Atomic Age (comics)

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Atomic Age
Atomic Age #1 (Nov. 1990): Cover art by Mike Okamoto & Kevin Nowlan.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics/Epic Comics
FormatScience fiction
Publication date1990–1991
No. of issues4
Creative team
Created byFrank Lovece, Mike Okamoto
Written byFrank Lovece
Penciller(s)Mike Okamato
Inker(s)Al Williamson
Colorist(s)Steve Oliff/OliOptics; John Wellington; Christie Scheele
Editor(s)Marcus McLaurin

Atomic Age is an American

penciler Mike Okamoto, and inked by Al Williamson
.

The series was among the items featured in the

Russ Manning Award
for most promising newcomer.

Synopsis

Set in October 1957, immediately upon release of the

U.S. Army
Col. John Patrick Lear, a proud yet pathetic figure who at the end of his career has been relegated to commanding the backwater Pacific Ocean military base Charity Island; and Nimbus, a mysterious alien who has arrived on Earth confused of his origins but programmed to find and kill members of a genetically engineered slave race from his planet. The slaves, called drones, hope to commit species suicide — what the story calls "geneticide" — by destroying the scattered pieces of the original split of the drone race's original "mother cell".

Nuñez, frequently beset by racial prejudice, has developed a rueful humor and a resentful hyper-ambition as a

Joseph McCarthy Red Scare hearings
of a few years earlier, he sympathizes with Nuñez's desire to verify this important event despite government stonewalling. Nuñez makes his way to Charity Island, where Lear, bitter over what he considers unfair treatment by the military after his long but nondescript career, warily joins forces with Nuñez to spin the presence of Nimbus — who was first seen over Charity Island and has left a dead drone there — in both men's favor.

Nuñez returns with Lear to California, where the observatory has tracked Nimbus. Nuñez's ambitions soon affect his relationship with Nan and her family, and though he questions how far he will compromise himself, he rationalizes that the racial prejudice against him requires moral corner-cutting to overcome. Lear's increasing desperation to prove himself not a failure leads to extremes that eventually threaten Nuñez while also forging a bond between Nuñez and Dr. Stoddard. Nimbus, who has uncovered a second, female drone, gradually learns of his true nature, and fulfills his mission in an unintended manner that betrays the billions of slaves on his world.

Counterpointing these personal stories are the fads, clothing, architecture, pop-culture imagery and prevailing social attitudes of the late 1950s, which inform the characters' actions and expectations.

Production

The creators spoke of the series' authenticity in a 1990 interview, with Lovece saying: "Every car, for example, is a real car. We have a drag race in one of the issues, and the cars are a '56

Indian [brand] bikes".[2]

A rudimentary early version of Atomic Age, set in the present day, appeared as an eight-page initial chapter by Lovece,

penciler Robb Phipps and inker Sam de la Rosa in the comics magazine Woweekazowie #4 (Fall/Winter 1978).[3][4]

A digital 30th-anniversary edition was published by Apex Comics in 2019.[5]

Reception

Nuclear Texts & Contexts #6 (Spring 1991) wrote: "Atomic Age (Frank Lovece, writer, &

Sputnik era. ... Although no nuclear war is featured, there is plenty of wry satire on Cold War paranoia, and on racism".[6] Reviewer Paul Carbonero in Amazing Heroes found it "a pretty worthwhile series encompassing thoughtful writing and attractive art. ... Writer Frank Lovece should be commended for striving to make every one of his characters highly distinct from one another. ... Okamoto creates an effective '50s feel".[7]

Awards and distinctions

Atomic Age was among the items featured in the Bowling Green State University exhibition "The Atomic Age Opens: Selections from the Popular Culture Library".[8]

Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award.[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wilcox, John Anthony. "Atomic Age". Marvel Age #95 (Dec. 1990), pp. 6-7
  2. ^ Wilcox, p. 7
  3. ^ Lovece, Frank, Lovece, Robb Phipps, Sam de la Rosa. "Broken Silence", in Iro, Pete, ed. (Fall–Winter 1978). "Woweekazowie" (PDF) (4): 9–16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-12-14. Retrieved 2011-12-14. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ Meyer, Ken Jr. (January 4, 2010). "Woweekazowie 3 and 4, Summer 1978, Winter 1978". Ink Stains (column) 9, ComicAttack.net. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  5. ^ "Atomic Age Vol. 1: "Broken Silence"". Apex Comics. July 3, 2019. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2019 – via comiXology.
  6. ^ "Comic Books" (PDF). (reviews). Nuclear Texts & Contexts (6): 11. Spring 1991. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2010.
  7. ^ Carbonero, Paul (June 1991). "Atomic Age #1, 2, and 3". Amazing Heroes. No. 191. p. 118.
  8. ^ "The Atomic Age Opens: Selections from the Browne Library". Browne Popular Culture Library News. May 31, 1995. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011.
  9. ^ Hahn, Joel (ed.). "1991 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014.
  10. San Diego Comic-Con International. 6 December 2012. Archived
    from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  11. ^ Hahn, Joel (ed.). "The Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007.

Further reading

External links

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