DC Universe: Rebirth #1 (July 2016)

Tags

Alex Sinclair, Andrew Marino, Black Canary, Bobbie Chase, Brad Anderson, Captain Atom, Cyborg, Eddie Berganza, Ethan Van Sciver, Gabe Eltaeb, Gary Frank, Geoff Johns, Green Arrow, Hi-Fi Design, Ivan Reis, Jason Wright, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nick J. Napolitano, Shazam

• Writer:  Geoff Johns
• Pencils:  Ethan Van Sciver, Gary Frank, Ivan Reis, Phil Jiminez
• Inks:  Gray Frank, Joe Prado, Matt Santorelli, Ivan Reis, Ethan Van Sciver
• Colors:  Jason Wright, Brad Anderson, Gabe Eltaeb, Hi-Fi Design
• Letters:  Nick J. Napolitano
• Cover Artists:  Gary Frank, Brad Anderson, Ivan Reis, Joes Prado, Alex Sinclair
• Editors:  Andrew Marino, Eddie Berganza
• Executive Editor: Bobbie Chase

I do not wish to spoil this ongoing series. This issue just hit the shelves of my LCS yesterday. It is another wide-sweeping universe-changing deal and I’m sure you can find better spoilers elsewhere in the internetsphere. I will say that so far I am pleased with the book. I still have faith in Geoff Johns and I look forward to the DCU more closely resembling “my” DCU (post-Crisis on Infinite Earths, pre-Infinite Crisis).

It was certainly good to see some of my old favorites again, including this happy little cameo:

Who is that standing with Black Canary? Why, it sure looks like the Modern Age Captain Atom…

I do believe that is Captain Atom! So what does this mean for the character? I honestly don’t know. It has been almost a year since we heard there may be a new Captain Atom series in the works. And this guy certainly isn’t the New 52 Captain Atom. There have been news reports of late that the Watchmen universe is being absorbed into the new DCU. Dr. Manhattan is the analog for Captain Atom. Given the similarities of the New 52 Cap and Dr. Manhattan, it would make sense to not have both of them running around at the same time. So it looks to me like maybe we’re getting the classic silver-skinned, time-jumping Captain Atom back!

If nothing else good comes from Rebirth, I’ll at least be happy if we get our old Cap back. Even happier if he gets an ongoing series.

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Superman (Vol 3) #50 (May 2016)

Tags

Aquaman, Ardian Syaf, Black Adam, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel (Shazam), Elasti-Girl, Gene Luen Yang, Gorilla Grodd, Hi-Fi Design, Howard Porter, Jon Bogdanove, Killer Croc, New 52 Captain Atom, Patrick Zircher, Rob Leigh, Superman, Vandal Savage

“What Could Have Been, What Still Can Be, and What Is”

• Writer: Gene Luen Yang
• Pencils & Inks: Howard Porter, Ardian Syaf, Patrick Zircher, Jon Bogdanove
• Colors: Hi-Fi Design
• Cover Artists: Dave Johnson, Dave McCaig, Kaare Andrews, Danny Miki, Arif Prianto, and John Romita, Jr.
• Letters: Rob Leigh
• Editors: Andrew Marino & Eddie Berganza
• Executive Editor: Bobbie Chase

The New 52 Captain Atom (sporting pants) has a brief cameo in this issue of Superman. Vandal Savage and Superman are visiting a simulated possible future in which Earth is under Savage’s rule, with Superman as his general. Earth is under attack by the Dominators, but a group of heroes and villains led by Superman quickly ends the invasion.

It is fine as far as cameos go, but I have to wonder why they gave him pants. He never needed pants before. Also, I’m sad to say I don’t know who some of these characters are. Is that Killer Croc and Gorilla Grodd? And Rita Farr, the Elasti-Girl of the Doom Patrol?

It has been one year since the New 52 Captain Atom was last seen.

(All characters and images belong to DC Comics and I am not making any profit off this blog.)

General Adam (Flashpoint – 2011)

Tags

Alexandra Gianopoulos, Andy Kubert, Art Lyon, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Carlos Mangual, Dan Jurgens, Dave Sharpe, Don Ho, Doomsday, Flashpoint Superman, Gene Ha, General Adam, Geoff Johns, Hi-Fi Design, Ibraim Roberson, Ig Guara, Jeff Lemire, Norm Rapmund, Pat Brosseau, Pete Pantazis, Rick Leonardi, Rob Leigh, Ruy Jose, Scott Snyder

Flashpoint was a five-issue mini-series centered around the Flash and leading into the New 52.  The plot was beautiful in it’s simplicity and a pretty good read, if you overlook the abundance of convenient coincidences.  Basically, the Flash learned that Professor Zoom (Reverse Flash) was the man who murdered his mother.  So Flash used his speed powers to travel back in time to save her.  This action screwed up the time stream in such a cataclysmic way that he himself no longer had superspeed, Bruce Wayne was gunned down as a child and his father became the Batman, and Wonder Woman and Aquaman were having a war to end all wars.  And Superman’s rocket didn’t crash in Smallville but in the heart of Metropolis, where the baby Kryptonian was kept a prisoner his entire life.  Pretty crazy stuff.

The mini-series was written by Geoff Johns with art by Andy Kubert.  There were several tie-in series in 2011 that expanded the new universe the Flash had inadvertently created.  Just about every major character in the DC Universe was altered in some way, and Captain Atom was no exception.

Nathaniel Adam is first seen in Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #1 (written by Jeff Lemire, pencils and inks by Ibraim Roberson, colors by Pete Pantazis, and letters by Pat Brosseau).  After being frozen for 60+ years, Frankenstein and his creature pals awaken in the same military/science complex that was holding Superman.  Upon their escape, the director of the facility is introduced.  It seems Nathaniel Adam was never accused of murder, never signed up for the Captain Atom project, and never got a quantum boost into the future.  Now he’s a hardened military man somewhat reminiscent of General Eiling.

We next see General Adam in Flashpoint: Project Superman #1 (written by Scott Snyder and Lowell Francis, pencils and inks by Gene Ha, colors by Art Lyon, and letters by Rob Leigh).  Nate now appears as an ineffectual failure, more doughy and less stern, even though his appearance in the issue was thirty years ago (maybe he has that Benjamin Button disease).

General Adam then appears in Booster Gold #45 (written and drawn by Dan Jurgens with inks by Norm Rapmund, colors by Hi-Fi Design, and letters by Carlos M. Mangual), where he’s controlling Doomsday from a remote location.  This freaks the dimension-hopping time-traveling Booster out because he remembers who Nate was in the “original” universe.

Booster manages to give Doomsday/General Adam the slip, leading Adam’s cohorts to be a little miffed.

Booster hacks into a stranger’s desktop computer and learns the horrible truth about this world.  He learns Batman is operating in Gotham City (or at least, “a” Batman) and heads that way.  Nate’s crew manages to track him down.  They believe Booster to be a terrorist in cahoots with Aquaman.

General Adam’s team manages to get the jump on him just outside Wayne Manor.

A young woman with powers of her own (whom Booster met earlier in this issue) attacks Adam’s mobile command center, causing his link with Doomsday to be broken.

This is pretty bad news for Booster Gold.  Doomsday was, after all, powerful enough to actually kill Superman.

So we are left with that little cliffhanger for 30 days as General Adam next appears in Flashpoint: Project Superman #2 (with the same creative team as issue #1).  It takes place twenty years in the past and tells the story of Sam Lane’s inability to maintain control over young Kal-El.  General Adam pops up at the end and is once again an evil bastard.

General Adam next pops up in Booster Gold #46, continuing his head-butting with Booster (Ig Guara helped with pencils on this one and Ruy José aided with inks).

So Doomsday is no longer under Adam’s control and the General’s command plane is going down.  Booster tries his best against Doomsday but his attacks have little effect.  As the creature uses the hero as a punching bag, Adam’s team regains control of their plane.

Of course, Adam’s assumption that Doomsday is mindless is completely wrong.  He learns the truth once the link with the helmet is reestablished.

Booster takes advantage of Doomsday’s disoriented state and hits the beast with everything he’s got.  In a moment when Doomsday is distracted, Booster slaps the psi-helmet back on his head.

However, this does not exactly mean success for Booster Gold, as General Adam has a serious desire to kill him.  This issue leads into Booster Gold #47, and General Nathaniel Adam’s final appearance in the DC Universe (for now).

This issue was written by Dan Jurgens with pencils by Rick Leonardi and Dan Jurgens, inks by Don Ho and Norm Rapmund, colors by Hi-Fi Design, and letters by Dave Sharpe.  

Booster’s friend Alexandra (a meta-human with the ability to mimic others’ powers – a woman Booster met when he began tangling with Doomsday) pleads with the General, telling him that Gold’s story of time-travel and alternate realities is true.  Adam doesn’t buy it, however, and threatens to use a powerful truth drug on the bound hero.

Booster catches a glimpse of Superman on a monitor, but so does Doomsday.  Doomsday was originally drawn to Superman and killed him.  Booster warns Adam and his team that it is about to happen again.  Before Adam can get the psi helmet back on, Doomsday becomes alert and begins to wail on Booster Gold.  Alex manages to slip the helmet on herself, stopping the monster in his tracks.  Now under her control, Doomsday reaches into his own chest and kills himself.

*

With Doomsday defeated, Booster and Alex go on to Europe to catch up with the Flash.  General Adam’s part of this story is over.  When the universe was reset after Flashpoint, Nate became the New 52 Captain Atom and this version of Nathaniel Adam never existed.  Well, maybe he is somewhere in the multiverse.  But I doubt we’ll ever see General Nathaniel Adam again.

The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #20 (July 2013)

Tags

Black Bison, Dan Jurgens, Firestorm, General Eiling, Hi-Fi Design, Jason Rusch, Killer Frost, Major Force, Multiplex, Norm Rapmund, Plastique, Professor Martin Stein, Ronnie Raymond, Superman, The Hyena, Travis Lanham, Typhoon

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

“Problems Multiplied Part Three”

• Writer: Dan Jurgens
• Pencils: Dan Jurgens
• Inks: Norm Rapmund
• Colors: Hi-Fi Design
• Letters: Travis Lanham
• Cover: Dan Jurgens & Ray McCarthy

I had not intended to review this book on this blog.  It is a Captain Atom blog, and the only reason I let myself get away with this whole “Firestorm Appreciation Month” was because each of the books I reviewed featured Captain Atom.  This book, this final issue of The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man, does not feature Captain Atom at all.  But it does introduce Major Force into the New 52 continuity.  And based on the fact that Force is working with General Eiling, it is a safe assumption that the New 52 Major Force is somehow tied in with the New 52 Captain Atom.  So I decided to slap this issue up on my blog after all.  I think that maybe that was Dan Jurgens’ goal all along, to trick me into reviewing his book.

Okay, probably not.

Anyway, this issue opens up at the Continuum, where Eiling is monitoring a battle between Firestorm and his rogues (Hyena, Multiplex, Killer Frost, Black Bison, Typhoon, and Plastique) on a monitor.  This is a battle continuing from The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #19.  An aide tries to tell Eiling he has a visitor but the General is far too busy.

Jason Rusch’s dad and Ronnie Raymond’s sort-of girlfriend Tonya drag Firestorm’s semi-conscious body into an alleyway (Ronnie and Jason, for the uninitiated, are the two dudes who combine to form Firestorm).  The three are attacked by Hyena (which Tonya says is a werewolf – sort of a running gag with the character).  Hyena is about to rip Alvin Rusch to shreds when a mysterious newcomer grabs his arm and throws him against a lightpost.

It is none other than Major Force.  Regular Captain Atom readers know Major Force all too well.  An anti-hero of the worst kind, the modern age Major Force was created as part of the Captain Atom project in the 1960s. Unlike his predecessor Nathaniel Adam, Clifford Zmeck (Major Force) was guilty of the crime he had been accused of.  And with his new-found powers he became even worse.  Remember Green Lantern’s girlfriend Alex?

(DC Comics can have a thousand “New 52″s and keep bringing back Major Force but they can never erase the stink of this act.  Ron Marz had Major Force murder Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend Alex and then stuff her dead body in the refrigerator. This act prompted Gail Simone to compile a list of dead female comic book characters and a corresponding web site.)

Major Force tells the now-conscious Firestorm that Eiling sent him to help.  Firestorm doesn’t trust Eiling and Mr. Rusch warns the boys to be careful what they say to the government.  Killer Frost attacks with a blast of ice.  Back at the Continuum, General Eiling’s impatient visitor punches in a thick metal door.

Major Force tells Firestorm to go see about the hostage (Ronnie’s mom) while he takes on Killer Frost, Black Bison, and Multiplex.  Down on the dock, Plastique is holding Ronnie’s mom.  As Firestorm approaches, he is body slammed by a tidal wave generated by Typhoon.  But Ronnie is super pissed and one good punch sends Typhoon flying.

At the Continuum, Eiling’s guest turns out to be Superman (who is younger and brasher in the New 52), and Professor Martin Stein.  Stein says “there are plans for Firestorm that supercede any notion of his falling under your control.”

(In the previous, Post-Crisis Pre-New-52 continuity, Martin Stein was originally the other half of Firestorm, along with Ronnie Raymond.  In this current continuity, he was the brains behind the Firestorm Protocols that gave Ronnie and Jason their powers, as well as Jason’s friend.  He was believed to be dead.)

Jason and Ronnie are formulating a plan to take down Plastique when Alvin Rusch clocks the villain from behind with a board.  Firestorm and Major Force then take out the other rogues together – except for Multiplex, who manages to skip away.  Major Force leads Firestorm to his ride, a military vehicle of some sort.  Force asks Firestorm to pose for a picture, but the “camera” turns out to be some sort of neural shocker that knocks the boys both out.

They come to (as Firestorm) at the Continuum, where Eiling, Stein, Superman and Major Force are arguing.  Stein says he came out of hiding when he learned of the military’s plans for Firestorm, and sought the help of the Justice League.  Major Force tells Superman that the two of them have no authority there.  Superman flicks Major Force in the chest, sending him flying through a wall.

Firestorm and Superman leave together, with Superman offering Firestorm a position with the Justice League.

And that is the end of The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man.  Beautifully drawn and inked by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund, the issue naturally left me wanting more.  The story was wrapped up far too quickly (but to be fair, Dan had to condense a whole storyline into just a couple of issues).  As much as I love Captain Atom and his universe, I think the New 52 could’ve done without Major Force.  His new costume is better than the old one, for sure.  But I never really was a fan of the character.  Taking into consideration the rush job on the story, I give this issue a B+.

That also wraps up Firestorm Appreciation Month at Splitting Atoms.  Thanks for joining me.  Thanks also to Luke Daab for the picture I used as an avatar this month, and a big huge thank you to The Irredeemable Shag for organizing and pulling off the social media event that was #FirestormFarewell.

FAN THE FLAME!

The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #15 (February 2013)

Tags

Captain Adym, Captain Atom, Dan Jurgens, Dataxen, Dr. Megala, Firestorm, General Eiling, Hi-Fi Design, New 52 Captain Atom, Ray McCarthy, Scott Alexander, Taylor Esposito

“Takeover, Part Three”

• Writer: Dan Jurgens
• Pencils: Dan Jurgens
• Inks: Ray McCarthy
• Colors: Hi-Fi Design
• Letters: Taylor Esposito

This story opens on Jason Rusch (half of the New 52 Firestorm) waking up in a black void.  He is in the Firestorm matrix, and should be able to see whatever Firestorm sees.  The last thing he remembers is Firestorm being pulled inside the Dataxen robot in The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #14.  Jason calls out to Ronnie Raymond, who controls the Firestorm body, then realizes he is not alone.  Ronnie is in the matrix with him.  The boys quickly realize a third party is controlling Firestorm.

It is Dr. Megala who has taken over Firestorm.  Ever since he was briefly freed from his wheelchair in Captain Atom#12, he has longed for more power.

Back at the Continuum, Dr. Megala’s team isn’t sure what he hopes to gain from this takeover.  Scott Alexander says, “He’s spent years imprisoned in a wheelchair.  For him, this is about freedom.”  Which is pretty much what I just said, but maybe most Firestorm readers didn’t follow the Captain Atom series (and shame on them).

Megalastorm flies to South Dakota and changes the faces on Mt. Rushmore to Galileo, Newton, Einstein, and himself.  Inside Firestorm’s head, Jason figures there must be a way for him and Ronnie to push Megala out.

Back at the destroyed lab (from the previous issue), General Eiling is having a discussion with Captain Atom.  He refers to Cap as Nathaniel Adam and reminds him (or the reader) that Cap’s atoms are constantly splitting and reassembling, that he can cause and cure cancer, and that “we’re supposed to trust that you’ll always be benevolent and kind?”

Captain Atom says he was far away but the multiple Firestorms and their activities drew him back (see The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #1-12).  With the news that Mt. Rushmore has been defaced and now includes Dr. Megala, Captain Atom realizes Firestorm is now under Megala’s control.

Meanwhile, Qurac launches a nuclear missile.  Megalastorm turns it into a giant Rubik’s Cube while Ronnie desperately tries to get Megala’s attention.

Out in the Pacific, aboard the American aircraft carrier Independence, a Quraci loyalist sets off an IED.  Eiling realizes it is payback and orders the instant response flight group to “find Firestorm and do whatever it takes to remove him as a threat.  Permanently.”

Back at the Continuum, Scott is surprised by the sudden appearance of Captain Atom.  He finds Megala’s inert body and says he knows what must be done.  He instantly zaps himself to Megalastorm’s location over Bikini Atoll.  He smacks Megalastorm and  has a brief discussion with him.  He actually lectures Megala.  He tells Megala that he will become the monster he was afraid Cap would become.  Megalastorm is not pleased.

Megalastorm trash talks Nate as he blasts him.  Inside his heads, the boys can feel Firestorm firing off a tremendous amount of energy.  Megala believes he’s killed Atom, but Cap reappears behind him and reaches through his chest.  Nate reckons that, like himself, Megala has trouble maintaining his form while under a great deal of stress.

Megalastorm goes nearly critical, creating a tsunami that almost capsizes the Independence.  At this point, Ronnie and Jason manage to make contact.  Megala does his best to ignore them, and contacts the Continuum.  His cohorts send the Dataxen droid out to assist Megalastorm against Captain Atom.

Megalastorm blasts Cap with enough power to obliterate a city.  Nate says no one man should have that much power.  He says when he realized that about himself, he left the planet.  The boys feel Megala’s hold weaken further as Cap blasts Megalastorm again.

Megalastorm shrugs the blast off.  He and Captain Atom both charge up and then begin to fly toward each other at top speed.  At this point, the boys pull Megala’s conscience into the Firestorm matrix.  Back at the Continuum, his body begins to seize.  Scott tries to pull him back into his body as Ronnie decks the old man.  This leaves Megala’s body comatose.  Ronnie takes control of Firestorm.

Firestorm calls out to Captain Atom, convincing him Megala is gone.  But Cap has built up too much speed and can’t pull up in time.  He crashes into Firestorm.  When they collide, Cap absorbs as much of the energy as he can.  It is too much for him to handle.  He begins to break up.

Fragments of Cap spread out across the time stream as he comes apart.  He appears to be disintegrating across time and space.  One shard of his body finds itself in 31st century Metropolis, where is seems to take the form of a man.

Back in the present, Firestorm passes out and plummets into the ocean.

I absolutely love Dan Jurgens.  I enjoyed his run(s) on Booster Gold and Superman.  He is a great artist and everything I read that he’s written is thoroughly enjoyable.  This is no exception.  I’m bummed that Captain Atom was essentially killed off in this issue, but I know how comics work and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of him.  Dan was taking Firestorm in a whole new direction, and it would have been awesome to see where he went next, but five issues after this, the series was cancelled.  I give this one a B+.