More Secret Origins? Who came up with that name? I guess it works and its quick and to the point. Then again, I’ve always wondered why DC called an origin a ‘secret origin’. I suppose it makes it more mysterious, but there isn’t such a thing as a secret origin for most characters in DC Comics. As before, DC presents some of its classics from the silver age. Even when this 80-page-giant was released nearly sixty years ago, some of these tales reprinted here were already undeniable classics. One of the most obvious ones here is undoubtedly The Origin of the justice League, which is considered a highlight of Gardner Fox’s original run on the title, especially if you like trees. Like before, most of the stories here represent a bygone age of comics, one which many new fans look back to and shudder at the thought of. But, once again, I reiterate what I said in my last post: in these dark times, we need something cheerful to enlighten our moods and this does the job well. It reminds me of a time when fiction remained fiction and the real world didn’t feel like something from a George Orwell novel…
More Secret Origins, or 80-Page-Giant 8, was published in 1965 and it reprints Justice League of America 9, Showcase 34, Adventure Comics 260, Batman 129, The Flash 128 and Superman 146. The stories were written and drawn by a variety of classic talent,
such as Gardner Fox, Gil Kane, Bill Finger, Carmine Infantino and John Broome to name just a few. Also, I have read these stories in the DC Universe: Secret Origins hardcover.
The Origin of the Justice League --- Written by Gardner Fox with art by Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs
When the writers of today pen their version of how the Justice League met, it usually involves some kind of evil menace which pledges to destroy the planet. Whether it be Geoff Johns’s New 52 opener or Mark Waid’s JLA: Year One story, the villains are nothing to joke about. But, in the case of the original origin of the team, who knew that aliens who could turn people into wood would be so threatening. Arriving at the Justice League headquarters, Snapper Carr wonders whose birthday he and team will be celebrating. It turns out that the Justice League are celebrating their own birthday. But, Snapper Carr and Green Arrow, two members who weren’t present at the very beginning, are unaware of the tale that brought the team together and in the spirit of the silver age, all the heroes sit down and tell them about it. On a planet named Appellax, the ruler dies and to decide who will become the planet’s next emperor, the candidates must fight it out on Earth, as it was the closest planet to them that could support their species. But the fight would ultimately result in the destruction of Earth. From there, the six candidates leave Appellax and head to Earth. With the exception of Batman and Superman, all the other heroes who would join the league, like Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Flash, fight against the invaders individually. This was very common in the Gardner Fox era of the Justice League. Stories would often be split up into multiple scenes where the same things happen in all of them, but the heroes split up into groups to take out, or lose to, some villains. In this case, they beat the villains and track down their appearance to a strange green meteorite. No, it’s not Kryptonite. Instead, once all five heroes arrive at the scene, they turn to wood before they are confronted by another of the invaders. However, using his ring, Green Lantern manages to free some of the heroes out from their wooden shells in order to defeat the invader. Good thing the Green Lantern wasn’t Alan Scott. Once they do so, the heroes return to normal and they head to the ice fields, where the final invader is. When they get there, they find Batman and Superman fighting against it and together, they defeat the final invader, at least, after overcoming another meteorite which is actually made of Kryptonite this time. Regardless, with the invaders defeated, the heroes decide to form a group to fight crime, calling themselves the Justice League. Back in the present, the annoying Snapper Carr enjoys the story and sings happy birthday to the league. Thank god he isn’t in the story much. Anyway, this is rather typical science fiction from the 1960s. Fox uses science, like transmuting coal into diamond, as a method of defeating one of the invaders. The dialogue is very iffy and sometimes very annoying, but the plot is very strong, if sometimes repetitive. However, the original purpose of the villains in the story is kind of forgotten. I thought they were meant to be fighting each other. Once they step foot on Earth, you never the see two or more of them together. Regardless, it’s a strong origin for the league and thanks to the absence of Snapper Carr (for the most part), this is one of the better stories from Fox’s run.
As I said in my last review, I find Sekowsky’s art, especially with Bernard Sachs’s inks, to be incredibly basic and undynamic. It may hold a retro feel to the story, but there isn’t a sense of action or flow that you’d expect from a title such as this one. The storytelling is also rather bland, which is a shame due to some of the great artists who would around at the time. It’s not the worst art I’ve ever seen, but it could have been much better.
Story: 8/10
Art: 5/10
Birth of the Atom --- Written by Gardner Fox with art by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson
Like many other heroes in the Justice League, I’ve never really liked the Atom in his own title. I think, as a character, he works best in a team as on his own, the stories are usually very samey, and all revolve around micro-organisms and shrinking things. His origin isn’t much different. Working in a Nuclear Physics Laboratory on a university campus, scientist Ray Palmer experiments with shrinking objects, but they all explode and his experiments to shrink objects for the benefit of humanity using a white dwarf star fail. Then, one day, Ray is visited by his girlfriend, Jean Loring, who wishes to join him on a hike with some university students. He agrees. Once they begin their hike, they enter some caves and discover the difference between stalagmites and stalactites, part of the cavern caves in and everybody is trapped. While the students try to move the rubble to leave the cave, Ray looks around and uses an ultraviolet radiation device on himself to shrink himself. What? That came out of nowhere. Since when he used the radiation on himself as he seems to do it with such confidence, as if he is used to it. Regardless, he uses his now-giant ring to dig through the rocks using its diamond and once he creates a hole, he turns himself back to normal and helps both Jean and the students escape from the cave. And that’s it. You’d think there would be more about the Atom as a hero, such as the birth of his costume and more about his powers, but I guess Fox leaves that for a later date. But, to me this is what most Atom stories are like and I don’t think I would really be keen on reading anymore. It lacks variety in a way that Justice League or Flash stories don’t. There are also many inconsistencies, especially with Ray’s shrinking ray and how he can magically shrink himself successfully while other objects just end up exploding. Also, there isn’t really much of a threat or villain here. It’s just some people getting stuck in a cave and ultimately, you need more than that.
Thankfully though, Gil Kane’s art is on hand here to spruce the story up and it works well. There’s a real sense of action here and excellent storytelling, while Anderson’s finishes are as pure and dynamic as always. I think that the art would look even better if we actually saw some of Ray in his costume, as it would be evidence of how excellently Kane draws superheroes with his imposing finishes. Still, it’s an excellent piece of work.
Story: 7/10
Art: 9/10
How Aquaman Got His Powers --- Written by Robert Bernstein with art by Ramona Fradon
How Aquaman Got His Powers is a rather odd short story. It begins in the present, with Aquaman confronting some soldiers who plan to fire atomic depth charges into the ocean for defence purposes. In order to convince him not to, Aquaman tells the captain his origin. His father, Tom Curry, lived in a lighthouse when one day during a huge storm, he saved a woman named Atlanna from the ocean. They fell in love and she gave birth to a boy named Arthur. All seemed normal at first, until Arthur’s father realised that his son could breathe underwater and communicate with sea creatures. But, as the years passed, Arthur’s mother became ill and in her last words, she told Arthur about Atlantis and how she was sent into exile for going on land, shortly before she met Tom. Before she dies, Atlanna tells Arthur that he has the power to become ruler of the oceans and as he grew older, he managed to use his powers and concentrate them so he could control sea-life. Then, with his father’s death, Arthur became Aquaman. Back in the present, the story doesn’t seem to convince the captain to stop what he is doing, until Aquaman whispers a secret in his ear and heads back to Atlantis, ensured that the captain will cease using his atomic depth charges. We have no idea what Aquaman said to him, nor how it convinced the captain to stop what he
was doing. But, as a short origin story that serves mainly just as a flashback story, it is good. But, as I said before, it is strange, especially with Aquaman’s dad putting him in a tank full of swordfish when he is only about ten years old. But I guess you could get away with that back in the day. It’s nothing to write home about, but it’s certainly not bad.
Ramona Fradon is often considered a classic Aquaman artist. Her art is usually more cartoony than it is here. In her Metamorpho stories, the style is much more jovial and animated, a style I’m not too keen on if done in an over-exaggerated way. But, with Aquaman, her art is visually darker and more dramatic. It does look rather rough in some places due to the inks, but overall, it is effective, and it contrasts well with the story.
Story: 7.5/10
Art: 8/10
The Man from Robin’s Past --- Written by Bill Finger with art by Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris
As you would naturally expect, you’d think that this story would be the origin of Batman’s trusty pal Robin. To some extent, it is, but Robin isn’t exactly in the limelight. On the outskirts of Gotham, Batman and Robin investigate some gangsters at a carnival, recognising them from a jewellery robbery. Although Batman and Robin take them out, an escaped tiger attempts to attack the heroes. But suddenly, Sando the Strongman appears and traps the tiger back in its cage. Sando the Strongman was a friend of Dick Grayson’s from before his parents were killed. However, when Batman questions him over the gangster’s hiding their stolen goods in a carnival tent, Sando becomes defensive. Therefore, he is jailed on suspicion. But, in order to get information from him, Robin visits Sando as Dick and the two reminisce about their times together in the circus, before fate cruelly took Dick secretly into vigilantism as Robin. But, when Dick mentions Sando’s son, Andy, he becomes defensive once again. Then, upon learning that Andy goes to college where the recent robberies have been taking place, they find him with his gang, discussing how he is going to rescue his father from prison, and he regrets going into the life of crime. But, as his gang turn on him, Batman and Robin arrive and take them out, with the help of Sando who crashes through the door using a giant anchor. Remember kids, always have a giant anchor with you. You never know when its going to come in handy. With the gangers taken out, one thinks that they are safe as Batman has no evidence that he has stolen the jewellery. But Batman confronts the gang leader, discovers the diamonds and finds some evidence: the note from the gang leader, who is English, has written a note about the robberies to Andy, but the date is written in the English method, with the day first and month second. Yep, that’s some detective work. In the end, Sando and Andy are reunited and friends once again, despite both of them would obviously face time in jail for their crimes, but Batman appears to be in a good mood. You see, the story isn’t really about Robin at all. It adds some depth to his background, but its hardly an origin story. But it is enjoyable detective story that doesn’t take itself too seriously and for that, and its cleverness, it is certainly a good classic story, but not an origin story by any means.
Moldoff and Paris are two classic Batman artists of their time. While they may be less remembered than the likes of Dick Sprang or Jerry Robinson, their art is very retro. It does lack a style which is instantly recognisable, but it tells a detective story well and intriguingly.
Story: 9/10
Art: 8.5/10
Origin of Flash’s Masked Identity --- Written by John Broome with art by Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella
As opposed to an origin story, this one is a what if? What if the Flash didn’t wear his mask? In his head, Barry thinks that when he attends the National Science Conference later on in the day, should he reveal to the world that he is the Flash? He thinks that if he did so, he would prove it to the scientists and then the world by stopping a tornado from wrecking Central City. However, Barry would then be chased by fans and autograph hunters and he would almost be too late to stop some criminals from robbing the house of an art collector. Therefore, Barry thinks its best to wear a mask and he creates one for his costume, hiding his real identity away from the world. It’s a rather short tale and it doesn’t have much importance in the grand scheme of things, but due to its short length, you can’t really criticise it. Its an idea which if put into practice for a full-length story, it would quickly fall apart because there is nothing that could justify its length. But it’s just a passing idea and overall, due to its length, its effective.
Infantino’s art here is classic Flash. To me, it defines the character for the 1960s due to its dynamic storytelling and interesting layouts. His art is much more effective for longer full-length stories due to his creativeness with the villains, but ultimately, thanks to Joe Giella’s inks, it works excellently.
Story: 9/10
Art: 9.5/10
The Story of Superman’s Life --- Written by Otto Binder with art by Al Plastino
Who doesn’t know who Superman is? Who doesn’t know his origin? I think pretty much everyone does and The Story of Superman’s Life is, still, one of the most definitive origins of the character. As opposed to others, the origin of Superman has never really changed. On Krypton, earthquakes occur and Jor-El meets the Council of Scientists, telling them that the planet’s core in made of radioactive uranium, which has started a chain reaction which will result in the destruction of the planet. But Jor-El is laughed at. Not long afterwards, Jor-El experiments with sending a rocket to another planet by sending his son’s puppy, Krypto, into space. But the rocket hits a meteor and knocks the rocket out of orbit, sending Krypto drifting in outer space forever. But, with no time to spare, Jor-El sends his son, Kal-El, into space as the planet explodes and luckily, he lands on Earth. There, he is found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who quickly adopt the young Kal-El and as he grows older, they begin to realise that he has super-strength, super-speed and all sorts of powers. Realising his (continued)
potential, Kal-El begins to train using his powers and he becomes Superboy, fighting crime in Smallville and becoming widely known. But, in order to protect his foster parents, he decides to come up with a façade identity, Clark Kent. Yeah, criminals won’t be able to tell the difference when you wear glasses and part your hair differently. However, this begins to cause problems as Lana Lang notices that when Superboy appears, Clark Kent vanishes and vice versa. However, using a Superboy robot, Superboy solves the problem. As the years pass, Krypto arrives on Earth miraculously and is now a grown dog. But, around this time, Superboy discovers green Kryptonite and learns of the dangers it can cause to him. But, by the time he reaches manhood, Clark’s parents die, and he leaves for Metropolis, getting a job for the Daily Planet as a reporter. But, behind the scenes, he roams Metropolis and fights crime as Superman, the world’s greatest hero. Binder manages to pack as much as possible into this origin story which is why I really like it. There is a lot to do with Krypton and the backgrounds of the characters in the Superman mythos who are often ignored. It shows a development in his character and how, very similarly to Batman actually, grief is something that constructs him as a hero. Of course, the likes of John Byrne have come along since and rewritten Superman’s origin and early years, but that took a number of years and issues. Binder does it here incredibly effectively in less than twenty pages and because of how much happens in the story, it is never boring and ultimately, it is a joy to read. This is coming from somebody who doesn’t really like Superman that much.
Al Plastino is an artist I’m not particularly aware of, but I don’t really have much to say about it. It is just traditional Superman art, which is very good, bright and colourful, but it doesn’t do anything for me. It isn’t up there with Curt Swan or anything, but it does well in telling the story more than anything. Overall, its average stuff.
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 6/10
VERDICT
Overall, More Secret Origins does more of the what the first eighty-page-giant did best. It reprints some classic stories in The Origin of the Justice League and The Story of Superman’s Life, two stories which were and continue to be definitive origins for both the Justice League and Superman. There are also some other memorable stories, like the origin of the Atom from Showcase 34 and How Aquaman got his powers. The other two stories featuring the Flash and Batman and Robin aren’t exactly origin stories, but they are great additions which summarise the silver age of DC Comics. Some stories are certainly better than others, but there isn’t a bad one here at all and the same can be said for the art, but perhaps to a lesser extent…
Stories: 8.5/10
Art: 7.5/10
Next Week: We3 (We3 1-3). Written by Grant Morrison with art by Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant. Expected by 21/03/2021.
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