Comments on: DC Universe: Origins

By: Johanna

Johanna — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:31:35 +0000

Well, it wouldn’t be the first time memory failed us. :)

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:14:35 +0000

Can’t seem to find any Flash origin done in this format in any of the usual places where those things ran. Flash has been in flux for so long that who knows which character they’d have done. I think best to stick with Jay Garrick…

By: Johanna

Johanna — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:13:09 +0000

Thanks for providing that context, Julia. Makes sense now that you explain it.

By: Julia L

Julia L — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:03:32 +0000

I can see why most of the villains were included mostly. At the time the origins were coming out, Circe was the big supervillain in the rebooted Wonder Woman series. Amazo was the villain in the new Justice League. Zod’s the major player in the Superman storylines. Monarch cropped up in Countdown. All but Black Manta were featured heavily in the comics.

By: Jer

Jer — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:36:44 +0000

I have to figure that Flash and Aquaman are missing because at this point they really aren’t sure what the origins of Flash and Aquaman are. At least not in a form that can be summarized in two pages…

Since Barry Allen is back as the Flash I’d find that hard to believe for the Flash at least. “Police scientist gets hit by lightning in his lab, gains super speed, and fights crooks who dress like the Pied Piper or use freeze rays to rob banks” is pretty much a summation of 20+ years of Barry Allen Flash comics in a single sentence. The hard part would be stretching his origin story to fit two pages. It’s a bit easier than trying to explain Wally’s “there was a Flash and I was his sidekick and then he died and now I’m the Flash” origin, and a lot easier than Bart’s “There was a Flash and he was sent to the future, and I’m his grandson and I was sent back into the past and artificially aged to be the not-really-a-sidekick sidekick to the guy who took over as Flash for him after he died, but then HE was sent to the future and I was artificially aged again into adulthood and now I’m the Flash” origin.

Aquaman, on the other hand – that’s probably a good guess. I don’t know if anyone is quite sure what to do with Aquaman these days (outside of the guys who write the Batman Brave and the Bold cartoon, where at least they have a vision for the character, even if he sometimes feels more like Marvel’s Hercules than Aquaman…)

By: Johanna

Johanna — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:52 +0000

KC said that he thought that they did a Flash one, but maybe it just wasn’t selected for this collection for whatever reason (no longer in continuity? not updated? as Bob speculates).

Aw, you mean I have to print out a webpage and stick it in the book? How retro! :)

By: Bob

Bob — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:38:55 +0000

I have to figure that Flash and Aquaman are missing because at this point they really aren't sure what the origins of Flash and Aquaman are. At least not in a form that can be summarized in two pages... But yeah, kind of dumb when they figure so prominently on the cover. The lack of a table of contents is disappointing, but fortunately the internets sometime provide when publishers fail to.

By: Hovy

Hovy — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:33:41 +0000

The blue Starman was included since James Robinson is writing him again in JLA.

And I’m surprised DC didn’t commission origins for Aquaman, and especially the Flash. I know they did a few extra to round out this collection (Batwoman, Beast Boy, Black Lightning, Cyborg, etc.), so that is an odd oversight.

By: Rob S.

Rob S. — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:53:42 +0000

Oof. That’s a nice enough piece of art that it probably would have been worth it to commission those two origins (essential ones, really) just for the collection.