Solar: Man of the Atom #6 Review


What will space have in store for Erica next? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

SOLAR VS. OUTER SPACE. Erica is trapped far from Earth, and every alien wants to kill her. So Erica’s really only got one option: Fight outer space. It’s one weird girl and her energy ghost dad vs. EVERYTHING in the universe, brought to you by FRANK J. BARBIERE (Five Ghosts, New Avengers) and JONATHAN LAU (Codename: Action)!

Solar06CovSubscriptLauSolar: Man of the Atom has been a fantastic series, with Erica falling into the role perfectly. Sadly the quality drops slightly in this issue, as though overall this is entertaining, with some fun moments, it also felt rather uneventful for the better part. Despite this there was some excitement, with the final sequence leaving room for thought.

Frank Barbiere has been doing an amazing job on this series, as though I feel his best work comes from his creator owned series, Solar has constantly been an entertaining tale. Giving yet more engaging dialogue, Barbiere really allows what is otherwise an uneventful tale to be very dramatic. He also gives us a wonderful glimpse into Erica’s past, with it setting up current events nicely. I did however find the overall lighthearted tone to be a little underwhelming, taking away from the latter events which were very exciting.

Jonathan Lau continues to handle the artwork on this arc, with the immaculate detail as astonishing as ever. Delivering some of the most fluid layouts I’ve ever seen, Lau manages to give an engaging tone to this outing, allowing for the more uneventful moments to have a little bit of energy. He also gives some deep character emotion, with Erica’s enjoyment being clearly on display. It is however the flashbacks that impressed me most, as between the detailed, gripping pencils and soft colours of Omi Remalante and Luigi Anderson allowing for a light tone.

Solar: Man of the Atom #6 may not be the most exciting entry in the series, but the dialogue and character interaction remains as enthralling as ever. The use of flashbacks also allow for a more immersive read, making up for the overall lack of events. Recommended.

OUR RATING
7
  • + Astounding artwork from Jonathan Lau.
  • + Fantastic use of flashbacks.
  • + Frank Barbiere produces some amazing dialogue.
  • - Rather uneventful on the whole.

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