Doctor Solar: Man Of The Atom - Volume 01 Issue 01

My Rating

“Solar’s Secret”

Dr. Gail Sanders had arrived at her new post in Atom Valley only two days prior, yet tragedy has already struck. A project involving her former college classmate, Dr. Solar has ended in the death of one of his peers. A misplaced safety rod attached to an atomic pile malfunctioned blasting Dr. Bentley with lethal amounts of neutrons and gamma radiation. If it were not for Dr. Solar, the reactor would have gone critical, exploded, and killing everyone at the base.

The incident sent the entire government laboratory into full lockdown procedure. Now her friend and coworker, Dr. Solar has locked himself in his office to finish the project which killed Dr. Bentley. No one is to disturb Dr. Solar, under any circumstances, not even his boss Dr. Clarkson. That’s very strange news indeed. Why would a well respected scientist shun help when timelines have to be met?

On a side note, why is Dr. Rasp trying so hard to be assigned to the energy-into-matter project? The chief scientist, Dr. Clarkson seems adamant Rasp finishes his research on the anti-gravity field study first. The interoffice politics here in Dr. Sanders’ opinion is extremely grueling. If only she could talk face to face with Dr. Solar maybe he could give her insight on the accident itself.

Her query will have to wait until morning however, as the base technicians are installing a dosimeter on the door leading into Solar’s office. Why? The reactor is located at the other end of the laboratory complex. Is Dr. Solar paranoid about further contamination to his research?

“An Atomic Inferno”

Emergency! The electronic furnace in the heat lab has exploded, setting the north section of the government lab complex on fire. Has anyone seen Dr. Sanders or Dr. Rasp? They must be trapped in the room near the furnace!

After two hours of intense fire control, the base fire department has rescued the two scientists from certain doom. The question now is what caused the explosion. The lab director, Dr. Clarkson has assigned Dr. Solar to investigate the interior of the lab. With his new found powers Dr. Solar is able to withstand direct contact with radioactive material and intense heat.

Days pass as the laboratory complex returns to somewhat normalcy. But not all is right between colleagues. Gail is infuriated with Dr. Solar as he has become a recluse. He wants all of her lab notes on the heat reduction project, but he insisted on working alone in his office. What’s he hiding?

Reviewer Notes

Welcome to the secret world of nuclear research. Over the past twenty years man has split the atom, turning matter into energy. Now the next generation of scientists have arrived to unlock more secrets to benefit mankind. For one Dr. Solar, his goal is to convert energy back into matter. A noble effort, but in a time of the Cold War many forces are at play. Can Dr. Solar be successful in the midst of espionage and stone cold murder?

As a new reader of this classic adventure, I have to say “Doctor: Solar Man of the Atom” was a very unique idea for its day. In a world threatened by communist takeover, a Cuban missile crisis, and a looming war in Vietnam, Gold Key Comics embraced the mysterious science of nuclear fusion by bringing us this classic character.

If you are looking for an old school comic book series to read, this is the one. I knew nothing about the series, or the characters, but after watching some old interviews with former Marvel Comics’ Editor In Chief, Jim Shooter, his hype on this series led me to purchase several issues of the Gold Key line.

As a new fan of Doctor Solar, I can say I look forward to collecting more of this series. If you are interested in reading this classic as well, I would recommend purchasing one of the various omnibus collections as it will save you money in the long run. If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, definitely get the original books as they will hold their value. I’m giving issue one of Doctor Solar four out of five stars.