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| Images copyright DC COMICS |
From 1973-'74, DC COMICS (then still officially known as NATIONAL PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS) released a 7-issue series following on from their two 1960s GIANT-SIZE Specials of the same title - SECRET ORIGINS. Starting with a reprint of SUPERMAN's one-page introduction from ACTION COMICS #1 (not seen since 1938), The FLASH from SHOWCASE #4, and BATMAN from DETECTIVE COMICS #33, the short-lived run featured the origins of several of DC's top-tier heroes and vile villains.
It's a nice little set to have in one's collection, so just in case you're interested in tracking it down, here are the covers to help you identify them. Don't say I ain't good to you.
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And, for completists, below are the two Specials that started it all. The first is from 1961, the second from 1965. Maybe I should change the title of this post to Nine Secret Origins? Or should that be 29, if I count the individual tales?
These have now been added to my wants list.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't be too expensive either.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent collection of golden age (and silver age) reprints and great to see them all here (excelleent covers by Nick Cardy) I had most of these first time around and particularly remember issues 5 (the Spectre origin being a particular favourite with Bernard Bailey art) 6 and 7 - I also liked the WANTED series focusing on the origins/ first apearances of the super villians (again with covers by Cardy)- the 7mid 80s /early 90s Secret Origins series also had its good points but the original series was the best.Great stuff again. McScotty
ReplyDeleteI've got the first three issues of Wanted, so I'll post them at some stage. I've also got the '80s Secret Origins series and the replica edition of the 1961 Special - no doubt they'll appear here in time.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that early 70s DC really saw potential in four characters featured here: Kid Eternity, Spectre, Vigilante and Wildcat.
ReplyDeleteI get the impression that Bridwell really liked the Kid and of course, Spectre became infamous for his Adventure series ( which are largely just Golden Age stories with a touch of 70s sadism.
Vigilante had a few solo appearances and team-ups but I think Wildcat would have been very popular if he had been the third JSA member to join the JLA.
Curiously, Dougie, I seemed to enjoy the Vigilante reprints in the back of the 25 cent editions (or wherever it was) at the time, but the last time I looked at one it was kind of underwhelming. Maybe it was by a different writer and artist, I dunno.
ReplyDeleteKid Eternity - that's what I'm aiming for. (See what I did there?)