Friday, January 4, 2008

"Secret Origins Annual (3rd Series, 1986-90) Issue #1"


WORTH CONSUMING!

Here’s the first annual in the third Series of Secret Origins. I think from my research it’s also the first ever annual. Featuring The Doom Patrol with artwork by John Byrne, this is a lasting testament to a treasured team. True, deep down they are a knock-off DC Comics answer to the Fantastic Four, with its constant bickering of teammates and truly odd powers. However, Doom Patrol will also be a legend to comics with its controversial murder of all 4 teammates at the end of its first run (issue 121 of Doom Patrol). True, these things never stay the same, and as usual John Byrne eventually screws things up with the timelines and all. But as a record of DP from its origins in the 60’s up to its third incarnation by 1987, this is the way Doom Patrol’s history was meant to be. Annual 1 also includes the origin of Captain Comet- ret-conned for Post-Crisis DC by Roy Thomas. The use of the word “mutants” is so very un-DC (but Thomas worked on X-Men in the 60’s, so get over it). Funny, when giant spinning tops attack the world and the only super hero that can save the day is Capt. Comet, you get a little skeptical and wonder “Where’s Superman?”- Or Sandman or anyone who was a member of the Justice Society. Then Thomas gently reminds us, that this is supposed to take place before Supes existed and the JSA was forced to disband (again all Pre-Crisis ret-conning)- but at least you now can enjoy the story.

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