Only a single fast one.

*Yes, lil' reviews.

*Supernatural: Origins #1 (of 6): Reading this book is a bit like being slapped in the face by your mother in the middle of your wedding - while it may not be entertaining to you, there's still the feeling it's probably a nice time for someone else in the room. I guess that 'someone else' will have to be a fan of the television show this comic is a prequel to, because writer Peter Johnson (also a producer on the show) cooks up just the sort of cursory, shading-free setup script that always seems to be banking heavily on the reader's prior investment in the concept from some other source. There was very little suspense or whatever for me in this tale of John Winchester, a man whose wife has been killed by evil forces, and teams up with a psychic to discover something that smells like a statement of concept for the show. Matters aren't helped by artist Matthew Dow Smith, who does a fair job of capturing a shadowed Mignola-like look of sullen resignation in his characters, but proves far less capable of taking on any other emotion, or any sort of 'action.' As a result, it's the most blasé hunt for demons I can think of. Also featuring a five-page back-up story by Geoff Johns and Phil Hester, which also plugs into the mythos, I guess, in the manner of a context-free deleted scene on a dvd. But maybe folks who liked (or watched) the show will take to this better.