The Fury of Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #15, from DC Comics, continues the initial arc by writer/artist Dan Jurgens with inks by Ray McCarthy. The issue is in stores now and features a guest appearance by Captain Atom.
In the third part of "Takeover," control of Firestorm's body has been wrested from teenagers Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch by Dr. Megala. Megala is the man responsible for Nathanial Adams' transformation into Captain Atom, so the scientist's control over the nuclear powered Firestorm brings Adams back from his self imposed exile on the moon. Together with Raymond and Rusch, the heroes must put a stop to Megala's terrorizing of the public with his newfound power.
Jurgens' story continues to be reminiscent of the pre-decompression era of comics, providing a level of substance that is absent from many modern comics. Ably moving the main plot forward while simultaneously developing various other subplots, not to mention storylines started in other comics. Some may find it questionable for Jurgens to further plot elements from a recently canceled title, like Captain Atom, but this Examiner prefers to appreciate Jurgens' efforts at making the New 52 a cohesive universe. The teaming of Firestorm and Captain Atom, both powered through nuclear accidents, is a natural one and Jurgens works enough of the backstory into the script to keep those that did not follow Captain Atom informed without detracting from the story.
While the "losing his humanity" New 52 version of Captain Atom is less intriguing than the government super hero version from the pre-New 52 DC Universe, the character is still a recognizable one and deserving of an active place within the DCU, not left sitting on the moon. Jurgens lays the groundwork for moving this version of the character forward and interested fans can look to Legion Lost for the next progression of this character.
Jurgens' art, with McCarthy's inks, delivers the standard of quality one expects from this 20 plus year veteran of the industry. His clean lines and solid storytelling move the reader smoothly from panel to panel, the epitome of the comic book reading experience.
The Fury of Firstorm, The Nuclear Man #15 is a fun full read and anyone that is a fan of the DC Universe should support the title as this is one of the books actually building a cohesive shared universe, not just another book existing in a vacuum. The issue is in Philadelphia area stores now. To find a comic shop near you, go to www.comicshoplocator.com.
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