SECRET ORIGINS COVER & IMAGE GALLERY PART SEVEN... ~ Comics Live Updates

Here's a question for all you cavortin' Crivs. Have you ever read a retelling of an origin story that was better - or even as good - as the original? There must be some, but I just can't think of one. Maybe that's why this series of SECRET ORIGINS didn't rock my boat as much as I would've liked it to, though it must've held its own, sales-wise, seeing as how it lasted for 50 issues. If it wasn't selling, the plug would've been pulled much sooner.

Now, having written the above, KEITH GIFFEN's art on The CREEPER story below, looks quite good, and has some DITKO-esque touches without being a slavish imitation. Credit must also go to MURPHY ANDERSON, as well as ARVELL JONES for their renditions in issue 19 of UNCLE SAM and The GUARDIAN (& The NEWSBOY LEGION) respectively. MIKE CLARK and RICK LEONARDI likewise do decent versions of BATGIRL and Dr. MID-NITE (#20), though I still prefer CARMINE INFANTINO's original debut tale of BARBARA GORDON's caped and cowled alter-ego.

GEORGE FREEMAN isn't a name I'm familiar with, and though he turns in a perfectly respectable job on GREEN LANTERN in ish 18, his art doesn't really grab me. However, it's JACK KIRBY who lets the side down with his frankly awful single illustration of The Guardian on #19's cover. Murphy Anderson inked Jack's pencils, but even he couldn't save it, despite his magic pen and/or brush. JK was offered the opportunity to draw the whole strip for the issue, but declined, perhaps aware that age and illness had taken its toll on him and that he wouldn't be up to it. If so, I think it was a wise decision on his part, but he should've knocked back the cover as well.

Well, that's us now got the first 20 issues out of the way - only another 30 to go. Do you want to see them, or would you prefer me not to bother and just move on to something else? My own instinct is to finish what I started, but knowing your opinion wouldn't hurt in helping me make up my mind one way or the other should I ever find myself wavering on the matter. It's only taken me 3 and a half years to get to this point - if it takes the same length of time again with the remaining issues, my posts will have lasted longer than the entire run of the mag.

Anyway, enjoy the accompanying images and feel free to leave a comment if you so wish. Your opinion counts, even if it disagrees with mine.