How often do publishers switch the sex of their hero to boost sales?
Thor just recently got turned into a woman and yes, it might be disheartening — but throwing a pair of breasts on a character can certainly sell more books. Although, if the writing is good and the female voice is strong: what does it matter? Solar recently got a bit of a reboot when his daughter took over the mantle. She’s a bit of a wiseass and now facing down some very powerful aliens. Rut row, is it good?
Solar: Man of the Atom #4 (Dynamite Entertainment)
The best aspect of this series is the father/daughter dynamic going on. Given, the father is dead, but his ghost is always in the daughter’s ear trying to give her advice. (Solar-Wan Kenobi?) We can all relate to that feeling of frustration when a parent won’t let us do it our way, but imagine if they were counseling us while fist fighting a 500 pound alien.
That must hurt.
Writer Frank J. Barbiere has made me believe in the Solar character. The concept is sound: the guy can whisper math and do damn near anything. But what happens when the daughter, who isn’t quite the genius, has the mantle? It solves the Superman issue (no sense of peril on account that Superman can just toss anyone into the sun or shrug off nukes) and spices things up on account of her not just being new to the powers, but new to hearing her father in her ear as well.
The art by Joe Bennett looks a bit rushed this issue, but it’s still working to tell the story and tell it well. The Kirby feel to these aliens is a sight to see and helps give them that epic feel. We have this whiny girl who just wants her dad to shut up fighting these cosmic beings and the art sells the concept.
That must hurt!
Is It Good?
This continues to be my favorite series right now and Solar should be on everyones’ minds if they want a unique character dynamic duo and a fun new series.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login