CAPTAIN ATOM #1
DC COMICS
WRITER: J.T. Krul
ARTIST: Freddie Williams II
COLORS: Jose Villarrubia
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
COVER: Stanley “Artgerm” Lau
32pp, Color, $2.99
Captain Atom is a comic book superhero created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko. Captain Atom first appeared in Space Adventures #33 (March 1960) from Charlton Comics. He was Allen Adam, a military official caught in a scientific experiment and “atomized.” Allen acquired superhuman strength and endurance and the ability to fly and to project energy blasts, and he could also reform his body.
The character was later acquired by DC Comics and inserted into the DC Universe that came into being after Crisis on Infinite Earths. His civilian identity became Air Force pilot Nathaniel Adam, who had the same powers as the earlier Captain Atom. With the re-launch of the DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” Captain Atom is back in a new comic book series.
As Captain Atom #1 (“Evolution of the Species”) opens, Captain Atom is in Chicago taking on what looks to be a four-story tall suit of battle armor. Suddenly, his powers do something quite shocking – something that shocks even the good Captain. Back at the Kansas-based Continuum, Atom learns some surprising/troubling news about himself and his new powers. Captain Atom is not, however, the only thing evolving.
Readers who dig into details and study comic book history know that Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s classic comic book series, Watchmen, began as a project to revive some of the Charlton Comics characters to which DC Comics had then recently obtained ownership. Eventually, the main cast of Watchmen was based upon some Charlton superheroes. Watchmen’s usually-naked, blue-skinned, godlike Dr. Manhattan was based upon Captain Atom.
The bosses at DC Comics really haven’t made it a secret that they want sequels and prequels to Watchmen. Captain Atom, with his blue-skin and Ken® doll anatomically incomplete nakedness, is now like a version of Dr. Manhattan that DC can more freely play with for the time being. And the way writer J.T. Krul plays with Captain Atom, judging by the first issue, could be interesting, and I’m certainly curious about the direction of this series.
Meanwhile, the art by Freddie Williams II (pencils/inks) and the always-interesting Jose Villarrubia (colors) has an odd, but catchy quality. I’d like to see this book continue just to get more of their art… or they could get another assignment.
B
September 21st
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