Captain Atom: J.T. Krul, Freddie Williams II, Jose Villarrubia

I was both impressed and intrigued by the first issue here. Thanks to “Generation Lost”, I’m something of a Captain Atom fan, and it’s been fun seeing him do new, different things in these two issues. The cover of this book, to start, is beautiful. Some really well-done art by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau that makes Atom look like a real person. That’s not to say Williams doesn’t do the same for the interiors, no. In fact, I’ve never seen Captain Atom’s face so expressive! It’s nice because his body is pretty featureless, so I like having that window into Atom’s emotions. Overall, this issue is beautiful. The art where Captain Atom started seeing the electronic communications was outstanding. I’ve never seen anything like it! And I really like how when Captain Atom flies, it looks like he’s swimming. It’s really graceful, and we’re not seeing any cliche flying poses here…and it’s entirely refreshing. The story itself is really cool. I’m loving what Krul is pulling out here in this entirely original Captain Atom story. The theme of losing control is completely prominent here, just like last issue. Captain Atom still has no idea what his powers do, and as he continues to find out, they become more and more a danger to himself and others. The bit of Atom going into Mikey to cure his cancer was absolutely heartwarming. A very tear-jerker moment, for me. The art here is completely amazing, too. I love all these animals that are turning into sinister creatures, too. I can’t wait to find out what these are doing and how they’re going to affect Captain Atom.

Captain Atom #2, the verdict: Another smash-hit by the Krul-Williams team here. This book is getting more and more exciting by the issue. And Krul knows how to really hit those big issues hard and leave them swimming in your mind and your heart after you’re done reading. The cancer scene here, and the death of “Alpha” in his Green Arrow title are both very big events, I think. He doesn’t sugarcoat, and treats us all like smart, adult readers, which is really appreciated. The art, not a regular style for Freddie, is outstanding…and they continue to find new and exciting ways to lay out these pages that are a true sight to behold.