Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics

I was a comic book kid, from Marvel to DC to obscure companies I can't remember the name of, I was one of those kids who grew up with these superhero tales and have watched them evolve over the years.

Secret Origin is a feature length documentary that looks back on DC's storied past from humble beginnings to the monster it has become today.

It looks at the fluctuations in comic book popularity, the trends that molded it and the every increasing popularity of it's most popular characters such as Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman.

This is a fantastic little documentary that I would say is a must for comic book fans and one of those films that may well prove enlightening even to those who aren't.

Personally I think it was a bit short, it was as if it were taking you on a tour of a wondrous place but repeatedly shooeing you into the next room before you were done. Another 30-60 minutes would have done wonders to really tell the story properly.

Well constructed full of great interviews and background nuggets that I found very entertaining, good job.

The Good:

Ryan Reynolds narration

Very insightful stuff

The Bad:

Too short

Things I Learnt From This Documentary:

Watchmen was inspired by Tory Thatcher Britain

Not much married to facts. More about lore.

Example -- they claim the Fleishers didnt want to do Superman cartoons.

Fact is the series was one of the reason the Brothers had money issues. They Spent their own money on those shorts.

For the rest of it, there's nothing new and A LOT of this doc is poitical. Not much about "secret" origins.

Truth is DC had only a handful of characters (two really) that were really successful. Superan and Batman. The rest were no where near as good.

This is an excellent documentary for both comics fans and non-fans. It omitted mention of Crisis on Infinite Earths, which I feel is a milestone in DC's history, but perhaps this is too arcane for casual viewers. Otherwise, it is a thorough examination of the writers and artists who created some of the most famous characters in the world. Loaded with interviews of the creators and clips from movie and TV incarnations, the documentary shows the evolution of the company, the creators, and the characters. As an in-house production, it probably omits some of the less savory aspects of the company, but this is not an expose, after all. It is a celebration of an American art form.

The documentary should be mandatory viewing for those interested in the art of super heroes. The story of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and many others are examined here with plenty of commentary by experts, artists, writers and historians. The art of cartooning illustration is truly under-appreciated. This documentary addresses it as a serious subject. They include rare footage and stills of the pioneers and interviews with those who made it all possible.

Like most comic readers, I am surrounded by people who simply just don't get it. Even in 2010 with superhero movies charting the box office, many people still view comics as simple childish escapism.

Now I can show them this documentary as an explanation of how important the comics industry is to the world. It's our modern mythology. DC comics has been around for 75 years and in that time A lot has happened, not just in the comics but in the real world as well. So naturally there's only so much you can fit into an hour-and-a-half documentary.

But it talks about all the most notable and important moments and people, it shows the evolution of these character and their stories and how they adapted to the times. Comics aren't removed from reality, they make a statement about it.

A common complaint I've heard about this film is that it skips Infinite Crisis completely, not even a single mention made. While I agree it was a significant series historically, I believe it's too complex of a plot to accurately summarize and justify within the time limit. I think it would have completely disrupted the pacing. As it is, this documentary is light easy viewing filled with all sorts of interesting trivia. The kind of thing to bring new people into comics.

Any one of the many things they covered in this documentary could have had their own films. Like Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman or any single member of the Justice League could easily fill movie on their own. So I appreciate that they managed to successfully compress a titanic amount of information while still doing it justice.

I also love that it focuses on the personal and emotional connection people make to these superheroes. It definitely sells the idea that there's more gravity to the genre than the reputation would have you believe. And at no point does it seem like the people who are passionate about comics are pathetic losers. It encompasses a wide variety of people, some of them very talented who went on to working in the industry themselves.

If only I could have shown this to my parents when I still had dreams of being a comic artist. Oh well, costume designer is close enough.