Supernatural: Origins [Paperback]

Peter Johnson (Author), Matthew Dow Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 20, 2008

This graphic novel prequel to the hit CW television show written by series Executive Producer, Peter Johnson, gives readers an incredible never-before-seen look into the mythos of the series. After witnessing the murder of his wife at the hands of a demon, patriarch John Winchester begins a journey into the dark world of the supernatural, seeking a way to hunt down and kill the creature that took his wife. Can a newly widowed father balance fighting evil with raising his children? Discover what becomes of his two young sons, Dean and Sam, and how these formative events from their childhood will forever alter their destiny.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: WildStorm (May 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140121701X
• ISBN-13: 978-1401217013
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 0.6 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #386,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The John Winchester Chronicles, May 25, 2008

By 

Pat Shand "Pat Shand" (Freeport, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Supernatural: Origins (Paperback)

When a licensed comic is published, it usually focuses on a side-story that takes place during the timeline of the actual series. So when it was announced that the "Supernatural" comic would chronicle John Winchester's origins as a demon hunter and be set before the televised series, I was excited to pick up the story.

The writing isn't as good as that of the show, but it's passable. There are some truly horrific moments (the dead bodies floating in the water when John rescues the Hunter) as well as a few over-dramatic moments (the scene between John, the Hunter, and the shape-shifter), though nothing here sticks out as particularly good or particularly bad. It wasn't as good as I expected it to be, and moves quite a bit slower than your average comic, and readers will miss the comedy that is usually present in a supernatural episode. Some may argue that comedy is out of place in the story of a brooding man looking for his wife's killer, but a few light moments could have been mixed in to make this book more akin to the pace and feel of the series it spun-off from.

The art by penciller Matthew Dow Smith is pretty bad. Stylistically, it's similar to Mike Mignola's work in Hellboy, but it's not nearly as good. It feels like the artist copied the weak parts of Mignola's style and left out all the good. Everything is angular, and the characters simply have no eyes--they are just black dots that are supposed to look like the faces are in shadow. I suppose the intent was to give the comic a very dark look, but in the end it just makes everyone look like they are wearing strapless eye-patches. Not to mention, the style prevents the reader from being able to differentiate very much between some of the characters, leading to a slightly confusing read. This comic would have benefited from a more realistic look. Any of the cover artists, especially Dustin Nguyen who provided a stunning cover to #4, would have been better equipped to handle this series. In a licensed comic like "Supernatural," it is essential that the characters be recognizable, and that isn't the case here.

Overall, "Supernatural" fans will like this but not love it. Regular comic readers who haven't seen the show first won't hate it, but they certainly wouldn't come back for a second helping.

5/10

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, September 24, 2008

By 

Katie Mayo - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Supernatural: Origins (Paperback)

I was very disappointed in this prequel. I love Supernatural and was looking forward to John's story, but this just seemed incongruent with the series. John's characterization was especially off. I know that he didn't start out as a tough hunter- but he did start out as a tough ex-Marine. In the comic, they act like he's never been in a fight before, which is ridiculous and not in synch with the series. They also have inserts that jump years into the future and feature the boys. Not only do they disrupt the flow of John's story, but Dean's characterization is way off. They have a moment where he is going to run away, leaving Sam behind. I honestly don't think that Dean would ever even consider that. Plus, he was at an age where I thought that he already knew that his father was a hunter, but in the comic he's ignorant. It just didn't make sense and doesn't jive with my image of what their childhood was like. If I could, I'd unread it. My advice: Skip it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting prequel, June 5, 2008

By 

RXCSLC - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Supernatural: Origins (Paperback)

Just finished this TPB, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm never thrilled by Mignola-esque artwork, but I am betting that it actually served a purpose: to avoid licensing the likenesses of the actors. That aside, the story is quite good with many different creepy monsters/tones/settings. I'm betting that hard core fans of the show will dig it, and I bet you could enjoy it even if you have never watched the show. With so few horror comics out there on a regular basis... it's a nice break from the spandex monotony. Overall, a welcome addition to the SUPERNATURAL canon! Also recommended: Supernatural: Nevermore (Supernatural) (I have yet to read Witches Canyon, but my wife enjoyed it.) Supernatural: Witch's Canyon (Supernatural)