Secret Origins: Dr. Fate by Levitz, Staton, and Nasser

One of Ol' Groove's favorite mystical superheroes is DC's Dr. Fate. As a kid, I always thought he had a cool costume and awesome powers, but when I read a reprint of his origin by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman in Justice League of America #95 (recently posted over at Grantbridge Street), I was totally blown away. His origin was really a bit sadistic and twisted, ya know? That Kent Nelson could survive such a brutal origin and still become a superhero spoke volumes for the strength of his character. A few years later, when the Justice Society of America was enjoying a revival in the pages of All-Star Comics, the JSA's regular writer and artist, Paul Levitz and Joe Staton re-imagined Dr. Fate's origin for an issue of DC Special Series (#10, Winter 1978). The coolness factor was ramped up about 6,000 notches when Mike Nasser (now Michael Netzer) stepped in to ink the tale. His psychedelic-yet-realistic inking style perfectly complemented Staton's cartoony style to create a truly unique visual that perfectly suited the mood of Levitz's script. Dig it, baby!

Today's comicbook creators take note of how faithful Levitz, Staton, and Nasser were able to stay true to the source material, and yet give it a new shine and gloss that fit the era it was created for. That's how ya make good comics!