Secret Origins #1 Review

Written by: Greg Pak, Kyle Higgins and Tony Bedard
Art by: Lee Weeks, Doug Mahnke and Paulo Siqueira
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 23, 2014

Now for Something Completely...the Same

I'm a sucker for origin stories.  When DC announced Secret Origins, I squealed like a little school girl.  Not only do I get origins, but these are secret.  Secrets are funny things, though.  If everyone knows what they are, they aren't really secrets anymore.  This issue is an origin issue, but calling it secret is a stretch.  But is it any good?

Greg Pak and Lee Weeks gives us Superman's origin.  Yes, it's one of the most well known stories and the two don't give us a huge variation, but I don't care, I love it.  Always have, always will.  Pak  does give it more emotion than usual and I really liked Weeks art.

Kyle Higgins and Doug Mahnke show us Dick Grayson becoming Robin..  Higgins gets to say goodbye to Dick by going back to where it all started.  Again, most know the story already, but Higgins really does a great job showing Bruce Wayne/Batman's part.  Dick/Robin/Nightwing is my favorite hero so I may be biased, but I liked this story the best of the three.  Doug Mahnke does a real good job and has the standout page showing an early Batman and Robin beatdown of two fan favorite villains.

The final story is Tony Bedard and Paulo Siqueira's Supergirl.  I have to admit, I don't follow Supergirl that closely, so this origin was fresh to me.  However, I think Bedard succeded more in showing me who Supergirl was, not just where she came from.  After reading it, I "get" Supergirl and I like what I got.  I also enjoyed Siqueira's art, though it was the weakest of the three.

So, was it any good?  If you don't know the origins of any of these characters then I think you will love this issue.  In fact, I think this issue would be a great gift to get a young reader interested in these characters and comics in general.  Personally, this book made me feel good.  I got to visit with two old friends I know and love and also got to know more about a (super)girl.  If you don't want to pay $4.99 for stories you already know then just don't buy it.  You will not be missing anything, but a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart.  

Bits and Pieces:

I liked Secret Origins #1.  The stories may be well worn, but they are also well written and have great art. The "secret" part of the title is misleading as there is really nothing new, let alone secret, in these stories.  I still will recommend it to anyone who loves classic comic book stories because that's what these are.

8.0/10