Solar Man of the Atom hits the ground running. Barbiere and company have set up a story that pulls you in and guarantees you'll come back for more. A big story with nice art makes this one to check out. Read Full Review

Relaunch properties are always a bit dicey for me since if it's a character that I had invested a lot in previously, I'm not exactly sure I want to go in for a new imagining of it. With the version presented here by Frank J. Barbiere and Joe Bennett for Dynamite, we get a strong opening issue that sets out a lot of potential stories for it and some characters that I already know I want to invest time in. And that's really without getting all that much from our lead character when you get down to it since so much of what we know about him is through the lens of others and their views of him. The Gold Key properties are interesting ones that can be reworked in so many ways that I love the common threads that exist but am intrigued by the new take going on here. And with it being what's likely to be a pretty pro-science message in a lot of ways, even with all the danger of it that we get from the start here, that's something I certainly won't complain about having more of. Read Full Review

A introduction to a hero, a call to action and a crisis all in the first book. There's a lot to chew on despite the fact that we barely even get to meet the hero before the issue's over! Recommended. Read Full Review

All told, this is a good-looking #1 that sets up an engaging but conventional story. Solar may be a dated character, but the stylish art and able exposition of this issue make it easy to fall back into this story, and enjoy it for what is it: a superhero tale with a wealth of moral complexity just under the surface. Read Full Review

The artwork is simpler in places and has a Steve Rude polish when it comes to spaceships and buildings. The characters designs and postures are not from Steve Rudes repertoire though. Its solid comic book fair that appears in many current DC and Marvel comics. It is not a criticism. Dynamite is publishing solid works these days. Gone are the days of Green Hornet Blood Ties. Thank God. Read Full Review

I wasn't the biggest fan of the Gold Key characters in any incarnation, but Dynamite has given them legs in this latest incarnation. "Solar: Man of the Atom" #1 features a character with beyond-Superman-level powers that can't rein it in. In the past, stories of characters with similar powers like Firestorm and Captain Atom have focused on the personal problems to hook the readers, but this comic is really dialed into the professional problems and the complications they bring to a person's life. Take a break from the sturm und drang of crossovers and endless events and dig into the start of something new with "Solar: Man of the Atom" #1 -- you just might be thankful to do so. Read Full Review

Solar: Man of the Atom #1 was definitely a big surprise. Some of these classic character revivals can be fairly hit or miss, but this one was a big hit. The story is so interesting so far that you easily forget any similarities with other characters out there, allowing you to focus on the uniquely fresh plot that Barbiere has begun to unfold. This was a fantastic issue in all respects and has the potential to move far beyond the typical superhero story; this is one to watch out for! Read Full Review

There's a LOT of information coming at us in this issue. We get an action scene with Solar stopping a bank robbery, the introduction of quite a few of the major players (and a lot of names I recognize, but this is not an essential factor for enjoying the story), and an extremely interesting setup for future issues that could be a major divergence from the character we got from Gold Key, in a good way. Throughout, Bennett keeps us on track with a very clean and dynamic art style that moves the story along at a good clip in both actions scenes and character development. If Dynamite can keep creators and stories of this caliber on all their Gold Key books they'll have me as a customer for the duration. This relaunch is well worth checking out. Read Full Review

Solar: Man of the Atom gets off to a terrific start and though it's probably the worst opener yet it's still a very entertaining read and shows plenty of promise. Highly recommended. Read Full Review

This issue does its job for the most part and ends on a hook that certainly makes the second issue worth checking out. Read Full Review

The art and colors have to step it up to match the strength of the story. A decent beginning. Read Full Review

This set up however doesn't feel like the status quo. The previously mentioned cliffhanger goes here, the pages contained here don't feel like an issue 1 per say but rather an overly long prelude for what comes next. I guarantee I will. Read Full Review

If you're already familiar with Solar, this should be an obvious purchase for you. And if so, odds are the cliffhanger will do more than enough to assure you stick around for the second issue. However, I'm left feeling uncertain on where my fellow new readers will stand once they put the issue down. Barbiere's first issue does a fine job with the pacing and begins to slowly reveal the world we're stepping into. Furthermore, the character work in the issue is consistently solid and there's no denying how appealing Solar's powers are. However, seeing as this first issue is primarily build-up, it makes it somewhat difficult to feel truly invested in this new universe or very inspired to remove something else from the pull list to make room for this title. Personally, I'll give the series another issue or two so it can tell a little more of its story and offer a chance for me to feel more connected to the characters before I decide whether I'll stick around for the long haul. Read Full Review

I think this title is worth a few more issues, if only to see more of Solar's power usage. If the weird coloring remains, though, I'll be dropping this book faster than Solar transmogrified a machine gun into an orgy of atoms. Read Full Review

In spite of that, this issue serves as a strong opening. Evidently this isn't an origin book and quite rightly too because that can be easily pieced together or dealt with later as I am sure it will. And rather than bogging us down with the origin, it moves us straight into the story. A wise choice, in my mind. Read Full Review

A lot of the problem I had with this issue is they focus so much on the main characters, that they don't have supporting characters to help move the story along in a natural and fluid way. The art is much the same way; whatever is in the forefront is given a lot of detail and everything in the background was just kind of put there so it wasn't a white page. If the same amount of attention was given to the backgrounds, it would be able to transport you into their world. Instead you have to avoid looking too long at panels so you don't get frustrated. I hope these issues get fixed as they move along with the story, but, as of right now, I can't say I'm going to follow it. Read Full Review

Aside from a few flashy moments, there's still a long way to go before Solar: Man of the Atom winds up becomign a successful property. Given the cachet the character has had over the course of several publishers, you would think it wouldn't be hard to take that back story and find a new, character-driven angle for readers to latch onto. This comic, however, is very little sizzle, and even less steak. Read Full Review

At least the artwork is good. For that, I give it one point. Read Full Review

After I accept that reciting gibberish mathematical equations can turn lead into water I still struggle in finding something to latch onto here.