Doctor Solar Man of the Atom #3

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Doctor Solar Man of the Atom #3
By Hervé St-Louis
December 30, 2010 - 11:27

Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s): Jim Shooter
Penciller(s): Roger Robinson
Inker(s): Roger Robinson
Colourist(s): Wes Dzioba
Letterer(s): Blambot!
Cover Artist(s): Michael Kormarck
$3.50 US

Solar is faced with an alien god created seemingly by pulp writer Whitmore Pickerel. But this god seems to be out of Pickerel’s control and as powerful as Solar. How can Solar defeat this new foe?

I really like the premise of this story of a god who people believes has been created from someone’s mind but really is more than he appears to be. Shooter here creates mythical characters that seem logical. In fact, everything about this story is logical and realistic. Solar, is of course the same kind of character as Captain Atom and Dr. Manhattan and here, Shooter draws more from Manhattan rather than Captain Atom. It’s fun to see the same character type being developed in so many different ways. There is something frank about how Shooter writes his characters. Instead of the grandiose talks and extraordinary show of emotions, everything is as a matter of fact and low key. I understand this may not be the favourite kind of story for every reader out there, but I really enjoy the difference.

Robinson replaces Dennis Calero this issue. His work is more attuned to a super hero comic book and although he is not a better illustrator, his dynamism may be what this series needed to be noticed. I like Calero’s work, but the inking was not the best. It’s pure super heroics!

Rating: 8/10