Secret Origins, The Story DC Comics

When it comes to the two big names in comic books (DC and Marvel), I am entrenched in neither camp. I love certain Marvel characters, their creators, writers, and artists - like Jean Grey (X-Men), Galactus, The Silver Surfer, Magneto - too much to declare myself full on Team Marvel, but my first brush with comics came courtesy of William Moulton Marston's star spangled Wonder Woman and she has always been my favourite. Then there's Batman, The Green Lantern, and Julius Schwartz's revamp of The Flash.

It took me a long time to hunt down "Secret Origins, The Story of DC Comics" and am I glad I did. To hear greats like Neil Gaiman (whose reimagining of The Sandman was genius), Alan Moore, Jim Lee, and see the old clips and the old timers was worth the effort. It was like watching a movie about my friends. Not just the heroes, anti-heroes, and even the villains that I adore, but the people who brought them to life.

Comic books have had a special place in my heart for nearly three decades. I fell in love with Wonder Woman comics before I could read. I knew from the pictures she could deflect bullets with her bracelets and that she was on the side of "good". I aspired to, like my heroine, do good deeds.  This idea that good people do good things has stuck with me ever since.

I literally cheered during this documentary. Cheered when I saw Julius Schwartz and Neil Gaiman herald Alan Moore as a genius because he is - The Swamp Thing, Watchmen, V for Vendetta prove it. I was inspired by these people who loved something so intensely. Just as I cannot police the universe because I don't have Hal Jordan's power ring, I was not blessed with the gift to draw comic books. I'm not even sure I could write them. I say not sure because before seeing this documentary I'd have said I couldn't even write them.

Now I feel a little differently. Now I see that same passion and fire for comics I feel has been infused into every comic book ever written, so maybe one day. Maybe one day I'll toss off my glasses and ummm peel off all my clothes and I'll be a hero...

And if you feel inspired to read comics and never have, let me give you a few tips.

• Start from the beginning.
• If you can afford it, buy colour omnibuses.
• Watch the films made about comics to see who you might be interested in knowing more about. I recommend: Stardust, Watchmen, X-Men First Class, Batman (Tim Burton's or Christ Nolan's series based on Frank Miller's Batman), and certain cartoons such as the 90's Batman, Superfriends (which was amazing), and the animated X-Men series (which was also amazing).
• Ebay.
• Enjoy.

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Superman is no longer American.

I am a massive comic book fan and have been ever since I was four years old and went around with aluminum foil taped to my wrists and a paper crown on my head à la Wonder Woman. She was my favourite superhero for many years and then I sort of forgot her until I grew old enough to afford comic books and started reading X-Men, The Fantastic Four, The Green Lantern, The Flash, and all the other comics I discovered in my thirty year love affair with the art form.

But I must confess I've never been a fan of Superman. While I can appreciate "The Man of Steel" as a superhero, Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman never appealed to me. When I became engrossed in the JLA comics all I could think was despite all his invincibleness and speed and strength and buffness he still wasn't The Green Lantern. He wasn't even the second or third or fourth best member of The Justice League! (IMHO)(The H is for humble.)

First off Superman isn't invincible. There's Kryptonite to deal with and lead and magic and psionics and his dependency on a certain female reporter.

Secondly he's not that fast either. In the World's Finest #198-199 Superman races The Flash (Barry Allen, Silver Age) and Superman is forced to admit that The Flash is the fastest man alive...on this planet (Earth).

 

Overall Superman vs. The Flash would leave it at 2-0-2 before Barry Allen died saving the Multiverse in The Crisis of Infinite Earths (1985).

hen Barry Allen is resurrected in 2009 they have it out again and The Flash beats Supes in an actual foot race. Easily. Knowing The Flash he probably chewed gum leisurely and had time to hit on a few ladies while he gave Supes a chance to catch up. Supe lovers can get into all the debates they want but while atmospheres may be different from world to world, it doesn't change the fact that The Flash can manipulate the very atoms of his body which essentially boils down to manual teleportation, which even someone as fast as a speeding bullet can't do even on their best day.

Now in strength Superman has a little more ground to stand on. The Hulk was bested by Superman and The Hulk is the strongest mortal on Earth. But let's not forget Superman isn't invincible. Doomsday managed to kill him and he isn't the only one. In fact any superhero with either enough magic, lead, or Kryptonite could do the job. Heaven forbid post crisis 1985 Superman were to meet up with say Dr. Manhattan (Watchmen) or Thor (as he is a god and all). Superman isn't as badass as he used to be.

Still even I have to concede that in buffness Superman isn't a bad choice as far as superheroes are concerned. He certainly does fill out a pair of tights and there were moments in the JLA that Supes proved he wasn't just a perfectly square-jawed face...

I didn't read Superman because there were so many other comic books I want(ed) to read and I just never liked him enough, in fact I liked him so little I considered Superman my least favourite of all the more popular comic book superheroes. I didn't think I could like him any less until...

The day I read on Google News that Superman had renounced his U.S. citizenship. Not because he saw the current situation in America for the bullshit it is, but because after showing up to support protestors in Tehran he inadvertently started a war because he is such an icon of America that the Iranians see it as an act of war. Supes denounced his citizenship at the U.N. (thus providing more evidence that the U.N. is actually the U.S.) and has decided to stop thinking locally and act globally.

WTF???!!!???

With the new Superman reboot coming out (with the hot guy from The Tudors as Supes) and all the other comic book movies being spit out by Hollywood (the best of recent memory obviously being ZS' The Watchmen), this is (obviously) another marketing ploy to rake in the big bucks internationally. When even stars of such calibre (or after The Rite is this statement no longer true? Hmmm...) as SIR Anthony Hopkins, Dame Helen Mirren, and other great actors not from the UK are now starring in films based on comic books it has to be obvious to comic book fans and non-comic book fans alike that DC Comics sold out Superman to sell more tickets.

But given that Superman is supposed to represent "the American way", maybe it was more in character than Goyer and Sepulveda realised. Which is very, very, very sad.

So no Superman as much as I dislike you as a comic book character, I don't think that you should have shafted the American people being such a symbol of hope and all.

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