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Secret Origins (2014) #1-4
Secret Origins, Volume 1
At last, the SECRET ORIGINS of the World's Greatest Heroes in The New 52 can be revealed! The beginnings of the most popular characters in the DC Universe are finally told here, in stories that fans have been clamoring for since September 2011. Included here are the origins of The Last Son of Krypton and Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, plus the first Robin, Dick Grayson.
Written by a host of the industry's brightest talent including Jeff Lemire (JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED) Greg Pak (BATMAN/SUPERMAN) and Tony Bedard (GREEN LANTERN CORPS) and painted covers by Lee Bermejo (JOKER), this new series is a fantastic way to jump on with the DC Universe!
Collects: Secret Origins #1-4.
Written by a host of the industry's brightest talent including Jeff Lemire (JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED) Greg Pak (BATMAN/SUPERMAN) and Tony Bedard (GREEN LANTERN CORPS) and painted covers by Lee Bermejo (JOKER), this new series is a fantastic way to jump on with the DC Universe!
Collects: Secret Origins #1-4.
160 pages, Paperback
First published February 17, 2015
About the author
Greg Pak
1,588 books539 followersGreg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Darth Vader" and "Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker" for Marvel Comics. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "World War Hulk," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
November 8, 2019
The only reason to read any of these Secret Origin stories, is if you are somehow unfamiliar with the characters.
Not only are the origins not Secret, they aren't very interesting.
Somehow, I thought that because they were coming out with this Origin volume, I was going to learn something new, or maybe there might be a fresh twist on things.
Nope.
I'll save you some time.
If you already read comic books, you've heard these stories before.
And, honestly, there are better versions of them out there.
Starfire and Harley Quinn were the only ones that haven't been done to death.
Does that make them great?
No.
But at least I wasn't rolling my eyes through either of them.
Superman, Green Lantern, and Aquaman were the only characters with stories that felt like the authors even tried to bring some kind of emotion to the table. I'm not saying they were AWESOME. I'm just saying it felt like they tried.
Green Arrow/Oliver Queen is just more we-like-the-tv-show crap, but if you're into that, it won't piss you off.
Batman, Batwoman, and Damien's origins were all unbelievably regurgitated. Nothing was new.
NOTHING.
Red Robin (Drake), Robin (Grayson), and Supergirl, however, rounded out the bottom of the barrel.
I hated all of these guys by the time their issues were done.
Remember when Batman tracked Dick Grayson down and begged him to be his partner?
Yeah, me neither.
And evidently Tim Drake was super excited to partner up with Batman after he caused his poor parents to end up in witness protection.
Mom? Dad? I know I ruined your lives, but Brucey is gonna adopt me now, so...Laters! Enjoy looking over your shoulders for the rest of your (probably very short) lives!
Really? Drake comes off like a total douche. Normally, I like his character quite a bit, so...Thanks!
Supergirl.
*sigh*
One minute she's fighting a Kryptonian dinosaur, and the next she's (maybe) starting a war with North Korea over some of their astronauts that she saved.
Yeah. I know that nothing in that sentence made sense.
This isn't awful, it's just unnecessary.
It might make a nice gift for people who are just getting into DC characters, but I wouldn't personally be thrilled to find this under my Christmas tree.
Get this review and more at:
Not only are the origins not Secret, they aren't very interesting.
Somehow, I thought that because they were coming out with this Origin volume, I was going to learn something new, or maybe there might be a fresh twist on things.
Nope.
I'll save you some time.
If you already read comic books, you've heard these stories before.
And, honestly, there are better versions of them out there.
Starfire and Harley Quinn were the only ones that haven't been done to death.
Does that make them great?
No.
But at least I wasn't rolling my eyes through either of them.
Superman, Green Lantern, and Aquaman were the only characters with stories that felt like the authors even tried to bring some kind of emotion to the table. I'm not saying they were AWESOME. I'm just saying it felt like they tried.
Green Arrow/Oliver Queen is just more we-like-the-tv-show crap, but if you're into that, it won't piss you off.
Batman, Batwoman, and Damien's origins were all unbelievably regurgitated. Nothing was new.
NOTHING.
Red Robin (Drake), Robin (Grayson), and Supergirl, however, rounded out the bottom of the barrel.
I hated all of these guys by the time their issues were done.
Remember when Batman tracked Dick Grayson down and begged him to be his partner?
Yeah, me neither.
And evidently Tim Drake was super excited to partner up with Batman after he caused his poor parents to end up in witness protection.
Mom? Dad? I know I ruined your lives, but Brucey is gonna adopt me now, so...Laters! Enjoy looking over your shoulders for the rest of your (probably very short) lives!
Really? Drake comes off like a total douche. Normally, I like his character quite a bit, so...Thanks!
Supergirl.
*sigh*
One minute she's fighting a Kryptonian dinosaur, and the next she's (maybe) starting a war with North Korea over some of their astronauts that she saved.
Yeah. I know that nothing in that sentence made sense.
This isn't awful, it's just unnecessary.
It might make a nice gift for people who are just getting into DC characters, but I wouldn't personally be thrilled to find this under my Christmas tree.
Get this review and more at:
May 5, 2020
2.5 stars
"Every hero has a beginning . . . " -- rear cover blurb
Nothing really 'secret' about Secret Origins, which spotlights origin stories (in an abridged manner) for thirteen of DC's signature characters. For most experienced graphic novel readers, superhero movie fans, and/or pulp culture aficionados it will seem all too familiar almost half of the time - Superman and Batman & Robin's early days are known by just about everyone by now, with Green Lantern, Aquaman, and even Harley Quinn arguably not that far behind them due to their recent big-screen treatments. So while it wasn't bad it lacked a certain vitality and didn't necessarily bring anything new to the table, although the intention was likely to instead attract a newer, uninitiated audience.
"Every hero has a beginning . . . " -- rear cover blurb
Nothing really 'secret' about Secret Origins, which spotlights origin stories (in an abridged manner) for thirteen of DC's signature characters. For most experienced graphic novel readers, superhero movie fans, and/or pulp culture aficionados it will seem all too familiar almost half of the time - Superman and Batman & Robin's early days are known by just about everyone by now, with Green Lantern, Aquaman, and even Harley Quinn arguably not that far behind them due to their recent big-screen treatments. So while it wasn't bad it lacked a certain vitality and didn't necessarily bring anything new to the table, although the intention was likely to instead attract a newer, uninitiated audience.
December 20, 2014
When the New 52 launched in September 2011, I expected the line-wide reboot to begin with the character’s origin stories as DC were aiming to familiarise new readers who perhaps didn’t know much about them; it didn’t. Justice League started five years in the past for some reason, and DC’s big cheeses, Batman and Superman, carried on, business as usual with their numbering back to #1 being the only change. In fact hardly any characters got origin stories!
In September 2012 DC half-heartedly attempted each character’s origins with a series of #0 issues which pretty much did the job. Now - well over three years after the New 52 launched! - we have Secret Origins, a series dedicated to the origin stories of DC’s characters. Perfect timing, guys! Now we can finally discover what Batman’s deal is and where Superman came from...
The origin stories in this book are: Superman, Dick Grayson/Robin #1, Supergirl, Batman, Aquaman, Starfire, Green Lantern, Batwoman, Tim Drake/Red Robin, Harley Quinn, Green Arrow, Damian Wayne/Robin #5.
The only demographic I can imagine this series appealing to would be readers completely new to DC Comics. Because who doesn’t know Batman or Superman’s origins? Even people who don’t read comics know these guys’ origin stories! It’s not like the New 52 altered them in any way, it’s still the same “gunned down outside theatre showing Zorro/Yes Father, I shall become a bat”, and “sent from doomed planet/raised by kindly farm couple in Smallville, Kansas”.
As if retelling Batman’s origins weren’t redundant enough, Scott Snyder just got done telling Batman’s New 52 origin story in Zero Year!! Even Damian Wayne’s origin is a summary of Grant Morrison’s early Batman run after Bruce was sent hurtling back in time post-Final Crisis/Batman RIP, and Damian and Dick Grayson became the new Batman and Robin. So… are those books part of the New 52 or something?
For more experienced comics readers, getting through each origin is going to be dull at best especially with the way they’re written in quick summary form. There is no differentiation between most of these origins and the pre-New 52 origins - I really don’t know why they bothered!
Scott Lobdell though… man, I hate this guy’s work! He writes the two worst origins in this book: Starfire and Red Robin.
I don’t mind that Lobdell changed the origin for the New 52 Tim Drake where his parents weren’t killed/crippled but sent away for witness protection, because rebooting a character allows for that change. But it doesn’t make sense to me that when Bruce adopts Tim that Tim skips the mantle of Robin and instantly becomes Red Robin - that’s so stupid!
We’re also never told the full story of Jason Todd which “frees up the position of Robin” that Tim’s so eager to fill even though he doesn’t take up the position anyway! Anyway, it’s hinted that Jason’s fate is essentially the same as the pre-New 52 version told in Batman: Death in the Family, once again making the whole reboot idea redundant.
Worse is Starfire’s origin, the only character in this book whose origin I know nothing about (nor really want to - and what is she doing in this A-list lineup anyway!?). I’ve read most of the New 52 titles but I purposely avoided Red Hood and the Outlaws partly because it’s written by Lobdell but also because I heard terrible things about the way he wrote Starfire as some kind of sex doll that gets passed around indiscriminately. Well, I got to experience Lobdell’s hideous rendering of the character in Starfire’s origin! These two details sum it up: she’s sold into sex slavery and is forcefully injected with drugs to become dependent and compliant for her captors.
LOBDEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!
Tony Bedard’s Supergirl origin is pretty stupid too, though it’s Tony Bedard and I didn’t have high hopes when I saw his name credited. In his bizarre reality, the North Koreans have a space program! North Korea - one of the world’s poorest nations that relies upon UN food schemes to feed their population - has a space program! Did Bedard have any involvement in writing the Red Dawn remake where North Korea inexplicably invades the US?!
But hey, if you wondered where Harley Quinn got that stuffed beaver she’s always talking to in her solo New 52 title, you find out in her origin here! Yeesh…
Lee Bermejo’s covers are the only positive I can think of for this book - they are outstanding like all of his work.
Secret Origins really is a pointless, tedious series because so many of its origins have already been explained elsewhere in the New 52. Maybe newer readers will find this more useful because it acts as a sort of comic wiki for DC’s characters but I can’t say that makes me like it any better.
There are some great retellings of these character’s origin stories in other books that are worth checking out instead of this AND you’ll find the origins are the same anyway. They are:
Superman: Birthright
Batman: Year One
Batman: Zero Year
Green Arrow: Year One
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Batman and Son (Damian Wayne)
Batwoman: Elegy
Batman: Mad Love (Harley Quinn)
In September 2012 DC half-heartedly attempted each character’s origins with a series of #0 issues which pretty much did the job. Now - well over three years after the New 52 launched! - we have Secret Origins, a series dedicated to the origin stories of DC’s characters. Perfect timing, guys! Now we can finally discover what Batman’s deal is and where Superman came from...
The origin stories in this book are: Superman, Dick Grayson/Robin #1, Supergirl, Batman, Aquaman, Starfire, Green Lantern, Batwoman, Tim Drake/Red Robin, Harley Quinn, Green Arrow, Damian Wayne/Robin #5.
The only demographic I can imagine this series appealing to would be readers completely new to DC Comics. Because who doesn’t know Batman or Superman’s origins? Even people who don’t read comics know these guys’ origin stories! It’s not like the New 52 altered them in any way, it’s still the same “gunned down outside theatre showing Zorro/Yes Father, I shall become a bat”, and “sent from doomed planet/raised by kindly farm couple in Smallville, Kansas”.
As if retelling Batman’s origins weren’t redundant enough, Scott Snyder just got done telling Batman’s New 52 origin story in Zero Year!! Even Damian Wayne’s origin is a summary of Grant Morrison’s early Batman run after Bruce was sent hurtling back in time post-Final Crisis/Batman RIP, and Damian and Dick Grayson became the new Batman and Robin. So… are those books part of the New 52 or something?
For more experienced comics readers, getting through each origin is going to be dull at best especially with the way they’re written in quick summary form. There is no differentiation between most of these origins and the pre-New 52 origins - I really don’t know why they bothered!
Scott Lobdell though… man, I hate this guy’s work! He writes the two worst origins in this book: Starfire and Red Robin.
I don’t mind that Lobdell changed the origin for the New 52 Tim Drake where his parents weren’t killed/crippled but sent away for witness protection, because rebooting a character allows for that change. But it doesn’t make sense to me that when Bruce adopts Tim that Tim skips the mantle of Robin and instantly becomes Red Robin - that’s so stupid!
We’re also never told the full story of Jason Todd which “frees up the position of Robin” that Tim’s so eager to fill even though he doesn’t take up the position anyway! Anyway, it’s hinted that Jason’s fate is essentially the same as the pre-New 52 version told in Batman: Death in the Family, once again making the whole reboot idea redundant.
Worse is Starfire’s origin, the only character in this book whose origin I know nothing about (nor really want to - and what is she doing in this A-list lineup anyway!?). I’ve read most of the New 52 titles but I purposely avoided Red Hood and the Outlaws partly because it’s written by Lobdell but also because I heard terrible things about the way he wrote Starfire as some kind of sex doll that gets passed around indiscriminately. Well, I got to experience Lobdell’s hideous rendering of the character in Starfire’s origin! These two details sum it up: she’s sold into sex slavery and is forcefully injected with drugs to become dependent and compliant for her captors.
LOBDEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!
Tony Bedard’s Supergirl origin is pretty stupid too, though it’s Tony Bedard and I didn’t have high hopes when I saw his name credited. In his bizarre reality, the North Koreans have a space program! North Korea - one of the world’s poorest nations that relies upon UN food schemes to feed their population - has a space program! Did Bedard have any involvement in writing the Red Dawn remake where North Korea inexplicably invades the US?!
But hey, if you wondered where Harley Quinn got that stuffed beaver she’s always talking to in her solo New 52 title, you find out in her origin here! Yeesh…
Lee Bermejo’s covers are the only positive I can think of for this book - they are outstanding like all of his work.
Secret Origins really is a pointless, tedious series because so many of its origins have already been explained elsewhere in the New 52. Maybe newer readers will find this more useful because it acts as a sort of comic wiki for DC’s characters but I can’t say that makes me like it any better.
There are some great retellings of these character’s origin stories in other books that are worth checking out instead of this AND you’ll find the origins are the same anyway. They are:
Superman: Birthright
Batman: Year One
Batman: Zero Year
Green Arrow: Year One
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Batman and Son (Damian Wayne)
Batwoman: Elegy
Batman: Mad Love (Harley Quinn)
December 13, 2016
To be up-front, this is most definitely for beginning DC readers. All the fans are already well-versed in almost all of these origin stories. So from that perspective, the idea of putting all these origins in an easy-to-read volume is pretty cool. The art varied but was generally good and the stories were brief. It's a good comic for beginners.
This contains the origin stories of Superman, Nightwing, Supergirl, Batman, Aquaman, Starfire (which I wasn't familiar with so this did me a favor), Green Lantern (Hal), Batwoman, Red Robin, Harley Quinn, Green Arrow, and Robin (Damian). The cover says it includes Cyborg but it doesn't. That's aggravating. He's probably in the second volume, which I wouldn't mind reading but I could certainly find something better to read since I'm not new to DC.
This contains the origin stories of Superman, Nightwing, Supergirl, Batman, Aquaman, Starfire (which I wasn't familiar with so this did me a favor), Green Lantern (Hal), Batwoman, Red Robin, Harley Quinn, Green Arrow, and Robin (Damian). The cover says it includes Cyborg but it doesn't. That's aggravating. He's probably in the second volume, which I wouldn't mind reading but I could certainly find something better to read since I'm not new to DC.
July 9, 2017
Secret Origins details, in short stories, the origins of some of the most famous of the DC characters.
The origins of: Superman; Batman; Green Lantern; Green Arrow; Batwoman; Robin (Grayson); Red Robin (Tim Drake); Damian; Supergirl; Aquaman; Starfire and Harley Quinn. Yeah I know that's a lot to take in and deal with but that's what you get. All the origins fit in with the New 52 versions.
Ok so this sounds unappealing. But-ready for it? It is not. Well not if you don't mind the NEW 52 retconning.
The Superman story told from a mother's viewpoint (both Human and Kryptonian), Batman's dark story and inspiration, Dick Grayson's initiation into Robin, and Starfire's origins are all excellent. The artwork is always different-but they all are pretty good. Impressive stuff. I really liked these stories best.
Then there are the rest which vary in degree of excellence. But, there is one stinker in the bunch- Batwoman. Ugh. Bad art. Stupid story. It does a disservice to all the other origin stories where the characters go through hell and train like demons and are SUPERBLY trained. Even Harley Quinn's psychosis developed over decades, truly manifesting when she meet's "Mr. J"..but in Batwoman...she is an Army brat who sees her mother killed. Fine. Ok. So far I'm down. Then all of a sudden she drops out of West Point because she is a lesbian. Ok. I'm down with that too. Then she's almost mugged-but starts doing some seriously high end martial arts. Did you learn that in 3 years at West Point? Would it suck to realize Service Academy cadets (they're cadets because they have no real rank-they aren't considered military-yet. IF they graduate, THEN they become officers. Till then they are college students who also conform to a military lifestyle) don't even attend their respective branch's Basic Training till the summer of that year? So her martial arts ability? Yeah right. Notice, in contrast, EVERY single other character training for years (Bruce/Starfire/Green Arrow's case for decades) under brilliant master fighters. Ok not Harley..but she's uhh..different. But every single other person. It makes sense. I know it's a comic..but sheesh..put some effort into your backstory-you do Batwoman a disservice. Oh and then her father is shown as being an Army grunt. Cool. I'm down with it. So why, better yet how, do you have this guy designing a batsuit worthy of an MIT PhD working for DARPA (they conduct next generation advanced technology research)? Seriously? HE made that? Yeah. Um. No. So the Batwoman story is awful. Skip it. Everything else? Well worth your time. In fact..more than that- this is a great read and deserving of a 5 star review-save for that putrid Batwoman story. But still-I'm recommending this one to my friends.
The origins of: Superman; Batman; Green Lantern; Green Arrow; Batwoman; Robin (Grayson); Red Robin (Tim Drake); Damian; Supergirl; Aquaman; Starfire and Harley Quinn. Yeah I know that's a lot to take in and deal with but that's what you get. All the origins fit in with the New 52 versions.
Ok so this sounds unappealing. But-ready for it? It is not. Well not if you don't mind the NEW 52 retconning.
The Superman story told from a mother's viewpoint (both Human and Kryptonian), Batman's dark story and inspiration, Dick Grayson's initiation into Robin, and Starfire's origins are all excellent. The artwork is always different-but they all are pretty good. Impressive stuff. I really liked these stories best.
Then there are the rest which vary in degree of excellence. But, there is one stinker in the bunch- Batwoman. Ugh. Bad art. Stupid story. It does a disservice to all the other origin stories where the characters go through hell and train like demons and are SUPERBLY trained. Even Harley Quinn's psychosis developed over decades, truly manifesting when she meet's "Mr. J"..but in Batwoman...she is an Army brat who sees her mother killed. Fine. Ok. So far I'm down. Then all of a sudden she drops out of West Point because she is a lesbian. Ok. I'm down with that too. Then she's almost mugged-but starts doing some seriously high end martial arts. Did you learn that in 3 years at West Point? Would it suck to realize Service Academy cadets (they're cadets because they have no real rank-they aren't considered military-yet. IF they graduate, THEN they become officers. Till then they are college students who also conform to a military lifestyle) don't even attend their respective branch's Basic Training till the summer of that year? So her martial arts ability? Yeah right. Notice, in contrast, EVERY single other character training for years (Bruce/Starfire/Green Arrow's case for decades) under brilliant master fighters. Ok not Harley..but she's uhh..different. But every single other person. It makes sense. I know it's a comic..but sheesh..put some effort into your backstory-you do Batwoman a disservice. Oh and then her father is shown as being an Army grunt. Cool. I'm down with it. So why, better yet how, do you have this guy designing a batsuit worthy of an MIT PhD working for DARPA (they conduct next generation advanced technology research)? Seriously? HE made that? Yeah. Um. No. So the Batwoman story is awful. Skip it. Everything else? Well worth your time. In fact..more than that- this is a great read and deserving of a 5 star review-save for that putrid Batwoman story. But still-I'm recommending this one to my friends.
January 11, 2015
Probably one of the most BORING things I've read since I got into comics. And the artwork is definitely not anything to write home about, for any of the "origin" stories in this volume. Full review to come.
Are you happy writers?!! Making Tara cry is like killing multitudes of kittens! Even if they are just tears of boredom...
FULL REVIEW
Major disappointment is all I was really feeling when I finished reading this volume. You'd think that as someone still slightly overwhelmed about where to start in a vast universe like DC Comics, I'd be grateful for a volume of origin stories. You'd think that, wouldn't you? Well, I did too goddammitt and boy, oh boy, was I WRONG. Because it turns out, I pretty much knew everything these guys had to tell me. I can point to maybe 2 or 3 of the stories total that gave me anything new that made it worth my while, even a little bit. There is almost nothing in this book, even as someone pretty much brand new to comics, that I hadn't already gleaned from the USA's pop culture collective/episodes of Smallville/episodes of the Justice League cartoon. I can honestly say that for a reboot, they sure played it safe. And the things that were different were just dumb or confusing!
Let me break it down for you a little further. There were origins in this book for: Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Dick Grayson/Robin #1/Nightwing, Aquaman, Starfire, Batwoman, Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Tim Drake/Red Robin, Harley Quinn, Green Arrow, Damian Wayne/Robin #5. That is a lot of ground to cover in just one volume! I was kind of excited for this, because I'm unfamiliar with Red Robin, Starfire, Green Lantern and iffy on Harley Quinn. What I got was shitty artwork, origins mainly regurgitated from past runs (from what other people have said it seems that way, anyhow) and stories that were just boring or made the heroes unsympathetic to me, as a reader.
Superman: One of the few I actually DID end up liking. You can tell that even though it wasn't anything really new, the author(s) at least tried with it. The dual narrative from both of Clark/Kal's mothers was touching and it was a nice little piece, if a bit sappy.
Batman: Really??? This is what you do with the Dark Knight? Show some dumb training montages and "over the years" panels, before actually having him don the cowl. He only gets the idea after seeing a bat fly in front of his Dad's statue. "Yes father. I shall become a bat." He has to be scarier, see, cause the criminals don't fear him. *Scoffs*
Supergirl: Okay, blah blah, incident with Kryptonian-a-saurus Rex, parental expectations, time in stasis, etc. Then when she becomes Supergirl, she saves North Korean astronauts! Yeah, suuurrreeee. Talk about freaking random and unnecessary adjustments.
Dick Grayson/Robin #1/Nightwing: Very slight, but I didn't mind this really as I didn't know much about him beforehand. I would've liked something more interesting, but it wasn't a detriment to the character. I had just read Nightwing Vol. 1 though, and this was a nice sidenote to it. Practically obsolete though, after the 0 issue.
Hey Anne, look, it's Dick's makeup teacher! :D
Aquaman: Once again, 'A' for effort, but obsolete after the 0 issue I just had the pleasure of reading. They are really similar, in a way that does nothing to recommend this one. Just go read the Aquaman volumes instead, you really can get by without the origin.
Starfire: A character I knew nothing about, other than her Teen Titans membership, and I feel like I still know nothing about her. For instance, was she the big sister or the little sister? This was really confusing and she came across a bit stupid as well. Whatever.
Batwoman: Nothing against Kate Kane, this was just something to get through for me. I wasn't really all that interested in it, as I didn't care for Batwoman Vol. 1 when I read it. I did like seeing how she met her police officer girlfriend though.
Green Lantern/Hal Jordan: This I actually liked. Probably because I was confused as Hell when I read the Vol. 1 of his New 52 story arc. I went in knowing nothing about Hal or the Lantern Corps, and they didn't even pretend to reboot that one - they just continued straight from a past run. This actually gave me his background, some motivation and showed me his Lantern training. One of very few reasons I'm glad I read this.
Tim Drake/Red Robin: What. A. Little. Bastard. He goes out of his way to find out who Batman is, baits him using Penguin, gets his parents in witness protection and all he can think about is how great he'll be as Robin! It's not like he had any real reason to want to be a crime-fighter either, other than a young boy's fascination. Came across as a selfish prick.
Harley Quinn: It was interesting to get a look into Harley's demented mind and see how she got so immersed into the Arkham side of Gotham. I liked the artwork in this one too, and it's one of two (the other being Aquaman) that I can genuinely say that for. Plus, telling your story to a captive audience that you blow up afterwards is such a Harley maneuver! :D
Green Arrow: Really? Now they're putting Diggle in the comics? Talk about a desperate bid to cash in on the CW's tv show. Mostly just boring though. I'd have liked to see a more focused story, with it choosing either the island or just after, with more detailed flashbacks used to good effect. Nothing I haven't seen before and they might as well have just called Naomi Singh by her real name, Felicity Smoak. Seriously, why even try to hide it at that point?
She even admits it...
Damian Wayne/Robin #5: I don't know why they even bothered with this one. This isn't even canon to the current run of Batman for the New 52, at least with how Damian becomes Robin. In this, Dick is taking over for Bruce, who just died, as Batman. Damian is just becoming Robin, and never even worked with Bruce. This is confusing, because there is a WHOLE comic dedicated to the two of them as Batman and Robin for the New 52!!! It makes no damn sense in the context of their 'rebooted' universe.
Overall, I don't know why I even bothered. If I didn't know better, I'd probably let this talk me out of reading any of these characters' individual comics. I do know it for sure hasn't made me want to read Red Robin or Starfire, who came across the worst in my opinion. Also, this doesn't make me hopeful for Green Arrow, who I love. I will be picking up Harley Quinn though, so there's that. I also feel a bit more prepared to read more Green Lantern comics, without reading the last five to ten years worth of stuff to catch up. I would NOT recommend this particular volume, except as a curiosity maybe. Check it out of the library though, for the love of God. Don't pay for the boring stories/shitty artwork contained herein. You have been warned.
With Sue Ellen's family, she oughtta know.
VERDICT: 2/5 Stars
*I received this book from DC Comics, on NetGalley. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. This book was published on February 17th, 2015.*
Are you happy writers?!! Making Tara cry is like killing multitudes of kittens! Even if they are just tears of boredom...
FULL REVIEW
Major disappointment is all I was really feeling when I finished reading this volume. You'd think that as someone still slightly overwhelmed about where to start in a vast universe like DC Comics, I'd be grateful for a volume of origin stories. You'd think that, wouldn't you? Well, I did too goddammitt and boy, oh boy, was I WRONG. Because it turns out, I pretty much knew everything these guys had to tell me. I can point to maybe 2 or 3 of the stories total that gave me anything new that made it worth my while, even a little bit. There is almost nothing in this book, even as someone pretty much brand new to comics, that I hadn't already gleaned from the USA's pop culture collective/episodes of Smallville/episodes of the Justice League cartoon. I can honestly say that for a reboot, they sure played it safe. And the things that were different were just dumb or confusing!
Let me break it down for you a little further. There were origins in this book for: Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Dick Grayson/Robin #1/Nightwing, Aquaman, Starfire, Batwoman, Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Tim Drake/Red Robin, Harley Quinn, Green Arrow, Damian Wayne/Robin #5. That is a lot of ground to cover in just one volume! I was kind of excited for this, because I'm unfamiliar with Red Robin, Starfire, Green Lantern and iffy on Harley Quinn. What I got was shitty artwork, origins mainly regurgitated from past runs (from what other people have said it seems that way, anyhow) and stories that were just boring or made the heroes unsympathetic to me, as a reader.
Superman: One of the few I actually DID end up liking. You can tell that even though it wasn't anything really new, the author(s) at least tried with it. The dual narrative from both of Clark/Kal's mothers was touching and it was a nice little piece, if a bit sappy.
Batman: Really??? This is what you do with the Dark Knight? Show some dumb training montages and "over the years" panels, before actually having him don the cowl. He only gets the idea after seeing a bat fly in front of his Dad's statue. "Yes father. I shall become a bat." He has to be scarier, see, cause the criminals don't fear him. *Scoffs*
Supergirl: Okay, blah blah, incident with Kryptonian-a-saurus Rex, parental expectations, time in stasis, etc. Then when she becomes Supergirl, she saves North Korean astronauts! Yeah, suuurrreeee. Talk about freaking random and unnecessary adjustments.
Dick Grayson/Robin #1/Nightwing: Very slight, but I didn't mind this really as I didn't know much about him beforehand. I would've liked something more interesting, but it wasn't a detriment to the character. I had just read Nightwing Vol. 1 though, and this was a nice sidenote to it. Practically obsolete though, after the 0 issue.
Hey Anne, look, it's Dick's makeup teacher! :D
Aquaman: Once again, 'A' for effort, but obsolete after the 0 issue I just had the pleasure of reading. They are really similar, in a way that does nothing to recommend this one. Just go read the Aquaman volumes instead, you really can get by without the origin.
Starfire: A character I knew nothing about, other than her Teen Titans membership, and I feel like I still know nothing about her. For instance, was she the big sister or the little sister? This was really confusing and she came across a bit stupid as well. Whatever.
Batwoman: Nothing against Kate Kane, this was just something to get through for me. I wasn't really all that interested in it, as I didn't care for Batwoman Vol. 1 when I read it. I did like seeing how she met her police officer girlfriend though.
Green Lantern/Hal Jordan: This I actually liked. Probably because I was confused as Hell when I read the Vol. 1 of his New 52 story arc. I went in knowing nothing about Hal or the Lantern Corps, and they didn't even pretend to reboot that one - they just continued straight from a past run. This actually gave me his background, some motivation and showed me his Lantern training. One of very few reasons I'm glad I read this.
Tim Drake/Red Robin: What. A. Little. Bastard. He goes out of his way to find out who Batman is, baits him using Penguin, gets his parents in witness protection and all he can think about is how great he'll be as Robin! It's not like he had any real reason to want to be a crime-fighter either, other than a young boy's fascination. Came across as a selfish prick.
Harley Quinn: It was interesting to get a look into Harley's demented mind and see how she got so immersed into the Arkham side of Gotham. I liked the artwork in this one too, and it's one of two (the other being Aquaman) that I can genuinely say that for. Plus, telling your story to a captive audience that you blow up afterwards is such a Harley maneuver! :D
Green Arrow: Really? Now they're putting Diggle in the comics? Talk about a desperate bid to cash in on the CW's tv show. Mostly just boring though. I'd have liked to see a more focused story, with it choosing either the island or just after, with more detailed flashbacks used to good effect. Nothing I haven't seen before and they might as well have just called Naomi Singh by her real name, Felicity Smoak. Seriously, why even try to hide it at that point?
She even admits it...
Damian Wayne/Robin #5: I don't know why they even bothered with this one. This isn't even canon to the current run of Batman for the New 52, at least with how Damian becomes Robin. In this, Dick is taking over for Bruce, who just died, as Batman. Damian is just becoming Robin, and never even worked with Bruce. This is confusing, because there is a WHOLE comic dedicated to the two of them as Batman and Robin for the New 52!!! It makes no damn sense in the context of their 'rebooted' universe.
Overall, I don't know why I even bothered. If I didn't know better, I'd probably let this talk me out of reading any of these characters' individual comics. I do know it for sure hasn't made me want to read Red Robin or Starfire, who came across the worst in my opinion. Also, this doesn't make me hopeful for Green Arrow, who I love. I will be picking up Harley Quinn though, so there's that. I also feel a bit more prepared to read more Green Lantern comics, without reading the last five to ten years worth of stuff to catch up. I would NOT recommend this particular volume, except as a curiosity maybe. Check it out of the library though, for the love of God. Don't pay for the boring stories/shitty artwork contained herein. You have been warned.
With Sue Ellen's family, she oughtta know.
VERDICT: 2/5 Stars
*I received this book from DC Comics, on NetGalley. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. This book was published on February 17th, 2015.*
January 29, 2015
ARC provided through Net Galley
I’ve read very few New 52 stories yet so I wasn’t sure what to expect from Secret Origins. In all honesty, although I enjoyed it, it was a lot of rehashing old territory. I probably should have expected as much since it IS a collection of origin stories but after some of the other stories I’ve read lately, it was a bit of a disappointment. The volume covers the origins of Superman, Power Girl, Aquaman, Batman, Batwoman, Nightwing, Red Robin, Damian, Green Arrow, Starfire, Green Lantern and Harley Quinn. Maybe I’m missing something but I’m really curious about why Wonder Woman wasn’t in there. There were a few changes from what I’m familiar with as far as the different characters’ origins but otherwise pretty standard. The artwork is well done but not mind blowing, and the artwork for Damian’s section was weirdly childish. I mean, I get that he’s the only one who’s still technically a child but it just felt odd and out of place. I wasn’t familiar with some of the origin stories (particularly Starfire, Aquaman and Green Arrow) so those were interesting. If you’re new to the DC characters or just dedicated enough to want to know where they stand in New 52, I’d recommend it.
I’ve read very few New 52 stories yet so I wasn’t sure what to expect from Secret Origins. In all honesty, although I enjoyed it, it was a lot of rehashing old territory. I probably should have expected as much since it IS a collection of origin stories but after some of the other stories I’ve read lately, it was a bit of a disappointment. The volume covers the origins of Superman, Power Girl, Aquaman, Batman, Batwoman, Nightwing, Red Robin, Damian, Green Arrow, Starfire, Green Lantern and Harley Quinn. Maybe I’m missing something but I’m really curious about why Wonder Woman wasn’t in there. There were a few changes from what I’m familiar with as far as the different characters’ origins but otherwise pretty standard. The artwork is well done but not mind blowing, and the artwork for Damian’s section was weirdly childish. I mean, I get that he’s the only one who’s still technically a child but it just felt odd and out of place. I wasn’t familiar with some of the origin stories (particularly Starfire, Aquaman and Green Arrow) so those were interesting. If you’re new to the DC characters or just dedicated enough to want to know where they stand in New 52, I’d recommend it.
June 15, 2018
This was a New 52 anthology of origin stories retold, and some stories are better than others. Art is all pretty good.
Mildly recommended.
Mildly recommended.
December 20, 2014
A full, proper review will follow closer to publication date but here are my thoughts on each story in brief.
#1:
SUPERMAN, Story: Greg Pak | Art: Lee Weeks - Nothing we've seen before but still a pretty solid retread. Good artwork as well.
ROBIN, DICK GRAYSON, Story: Kyle Higgins | Art: Doug Mahnke - Again. Something that I'm familiar with but unlike Superman less people will be. Pretty good. First time I've seen this origin in the New 52.
SUPERGIRL, Story: Tony Bedard | Art: Paulo Siquera | One that I was the most unfamiliar with. Handled pretty well I think, relatively unfamiliar with both writer and artist.
#2:
BATMAN, Story: Ray Fawkes | Art: Dustin Nguyen | Something that didn't really need retelling especially with Batman Begins and Gotham being so recent. Great artwork, though.
AQUAMAN, Story: Jeff Parker | Art: Alvaro Martinez | Interesting as this, like Supergirl, I'm not especially familiar with (but know some details of). Parker is a decent writer and it's a pretty confident origin tale.
STARFIRE, Story: Scott Lobdell | Art: Paulo Siquera | Not a fan of this one. Lobdell isn't one of my favourite comics writers. Finally a character whose origin I know absolutely nothing about, though.
#3:
GREEN LANTERN, Story: Robert Venditti | Art: Martin Colcollo | Everyone remembers that awful Green Lantern movie from 2011, right? Well this is how a Green Lantern origin should be told. Fun and pretty awesome. One of the stronger entries.
BATWOMAN, Story: Jeremy Haun | Art: Trevor McCarthy | Pretty Good. Obviously can't reach JH Williams/W. Haden Blackman levels but this was a strong origin for a character who I wasn't too familiar with as well as a showcase for creators I wasn't too familiar with (I like Haun's art on Constantine but haven't seen him write before).
RED ROBIN, Story: Scott Lobdell | Art: Tyler Kirkham | Ack. Lobdell alert. Not good. Avoid this one.
#4:
HARLEY QUINN, Story: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti | Art: Stephanie Roux | Harley Quinn was lots of fun in this one even if I knew the story and now I really want to start reading the ongoing series. One of the strongest ones in the collection.
GREEN ARROW, Story: Jeff Lemire | Art: Denys Quinn | Very good artwork. Still getting used to a GA story not drawn by Sorrentino. Lemire was excellent as normal and this is probably my favourite story of the entire collection. Very good stuff.
ROBIN, DAMIAN WAYNE, Story: Peter J. Tomasi | Art: Ian Bertran | Not Damian's origin but the origin of how he became Robin. Pretty good and helped out expand a character who I didn't know much about beyond being "Batman's son".
#1:
SUPERMAN, Story: Greg Pak | Art: Lee Weeks - Nothing we've seen before but still a pretty solid retread. Good artwork as well.
ROBIN, DICK GRAYSON, Story: Kyle Higgins | Art: Doug Mahnke - Again. Something that I'm familiar with but unlike Superman less people will be. Pretty good. First time I've seen this origin in the New 52.
SUPERGIRL, Story: Tony Bedard | Art: Paulo Siquera | One that I was the most unfamiliar with. Handled pretty well I think, relatively unfamiliar with both writer and artist.
#2:
BATMAN, Story: Ray Fawkes | Art: Dustin Nguyen | Something that didn't really need retelling especially with Batman Begins and Gotham being so recent. Great artwork, though.
AQUAMAN, Story: Jeff Parker | Art: Alvaro Martinez | Interesting as this, like Supergirl, I'm not especially familiar with (but know some details of). Parker is a decent writer and it's a pretty confident origin tale.
STARFIRE, Story: Scott Lobdell | Art: Paulo Siquera | Not a fan of this one. Lobdell isn't one of my favourite comics writers. Finally a character whose origin I know absolutely nothing about, though.
#3:
GREEN LANTERN, Story: Robert Venditti | Art: Martin Colcollo | Everyone remembers that awful Green Lantern movie from 2011, right? Well this is how a Green Lantern origin should be told. Fun and pretty awesome. One of the stronger entries.
BATWOMAN, Story: Jeremy Haun | Art: Trevor McCarthy | Pretty Good. Obviously can't reach JH Williams/W. Haden Blackman levels but this was a strong origin for a character who I wasn't too familiar with as well as a showcase for creators I wasn't too familiar with (I like Haun's art on Constantine but haven't seen him write before).
RED ROBIN, Story: Scott Lobdell | Art: Tyler Kirkham | Ack. Lobdell alert. Not good. Avoid this one.
#4:
HARLEY QUINN, Story: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti | Art: Stephanie Roux | Harley Quinn was lots of fun in this one even if I knew the story and now I really want to start reading the ongoing series. One of the strongest ones in the collection.
GREEN ARROW, Story: Jeff Lemire | Art: Denys Quinn | Very good artwork. Still getting used to a GA story not drawn by Sorrentino. Lemire was excellent as normal and this is probably my favourite story of the entire collection. Very good stuff.
ROBIN, DAMIAN WAYNE, Story: Peter J. Tomasi | Art: Ian Bertran | Not Damian's origin but the origin of how he became Robin. Pretty good and helped out expand a character who I didn't know much about beyond being "Batman's son".
April 8, 2016
This is more useful for readers new to the DC superheroes. For more experienced readers you won't learn as much of the tales of how these people all became superheroes.
OVERALL GRADE: B minus.
OVERALL GRADE: B minus.
February 16, 2015
'Secret Origins Vol. 1' takes a lot the origin stories from DC Comics New 52 reboot and puts them in one convenient volume. If you are expecting fresh original origins, you should probably look elsewhere. They are all very similar to their old origin stories.
Here you'll find the origin stories of many of the big hitters: Batman, Green Lantern, Superman, Supergirl, Aquaman and Green Arrow among others. If, like me, you are familiar with these origins, you won't find much new here. These are all pretty much the same. There are a few tweaks here and there, and I'm really not sure what I expected, but it was all pretty mediocre. The Harley Quinn story might have been the most interesting, but I was less familiar with it.
I see this collection as best for new fans who want these stories all in one collection. For older fans, there isn't much here that appends known history. The collection boasts a whole host of writers and artists, and I did like the art, especially the collection covers by Lee Bermejo. Those made the collection a win in my mind. I guess I wanted to be more wowed than I was.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Here you'll find the origin stories of many of the big hitters: Batman, Green Lantern, Superman, Supergirl, Aquaman and Green Arrow among others. If, like me, you are familiar with these origins, you won't find much new here. These are all pretty much the same. There are a few tweaks here and there, and I'm really not sure what I expected, but it was all pretty mediocre. The Harley Quinn story might have been the most interesting, but I was less familiar with it.
I see this collection as best for new fans who want these stories all in one collection. For older fans, there isn't much here that appends known history. The collection boasts a whole host of writers and artists, and I did like the art, especially the collection covers by Lee Bermejo. Those made the collection a win in my mind. I guess I wanted to be more wowed than I was.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
April 14, 2015
Some "Secret Origins" were better than others. It's good for new readers to get acquainted to some new characters. But if You're already a reader, it just annoys You how they tweak or change an origin of a character. Harley Quinn for example. they continue to change or add to her origin. I recommend especially if You're a Harley Quinn fan to just watch Batman the Animated series Mad Love. That's the real origin.
May 17, 2018
I read this because I've been on a Batman kick. I wanted to know more about the DC Universe. Let's just say I have more than one superhero I want to start reading about! I loved the origin stories because it helped me to understand why certain people decide to fight crime. I just got the second one and in excited to read it! Anyways, I think if you're like me trying to figure out which superhero to start reading about, this book will finely give you some ideas where to start! 👍
November 5, 2016
A very brief look at the origin of most of DC's biggest names. Although you know most of the origins, it's always nice to see the stories and the art work. However, these origins were too chopped up and brusque. The writers are just trying to wade through as many stories as possible in the shortest way possible. I do not recommend picking this up.
October 26, 2019
(Read as Single Issues)
These Secret Origins stories are hamstrung by either having to hew too close to stories the readers already know, or be ultimately disposable because so few people will read them in this format. As such, they rarely have much impact, and this collection is the same.
Some do a decent job of consolidating the character's history (Harley's does so with a decent framing device), but a lot of it is just heavy-handed narration of stories you already know, that lose all the nuance. Unless you're a complete neophyte to DC, there's no reason to recommend this.
These Secret Origins stories are hamstrung by either having to hew too close to stories the readers already know, or be ultimately disposable because so few people will read them in this format. As such, they rarely have much impact, and this collection is the same.
Some do a decent job of consolidating the character's history (Harley's does so with a decent framing device), but a lot of it is just heavy-handed narration of stories you already know, that lose all the nuance. Unless you're a complete neophyte to DC, there's no reason to recommend this.
October 15, 2017
A typical origin story of the Dark Knight.
Man in the shadows kills parents, this drives Bruce to declare that no one shall feel the same pain again. Gotham suffers in the lose of the Waynes. Batman develops his abilities while away, but that is not enough as proven by the Red Hood Gang (hired by the Riddler). Takes on the persona of Batman and enter Zero Year. Good volume.
Man in the shadows kills parents, this drives Bruce to declare that no one shall feel the same pain again. Gotham suffers in the lose of the Waynes. Batman develops his abilities while away, but that is not enough as proven by the Red Hood Gang (hired by the Riddler). Takes on the persona of Batman and enter Zero Year. Good volume.
July 15, 2018
Contains the origin stories of the following DC superheroes...
Superman
Robin (Dick Grayson)
Supergirl
Batman
Aquaman
Starfire
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
Batwoman
Robin(Tim Drake)
Harley Qunin
Green Arrow
Robin (Damian Wayne)
Most stories are very condensed. Therefore they pack a real punch. Very enjoyable...
Superman
Robin (Dick Grayson)
Supergirl
Batman
Aquaman
Starfire
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
Batwoman
Robin(Tim Drake)
Harley Qunin
Green Arrow
Robin (Damian Wayne)
Most stories are very condensed. Therefore they pack a real punch. Very enjoyable...
March 5, 2019
Most of the origin stories I am familiar with so it wasn't all that entertaining. BUT I have found this and the second volume handy when my little one asks about the character on the cover of the comic I am reading. We read the Superman and Wonder Woman secret origin after she inquired about their powers and stories.
June 24, 2019
Excellent intro for those wondering how these characters all began. The authors attempted enough of a spin to hold the interest of previous fans. For some characters this worked better than others.
I was familiar with all these origins. I especially liked the takes on Superman, and the Grayson/Damian team-up (incidentally the first and last stories in the collection).
I was familiar with all these origins. I especially liked the takes on Superman, and the Grayson/Damian team-up (incidentally the first and last stories in the collection).
January 9, 2021
Well these are origins of some of the most popular characters in comic books history. So I didn't get the whole 'secret' part. I knew pretty much every story from the movies I saw and they were not unpleasant to read, so I don't get the hate that this series get. These anthology should have been named just 'Origins', that would be more accurate. Other than that it was good.
September 9, 2023
Complete waste of time. Moat of these origin stories I've read, more or less verbatim in the #0 floppies of the characters run.
2 stars because some of the art is good.
Worst issue was #4. Terrible art for Green Arrow, followed by equally horrible art for Damien and Dick becoming Batman and Robin.
2 stars because some of the art is good.
Worst issue was #4. Terrible art for Green Arrow, followed by equally horrible art for Damien and Dick becoming Batman and Robin.
May 6, 2018
It’s always hard to review anthologies. Like all there are stories that are good and stories that are poor. The good outweigh the poor. There is nothing too amazing here. Just some good retelling a of dc origins.
May 24, 2019
1 Star - Robin (Damien Wayne)
2 Star - Green Arrow
3 Star - Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Harley Quinn
4 Star - Aquaman, Starfire, Green Lantern (Hal Jordon), Batwoman, Red Robin (Tim Drake)
5 Star - Robin (Dick Grayson)
2 Star - Green Arrow
3 Star - Superman, Supergirl, Batman, Harley Quinn
4 Star - Aquaman, Starfire, Green Lantern (Hal Jordon), Batwoman, Red Robin (Tim Drake)
5 Star - Robin (Dick Grayson)
August 22, 2023
Muy buenas historias (para ser "refritos" de lo ya existente pero acomodando algunas discrepancias y otras libertades creativas despuès del Flashpoint).
Grayson bb, Batwoman y Tim se llevan las palmas. Las demàs meh, no hay nada nuevo.
Grayson bb, Batwoman y Tim se llevan las palmas. Las demàs meh, no hay nada nuevo.
December 18, 2017
Great coming...I had awesome time reading it.
January 20, 2018
i enjoyed some of the stories, but some were kinda meh. Did kinda make me want to read some Aquaman though.
March 15, 2018
Seriously love the modern takes on these origins!!! Especially a certain few!!!
April 6, 2019
2.75/5
May 11, 2019
Pretty good origin stories, I liked them.
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