Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #2

By Hervé St-Louis
February 2, 2017 - 00:30

Captain Atom emerges in the 1990s without any super powers in a world that does not know about super heroes yet. With knowledge of the past, he gambles just enough to make enough money to live comfortably and fall in love, and then get married. All is fine for him as long as he does not change the past too much. But one day, faced with a surprise attack, his dormant powers may awaken him again and change the course of history.

If you are not reading this series, you have to start now. This series may be the best mini-series by DC Comics right now. It’s marvelous how Cary Bates and Greg Weisman reinvigorated a character they rebooted a generation ago but made more necessary to the DC universe and compelling as ever. Often when creators go back to some of their old work, like Marv Wolman and the Titans, or Chris Claremont and the X-Men, it’s unreadable. It feels like something from some archaic time that has badly aged. What was good about the old series is now clunky and cheesy. Not with Captain Atom.

I remember Captain Atom as being an average series that wasn’t very interesting. I started reading it towards the end and was not really entertained. This version of Captain Atom is exactly the reboot that the character has needed since 1985. He is a hero. His story is simple but the premise intriguing. The time travel angle is front and center and we can already guess where that will lead in future issues.

Will Conrad is impressive. His work is very realistic but not stiff. Often very realistic artists’s work is stiff. Last issue Conrad proved that he could draw super hero material. Here, he proves that he can draw regular slice of life and thrillers as well. Captain Atom is engaging partly because of his participation. This comic is great. Go out and buy it!

Rating: 10 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12