TITLE: Superman: Secret Origin
AUTHOR: Geoff Johns
PENCILLER: Gary Frank
ISSUES: Superman: Secret Origin #1-6
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
GRAPHIC NOVEL RELEASE: December 15 (tentative)

The question we need to ask ourselves about Superman: Secret Origin isn’t whether it’s good. We’re pretty much talking about the ORIGINAL origin story. Everybody knows Superman’s origin story. My mother knows Superman’s origin story. If it weren’t a good story it wouldn’t have endured for 75 years. The question is, what have Geoff Johns and Gary Frank done with it that’s fresh and different?

Johns essentially uses the same formula he used in Green Lantern: Secret Origin. We open the book with Clark in Smallville, follow him into Metropolis, and we see his first days in the suit. Along the way we meet the supporting cast, i.e. Lois Lane, the Kents, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White. Lex Luthor is the main villain, but like Green Lantern, he also squeezes in the origins of two other villains: The Parasite and Metallo. Same formula, different characters and theme.

What jumps out at you from the get-go is Gary Frank’s art. He’s as good with facial expressions, eyes in particular, as anyone I’ve ever seen. His scenes between young Clark and his father, as well as Superman and Lois are very strong. They almost have a fairy tale quality to them, and that’s fitting for a story like this.

Issue #1, page 40. Image from comicbookbin.com.

The over-arcing theme of the book is hope, perseverence and human comaradery in the face of an overly cynical world. Much like Superman: Birthright, the Mark Waid/Leinil Francis Yu story that was published a few years ago, when Superman first appears he is met with fear and skepticism from the general public, and the paranoid United States government goes on the defensive. Johns’ pre-Superman Metropolis is also dirty and corrupt. Lex Luthor is deemed “the most important man in America.” As the only news outlet in the city not influenced by Luthor, The Daily Planet is struggling to keep its head above water.

Obviously, the appearance of Superman changes everything. Johns portrays the character not simply as a beacon of hope, but a symbol of honesty, purity, and faith the human spirit. It’s what the character should be, and ironically it’s also why a lot of readers call him a wuss.

What was so off-putting about this mini-series is that Waid’s Birthright only came out in 2003/2004. Johns cited the fans were asking for a new, definitive origin story for the character that would line up with events in modern continuity, which include characters like the Legion of Superheroes. Characters like Cat Grant, who were re-introduced in Johns’ run on Action Comics, are also included.

On the other hand, I’ve had people suggest to me that comic book writers can’t resist re-telling an origin story to suit their own ideas. And you’ve got to admit, Secret Origins caters to a modern continuity largely influenced by Johns.

In any event, I can’t in good conscience give Secret Origin a bad review because it rehashes the most well-known story in all of comics, especially when that rehash is done WELL. It’s predictable, but the core characters are well-rounded, the art is gorgeous, and the central theme is strong. Though I still ultimately question the need for it, the book accomplishes what it’s meant to, as anyone can pick up Secret Origin and be able to understand what Superman is about in the 21st century. Hopefully it will stay in-continuity for a few decades.

So Geoff…what are your thoughts on an Aquaman: Secret Origin?

RATING: 8.5/10