Infinite Crisis Secret Files and Origins

    (DC, 2006)
™ and © DC Comics, Inc.

DC’s Secret Files and Origins books tend to shed light on behind-the-scenes events and little known facts surrounding their subjects. In this case, a book-length story and several “Who’s Who” profile pages fill in gaps for Infinite Crisis, the Universe-changing sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths. Reaching back into the beginnings of DC history, the main players in Infinite Crisis are the Superman and Lois Lane of Earth-2, Alex Luthor of Earth-3, and the Superboy of Earth Prime.

The featured story is “Heaven,” a multi-part tale by Marv Wolfman (writer of the original Crisis on Infinite Earths). The story spotlights each main character, allowing them to develop and reveal their present thoughts and motivations. “Heaven” also explains where these characters have been since they survived the first Crisis, and sets the stage for the final issues of Infinite Crisis.

— Jerry Smith

From the Comics Buyer’s Guide:

While not required reading for Infinite Crisis, this Secret Files does a nice job of fleshing out some of the mini–series’ backstory. The lead story is by Marv Wolfman (writer of the original Crisis on Infinite Earths) and illustrator Dan Jurgens (writer and artist of DC’s subsequent reboot, Zero Hour). It fills in new readers on the four survivors of the old multiverse and explains the circumstances that led the to the transformation of Earth–3’s Alex Luthor and the Superboy of Earth–Prime into the architects of the new Crisis.

Wolfman’s story is particularly effective in detailing the tragic descent of this Superboy—left only with images of a life he can never return to and denied the destiny of becoming Superman—as well as outlining his role in various continuity shifts since the earlier Crisis. (The story does leave unexplained changes in Superboy-Prime’s own history—as shown on the character’s profile page in the issue—from his earlier origin tale: alterations that added nothing.)

Jurgens does a largely solid job on the art, though he fares better here with some of his inkers than others.

—George Nelson
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  • 2006
    #2006
    Apr 2006
    Cover: $5.99
    W: Marv Wolfman  ·  A: Dan Jurgens, Dave Bullock, Howard Chaykin, Kalman Andrasofszky, Stéphane Roux, Phil Jimenez
    Black background
    16 copies from $1.38
  • 2006-2
    #2006 - 2nd printing
    2nd Printing Cover by Ivan Reis
    Apr 2006
    Cover: $5.99
    W: Marv Wolfman  ·  A: Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Cam Smith, Art Thibert, Nelson, Dave Bullock, Howard Chaykin, Kalman Andrasofszky, Stéphane Roux
    Red background
    3 copies from $3.50