Captain Atom, Vol. 1: Evolution

Captain Atom (2011)

by J.T. Krul, Stanley Artgem Lau (Illustrator)

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)!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book, Science Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2011

About the author

J. T. Krul is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on Aspen MLT's Fathom comic series. He is a graduate of Michigan State University, holding a Bachelors in Film and Video Production.

Reviews

[Dirk Grobbelaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s been some mention of the closing circle already: Captain Atom inspires Doctor Manhattan inspires Captain Atom. I’m just glad he’s still (kind of) silver here, and not dressed in yellow spandex. I loved post-Crisis Captain Atom, and if any DC hotshots are reading this please, please print a collected edition!

But back to Evolution. Even though I didn’t exactly warm to the art, I did get used to it, and it didn’t distract too much from the story. It’s… different.

Something that corresponds with the earlier Captain Atom series (by Carey Bates) is the fact that Nathaniel Adam isn’t completely in control (yet). He doesn’t always understand his vast array of abilities, and how to use them without negative consequences. This makes sense, given the very nature of his powers. Emphasis is also placed on how he is perceived by different groups, such as the public, the military, the scientific community and the superhero community. In short: almost everybody fears or distrusts him. The New 52 Captain Atom is extremely powerful. I can’t quite recall post- Crisis Cap being this hardcore, but my memory is a bit fuzzy, to be fair.

As bizarre as the main antagonist in this arc is, it’s extremely interesting once the details start pouring in towards the end. What is it? Where does it come from? Twisty.

Overall I quite enjoyed the story and this portrayal of Nathanial Adam as Captain Atom and I experienced the requisite amounts of empathy and awe. It’s a rather introspective story; you can’t help but feel a bit sorry for this character and the way he is shunned. But clearly, not everybody shares this view: this series was cancelled after twelve issues. It seems that if it isn’t Batman or Superman (or Spiderman, or X-men), then people just aren’t interested. It’s a shame, really, since now we’ll all be missing out on what could have been.

ps. After reading some of the other reviews here I just wanted to add: it seems not everybody who read this is aware of the fact that Doctor Manhattan was inspired by Captain Atom first (at least partly) and not the other way round...

[B. Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Atom was the character meant to be the Watchmen's Dr. Manhattan, as per Alan Moore's initial Watchmen idea. When DC acquired Charlton comics, all their existing characters were to be used in the Watchmen series. Then DC decided to instead include them in the DC universe, so Captain Atom become Dr Manhattan, Peacemaker became the Comedian, the Question became Rorschach, so on. The reason I bring this up is to say that the explorations in the Captain Atom series are both a wonderful homage to the Dr Manhattan-style ethical dilemmas of god-like powers Alam Moore wrote about and a delve into the psyche of someone who does not want to be separated from his fellow man. So, it is more like Dr Manhattan with a twist of humanity.

I found the writing quite good in the series, especially in self-exploration. The characters are decent, but all take a distant backseat to the Captain. The art kept with the feel of the concept and added to the story.

Overall, I found this to be one of the best of the New 52. I am eager to find out where they take the series.

[Rylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I was really not expecting this to be good at all. I mean all Captain Atom has ever done is blow up in the comics I’ve read but in here he’s actually a really interesting character. Krul plays up the Doctor Manhattan aspect of the character and sort of gives the story a pseudo Hulk vibe. It really works especially paired with the gorgeous art style. Honestly this is such an underrated gem from the New 52 era.

[John Yelverton · Rating 1 out of 5]

The next time that anyone whines that Superman is too powerful, needs to be beaten over the head with this book. This was a poor man's attempt to turn Captain Atom into Dr. Manhattan with about as much success.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Atom #1

It has been so long anything with Captain Atom that I can't even remember his real name, and they helped me not a whit in this opening issue. No matter, they told us what we needed to know about him: 1. he's an ex-pilot; 2. he had a quantum accident during a mission he volunteered for that made him into Captain Atom; 3. he absorbs energy; 4. he can manipulate matter, organic or inorganic, at at least the atomic level, including himself; 5. he could on the verge of dissipating as he tries to bring his powers under control; 6. he's in some study under Dr. Megala -- a sort of Stephen Hawking for the DC universe; 7. his own safety means less than the safety of people he doesn't know; 8. So he's a hero.

I don't know what to expect and my memory's not helping me out, so I will just enjoy this without access to my suppressed biases.

Now for the technical side. Two things jumped out at me: 1. the colouring of Jose Villarrubia is beautiful stuff. 2. For some reason I love the "comuterised"dialogue boxes of Dr. Megala. They're unique and oddly endearing. There. I said it.

Captain Atom #2

Second issue in a row where Captain Atom's conflict is a problem that needs to be and can be fixed without engaging in battle. last time he absorbed the energy of a NYC volcano, and this time he goes into a kid's head (quite literally) to "attack" and eradicate the boy's brain tumour. That and the struggle to stay corporeal are the conflicts in the story. There are no big villains, no scenes of Captain Atom punching the shit out of people or attacking them with radioactive bolts, just a super-guy solving problems as peaceably as he can, which is more peaceably than anyone else I've seen. It will probably change (there is a mutated beast at the end of issues #1 & #2 that suggest there's a big traditional battle coming) but this intelligent use of his powers is refreshing while it lasts.

I aldo want to mention a wonderful moment, which is, perhaps, my favourite moment in a New 52 opening arc -- Captain Atom bombarded my communication. He is being discussed by his colleagues at the lab, and not in the friendliest of terms, but he is oblivious to them because his brain is tuned into all electronic communication that's floating through the air. It overwhelms him and he tries to process it all at once. The art supporting the moment is as perfect as the moment itself. Well worth a read just for this, I think.

Captain Atom #3

Captain Atom is starting to feel like a god. Nothing seems to be beyond him. He needn't eat or sleep, so he needn't stop saving lives, which takes him into the metaphysical questions only he, the Beyonder or Dr. Manhattan (and maybe a couple of others) need to ponder: Am I a God? Am I God? Does my presence disrupt God's plan?

These are excellent questions for a guy who can absorb a nuclear blast and who scares the hell out of the Justice League and Flash to try and answer for himself. The answers, though, aren't easy, and I can't see them becoming easier as this arc proceeds.

Captain Atom #4

Now the question is: Am I a weapon? The answer to this one is obvious, though, so Captain Atom must decide if he is willing to be a deterant in the "good ol' U.S. of A.'s" arsenal. It takes no time for him to make the choice, and once again, despite half the air force attacking him with missiles and bullets, he doesn't take the bellicose route. He transmutes the armaments into feathers, mooting their offensive capacity, proving his place as one of the coolest heroes around.

Meanwhile, the title itself feels like it is about to take a turn into 50s Sci-Fi cheesiness, which could be glorious if handled well. Bring on the mutated bio-goo of any shape and swelling size!

Captain Atom #5

Twice in this issue, Captain Atom engages in classic super-heroing: the first is in a dream and leads to the disintegration of Dr. Renata Carter, one of the scientists studying him (and the one who seems to be falling in love with him), so he chooses a less destructive path when he actually goes to help Renata, taking a decidely less super-heroey path in the end; the second is in reality, and the flesh mutation beast that has been growing at the end of each comic has eaten (devoured? absorbed?) the population of an entire town, and Captain Atom loses his temper, lashing out with his energy in a very super-heroey way, but it doesn't work the way he planned, and the fleshy mutation beast grows exponentially. Then it begins -- possibly -- to devour Captain Atom himself. The super-heroey stuff has backfired. Sweet!

I want more of the non-super-heroey stuff. It's refreshing beyond belief.

Captain Atom #6

Freddie Williams II's art is damn good, but it is Jose Villarrubia's colours that are the true star of this book. In fact, it is the colours that are pivotal to the books art. Villarrubia's colours, the bright pastel of Captain Atom contrasted with the more naturally coloured real world, are some of the best I have ever seen, which is fitting considering how radical the tale is.

Captain Atom is a tale about what's wrong with us, what's right with us, and offers a message concerning where we should be and how we could get there if we would only try. Captain Atom is the best hero book I've read in quite some time. Thanks for your awesome writing, JT Krul. Well done indeed.

Sure Batman & Superman are good, but those books detract from DC's other characters, who could be so much better than the headliners given half a chance -- and Krul proves that point right here in this book. I would love to see a world where Bats and Supes were rested indefinitely. Never going to happen, but it's something pleasant to dream about.

[Eli · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

The most redeeming part was the literal last page's unexplained, far out of left field cliffhanger. I just didn't find myself caring a whole lot about the characters or plot.

[Michael (Mai) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll start off with a little secret: I’m not really a fan of hero’s with super powers. I prefer heroes like Batman who are just people with the means to be something more instead of someone like Superman (born with it) or Captain Hero (due to some mega incident) who have/acquire unnatural powers.

That said…it was pretty mediocre. I think even if I didn’t have that bias it would still be pretty mediocre. Captain Atom used to be a pilot and due to an experiment he became this “thing” that absorbs energy and can do a great number of things (including curing cancer in specific patients) on a molecular level. I get it. He went from a regular man to a “thing” that even the justice league won’t take but he was so MOPEY! He moped around all the time and just felt lonely and sorry for himself even when he was helping others.

The art was great but I don’t think I’ll continue on with this one unless I see some stellar reviews.

[Alex Sarll]

JT Krul is best known for writing one of the worst comics ever (the infamous erectile dysfunction/dead cat issue of Justice League: Rise of Arsenal), but this is really not bad. Captain Atom was the template for Watchmen's Dr Manhattan, and that's the angle Krul takes here, as a not-very-popular superhero finds himself becoming something far more - a kind of atomic messiah, working invisibly to make the world a better place. And I have always been a sucker for Future Science Jesus figures.
(With this volume, I have now read three quarters of the original New 52 Volume Ones. And I can't deny lots of them have been slogs, but it's the ones like this which make it worthwhile. Though, as usual with the good ones, there was no need for a reboot to make this book possible)

[Derek Moreland · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best thing J. T. Krul's ever written. I know that's damning with faint praise, but it's an astonishingly readable book. DOCTOR MANHATTAN: THE EARLY YEARS is a pretty easy "high concept", but Krul does some interesting things with it. Recommended.

[Lillian Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1-6 I really liked the story but with the exception of Captain Atom himself the rest of the art is horrible.

[Art the Turtle of Amazing Girth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.56

Not bad for Captain Atom, I suppose

not really my favorite run of hero, although his appearance in Kingdome Come was awesome

[James Dunphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Captain Atom is yet another hero that DC seems to be giving a solo series to with it's New 52 reboot. I really had no idea who Captain Atom was prior to reading this (as is the case with most B/C level DC heroes), but thankfully some quick wiki-ing shows that Atom has been in the DCU for about 20 years now, and has even floated in and out of the Wildstorm U at various point. Interesting...
What we have here is a pretty standard mid-tier DC hero's introductory arc. We get to learn who Nathaniel Adam is again, and what his deal is. The book does a good job showcasing the variety of Captain Atom's immense power of atom manipulation. They do it grand scale in issue #1 with him absorbing the energy of a volcanic eruption, and on a micro scale in issue #2 where he goes inside a young boy to cure his cancer. The issues work to set up Atom against giant mutated monster that starts as just a simple mutated rat (that grows). Additionally, there's a cameo in issue #3 from DC's residential head walking physics disaster The Flash. I love the Flash...so I loved seeing him here.
The bigger threat and element of this series is that Captain Atom is so strong, but volatile, that he remains something feared for his potential destruction a la The Hulk. It creates a Frankenstein complex in Nate Adam that runs throughout the entire book. It's cliched at it's worst, but it isn't the dumbest thing you'll find in the New 52's DCU. The fear of Adam as WMD is manifested in what will be his real nemesis – General Wade Eiling. Eiling is actually Atom's old nemesis from the old DCU, so props to the writers for bringing him back for continuity sake. These two look like they will have a rivalry that honestly will mimic the relation of General Ross and the Hulk down the line.
What really blows a snot rocket into this book's salsa is the abysmal artwork on most pages. The lack of clear lines kills most of the artwork and most of the small panels are crammed in so bad they make everything on the page appear blob like and unclear. That being said, some of the splash pages and one-panel works in this collection are absolutely stunning, and show off the interesting celestial silver/purple/green/blue color scheme that the Silver Surfer made famous. Those pages are pretty, but they don't make up for the horrible art that is on most pages.
This is a standard DC collection that I enjoyed enough from a story perspective to normally give a three. However, I feel that the art in these six issues is just so unbelievably bad that I bumped my rating for the entire book down a star. Two here. A new artist on this title would change my opinion about this series completely.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Atom, Vol. 1: Evolution kicks off the DC 52's take on Captain Atom and we get to start to see him battling with the discovery of his powers and how he has to go about dealing with them! :D This is compounded by how the military and his former colleagues respond to his new abilities! :D

The book is very action heavy with Captain Atom having to deal with all sides at the same time while saving lives but at the center of the story it is very character driven with the main character being extremely introspective throughout which gives the book a great feel and very clever take on things using both the main character and ancillary ones to look at the situations that are developing throughout in it from both sides! :D

This in turn which helps to provide a propellant to the actions and grandstanding of the characters throughout which gives the book a feeling of epicness and epic events throughout! :D The scenes have a epic quality to them with many of them featuring brilliantly rendered backdrops which contrast with the colours of the main character and ancillary ones brilliantly making them pop out from the page! :D

The art is spot on and clear with facial expressions clearly visible and really helping to sell the script and depict the pace and power of the events taking place! :D Captain Atom, Vol. 1: Evolution is a fast=paced, intelligent, smart and extremely polished origin story and will keep you page turning to see what happens as it does like to put it characters though the ringer! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D

[B. Rule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but not amazing either. I have a longstanding love of the character. Pretty much anybody who can transmute matter at will and also rock the "alienated from humanity by my powers" card has got my vote. There are some fun nods to the other glowing blue nude-looking guy who can control the building blocks of reality (cough cough Dr. Manhattan), and the art is pretty in an impressionistic way. But the story doesn't flow and it gets pulled through the motions too quickly to make much impact. I liked the reveal of the big threat, but the resolution was meh. Probably not really required reading for anyone but the diehard Captain Atom fan.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting take on the 'man with god-like powers' theme, or a subtle way of trying to do a 'Dr. Manhattan' series.

Captain Atom has been turned into an energy being with unimaginable power. He's trying to learn how to control his powers, while the scientists that are supposed to help him are afraid of him and the military wants to control him.

Lots of big moments, but the story moves at a snails pace, the introspection wears thin and the cast ( aside from the hero) are pretty flat and predictable.
Art is also very uneven.

Interesting, but only mildly entertaining.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Atom is powerful, so much so that people hate and fear him. Think the same level of hatred like the Hulk gets. It's a really good character piece as Captain Atom comes to terms with what he can do and how people react to him.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this collection we learn of the history of Captain Atom and some of his adventures.

Well illustrated and formed though somewhat cartoony graphics add to the storyline and characters.

Characters are somewhat stereotypical and confrontational.

Overall, an interesting read.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reprints Captain Atom (2) #1-6 (November 2011-April 2012). Endowed with extreme power, Nathaniel Adam finds himself transformed into the being known as Captain Atom. With the world fearing his power, Nathaniel tries to adjust to his new power with the help of the scientists at the Continuum. Captain Atom’s immense power also attracts the attention of General Eiling who sees Captain Atom as the next weapon in the war on terror. Captain Atom struggles to find his place on Earth…and struggles to keep from being the face of fear.

Written by J.T. Krul, Captain Atom Volume 1: Evolution is the first collection of DC Comics’ New 52 relaunch. The series features art by Freddie Williams II.

The New 52 promised a streamlined DC Universe and also a more diverse DC Universe with series not only focusing on the big hitters like Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman, but also smaller characters like Frankenstein, Voodoo, and Captain Atom. Captain Atom demonstrates the pros and cons of giving smaller character series.

The story for Captain Atom has potential, but the balance feels off. The character is just too powerful and that always poses problems for writers. The solution here is to make Captain Atom unstable and his powers too erratic. Every “action” Captain Atom does to help the world seems to have an equally bad “reaction”. The more Captain Atom does the more problems seem to pop up around him.

I do like the military aspect of Captain Atom. The Eiling character and his desire to weaponize Captain Atom plays with old classic Cold War general stories. It is a bit of a cliché, but to be honest, most comics are. Overall Captain Atom wants to do the right thing, but he has obligations…and is it even his choice? In storylines like this, the character works better.

Captain Atom in general is the series problem. In addition to being too powerful to write, I’ve never found him that interesting. The only interesting part of Captain Atom was Alan Moore’s take on the character in Watchmen (as Doctor Manhattan). With Moore doing a classic take on the character, it feels like cheating to investigate the character in similar ways by other authors…the character is tainted (in my mind).

Captain Atom was immediately in danger with the DC relaunch. The initial reviews of the first issue were pretty tepid and that can’t happen in the modern comic book age. Series must start out with a bang, and Captain Atom started out with a whimper. That virtually doomed the series, but the series did last for another volume. Captain Atom 1: Evolution was followed by Captain Atom 2: Genesis.

[Will Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this take on Captain Atom. After his transformation into a nuclear-powered superhero, the Captain has all this power, attention, and fear at what he might do. He no longer sees or interacts with the world the same way, and desperately wants to reintegrate himself into society.

For all the comic nerds out there, he’s basically Doctor Manhattan, if Manhattan actually tried to retain his humanity and re-enter society. There are moments of action, but the book itself is mostly laidback and introspective. The story shows the Captain interacting with different parts of the world (the government, the general public, the superhero community), and showing how they react to his presence. It’s a *very* different kind of superhero story, especially when compared to the other New52 books that were coming out at the time.

The art is different too. While normal humans are drawn with regular inks, Captain Atom is made with these chalky, pastel brushes that really sell him as someone separated from the rest of the world and emphasize how his powers continually destroy and rebuild him, molecule by molecule. It’s a cool look that distinguishes Captain Atom from other books that helps accentuate the story. Big thumbs up in my book!

So why is this just 3 stars? That comes down to Captain Atom himself. For someone who wants to rejoin humanity, he has a difficult time showing it. He’s a very distant character, and I wish he actually took some steps *himself* at reintegrating. Like joining the Justice League or something! Without that, Atom comes across as a little mopey. Come on man, go for it! Push yourself!

So yeah, Captain Atom vol 1 is a *very* different kind of superhero book. It’s not great, but it’s not bad either. I don’t think it’s a must read, but for those of you out there looking for story that has a very different tone from most superhero books, you may want to give this a look.

[Eric Cone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that since I was catching up with Green Arrow before doing the Justice League of America books, I would catch up with Captain Atom as well, because I knew that he had also been rejected from membership in the Justice League. I also knew that he was in Seattle some of the time, so maybe some interaction between GA and CA (not seen any yet). I also know that pre-New 52, Captain Atom was a member of the JLA.
Waht a pleasant surprise this book was. It's not your typical superhero book. It isn't about fighting super villains and it isn't about a hero who is confident in their choices or driven to fight other people in costumes. This book is instead about a man coming to grips with who he is and what his place in the world might be.
As an aside, I really like the take on CA's powers - much less like a nuclear-powered Superman and much more like a Doctor Manhattan who only has the cognitive power of a normal man.

[Adrian J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nnnngh.

The artwork made this a chore to read; in some issues, I have no idea what was actually happening. Were characters all deformed because of the radiation, or was that meant to be a normal look? I don't know.

The back matter contains sketches/designs by the penciller, one with a note explaining what he's trying to do - great in theory, but it didn't work.

The story was also exceptionally dull; at best, it was a rip-off of DOCTOR SOLAR: MAN OF THE ATOM, but even that is being too generous. A guy floats around for six issues and then something happens and then it doesn't anymore.

And the dialogue... especially of background characters... nope.

Potentially interesting, but fell very, very flat.

[Sean Sexton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captain Atom is another of those DC Comics heroes that I'd never heard of. I continue to work through the various "New 52" collections and this was the next one on my reading list. As with some of the other New 52 collections, the artwork in this volume is gorgeous. The story is also reasonably well written and interesting. Captain Atom checks a lot of the standard super-hero boxes--got his powers during an accident, struggling to control his powers, shunned by people for being different, wanting to help or save people.

Despite all of the standard formulaic stuff, however, the Captain Atom character is reasonably compelling. He's very much an outside, but has some outrageouly powerful abilities. This makes him slightly more of a god than a superhero.

[Kseniya Fyodorova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a comics reader but sometimes I do read them. This one is cool even though I’m not very interested in fantastic universe. I bought it on sale for a friend many years ago but never gave it to her - there wasn’t any occasion because I gave her other things bigger ones. So now I think I will give it to a kid who’s learning English. I hope he likes it. I did.

[Matt town · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Honestly better than expected. I agree with what people have said that this leans more into the Dr. Manhattan side of things, and the overall pathos of a character like this who can barely control himself not to melt the world around him. An underutilized character I would like to see more of for sure.

[Parker J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never been a big fan of the Captain Atom character, not really sure why but he just never interested me, so I was pleasantly surprised that this story was enjoyable! I also really love the art in this one.

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doctor Manhattan vs John Carpenter’s The Thing. (Yes, I know Doctor Manhattan is actually based on Captain Atom, but come on!) A surprisingly good read with really interesting art by Williams. Experimental without losing the superhero thread.

[Erik J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't get the lukewarm reception this series got way back during New 52. I found it rather enjoyable and you could really feel the detachment of Captain Atom from the rest of the world. Art was gorgeous as well.

Overall - 4/5

[Yuiko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad has some good writing I can connect with :) captain atom seems like a nice guy I think I'll continue the series

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good overall. The only thing is they are portraying Cpt. Atom as very much like Firestorm, which makes it hard to really make him stand out.

[Edlogu · Rating 5 out of 5]

That comic was so great.