Atomika

    (Speakeasy, 2005, 2011)
™ and © 2005 Sal Abbinati
Mercury Comics publishes from issue #5

After reading this first issue, the art, story, and direction of the series may leave readers confused and unsure as to whether they want to invest more time to gain comfort with all of the above. Sal Abbinanti’s art is a dark, disjointed style that is hard to follow at times. One can give him credit for trying something outside the norm, but it doesn’t add anything to readers’ comfort with the first issue of a new series. The story takes place in Moscow in 1929 and involves a Russia that has become a living machine, where worship is outlawed and the state is all that matters—a place where giant underground generators supply power and the trapped spirits of dead soldiers serve a dark purpose. It’s also where a new god named Atomika is created. But 30 pages of origin with no payoff indicating where the series is heading is a disappointment. It’s unclear what the purpose of creating this god is, and readers will be unsure whether they’re holding a super-hero story—or something else.

— Ian M. Feller

		Notes	Writer	Artist
	#1 Date:  3/1/2005 Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $2.25 5 copies available from $1.99		Andrew Dabb, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#1 Variation A Date:  3/1/2005 Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $10.00 No copies available	Sketch cover with Red/White Logo	Andrew Buzz, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#1 Variation B Date:  Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $2.99 1 copy available for $24.99	“God Is Red” text on bottom of cover	Andrew Dabb, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#1 Variation C Date:  4/1/2005 Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $300.00 1 copy available for $299.99	JayCompanyComics/RuppsWorld exclusive sketch edition variant limited to 400 copies	Andrew Dabb, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#2 Date:  4/2/2005 Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $2.50 3 copies available from $0.99		Andrew Dabb, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#3 Date:  5/3/2005 Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $2.50 5 copies available from $0.99		Andrew Dabb, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#4 Variation A Date:  7/1/2005 Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $3.25 2 copies available from $3.00	Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald cover	Andrew Dabb, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#4 Variation B Date:  7/1/2005 Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $4.00 1 copy available for $1.25	Buzz & Peter Steigerwald cover	Andrew Buzz, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#4 Variation C Date:  7/1/2005 Cover Price:  $9.99 NM Guide:  $1.75 1 copy available for $1.50	Turner sketch cover	Andrew Buzz, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#4 Variation D Date:  7/1/2005 Cover Price:  $9.99 NM Guide:  $9.99 No copies available	Buzz & Peter Steigerwald sketch cover	Andrew Buzz, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#5 Date:  Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $1.50 1 copy available for $1.25		Andrew Dabb, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#6 Date:  7/1/2005 Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $2.99 4 copies available from $1.25		Andrew Dabb, Sal Abbinanti	Sal Abbinanti
	#7 Date:  Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $2.75 5 copies available from $1.25		Andrew Dabb	Sal Abbinanti
	#8 Date:  7/1/2005 Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $1.50 2 copies available from $0.99		Andrew Dabb	Sal Abbinanti
	#9 Date:  Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $15.00 1 copy available for $1.75		Andrew Dabb	Sal Abbinanti
	#10 Date:  Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $5.00 1 copy available for $9.99		Andrew Dabb	Sal Abbinanti
	#11 Date:  Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $2.99 No copies available		Andrew Dabb	Sal Abbinanti
	#12 Date:  Cover Price:  $2.99 NM Guide:  $3.50 No copies available		Andrew Dabb	Sal Abbinanti
	Book #1 Date:  5/1/2006 Cover Price:  $19.99 NM Guide:  $10.00 No copies available	Collects Atomika #1–6	Andrew Dabb	Sal Abbinanti, Alex Ross, Glenn Fabry, Michael Turner, Andrew Buzz, David Mack, Tim Bradstreet, Steve Rude, John Romita, Angel Medina, Tony Dezuniga, Lucio Parrillo
	Book #2 Date:  Cover Price:  $19.99 NM Guide:  $19.99 No copies available	Collects Atomika #6-12; ca. 2011	Andrew Dabb	Sal Abbinanti, Andrew Buzz