Review:
The New 52-era reboot of DC Comics character Captain Atom threw out much of his previous iteration's characteristics and started over. If this volume, collecting the first half of the ultimately unsuccessful 13-issue run, is any indication, too much was removed or changed, and it all fell flat in the end.
The post-Crisis Captain Atom, from roughly 1985 to 2010, could rival Superman in his powers; he was militaristic in leadership style, intense in combat, pushing his Justice Leage teammates to reach new heights in their skills and strategies.
In this rebooted world, Captain Atom's powers now rival those of a god; he still has Air Force history but seems to have forgotten most of what made him a good pilot; he has elements of humanity and compassion, but it comes and goes; he is very much a loner, dealing with people either as needed or as an exercise of his godlike compassion.
Much of writer J. T. Krul's story falls short, in things both big and small. From little things, like a former hotshot Air Force pilot who cannot do mental math, to bigger flaws like the ever-present but never-explained countdown/count-up clock, the story in this book is frustrating and confusing to read.
The amped-up powers Atom exhibits are, on the one hand, almost unmatched - his ability to restore a radiation-burned hand or to find and eradicate the cancer cells in a brain tumour. But on the other hand, they feel less like Superman and more like Firestorm and his elemental transmutation abilities. As powerful as Firestorm can be, it is a downgrade in comparison, overall. The tale sets up Atom to really wrestle with the implications of the more godlike aspects of his powers, but little comes of that setup.
Supporting characters and their relationships, which should also enhance our interest in the main character and his adventures, also fall flat. It is a wonderfully diverse collection of secondary characters, from the wheelchair-bound Doctor Megala, inspired it seems by Stephen Hawking, to his assistant Dr. Ranita Carter, a woman of colour, and more. But in their limited on-panel time in these six chapters, they are little more than one-dimensional bit players.
Over these six chapters, the two main opponents for this immensely powerful hero are General Eiling, who goes from "come work for me" to "I must eliminate you" in the space of just a few panels, and a giant, mutated rat. Neither confrontation plays well, but at least the rat gives artist Freddie Williams II the chance to throw some horror-inspired elements onto the page.
The art by Williams throughout this series is the one shining light in an otherwise disappointing book. From almost the first page, the visual contrast he gives us between Captain Atom and everyone and everything else is stark and powerful. Captain Atom practically glows with light blues and shades of white all washing out his features. Using less inking and more pencil lines creates a stark contrast with the more muted, earthy and heavily inked tones of everything else in the book.
Ultimately, the clever artistic motifs cannot save this ponderous and erratic story. It would benefit from another reboot.
Description:
As a part of DC Comics - The New 52 event of September 2011, comes Captain Atom in his own solo series!
Charged by nuclear energy, possessing vast molecular powers, Captain Atom has the potential to be a literal god among men - a hero without limits. He is taking his powers to new heights - saving people all across the world in the blink of an eye. But as he uses his abilities more and more, Captain Atom realizes that he may be losing control of his powers, becoming a more dangerous foe to the planet than anything he's ever faced! Don't miss start of a legend from writer J.T. Krul (GREEN ARROW, TEEN TITANS) and artist Freddie Williams II (JSA ALL-STARS)!
Collects: Captain Atom #1-6
Authors: J. T. Krul
Artists: Freddie Williams II
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Dec 4, 2012
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401237158
Pages: 144 pages
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