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Showcase Presents: Atom #2
Showcase Presents: The Atom, Vol. 2
"Ivy University professor and scientist Ray Palmer discovers a mysterious meteorite giving him the ability to shrink his body to microscopic size! Fashioning a uniform from fibers taken from the meteorite, Dr. Palmer learned to control not only his size but also his mass, emerging as a mighty champion of justice and enemy of all evil -- as the hero called the Atom! Now an experienced crime-fighter, the Tiny Titan defends Ivy Town against the villainy of such foes as Chronos the Time-Bandit, the Thinker,the Panther, the Bug-Eyed Bandit and many others"--P. [4] of cover.
528 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
2 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Gardner Francis Fox
1,192 books90 followersGardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic book historians estimate that he wrote more than 4,000 comics stories, including 1,500 for DC Comics.
Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroes the Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and the original Sandman, and was the writer who first teamed those and other heroes as the Justice Society of America. Fox introduced the concept of the Multiverse to DC Comics in the 1961 story "Flash of Two Worlds!"
Pseudonyms: Gardner F. Fox, Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, Lynna Cooper, Rod Gray, Larry Dean, Robert Starr, Don Blake, Ed Blake, Warner Blake, Michael Blake, Tex Blane, Willis Blane, Ed Carlisle, Edgar Weston, Tex Slade, Eddie Duane, Simon Majors, James Kendricks, Troy Conway, Kevin Matthews, Glen Chase
Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroes the Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and the original Sandman, and was the writer who first teamed those and other heroes as the Justice Society of America. Fox introduced the concept of the Multiverse to DC Comics in the 1961 story "Flash of Two Worlds!"
Pseudonyms: Gardner F. Fox, Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, Lynna Cooper, Rod Gray, Larry Dean, Robert Starr, Don Blake, Ed Blake, Warner Blake, Michael Blake, Tex Blane, Willis Blane, Ed Carlisle, Edgar Weston, Tex Slade, Eddie Duane, Simon Majors, James Kendricks, Troy Conway, Kevin Matthews, Glen Chase
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 13, 2021
How you manage to perfect an already excellent title? this books shows you the right way, which consist of tripling the imagination and inventive situations of the first half of the Atom series, doubling the amount of humour, put some recurrent villains and let Gil Kane expressing his art at its best. Shake the mix and you'll have Silver Age goodness on steroids, and if you like that period you can't go wrong with this Showcase presents. The only nitpick I can find is about the last story by Frank Robbins, not en par with the Gardner Fox/Gil Kane issues but twenty pages at the end don't ruin the overall enjoyment of all. HIGHLY recommended.
P.S. of course if you're the kind of person who only enjoys comics when they're realistic™ and grimdark™, STEER AWAY AS MUCH AS YOU CAN FROM THIS BOOK.
P.S. of course if you're the kind of person who only enjoys comics when they're realistic™ and grimdark™, STEER AWAY AS MUCH AS YOU CAN FROM THIS BOOK.
August 26, 2017
This book collects Issues 18-39 of the Atom's solo series and it's a solid fun run of Silver Age stories. The book features two guest appearances by the Earth 2/Golden Age Atom as well as an appearance by Zatara and Hawkman.
The plots are fun and inventive, for the most part with some good scientific research put into the concepts as befits a story about a great scientist. It's amazing all the ways that the Atom's powers are used and how proficient he's gotten with them in this book. While the characterization isn't great, there is some nice sweet romance between the Atom and his intended Jean Loring.
Overall, this is another great volume about a truly underrated Silver Age superhero.
The plots are fun and inventive, for the most part with some good scientific research put into the concepts as befits a story about a great scientist. It's amazing all the ways that the Atom's powers are used and how proficient he's gotten with them in this book. While the characterization isn't great, there is some nice sweet romance between the Atom and his intended Jean Loring.
Overall, this is another great volume about a truly underrated Silver Age superhero.
September 9, 2013
Big improvement over the previous volume. A great sense of self-referential humor.
And some legit great stories. Crossovers with the earth 2 atom and zatanna and hawkman were especially cool.
And some legit great stories. Crossovers with the earth 2 atom and zatanna and hawkman were especially cool.
August 8, 2024
I decided I didn't want to wait to read the rest of the collected earliest adventures of the world's smallest superhero, the Atom. After I read a Showcase Presents or Marvel Essential collection, I usually wait a while to read the follow up. Mostly, because these books are so hard to find and I enjoy them so much that I don't want to run out of adventures to read. But I had such an enjoyable time with Gardner Fox and Gil Kane's take on the diminutive powerhouse that I just couldn't hold it anymore.
Chronos, Doctor Light and the Floronic Man, Jason Woodrue, all make returns in hopes of enacting revenge on the Atom. There are a good 3 or 4 continuing treks through the Time Pool, sending the hero to solve an assortment of historical mysteries such as the only successful theft of England's crown jewels. Ray Palmer's relationship with Jean Loring advances, though still no wedding bells. Plus unlikely pal, Hawkman with his bride Hawkgirl make a few returns to Atom's burgh of Ivy Town.
This isn't to say that this whole second volume is a rehash of stories seen in the first anthology. Far from it. Justice League of America sidekick Snapper Carr is given a secret assist from the Atom. Then Earth-1 and Earth-2 combine when Ray Palmer meets the original Atom, Al Pratt, in not one but two team-ups between legacy characters. The Atom also adds some new rogue's to his gallery with the introduction of the Bug-eyed Bandit and the Bat-Knights.
The Bat-Knights seems like characters that should be a part of the Batman universe. Only, these fierce warriors are an ancient pint-sized race of people who fly atop bats when they feel endangered by the full-size humans who stumble upon their territorial lands. Two great stories involved these new creatures and their love/ hate relationship with fellow tiny hero, the Atom.
The Atom also picks up an animal sidekick in the penultimate story. While in Cambodia assisting on an archaeological dig, Ray Palmer encounters an injured mynah bird. Once healed, Ray names him Major and uses the bird for winged treks . Sadly, Major's appearance in issues #37 and #38 would just about be the bird's only additions to the DC Universe.
I don't think sales were to blame for cancellation. Instead, it was ageism. In 1968, the year The Atom was 'cancelled', Fox and several other veterans were fired when DC enacted a policy to not provide insurance coverage for their elderly employees. I think Fox knew that his days were numbered as the tone of several stories in this volume drastically changed. Instead of straight forward storytelling, Gardner Fox began experimenting with quirky introductions, alternative perspectives and points of view and more hip slang that the average 1960s teen might use... badly. More than likely, Fox was doing a little employee improvement practice on DC's dime, as the writer's work temporarily imitates what Marvel was beating DC with at the time.
After publishing a handful of novels, in the early 1970s, Gardner Fox would go on to work briefly at Marvel, perhaps boosted by his more modern resume. Unfortunately, Fox wouldn't be allowed to say a proper goodbye to his creation of the Atom. Neither would Gil Kane. Instead it would be written by Frank Robbins with starkly different penciling by Mike Sekowsky. Issue #38 would also be the final run of the first volume of The Atom. Sorta.
With issue #39, the series was re-branded The Atom and Hawkman. Hawkman's solo series was officially cancelled and the Thanagarian hero joined forces with the Atom. Hawkman's Joe Kubert led the creative team that replaced Fox and Kane. However, the teaming of feathered friend and tiny titan wasn't to be, as ultimately both heroes were cancelled before the new decade with issue #45. This book does not include those final 7 team-up issues.
Chronos, Doctor Light and the Floronic Man, Jason Woodrue, all make returns in hopes of enacting revenge on the Atom. There are a good 3 or 4 continuing treks through the Time Pool, sending the hero to solve an assortment of historical mysteries such as the only successful theft of England's crown jewels. Ray Palmer's relationship with Jean Loring advances, though still no wedding bells. Plus unlikely pal, Hawkman with his bride Hawkgirl make a few returns to Atom's burgh of Ivy Town.
This isn't to say that this whole second volume is a rehash of stories seen in the first anthology. Far from it. Justice League of America sidekick Snapper Carr is given a secret assist from the Atom. Then Earth-1 and Earth-2 combine when Ray Palmer meets the original Atom, Al Pratt, in not one but two team-ups between legacy characters. The Atom also adds some new rogue's to his gallery with the introduction of the Bug-eyed Bandit and the Bat-Knights.
The Bat-Knights seems like characters that should be a part of the Batman universe. Only, these fierce warriors are an ancient pint-sized race of people who fly atop bats when they feel endangered by the full-size humans who stumble upon their territorial lands. Two great stories involved these new creatures and their love/ hate relationship with fellow tiny hero, the Atom.
The Atom also picks up an animal sidekick in the penultimate story. While in Cambodia assisting on an archaeological dig, Ray Palmer encounters an injured mynah bird. Once healed, Ray names him Major and uses the bird for winged treks . Sadly, Major's appearance in issues #37 and #38 would just about be the bird's only additions to the DC Universe.
I don't think sales were to blame for cancellation. Instead, it was ageism. In 1968, the year The Atom was 'cancelled', Fox and several other veterans were fired when DC enacted a policy to not provide insurance coverage for their elderly employees. I think Fox knew that his days were numbered as the tone of several stories in this volume drastically changed. Instead of straight forward storytelling, Gardner Fox began experimenting with quirky introductions, alternative perspectives and points of view and more hip slang that the average 1960s teen might use... badly. More than likely, Fox was doing a little employee improvement practice on DC's dime, as the writer's work temporarily imitates what Marvel was beating DC with at the time.
After publishing a handful of novels, in the early 1970s, Gardner Fox would go on to work briefly at Marvel, perhaps boosted by his more modern resume. Unfortunately, Fox wouldn't be allowed to say a proper goodbye to his creation of the Atom. Neither would Gil Kane. Instead it would be written by Frank Robbins with starkly different penciling by Mike Sekowsky. Issue #38 would also be the final run of the first volume of The Atom. Sorta.
With issue #39, the series was re-branded The Atom and Hawkman. Hawkman's solo series was officially cancelled and the Thanagarian hero joined forces with the Atom. Hawkman's Joe Kubert led the creative team that replaced Fox and Kane. However, the teaming of feathered friend and tiny titan wasn't to be, as ultimately both heroes were cancelled before the new decade with issue #45. This book does not include those final 7 team-up issues.
March 7, 2023
Big slab of comic book goodness.
So fun to see Fox and Kane build up the Atom's corner of the DCU.
Ivy town is a fun place, slightly different from comic book cities: It's a college town where weird crap seems to just happen, and people seem to take it in stride.
Atom doesn't have a huge rogues gallery, but it's nice to see them show up for return bouts.
Same with his supporting cast: There's a couple reoccurring characters and his relationship with Jean is sweet...shame DC completely screwed that up, but fun while it lasts.
Liked the Atom's interaction with Hawkman and the GA Atom.
Plus, the art is beautiful.
Sometimes, these B+W edition can hurt the art, but in this volume it just shines a huge spotlight at how good Kane can draw.
A great read. The Atom was never treated this well again.
So fun to see Fox and Kane build up the Atom's corner of the DCU.
Ivy town is a fun place, slightly different from comic book cities: It's a college town where weird crap seems to just happen, and people seem to take it in stride.
Atom doesn't have a huge rogues gallery, but it's nice to see them show up for return bouts.
Same with his supporting cast: There's a couple reoccurring characters and his relationship with Jean is sweet...shame DC completely screwed that up, but fun while it lasts.
Liked the Atom's interaction with Hawkman and the GA Atom.
Plus, the art is beautiful.
Sometimes, these B+W edition can hurt the art, but in this volume it just shines a huge spotlight at how good Kane can draw.
A great read. The Atom was never treated this well again.
Want to read
April 12, 2013Bought: April 12, 2013
Location: PowerBooks (Greenbelt 4)
Price: P200
Location: PowerBooks (Greenbelt 4)
Price: P200
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews