This may not be one of the most iconic Atom covers by Kane, but it has always been one of my personal favourites. One of the key aspects of The Atom's aesthetic appeal is how the little guy looks while in motion. The multi-panel cover of Mr. Palmer bouncing off the eraser is a real treat. DC didn't do too many of these multi-panel covers during the 1960s, so it is quite unique. Like many covers, I really wish that they had cut down on the dialogue, as the verbose thought balloons detract from the overall impact of the cover. I think it would have been great it he said "One", "Two", "Three", "Boom" or something along those lines. I put together a complete run of Atom books quite a few year ago, and the are truly a sight to behold when you lay that all out in a row. Thursday, January 13, 2011
Gil Kane Cover of the Month: Atom #4
This may not be one of the most iconic Atom covers by Kane, but it has always been one of my personal favourites. One of the key aspects of The Atom's aesthetic appeal is how the little guy looks while in motion. The multi-panel cover of Mr. Palmer bouncing off the eraser is a real treat. DC didn't do too many of these multi-panel covers during the 1960s, so it is quite unique. Like many covers, I really wish that they had cut down on the dialogue, as the verbose thought balloons detract from the overall impact of the cover. I think it would have been great it he said "One", "Two", "Three", "Boom" or something along those lines. I put together a complete run of Atom books quite a few year ago, and the are truly a sight to behold when you lay that all out in a row. 
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2 comments:
Scott: even this Atom cover (I also have those early books and I agree, they're gems) has an amount of text that it would be hard to imagine going through the Atom's mind as he performs the depicted action. But Stan Lee was the absolute master of impossible quantities of dialogue during action sequences. For evidence I would cite the issues of Daredevil in the 20s, particularly the 1st appearance of Leap-frog in ish 25, and especially page 18!
I agree re. Stan. Some of the later dialogue-free Daredevil covers (I'm think the Statue of Liberty one, and the Captain America one) are vast improvements.
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