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Posted by Don MacPherson on January 20th, 2007
52 Week Thirty-Seven
“Secret Identities”
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid
Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Pat Olliffe
Inks: Drew Geraci
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: J.G. Jones
Editor: Michael Siglain
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.50 US/$3.50 CAN
DC’s weekly series, exploring the DC Universe and some of its second-tier characters, has been an interesting and unique entity in super-hero comics. Usually entertaining and sometimes frustrating, the 52 experiment is finally starting to yield results, and it’s this issue is where the payoff begins. This action-packed issue not only surprised me with its big revelation, but it impresses with how the writers demonstrate that they’ve used the readers’ expectations of super-hero genre conventions and tricks to pull the wool over our eyes. Furthermore, this particular issue is illustrated by the one recurring art team whose style has stood out as unique and well suited to the tone of the project. If this book has one major flaw, it’s the cover, which sadly spoils the big surprise to which the series has been building for months.
Skeets has finally tracked down Rip Hunter, Time Master, who’s been hiding in the Kryptonian bottle city of Kandor deep in the recesses of Superman’s buried and forgotten Fortress of Solitude. As Rip scrambles to assemble a weapon to stave off the killer computer’s attack, he sends Supernova out of the miniaturized alien cityscape to keep Skeets busy. Actually, he sends Booster Gold, the hero who’s been hiding behind the Supernova identity. Gold’s resurrection serves as quite a distraction, as Skeets demands to learn how he managed to survive his apparent death. Meanwhile, in deep space, Starfire and Adam Strange bid farewell to a fallen comrade.
The quartet of 52 writers spend some time in this issue addressing the “lost time” between the events of Infinite Crisis and DC’s “One Year Later” theme that ran through the majority of the publisher’s super-hero titles. We see the seeds planted for now-resolved storylines from Birds of Prey, Green Arrow and Green Lantern. While these scenes will please continuity buffs, we really learn nothing new about these characters or storylines. It feels superfluous and distracts from the far more interesting main plotlines of the series.
I’ve enjoyed Pat Olliffe’s work since I first saw it in the mid 1990s on Kurt Busiek’s Untold Tales of Spider-Man. There’s a lighter, simpler tone to his pencils that is in keeping with the traditional super-hero storytelling of this series, but there’s a hint of a slightly more mature tone that works well with the greyer shades and more refined elements of this ambitious series. Also worthy of mention for his visual contribution to the storytelling is Travis Lanham. His emphasis of backwards spelling of words and depiction of sped-up speech in Rip Hunter’s dialogue really bring the weird, science-fiction qualities of this new incarnation of the character to life.
The two-page origin summary for the new Firestorm — presented by Waid, penciller Jamal Igle and inker Keith Champagne — tells the reader everything s/he needs to know about the character and what’s going on in his title. Furthermore, Jamal Igle’s detailed, dynamic art shows off his strengths as a super-hero artist succinctly, and it’s not easy, as the script is pretty wordy and intrudes on the art a lot. I do find it odd, though, that DC would present this origin story (a) so many issues after Firestorm’s appearance in this title, and (b) the same week that DC announces it’s cancelling the ongoing Firestorm title.
What I most enjoyed about this issue is how the writers reveal how they tricked us, how they duped the readers into buying that they resorted to “dramatic” but unnecessary heroic deaths to sell the story. A lighter, more hopeful tone reveals itself in this issue, as we see that the lost hero and his tragic death were never what they appeared to be. I was rather disappointed with the previous issue, in which such a manipulative death seemingly put an end to a classic character. That disappointment was dispelled with this issue, especially when I saw that Silver Age elements and fun, traditional super-heroics came into play in this otherwise complex and unusual story. This is far from the best super-hero comic I’ve read in recent memory, but it’s definitely the best issue of this series so far. 7/10
January 20th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Although I thought Ray Palmer was Supernova (Yeah, they got me, which is good.) I enjoyed the temporal mechanics that came about to further the tale. The Animal Man funeral was superb and that space twist was excellent.
This has been the experiment that suceeded. I think it is a one time thing for this decade. Sometime in the future this type of book will be successful, but any attempts by any company to recreate this will fall short right now. So part of me wants Marvel to try it so I can watch them not execute it as well as their competition. I know that is mean, but they are going grim and gritty at a time when DC is proving that humor and silly can work in dramatic stories.
52 is great.
January 20th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Palladin wrote:
Although I thought Ray Palmer was Supernova (Yeah, they got me, which is good.)
Yeah, the misdirection worked pretty well. I’m curious if DC is going to abandon the Supernova identity. I hope not. The costume design is striking, and I like the power gimmick.
January 20th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
After reading several online discussions, I had become convinced by the Booster Gold = Supernova arguments, so the reveal wasn’t much of a surprise to me. Although the internet is a great way to interact with other comics fans, unfortunately it also tends to take some of the surprise out of the actual comics. With a large number of people speculating, someone’s bound to guess a particular plot turn before its revealed.
Even though I’d become convinced that Booster was Supernova, I wasn’t really happy with the idea prior to reading this issue. I have to say now that I’ve read the explanation, it does it does actually work. I’d like to see the Supernova identity stick around too, but I’d rather see someone else assume the role.
I was also pleased to see that the reports of Animal Man’s demise were greatly exaggerated. Hopefully, they’ll find something useful to do with the character after 52 is over.
January 21st, 2007 at 9:57 am
This issue definately made the fanboy in me jump up and down. If it were any other two characters doing the time travelling paradox of Booster’s death, it wouldn’t have worked. But being that they’re both time travllers, it works like a charm.
I actually thought the cover would be some kind of a red herring and Booster being Supernova on the cover was a trick for the real reveal. Still, I loved the cover, especially with JG Jones once again playing with Michael’s former football career and holding Kandor like a football.
There’s one theory I read about Rip Hunter that I thought would be brilliant if true. He’s actually Daniel Carter, the descendent of Booster that was thrown into the time loop by Skeets. So, in essence, Skeets created his own nemesis. It’d create a time paradox of why Rip’s lab is where it is and…well, honestly, looking at him in this issue, he does carry a pretty striking resemblence to Michael/Booster. If it winds up being true, then I’d say that’ll be pretty dang cool. If not, I won’t be disappointed.
Finally, I’m VERY glad that Animal Man is alive and well. The end of this issue made me scream “Wait, what? NO! Wait! I want more! Don’t end here!” The appearance of the aliens related to his origin make things incredibly interesting and I demand to know what the heck’s up with that. I loved Morrison’s run on Animal Man (have all three trades), thus I love the character, so I can’t wait to see what’s next.
By the way, have you guys heard of the code that was deciphered in the latest DC Nation regarding 52′s secret? It’s a theory I’ve been running with ever since they said that the number 52 wasn’t just for the number of weeks.
January 21st, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Yeah, I’ve read the deciphered message on the DC boards. I can’t say I was too suprised by the revelation considering some of the changes that were made to the Infinite Crisis hardcover. I hope this isn’t the only big revelation that 52 is building towards.
January 21st, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Nick wrote:
By the way, have you guys heard of the code that was deciphered in the latest DC Nation regarding 52’s secret? It’s a theory I’ve been running with ever since they said that the number 52 wasn’t just for the number of weeks.
I read the “decoded” message, and it really comes as little surprise, given what we’ve seen hinted at in the new Justice Society of America series and the final story arc of the preceding incarnation of the title, JSA.
52 is proving to be the antithesis of DC’s dark period, which culminated in Identity Crisis. Now DC’s super-hero comics seem to be about fun and tradition, even Brad Meltzer’s Justice League of America (another guilty-pleasure comic like 52).
January 21st, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Don wrote:
52 is proving to be the antithesis of DC’s dark period, which culminated in Identity Crisis. Now DC’s super-hero comics seem to be about fun and tradition, even Brad Meltzer’s Justice League of America (another guilty-pleasure comic like 52).
Wasn’t that what Dan DiDio kept promising during the Infinite Crisis promotional brouhaha? The return of the real meaning of the Hero and such.
The pleasure I got from this week’s 52 (as well as the second issue of The Spirit) was completely guilt free.
The Green Arrow scene was a little placeholder-ish, but given the big reveals this week, a little breathing room was required.
wojr
January 21st, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Wojr wrote:
Wasn’t that what Dan DiDio kept promising during the Infinite Crisis promotional brouhaha? The return of the real meaning of the Hero and such.
That has been DC’s publishing plan for a while, as I understand it. I even get the impression that Identity Crisis was purposefully dark so as to provide a starker contrast for the greater vision of a lighter, more traditional approach to the genre.
January 22nd, 2007 at 1:07 am
I don’t find the “new” DC Universe to be particularly lighter. The grievous things done to the characters in Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis are still referenced (and hand-wrung about) ad nauseum in 52, Justice League of America, Manhunter, etc. And Justice Society, for all the claims I’m seeing about being old-fashioned fun, features a hero failing to save his wife and young children from torture and murder, then being unable to save his brother and brother’s family from the same thing *on panel*, no less.
If I’m meant to jump in the air for joy and think “Whoopee! At least nobody’s raping anyone or burning pregnant women!”, and Identity Crisis was purposefully dark for that reason, than for this reader at least, Didio and company have sadly miscalculated.
Don’t get me wrong… there are books I enjoy at DC now, and I’ll even admit to enjoying bits and pieces of 52. But let’s not be so quick to jump on the “It was all in the plan” hype bandwagon that some of the DC folks are trying to spin.
January 22nd, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Has anyone theorized that Skeets has actually been reprogrammed by Brainiac? I’m about 5 issues behind on 52, but I knew Booster = Supernova early on.
Just curious.
January 22nd, 2007 at 7:48 pm
It certainly seems like something or someone has taken over Skeets. I suppose Braniac would be on the likely suspect list, but Skeet’s actions seem a bit on the subtle side for Braniac. I also don’t recall Braniac ever showing much interest in time travel.
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:19 pm
How about Computo? Legion of Super-Heroes villain? Bear in mind 52 writer Mark Waid is a MAJOR Silver Age LSH fan.
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:57 pm
Has Computo appeared in the latest version of the Legion? I’ve only read a handful of issues, so I’m not really sure. Although, since the Starman in JSA is apparently a version from prior to the latest Legion reboot, I guess any number of prior versions of Computo could be running around the time stream.
January 25th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
I’d lean toward the Kilgore (Kilg%re)…
January 25th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Wow, these tech-villain references keep getting more and more obscure…
How about Colonel Computron?
(Actual Flash villain from the 1980s Cary Bates/Carmine Infantino era).