Injustice: Gods Among Us #21 (June 4, 2013)

Tags

Alejandro Sanchez, Batman, Black Lightning, Captain Atom, Catwoman, Cyborg, David Lopez, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Huntress, Injustice Captain Atom, Lex Luthor, Mico Suayan, Neil Googe, Robin, Santi Casas of Ikari Studio, Shazam, Superman, Tom Taylor, Wes Abbott, Wonder Woman

>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS<<<<<<<<<
(You’ve been warned)

“Chapter Twenty-One”

• Writer: Tom Taylor
• Artist: Neil Googe
• Colors: Alejandro Sanchez
• Letters: Wes Abbott
• Cover Artist: Mico Suayan, David Lopez, and Santi Casas of Ikari Studio

Captain Atom’s role in this amounts to a cameo.

The story opens with Hawkgirl in a foreign country capturing a dictator while he is riding in a convertible.  She swoops down and snatches him right out of his seat.  A short distance away, Batman and Catwoman are watching.  Via headset mic, Batman orders Captain Atom into action.  Cap swoops in and snatches the dictator out of Hawkgirl’s hands.

Hawkgirl is then shot out of the sky by Black Lightning and knocked out cold by Huntress.

In Mogadishu, Wonder Woman takes out a despotic general, killing him.  When one of the women witnessing this tells her another man will replace him and it will never stop, Wonder Woman forces the soldiers to drop their weapons and the women to pick them up.  She vows to return, telling them she will not leave them to this life, and that what happens now is up to them.  As she flies away, the women open fire on the now-unarmed soldiers.

She rejoins Flash, Green Lantern, Robin, Superman, Cyborg, Green Lantern, Shazam, and Lex Luthor up in the Watchtower (Luthor was recovered from the wreckage of Metropolis in Injustice: Gods Among Us #20.  He had been secreted to a secret bunker by a female speedster who was killed with the rest of the city.).  When Flash tells her Captain Atom took Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman suspects the U.S. Military.  Luthor says it was Batman, and he knows so because Batman wasn’t spotted at the scene.  He warns Superman that he needs more people and he knows how to get them.

In the Batcave, Batman tells Catwoman he only needs Hawkgirl for one week (Hawkgirl is in a holding cell in the cave).  When Catwoman warns that the Justice League will come looking for her, he assures her they won’t.  Back up in the Watchtower, just as Flash is barking at Luthor that they have to find her, Hawkgirl appears in the Watchtower.  Batman tells Catwoman her team-mates won’t even be looking for her.

I’m still majorly digging this story and jonesing to play this game.  No new video games are in my budget for now, sadly.  While I prefer Jeremy Raapack’s art over Neil Googe, Googe is good.  But Tom Taylor has me on the edge of my seat!  Injustice: Gods Among Us #21 is an A.

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Saturday Morning In Front Of La Salle De Justice

Tags

Aquaman, Batgirl, Batman, Batwoman, Captain Atom, Catwoman, Deadman, Fire, Firestorm, Green Lantern, Ice, Krypto, Martian Manhunter, Mera, Nightwing, Robin, The Flash, Wonder Woman

Saturday Morning In Front Of La Salle De Justice by Rey Taira (2013)

An homage to Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat, this piece by Rey Taira is meant to “call to mind that as the original painting was comprised of points of color, so too are these characters from the DC Universe today. [Rey Taira]’s intent was to show how iconic DC Super Heroes were, by minimizing them to their most basic colors and shapes and have them still retain their recognizability.”  It features, among many other DC icons, Firestorm and Captain Atom.  Below is the original work by Georges Seurat.

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat (1884)

Injustice: Gods Among Us #18 (May 14, 2013)

Tags

Aquaman, Batman, Batwoman, Black Canary, Black Lightning, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel (Shazam), Catwoman, David Lopez, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Huntress, Injustice Captain Atom, Jheremy Raapack, Mico Suayan, Santi Casas, Superman, Tom Taylor, Wes Abbott

>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS<<<<<<<<<
(You’ve been warned)

“Chapter Eighteen”

• Writer: Tom Taylor
• Artist: Jheremy Raapack
• Colors: David Lopez and Santi Casas of Ikari Studio
• Letters: Wes Abbott
• Cover Artist: Mico Suayan

I know that it is Firestorm Appreciation Month on this blog, but I didn’t see this one coming and simply could not sit on it until June.  This series – although it is based on a video game and therefore could have potentially been awful – is completely awesome.  The art is beautiful, the story is compelling.  I usually don’t really go for digital books; I tend to wait until their paper versions are out.  But this one had me from the first issue.

Basically, Superman is going over the edge.  The Joker used Scarecrow’s fear toxin mixed with kryptonite on the man of steel, causing him to believe he was fighting Doomsday.  He wasn’t.  It was Lois Lane.  And he killed her.  The Joker had a trigger connected to Lois so that when her heart stopped, a nuclear device went off in Metropolis and flattened the city.  Eleven million dead.  And to add insult to injury, Lois was pregnant with Superman’s child.

So Superman has decided not to go soft on criminals anymore.  He started this by putting his fist through the Joker’s chest.  He has been taking down despotic world leaders (for example, the leader of Bialya, Rumaan Harjavti).  Flash and Wonder Woman have been working with Superman (among others), but Batman refuses to back his friend up.

This issue opens in Gotham City with Batman and Catwoman responding to the bat signal.  But it isn’t Commissioner Gordon waiting on the rooftop, it is the U.S. President.  The president begins by saying he saw the footage of what happened in Arkham Asylum and offers his condolences (Damien Wayne – Robin – accidentally killed Dick Grayson – Nightwing).  The president leads Batman and Catwoman to a room in the police station that has been fitted so Superman can’t see or hear them.

Meanwhile, Superman and Green Lantern are taking down spy satellites in orbit around Earth.

The president tells Batman that since the incident at Arkham, Superman and his crew have been inserting themselves into world conflicts.  Superman forced the leaders of Palestine and Israel to agree on a peace plan.  Wonder Woman has been fighting in Burma while Shazam and Green Lantern have been in Syria.  Raven terrified warring Sudanese tribes into submission.

While the president agrees that stopping bloodshed is a good thing, he is worried about what Superman will do once his attention is focused on the United States.  He’s worried Superman will take over the world and asks Batman if he can stop the man of tomorrow.  Batman says he can.  Catwoman says they will go to bat for the president but he needs to do his job better (she lists, “Health.  Education.  Gun control.  Poverty.  The environment.  Not telling people who they can and can’t love.”).  The president says he won’t accept their help in exchange for another set of costumed vigilantes telling him what to do.  Catwoman points out she isn’t telling him what to do, just asking him to do better.

The president gives Batman a file containing info on super-heroes not aligned with Superman who may be willing to stand against the last son of Krypton.  The top of the list is Huntress, whose file says she has “probable daddy issues.”  The bemused Catwoman points out the file fails to mention Huntress is an alien spy.  Batman and Catwoman split up to form their team.

Catwoman calls on Black Canary in Starling City.  Batman meets up with Black Lightning in Washington.  The next day, the newly formed team meet up in the bat cave.  Assembled are Huntress, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, Aquaman, and (you’ve probably already guessed this) Captain Atom.

They sit down to plan their attack.

This new version of Captain Atom looks like a cross between the Modern Age Captain Atom and the Kingdom Come/Armageddon/Earth-22 Captain Atom.  I’m really looking forward to seeing this new take on the character.

I really love this series.  I’m not usually prone to doing this, but I’m giving Injustice: Gods Among Us #18 an A+.  I really need to play this video game.

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #68 (February 1988)

Tags

Arisia, Captain Atom, Dennis Janke, Dr. Fate, Driq, Firestorm, Green Lantern, Harbinger, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Janice Chiang, John Ostrander, Katma Tui, Martian Manhunter, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nansi Hoolahan, Richard Howell, Steve Mitchell, Superman, The Manhunters

“Planetfall”

• Writer: John Ostrander
• Pencils: Richard Howell
• Inks: Steve Mitchell, Dennis Janke
• Colors: Nansi Hoolahan
• Letters: Janice Chiang

Millennium was a comic book crossover event that ran through an eight-issue, self-titled, limited series and various other titles cover dated January and February 1988. The limited series was published weekly and was written by Steve Englehart, and with art by Joe Staton and Ian Gibson.  Guardian of the universe Herupa Hando Hu, and his Zamaron mate, Nadia Safir, traveled to Earth and announced to the world that they would select ten people who would become the new Guardians of the Universe, and give birth to a new race of immortals. They gathered Earth’s superheroes and sent them to find the chosen persons, who came from various parts of the world.  The robotic cult known as the Manhunters (precursors to the Green Lantern Corps) had found a sphere that Harbinger had used to store all the information she had gathered about the universe after the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Because of it, they knew the secret identities of Earth’s heroes, and had planted their agents (including androids, willing human agents, and mind-controlled ones) close to them. On finding out about the search for The Chosen, the Manhunters decided to prevent it, and had their agents reveal themselves and attack the heroes.

Captain Atom #11 was a Millennium crossover that paired Captain Atom with Firestorm.  At this point in Firestorm’s history, the Nuclear Man has undergone a “rebirth” and is very childlike.  This issue falls after the events of Captain Atom #11, in week 5 of the Millennium event.

This issue opens with a group of Earth’s heroes gathered on an asteroid above the Manhunters’ homeworld.  In attendance are Firestorm, Captain Atom, Green Lanterns Hal Jordan, Katma Tui, and Arisia, Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, Dr. Fate, Superman, and Hawkwoman and they are planning a strategy.  Firestorm is not paying any attention to the heroes.  Captain Atom tries twice to get Firestorm’s attention before the Nuclear Man simply takes off and heads for the Manhunter homeworld.  Captain Atom goes after him, telling Superman, “Firestorm seems to have become my personal problem lately.”

Beneath the surface of the Manhunter homeworld, Harbinger is on the run having been captured once by the Manhunters and then released by Green Lantern Driq.  She creates duplicates of herself to distract and attack the robot drones that are after her.  Just as one of the drones gets the drop on her, Driq shows up and blasts it with his ring. Then Driq himself is blasted.

Driq was blasted by Firestorm, who thought the zombie Green Lantern was attacking Harbinger.  Hot on Firestorm’s heels is Captain Atom, who tells Harbinger to lighten up on the nuclear man, as he is new to the duper-hero game.  Harbinger says, “New? Firestorm I know: you I don’t.”

Firestorm creates a fire extinguisher to put out Driq while Harbinger and Captain Atom chat about Driq (Driq was a Green Lantern killed in the line of duty whose ring would not let his spirit leave his body).  Firestorm apologizes to Driq, shaking his hand and knocking some of the GL’s fingers off in the process.  Firestorm quickly uses his powers to fuse the fingers back on.

Harbinger bitches at Captain Atom while Firestorm attempts to make small talk with Driq.
There is a rumble as four of the drones descend on the four super-heroes.  Firestorm creates a bridge that causes the drones to crash into each other.  As the heroes blast away at more and more oncoming drones, they cause the cavern walls to collapse.  Firestorm is knocked out as they are buried by the avalanche.

When he wakes up, he finds he is in the bayou and his friend (and Manhunter agent) Ferguson is with him.  They are outside the Sonic Temple on Earth.  Ferguson tells Firestorm that the destruction of the sonic temple was a delusion.  He thanks Firestorm for bringing him a “new ally,” Captain Atom.

Captain Atom and Ferguson tell Firestorm that he must kill their enemies.  Firestorm does not like the idea of killing anyone.  He realizes that this isn’t the real Captain Atom and that he is still on the Manhunter planet.  When the Manhunters tell him, “No man escapes the Manhunters” Firestorm responds with “I have not come to escape, but to end,” before he starts blasting the androids.

Ferguson warns that the planet is being destroyed.  He promises to reveal secrets to Firestorm if he sides with the Manhunters.  He tells the Nuclear Man that Firestorm is made up of two different beings (a fact Firestorm seems unaware of).  He rejects Ferguson, but realizes there is truth to the Manhunter’s words.

Firestorm makes contact with Ronnie Raymond and Mikhail Arkadin, the two men who are inside his head (what will later be referred to as the “Firestorm matrix”).  He seems to be on the verge of freeing them when Driq, Harbinger, and Captain Atom show up and distract him.  They blast through the planet’s crust as it shakes apart and then meet up with the other heroes up in outer space.

The comic ends with Firestorm’s inner monologue: “There is more to me… to my life… than I had imagined.  But not more than I can imagine.  This… existence – this life – begins to make sense to me, at last.  It is a wonderful thing – this life I have.  I shall strive to be worthy of it.  I cannot wait to see what happens next.”

As far as crossovers go, Millennium was okay.  Not the greatest.  With this particular issue, I was far more interested in what Firestorm was up to than the Manhunters or the New Guardians.  Richard Howell’s art is fine and John Ostrander’s story is a little flat – but good considering what he had to work with.  I give Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #68 a C.

Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (October 1985)

Tags

Alan Scott, Alexander Luthor, All-Star Squadron, Anti-Monitor, Aquagirl, Aqualad, Batgirl, Batman, Blok, Blue Beetle, Brainiac, Brainiac 5, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., Changeling, Cyborg, Deadman, Doctor Light, Doctor Sivana, Doll Man, Dolphin, Enemy Ace, Firebrand, Firestorm, Freedom Fighters, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Harbinger, Human Bomb, Huntress, Ibac, Jade, Jimmy Olsen, John Stewart, Katana, Kole, Krona, Lady Quark, Lana Lang, Liberty Belle, Lori Lemaris, Martian Manhunter, Mary Marvel, Metamorpho, Mon-El, Nightshade, Pariah, Peacemaker, Perry White, Phantom Lady, Phantom Stranger, Power Girl, Psycho-Pirate, Sea Devils, Starfire, Steel, Supergirl, Superman, Tawky Tawny, Teen Titans, The Atom, The Flash, The Question, The Ray, The Spectre, Uncle Marvel, Uncle Sam, Wildcat, Wildfire, Wonder Woman

“Beyond the Silent Night”

• Writers: Marv Wolfman, Robert Greenberger
• Penciler: George Pérez
• Inkers: Dick Giordano, Jerry Ordway
• Colors: Tom Ziuko
• Letterers: John Costanza

Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-part maxi-series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their 50-year-old continuity.  The series was written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated primarily by George Pérez. The series did away with the old “multiverse” in the DC Universe, and featured the deaths of some DC mainstays (like the Barry Allen Flash). It was ambitious, gigantic, and a huge whopping mess that I personally have only just started to fully wrap my head around.

The five Earths continue to merge, and the heroes on them fear for their friends and allies who have joined the Monitor’s aides in the war on the Anti-Monitor. The Spectre says not even his power would be effective in the anti-matter universe.  Alexander Luthor opens a portal between the Multiverse and the Ant-Matter Universe, through which Pariah guides Mon-El, the Supermen of Earth-1 and Earth-2, Lady Quark, Captain Atom, Jade, Green Lantern of Earth-2, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, the Ray, John J’onzz, Wildfire, Firestorm, Dr. Light, and Supergirl.

The Anti-Monitor strikes Superman, and his cry of pain is heard by Supergirl, who races to help him. She passes Pariah, who is digging himself out of rubble. The Anti-Monitor is about to kill Superman with an energy blast when Supergirl crashes into the villain.  She wails on the Anti-Monitor, but the villain is too powerful. He knocks Supergirl back and announces that he will kill her and Superman. Supergirl tears the floor from underneath him, causing his blast to miss Superman.  Dr. Light, watching Supergirl continue to beat on the Anti-Monitor, realizes the selfishness of her own life compared to Supergirl’s, and says she has shown her the true path. Superman calls for his cousin.  The Anti-Monitor beats Supergirl down, who falls dead as Superman screams her name.

The five Earths are for now out of danger. The time distortion has stopped, and the Earths remain linked.  The worlds receive the news of Supergirl’s death and a memorial service is held in Chicago.  Later, Superman leaves his Fortress of Solitude with the body of Supergirl, wrapped in her indestructible cape, and sets her free in space, promising to remember and miss her forever.

Again, Captain Atom’s role in all this is small.  But that is to be expected with a story this size.  Because Marv Wolfman’s task was so sweeping and huge, I give an A for story and definitely an A for George Pérez, Dick Giordano, and Jerry Ordway’s art.

Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 (September 1985)

Tags

Alexander Luthor, Anti-Monitor, Aquagirl, Aqualad, Aquaman, Azrael, Black Canary, Black Condor, Black Manta, Blok, Blue Beetle, Brainiac, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., Changeling, Dawnstar, Deathbolt, Doctor Light, Doll Man, Dolphin, Green Lantern, Harbinger, Hawkman, Human Bomb, Johnny Quick, Judomaster, Katana, Kole, Lex Luthor, Lori Lemaris, Martian Manhunter, Mary Marvel, Nightshade, Northwind, Ocean Master, Pariah, Peacemaker, Per Degaton, Phantom Lady, Power Girl, Psycho-Pirate, Star Sapphire, Starfire, Steel, Supergirl, Teen Titans, The Atom, The Flash, The Question, The Ray, Thunderbolt, Uncle Sam, Wildcat, Wonder Woman

“3 Earths! 3 Deaths!”

• Writer: Marv Wolfman
• Pencils: George Pérez
• Inks: Jerry Ordway
• Colors: Anthony Tollin
• Letters: John Costanza

Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-part maxi-series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their 50-year-old continuity.  The series was written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated primarily by George Pérez. The series did away with the old “multiverse” in the DC Universe, and featured the deaths of some DC mainstays (like the Barry Allen Flash). It was ambitious, gigantic, and a huge whopping mess that I personally have never been able to fully wrap my head around.

At this point in the story, Azrael, Flash of Earth-2, Blok, Katana, and J’onn J’onzz (Martian Manhunter) materialize on Earth-4 before an anti-matter curtain in the American Midwest.  Captain Atom blasts Azrael, but is not fully in control of himself.

The Blue Beetle and the Question realize that they are being forced to attack the other heroes, but are unable to stop.  Katana, Blok, and J’onn J’onzz end up in a stalemate with the Blue Beetle, Judomaster, and Question.  Harbinger, existing simultaneously in Earths S, X, and 4, suddenly draws their universes away from the anti-matter and pulls them through her focused image.  Back at the lair of the Anti-Monitor, the Psycho Pirate suffers feedback from losing control over the people of those three Earths.  Harbinger manages to link Earths S, X, and 4 with the merging Earths 1 and 2.  Doing so, she ceases to exist as Harbinger, reverting to the identity of Lyla.

Not much to say about this one.  It was epic.  Cap only appeared on one panel of one page.  But I really like the way George Pérez drew him.  He’s the most down-to-Earth “humanistic” looking Captain Atom I’ve seen up to this point.  Because Marv Wolfman’s task was so sweeping and huge, I give an A for story and definitely an A for art.

Welcome to Splitting Atoms

Tags

Captain Atom, Doctor Who, Green Lantern, Hawkeye, Jonah Hex, Keith Giffen, Steve Ditko

Why is Captain Atom my favorite super hero?  What is it about Nathaniel Adam that appeals to me?  Just who is this Captain Atom guy?  And who am I for that matter?

Well, the last question is the easiest.  My name is Jay.  I live in the state of Georgia in the United States of America.  I am, at this writing, a “young” (middle-aged) father of four with a lousy job and a thinning hairline.  I have been collecting comics – on and off – for about 25 years.  I am primarily a DC man but have discovered recently some Marvel titles I really like.  The list below is my current pull list:

1. Deadpool (Marvel – NOW)
2. Earth 2 (DC)
3. FF (Marvel – NOW)
4. Green Lantern (DC)
5. Hawkeye (Marvel)
6. Judge Dredd (IDW)
7. Phantom Stranger (DC)
8. The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man (DC)
9. The Walking Dead (Image)

Now, I’ll admit, I jumped on The Walking Dead bandwagon AFTER the TV series started.  And I didn’t pick up my first Hawkeye book until after I saw Joss Whedon’s Avengers movie.  So, you got me. I’m a poser.  I wasn’t in the trenches with the fanboys in 2003 clutching their Walking Dead number ones in their sweaty palms.  I casually picked it up with issue 100 on a whim.  I did read some issues of Marvel’s Solo Avengers (1987-1989) featuring Hawkeye so I knew who he was before the film.  But in my mind he was “Marvel’s Green Arrow.”  I used to read many more comics but that was when I was single and living in my mother’s basement (yes, I was that guy).

The first comic I ever bought was a Marvel title. It was Doctor Who #8 (1985).  I picked it up because a friend who was really into Dr. Who loaned me some of his comics and I wanted some for myself.  But I did not consider myself a comic book guy.  Yet.

Another friend of mine, a life-long fan of Firestorm and comic book geek (Roy) took me comic shopping with him one day in the Winter of 1987.  In those days, comic shopping was going to the local Quick Stop and seeing what they had on the spinner rack.  I picked up Hex #18 (DC) and was intrigued.  I couldn’t follow the story because I couldn’t tell what Keith Giffen’s art was supposed to represent (I was 15 and naive and did not appreciate it for what it was).  But I was intrigued by this man Jonah Hex, a cowboy transported to a post-apocalyptic future.  Sadly, it was the last issue.  So next time I went shopping with Roy I got The Green Lantern Corps #210.

Here was when I became a full-on Comic Nerd.  Green Lantern was the most awesome thing I had ever seen.  He was a space cop, made out with cute alien girls, hung around with weird looking other space cops, and had a magic ring that could construct anything he could imagine.  As I’ve gotten older and my tastes have changed, I have never lost my love of the Green Lantern.

But around the same time I became aware of Green Lantern, I discovered another wonderful hero.  He was Captain Atom.  I knew none of the history behind the character, that he had been created by Steve Ditko in the 1960s (I was a novice, I didn’t know who the hell Ditko was).  I didn’t know he had been on the fringe of the DC universe since he was purchased from Charlton Comics.  I didn’t know he was the inspiration for Dr. Manhattan in this new Watchmen book I kept seeing ads for.  I just knew he incorporated one of my most favorite sci-fi devices: time travel.  Plus his skin was indestructible metal and he could shoot energy blasts out of his hands!  I was hooked from issue one.  And hooked on the character of Captain Atom for life.

In retrospect, the 1987-1991 Captain Atom series was not DC’s finest work.  More than one plot thread was left dangling throughout the series’ life.  Sometimes the artwork was not the greatest.  The science was a bit hacky and the character really didn’t grow much.  But I was fifteen years old when it hit me and I loved every issue.  And that is the reason for this blog.

It is my goal to read every appearance of Captain Atom from 1960 to today and review each and every comic.  I imagine at times it will be difficult (some of these old Silver Age books are hard to come by).  It may be a bit costly.  But dammit, I have to have a goal.  I need to have a purpose.  And I need to open the eyes of the public to how freaking awesome this character was and could have been.

So I will go, issue by issue, atom by atom (if you’ll pardon the pun), over all the Captain Atom goodness I can find.  I hope that at the end, you will have the same appreciation for Captain Atom that I do.

Oh, I also do a podcast with the aforementioned Roy and my buddies Marcus and Michael.  We talk about nerdy geek things that tickle our fancies.  Also I have been told I bring up Captain Atom too often.  Check us out.