From Marvel Comics, Greg Pak and Mirko Colak  comes the untold richly detailed origin of the Red Skull.  Is it any good?  Read on to find out.

There is one problem with this comic.  The comments from Greg Pak should be at the front of the book and not the end.  His inspiration for telling this story took what I already thought was a great comic and raised it into the list of all time classics.  How could a nation drop so far and become the most evil country in history?  Furthermore how could one boy become the most evil man in the fictional history of the Marvel Universe?  This five issue series will open up the story of the Red Skull and also of Nazi Germany in both the fantasy and the real worlds.

The Red Skull does not yet exist.  He is a child, Johann Shimdt, and he is at that impressionable age that will forge the adult he becomes.  When the story opens there are lines out the grocer’s doors for miles so the poor can buy necessities like salt for over inflated prices.  In this world comes a puppy, saved by Johann’s fellow orphan Dieter.  Through Dieter and through the dog Johann is close to being a good human.  He tries to save and nurture the little dog.  They take beatings from their headmaster for any reason and are told its a good thing because at least they have somewhere to live.  The lesson becomes, life here is awful be thankful for what little you have.

Johann cant take it and runs off, right into his master and a march of the new Reich.  All this weak abused child sees is strength and hope.  He has nothing and here comes a brigade of male role models.  They are tall and strong and clean and much like a young child in the United States at this time would look at Captain America (or if this wasn’t a Marvel comic, at Superman) Johann looks at these Nazis as his super heroes.

There is a shooting and Johann sees his instant heroes cut down.  He escapes and wants to be taught how to fight back.  Our puppy friend from earlier meets with much trouble (I don’t want to spoil the impact of the scene but we’ll say it doesn’t turn out well) and this is where comics show what they can do that no other media can.  Johann decides his life’s fate.  He will not be the puppy, he will fight against the dogs of war.  Johann will never again feel weak.

In the back Greg Pak asks how the country could descend like this.  The answer is shown in Johann’s story.  He didn’t want to join to commit horrible acts.  He wanted to join up to ascend, to feel strength and power.  This is going to be an amazing story.