galathea | Some thoughts on SPN

So, I read the first edition of the Supernatural comic Origins, which explores the 22 years that passed between the Pilot and Mary's death. Since I guess the comics will be considered canon, I wrote down some of my first impressions.

First off, I am not a fan of comics in general, so I have no real comparison, but I am really not fond of the artwork of Origins. The faces are hard and edgy and don't bear any resemblance to the original actors of the characters. The drawings for baby!Sam in particular are simply appalling. Also, the colouring is odd, just doesn't match my tastes, especially in the first part of the issue. I actually like the second part of the comic that focuses on Sam and Dean a bit better, art-wise, but still, I wished they chose a different artist for this comic.

As for the content, I liked that the writers incorporated parts of the original Winchester Journals (from the official WB Supernatural site) at the beginning of the comic. John is lost without Mary and unable to deal with a crying Sam and a mute Dean. He drifts directionless until he meets Missouri, who confirms his suspicions that Mary’s death wasn’t just an accident. I am sad, however, that the comic didn't pick up John's description of Dean climbing into Sammy’s crib every night, sleeping wrapped around him, protecting his baby brother. The comic panel where John enters his sons' bedroom, would have been perfect for that scene. What can I say, I am sappy, the image always made me cry. *g* Anyway, the comic also shows some discrepancies to the journals, and I am not sure what we are supposed to take as canon now. In the journals John accidentally stumbles over Missouri, while he randomly seeks out psychics, there is no hint that he ever met her before. Also, according to the journals, John, Sam and Dean stayed with Mike and Kate Gunderson after the fire - John’s partner at the garage and his wife - and not with Julie, Mary’s best friend, like in Origins. I really wished the writers would have matched the journals and the comic better.

I think it's interesting that in the comic John’s motivation for becoming a hunter not only roots in Mary’s death, but also in his realisation that Sam and Dean are in danger from the demon as well and need his protection. John’s feeling of guilt over Julie’s death, and his realisation that he failed his sons when he withdrew from them in his grief, are good additional psychological factors for his obsession with the hunt. The most intriguing plot point though is the strange artefact the demon leaves behind after his attack on Sam and Dean. It seems as if he deliberately leaves John clues on how to track him down. That's interesting, because after their conversation in In My Time Of Dying, I speculated that John and the YED have some sort of history that we don't know of yet, so maybe that will be confirmed over the course of the comic. It has to be said, however, that I am not sure if all the plot points in the comic are canon conform, but I will reserve judgment on that until we know more.

I actually really liked the second part of the comic. John’s refusal to talk about Mary’s death with his sons in general, and Sam in particular, ties in well with the fact that Sam and Dean only know very few details about the night of the fire in Home. It’s also interesting that Dean and John lie to Sam about the real cause of Mary's death - claiming that she died in an accident - and generally keep him in the dark about what John does. So it's no surprise that even at age six Sam already feels left out and thinks that he can't do anything right in his father's eyes. I especially love that Dean comforts Sam and promises him to teach him how to swim. That’s such a fanon classic! ♥ On a more tragic note: While we already know that the boys grew up in dismal living conditions, I was still sad to see the details laid out here - the dingy motel, Sam and Dean's exposure to brutal violence at an age so young, Dean already able to drive a car, forced to hurry himself and his brother into safety. That's incredibly bleak.