First Strike: The Invasion! Podcast Ep.27: Wonder Woman #26/Captain Atom #25

Double feature! Bass and Siskoid continue their coverage of Invasion Aftermath with Wonder Woman #26, and since it guest-stars Captain Atom, they might as well keep going with Captain Atom #25! They will answer the question: Can the Durlans be well used? Because the evidence has been pretty damning up until now.

Listen to Episode 27 below (the usual filthy filthy language warnings may apply), or subscribe to First Strike: The Invasion! Podcast on iTunes!

Relevant images and further credits at: First Strike ep.27 Supplemental

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14 responses to “First Strike: The Invasion! Podcast Ep.27: Wonder Woman #26/Captain Atom #25

  1. This was my Wonder Woman era, fellas. And you’re right about Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter having that charismatic quality.

    Re: WW art – I remember feeling a little let down every time I opened a Wonder Woman book and not seeing Peréz’ interiors. It’s so synonymous with what made her reboot book work.

    Captain Atom – explain the appeal? I like the character but I can never understand why.

  2. Has Wonder Woman ever handed Major Force his magenta arse? Mr. “Stuffed Refrigerator” deserves a beatdown from comics’ premiere heroine.

    I always wondered if Captain Atom got his mullet before JLE, and now I know. I run hot and cold on Pat Broderick. I like some of his stuff, but sometimes his anatomy goes pretty wonky from panel to panel.

    Chris

  3. Thanks for the continued concern about my wellbeing. The way Aussies can dominate certain sports and the film industry you’d think we would have a few more super heroes. Oh well, at least Tasmanian Devil is well known, respected and the star of so many great comics in the DC universe.

    1. You also have a Batman in the form of the Ranger (from the Club of Heroes), but both he and Taz must be pretty sick of having to team up with Tuatara in New Zealand.

  4. Thanks for the Diana Prince Podcast plug. I should probably be working on an episode of that instead of replying, but here we are. I own all of Chris Marrinan’s Wonder Woman run, but have only read some of it, because it looks hideous. This was also Perez going solo as a writer. Neither choice was desirable or well advised. I’ve tried to watch Gal Gadot in non-Wonder Woman stuff, and feel strongly that this role role is her thing in much the same way it’s been for Lynda Carter. In retrospect, I question the theory of “stereotyping,” because it seems to me with actors like Adam West and George Reeves, I only would have seen them as stars while portraying Batman and Superman. Sometimes, the right feel/presence and look is the most important thing about portraying a character, and it doesn’t necessarily translate broadly. Sometimes you’re just a very specific character actor, and your character happens to be the star.

    It makes sense to have two of the DC characters most associated with military service working together, though Wonder Woman and Captain Atom have become so far removed from that role in the decades since that it seems more odd now. For me, the Post-Crisis Captain Atom was “Firestorm done right,” an upper echelon powerhouse written with a more grounded personality who could take part in both cosmic and more realistic stories. I really dug how he could be wounded by the right tech and made vulnerable, as well as how much political intrigue played into his stories. But then he could jump into a JLI arc and fit right in there, too. I think Pat Broderick was a better artist on the latter run over the former, though I will concede Firestorm is the more visually interesting of the two. It’s never not going to be a problem that Captain Atom is the Silver Surfer with hair. I tend to prefer the earlier golden-hued Ditko design (and Alex Ross’ reworking of it) over Dr. Manbatter with the spermhead of recent years.

    I do not exclude Halle Berry from my Catwoman list, although she’d probably be dead last among actresses to portray her in live action. I’ve seen a lot of Berry-specific cosplay, so she has her fans. I also don’t hate the 2004 movie as much as most people, because in my head canon, it’s a variation on the Mari McCabe Vixen under more commercial branding. I can’t speak to Camren Bicondova’s portrayal because I’ve never seen an entire episode of Gotham, but I understand she has a small following from the show.

    Every time I start to move on producing a new episode of DC Bloodlines, I’m reminded that the next annual I would have to cover was written by Gerard Jones, and don’t want to deal with that. But then I also remember that Tasmanian Devil plays a role there, that I’ve aleady partially scripted a Taz solo episode, and that I still want Paul Hix to do the character voice. So maybe.

    1. The Gerard Jones thing is going to be a nasty set of road spikes that more and more of us podcasters are going to have to drive over as time goes on. It was prominent in my mind as I was reading the Flash by Mark Waid volume 2 collection which opens with the Gorilla Warfare Green Lantern crossover. I remember loving the story back in the day, but now it’s so hard to separate the actions of the artist from my enjoyment of the art.

      1. Believe me, I understand. I’ve got to cover two years of his JLE run. Gotta separate the creator from the work. That’s going to be my mantra.

      1. I can see both sides. Love all Firestorm, but once he was out of the JLA, he really did lose being a major player in the DCU. Captain Atom did sort of get on the “main stage” with all his JL experiences.

  5. To answer Siskoid’s question about the truth being revealed to the JLI about Captain Atom, I’m a little foggy myself. Captain Atom isn’t a series I read much, but I plan to rectify that very soon.

    I can tell you the reveal of Captain Atom’s lies did not happen in JLI. Using the Googles for research, it happened sometime between Captain Atom #20 and #26. In Captain Atom #20, Captain Atom totally snows Blue Beetle about the secret history. You just covered Captain Atom #25. And in Captain Atom #26 the JLI apparently confront the Captain.

    So I plan to do some catch up reading myself before I get to JLE! Thanks for another great episode!!

    1. It also comes up when the JLI guested in Captain Atom’s book in issues 16 and 17 – Mr Miracle found out that Captain Atom’s skin was alien in nature and not what he had said when he revealed himself to the world. The confrontation (involving Beetle, Booster and Mr Miracle) happened in 26-28. There was a mention of it subsequently in JLI Annual 3, where Beetle was warned not to say anything to the JLE members as they were not aware of Atom’s deception and in the early JLE issues, when Atom had an arguement with J’onn, Max Lord and Oberon about having the JLA look over the JLE shoulder.

      I don’t have much else to say on the podcast but I loved it – Siskoid and Bass are covering the Invasion storyline very well and I look forward to every episode.

      1. In addition to Mister Miracle finding out in Capt Atom 16-17, Blue Beetle figures out the Capt was lying in Capt Atom #20 (though the reader doesn’t know that). Which explains why they were mad in this issue. However, the reading audience isn’t made aware that the JLI members were on to Capt until Capt Atom #26.

  6. Another great episode, gentlemen! I was surprised when these double-headers started, but they’re a lot of fun, getting to contrast these comics.

    A little thought on Diana: in addition to her great charisma, I also felt she verged on having a low-level superpower to “bring out the best in people.” But it’s part of the purity of Diana that it just happens, she doesn’t force it on others in any way. Unfortunately, it can backfire in some situations, such as feeling of jealousy or desire, explaining lots of her foes.

    Man, now i really want to read those Captain Atom issues with the JLI. They’re a dreadful whole in my collection. Time to get hunting.

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