1, Wonder Woman 105 and Detective Comics 225. The stories were written and drawn by a variety of classic talent, such as Gardner Fox, Ed Hamilton, Gil Kane and Jack Kirby to name just a few. I have read the stories in the DC Universe: Secret Origins hardcover. Also, there’s a
one-page prose piece about the origin of Green Arrow and Speedy. You know all the details involving a desert island and Speedy being raised by a Native American. It’s not much, but it’s something.
The Origin of the Superman-Batman Team --- Written by Ed Hamilton with art by Dick Sprang and Stan Kaye
When people look back to the first time Superman and Batman ever teamed up, this one is usually forgotten. Thanks to the likes of John Byrne’s Man of Steel miniseries and so many other retcons over the past few decades, this story is irrelevant to the current timeline of comics. But it’s certainly odd, I’ll give it that. Batman and Robin hear on the radio that Lex Luthor has escaped from prison. Believing that Superman may need their help due to Luthor’s fasciation for green Kryptonite, the dynamic duo head out to find the Man of Steel. But, when they do, they find him with a new mysterious hero named Powerman. They both ignore Batman and Robin, telling them to leave as they can take care of Luthor themselves. Although saddened with their rejection, Batman and Robin follow the two of them, remembering the first time they teamed up with Superman. In the past, Batman and Robin, aware of Superman’s power, overhear a group of smugglers talking about Kryptonite in a trade deal. Once the heroes take the smugglers out, they head to Metropolis and witness the Man of Steel fall prey to a liquid Kryptonite gun. Although dying from the Kryptonite in his system, Superman is saved when Batman and Robin put him Superman in a waterfall, releasing the Kryptonite particles. Who knew it would be that easy? Anyway, from there, the three heroes decide to team up to take care of the Kryptonite. Meanwhile back in the present, Batman and Robin watch as Superman and Powerman continue their search for Luthor, still saddened by their rejection. This was something that seemed very common back in the 1950s and early 1960s of DC Comics. There would be a lot of misunderstanding and twists that really should have been revealed sooner, but as a cost of that, you’d miss all the sad scenes of Robin crying or Batman looking sad. Don’t get that anymore. Batman continues his story from the past. He, Robin and Superman find a helicopter disguised as a windmill (sounds ridiculous, but it looks impressive) and the heroes decide to split up to take care of the Kryptonite smugglers. Batman and Robin then find the smugglers waiting with their Kryptonite weapons, causing Batman to come up with one of his most genius plans. Remember, this is one of the most intelligent heroes ever and a flawless detective. Batman’s plan is to dress and act like Superman! The plan almost works, until the smugglers realise that it isn’t really Superman, but Batman. Then, the real Superman appears and takes the smugglers out. The heroes all congratulate each other, pledging to team up once again in the future. Back in the present, something rather similar occurs. After discovering that Luthor escaped from prison using a destructive ray he created, Batman realises that is why Superman didn’t want him or Robin involved. However, using silicone shields, the dynamic duo manages to take out Luthor without getting injured, with Superman and Powerman watching surprised. In the end, Superman reveals that Powerman is just a robot and he created him to ensure that Batman and Robin wouldn’t be harmed. See, it’s all happy in the end. But am I the only one who feels like the structure here is a bit off? As there are two stories going on at once, they all sort of converge into one due to the huge similarities between them. But these were comics in the 1950s. To the writers then, it was just another job. But it would be wrong to say that the story had no or little fun in it. I suppose that it does tell us the origin of the World’s Finest team, even if the story probably hasn’t been referenced since by anyone, apart from Grant Morrison probably.
How can you not like the art of Dick Sprang? When you look back at definitive artists of a character for a whole decade, then the 1950s Batman is totally Dick Sprang. His art may show obvious traces of Jerry Robinson in it, but it’s the smoothness and vibrancy in the art that makes it a visual joy. With hindsight, it gives Batman a classic retro feeling, something which is similar with Carmine Infantino’s era. The storytelling is typical for its era, but the art looks far from rushed. Art back in those days always looked so refined and I miss it like that.
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 9.5/10
Secret of the Eternal City --- Written by Gardner Fox with art by Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs
Many would consider this story to be a silver age classic. Gardner Fox. Mike Sekowsky. Bernard Sachs. Whatever you think about them, they are titans of their age and Adam Strange in a creation of theirs which many ranks along with Green Lantern and the Flash. In the Andes, archaeologist Adam Strange finds an old temple and the treasures within, before he is chased out by the natives. But when he makes a leap to escape, he vanishes and appears in a tropical jungle full of monsters. Just as it looks like he is going to be killed, he is rescued by an alien woman named Alanna. She takes him to a futuristic city, where Adam is given a device that makes him able to understand Alanna and everybody else on the planet, named Rann, which is 25 trillion miles away from Earth. Alanna’s father, Sardath, explains that years ago, he tried to contact Earth with a zeta beam as both planets are the same size. But, on its way to Earth, radiation transformed the zeta beam into a teleportation beam, causing Adam Strange to teleport to Rann. Sardath explains that his race once had great scientific knowledge, until a nuclear war broke out and the civilization became barbaric. On the scientific note, what I like about this and what I don’t like about Mark Waid’s scientific writing is that it is far easier to understand and grasp. Gardner Fox also doesn’t litter his stories with technobabble and nonsense to the same degree in which Waid does. That really brings his stories down as they ultimately become far too complex to even care about what’s going on. Here, Fox doesn’t take up a whole page to explain zeta beams. Anyway, Rann is quickly attacked by invaders from outer space, calling themselves the Eternals, a name that has been overused to hell in comics. They have come to Rann in search of vitatron, a rare type of meteor that has the power to make the Eternals immortal. Meanwhile, Alanna takes Adam to the one place on the planet where vitatron can be found, that being an invisible city that appears every 25 years. I don’t know how that works, but I’d rather Mark Waid leave it at that. As Alanna and Adam arrive in the city and warn the elders about the invaders, the Eternals themselves arrive. By using one of the elder’s ships, Adam fights against the Eternals, but he escapes when he comes up with a plan. Cunningly, Adam tricks the Eternals, giving them vitatron and making them immortal, but trapping them in the fourth dimension forever with the help of the elders. However, Adam Strange then vanishes and appears back on Earth. But he is still determined and as he works out where the next zeta beam from Sardath will appear, he tells himself that soon, he will get back to Rann. To be honest, I’m not really a fan of Adam (continued)
Strange, at least, compared with some of the other icons who were created around the same time. But Fox can certainly write a good science fiction story and ultimately, that is what this is. Sure, the characters may be somewhat wooden, and the dialogue could be coming out of anyone’s mouth, but in terms of the story, it works effectively.
Despite co-creating the Justice League (coincidentally with Fox), I’ve never been much of a fan of Sekowsky or Sachs for that matter. I find Sekowsky’s style is be lacking in any excitement. It looks very bland, especially when you compare it with his contemporaries like Carmine infantino or Gil Kane. Sachs doesn’t help either as his inking doesn’t do much of anything apart from adding the necessary blacks and shadows. Overall, it may tell the story adequately, but its average at best.
Story: 7.5/10
Art: 5.5/10
The Planet of Doomed Men --- Written by John Broome with art by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson
Like the Flash and arguably Adam Strange, Green Lantern is a hero that defines the silver age of comics. As superheroes and science fiction were beginning to become popular again in the late 1950s, John Broome was present to reinvent a classic hero, that being Green Lantern from the 1940s. Broome aimed to change the character for the modern world and his origin is certainly different as it doesn’t involve a strange green flame and meteors. A test pilot named Hal Jordan magically appears to the Guardians of Oa, a council of ancient aliens who watch over the universe. They tell Hal that they are aware of his Green Lantern powers as not long ago, Abin Sur, a Green Lantern, crashed landed on Earth in his ship. In his dying words, he tells his battery of power to find his successor. That successor is Hal Jordan, who was transported to Abin Sur’s ship and before he died, he gave Hal his battery of power and ring. With that, Hal became Green Lantern and pledged to fight evil with his powers. I’ve always found it strange that whenever anybody gets these kinds of powers in comics, they always use it for good. It was the 1950s I guess, but you’d never see any development in characters or change in how they operate. Marvel in the 1960s was the first to do anything like that. Anyway, after the Guardians rather pointlessly repeat a story that Hal experienced himself, Green Lantern is sent back to Earth to fight evil, which he does when he finds a strange planet full of yellow barbarians. Suddenly, a giant monster appears, which Green Lantern defeats by freezing it in a block of ice. That works, I guess. From there, the natives are safe once again and they go back to worshipping their favourite tree. I wonder if those aliens have ever come back? Anyway, apart from the obvious flaw in the narrative of the story, that being that Hal Jordan is being told a story that he experienced himself, it’s a great and iconic origin for a character. The second half does become a rather generic monster story, but monsters on alien planets were a fairly common adversary.
In terms of the art, who could beat Gil Kane in his prime? Kane’s art feels so fresh, even by today’s standards. That isn’t just because the page layouts or the strong visual imagery that his art possesses, but the inks by Murphy Anderson are first-class. That is what happens when you have one of the best pencillers of his day and one of the best inkers of his day. Something great is created and the whole Green Lantern (vol 2) title during Kane’s run is fantastic for its art. When I think of the silver age of DC, I think of Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson.
Story: 8/10
Art: 10/10
The Secrets of the Sorcerer’s Box --- Written by Dave Wood with art by Jack and Roz Kirby
The Challengers of the Unknown? What are they doing here? I guess their title was still going on during the 1960s, but I can’t imagine that the sales were great. Nonetheless, Secret Origins reprints the first story featuring the team. At least, some of it anyway. During a terrible storm, a plane crashes that would, in theory, kill everyone on board. However, all four passengers, those being Rocky Davis, Prof Haley, Red Ryan and Ace Morgan, miraculously survive. Believing they all live on borrowed time, the four of them propose to form a team that faces the unknown and (continued)
takes risks. Over the next few months, the Challengers of the Unknown achieve many impossible feats and tasks, all of which have a huge risk to them. Once day, the Challengers of the Unknown get a letter from a mysterious man named Morelian. When they meet him, he discusses witchcraft and black magic as he is a descendant of Merlin. Morelian then presents the Challengers of the Unknown with a mysterious ancient box and he wants them to open it. Morelian then promises the heroes that if they come out of this alive, they would have seen things not seen by humanity since the dawn of time. And… that is where the editor decided to stop printing. It’s probably for space reasons, but I would have preferred them to print the full story and get rid of the Wonder Woman one or something. That being said, the rest of the story is nothing to write home about. It is certainly odd, but it can be extremely dull, even with Kirby’s art. But it’s a great origin of the Challengers of the Unknown and that’s all that really matters in the context of Secret Origins.
As expected, the art by Jack and Roz Kirby is excellent. Page layouts are different from the other artists you’d see in the 1950s and characters all look visually different. It’s also before Kirby started to draw everybody incredibly muscular, which is great as that ruins his art during the 1970s. The inks may be somewhat quick, but I guess that’s what happens when you work on loads of comics a month as both he and Roz were.
Story: 8/10
Art: 8.5/10
The Secret Origin of Wonder Woman --- Written by Robert Kanigher with art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito
Just to get this out of the way, I can’t stand stories like this. Partly it’s because I don’t like Wonder Woman stories about gods and the bores that live on Paradise Island, but its also down to the fact that I don’t think Wonder Woman has much potential for her own title, at least, if it was written in a way such as this one. This isn’t so much an origin of Wonder Woman, but an origin of Paradise Island. With Diana Prince born, all the gods worshipped by her people visit her and bless her with wisdom and strength. Years afterwards, all men were killed in a war, leaving only the women left and Diana scared for her future. I must also say that there are numerous attempts at comedy through this story. The male characters and gods for example, are joke figures. At the same time, some plot points, like the death of all the men, is written almost as a joke, but the problem is that I don’t see the humour in it, and I don’t find any of it funny. If anything, I’m completely bored. Anyway, Diana and the rest of the Amazonians leave their island on a boat (which Diana constructs incredibly quickly) and after taking out a whirlpool in their path with a giant snowball (yes, that does happen), they arrive on Paradise Island and pledge to never leave it. Some time later, Diana and her friends swim in the sea before a whale attack. But, with her powers, she saves her friends from the whale and becomes a hero, ending the story. Well, it isn’t exactly Wonder Woman’s origin, is it? As I said, its more about Paradise Island, but I still don’t care as I don’t care about the characters. It doesn’t add much of anything to the mythos of Wonder Woman. I was expecting something about when she actually becomes Wonder Woman and not her as a child. But, when it comes down to it, I don’t like the humour, the characters or the story. It’s just about bearable.
I usually like the art of Ross Andru and Mike Esposito, but here, something’s not right. I think its mainly down to the finished inks, which look quite sloppy and very thick. It makes the art look rushed and just overall, not very good. The storytelling is fine, and it does its job well, but the quality could have been much better.
Story: 2/10
Art: 4/10
The Strange Experiment of Dr Erdel --- Written by Joe Samachson with art by Joe Certa
Now this is a silver age classic. Martian Manhunter has always been one of my favourites and this story explains why. A world-famous scientist named Professor Mark Erdel has constructed a robot brain which can allow him to explore the cosmos. But, when he activates it, he is met with Martian Manhunter from Mars, who is far from evil, but he wishes to return home. However, Erdel explains that he can’t send him back as the thinking plot of his robotic brain must be changed and that could take years. Knowing that he must adapt to life on Earth, Martian Manhunter transforms him into a human being, an attribute that only Martians have. Suddenly, (continued)
Erdel suffers a heart attack from the shock of it all and he dies, telling Martian Manhunter that he is sorry to have left him stranded on Earth as with his death, Martian Manhunter will be stuck on Earth forever. Hold on, can’t he fly? When I’ve seen him in the Justice League, he can fly. So, why can’t he return home like now? As the days go by, Martian Manhunter explores Earth and reminisces about his home world, before deciding to join the police force to fight crime, something that has been long removed from Mars. However, when he successfully applies to join the police force as a detective, he is worried when the officers around him are all smoking cigarettes as Martian Manhunter’s biggest weakness is fire. Despite a rather odd way to end the story, it is certainly a classic story from the 1950s, especially since Martian Manhunter becomes a founding member of the Justice League. But, despite a flaw or two, it is a great story that writes Martian Manhunter in a very human way. Usually, aliens are depicted to be gross-looking and evil creatures. Martian Manhunter is certainly an exception.
Certa’s art reminds me very much of Mike Sekowksy, but if Sekowsky was more exciting and dynamic. It is rather static at times and there isn’t much movement displayed through the art, but one aspect I must note is that Martian Manhunter does look like a Martian. With Sekowsky and many other artists, Martian Manhunter just looks like a rather bloated green middle-aged bald man, as opposed to an alien which he looks more like here. It’s a shame that they didn’t stay with his original alien look for that long, but it does fortunately return later.
Story: 9.5/10
Art: 7/10
Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt --- Written by Robert Kanigher with art by Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert
Like Green Lantern, the Flash is another hero which defined the silver age. A fan of the original Flash Comics from the 1940s, police scientist Barry Allen works in his lab during a storm when suddenly, he is struck by lightning and chemicals from a shelf full directly onto him. Seemingly fine, Barry leaves work and runs for a taxi, before suddenly running as fast as the taxi at high speed. Some days later, Barry meets his girlfriend, Iris. However, he notices a bullet heading straight for her head and as quick as a flash, he runs up to her pushes her out of the way, saving her and learning from an officer that the villain behind it may be the Turtle Man, the slowest man on Earth. With that, Barry creates a remote-control hook-up with the alarm system of the Central Bank and when it activates, Barry puts on his new costume and becomes The Flash. With his high speed, he quickly finds the open vault in the bank and chases after the Turtle Man in the sewers, before apprehending him on a speedboat and taking him out. With that, the Flash becomes a hero and the people of Central City become aware of the hero who will save their lives for many years to come. Strangely, this story is written by Robert Kanigher. I always thought the Flash was created by Gardner Fox, but I guess not. That said, he did write most of the early Flash stories, but not the very first one. Overall, though, it’s an iconic classic from the silver age that really begins the revolution in the comics genre. It’s the first of the revised heroes that relaunched the popularity in superheroes. That said, I’m not sure if the Turtle Man is the greatest villain for the Flash to fight against, many because he is so slow and let’s face it, he isn’t considered one of the Flash’s classic villains. Regardless, it’s a classic story and it should be remembered as one of the most important silver age stories ever.
Of course, partly why the relaunch in superheroes worked so successfully was because of Carmine Infantino and his new and fresh art style. He gave characters and heroes a new look, one which gave comics a modern appearance. Ultimately, the costume designs of many of the heroes have remained the same since the silver age, showing how iconic the costumes have become and how many editors haven’t seen a need to change them. In terms of the inks, I’m not sure Joe Kubert is really suited to Infantino’s art as his finishes are rougher and don’t really work for a superhero story. You can see why the likes of Murphy Anderson and Joe Giella were brought in later.
Story: 9/10
Art: 7.5/10
VERDICT
Overall, Secret Origins is a fantastic compilation of some of the classic silver age tales. There are some real classics and important tales here, like Showcase 4 and the first appearance of Martian Manhunter, both of which are great. Some other stories may be less relevant or not considered classics, like The Origin of the Superman-Batman Team for example, but they still deliver on telling a fun and compelling story. The only real negative here is the Wonder Woman story which, as I said, isn’t very good and it doesn’t add much of anything new to the character. But, if that’s the only bad story in an eighty-page giant then I’d say that's pretty good going.
Stories: 7.5/10
Art: 7/10
Next Week: More Secret Origins (80 Page Giant 8). Written by Gardner Fox, Robert Bernstein, Bill Finger, John Broome and Otto Binder with art by Mike Sekowsky, Bernard Sachs, Gil Kane, Murphy Anderson, Ramona Fradon, Sheldon Moldoff, Charles Paris, Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella and Al Plastino. Expected by 14/03/2021.
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