Superman Secret Origin #1 (OF 6)

It would be very narrow minded of me to say 'All Golden Age comics were really bad'.

That wouldn't be the case at all when you get right down into reading them. It was a different time to be sure, but comics back then are just as fun to read back then as they were now. Just the style of storytelling and the way artwork was treated back then we're different. Superman stories have always been entertaining for me, whether it was for camp value or actual good storytelling. For one great issue by John Byrne you get a ridiculous Superboy story. One minute Grant Morrison could write a final, poetic tale for the Man of Steel; the next you'll see Jimmy Olsen crossdressing for a story. Superman has had a weird history and it doesn't help he's had dozens of origin stories. Although also saying 'Geoff Johns is going to tell the true origin of Superman' would be a lie; cause someone next year could do the same thing. This could be the start of telling a perfect origin story by the man who knows how to reboot characters.

From the moment this comic started I knew this was going to be special. Geoff Johns has always had a great handle with Superman. But for once he's going to show us just how different the hero was before he became the man he is today. Seeing Clark as an insecure kid makes total sense. He knows he doesn't belong with this world but he can't figure out why. He knows he has certain abilities but he can't be sure how to control them. He also has to balance out a life in school and for once I am reading a story about a simple child then just an almost invincible superhero. Johns writes the best character moments in this issue. Anytime his parents were on the page giving him advice, I almost shed a tear every time. Him interacting with Lana or Pete is also very heartwarming and you can feel the friendship between Clark and Lana. That running gag of Lana kissing Clark and his heat vision kicks in was really funny to me.

There are also a great character moment with Lex Luthor in this. He's in in this issue for long but the pages he's are in makes you totally see how he goes from normal kid to ruthless villain in a matter of years. It's funny how arrogant Luthor is at this timeframe, but it's no where close to being unbearable as he will become. Again with the Golden Age moments, there are a lot of details like that in here. The origin of his glasses is pretty cute and I love it how Martha just says 'How Lovely' when she sees an image of Krypton. But the best moment is at the end when we're introduced to the costume. It's ridiculous to imagine they could create a costume like that, especially when a chainsaw couldn't cut the fabric. The ending line sold me though with Clark being utterly embarrassed he has to put it on.

This could be some of the best work Gary Frank has done in a while. I know he's being doing covers for Superman WONK; but man it's great to see him do an actual interiors for Geoff Johns. The opening page is just beautiful and there are a lot of moments like that where Frank has the entire page to focus on an emotion. The moment where Pa and Clark hug near the cornfield had me in tears; it's almost like a homage to what he did in the end of the Brainiac arc when Pa died. The panels flow really well and the characters look fantastic. I was worried I was going to be seeing a mini Christopher Reeves through out this thing; but it never crossed my mind once I opened this. I think his young Lex Luthor is kinda creepy; especially when he smiles; but that might be the whole point in drawing him like that. From the moment we start on a beautiful Kansas landscape to the funny ending of Clark in tights; this was some amazing work by Gary Frank.

Here I am praising this story like it's only one issue. We still got five issues to go and if the next issue involves the Legion then this somehow might get better then this issue. Just on looking this as a single issue it totally is one of the best things I've read all year. On a whole though this is an amazing start to do another origin for Superman. Maybe when it's all said and done we can actually keep Geoff John's take the permanent status quo?