DC Secret Files Podcast Vol. XII: DC Comics Presents The Atom & Hawkman

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The twelfth episode of our DC SECRET FILES podcast — the show that dares to tackle DC Comics’ greatest creations in encyclopedic form! Each episode, Frank will be joined by a special guest, in this case, veteran blogger & podcrasher Martin Gray, of Too Dangerous For A Girl, to cover characters and concepts from across DC’s history. Our discussion of the given property will be married to a piece of original art commissioned by DC to spotlight the same. This time around, we chat about 2004’s DC Comics Presents: Hawkman #1, by Cary Bates & John Byrne and Kurt Busiek & Walter Simonson; and DC Comics Presents: The Atom #1, by Dave Gibbons & Pat Olliffe and Mark Waid & Dan Jurgens, as well as a host of other talents. Plus we cover YOUR feedback!

1. D.E.O. Report [0:00:58]
2. Cover Story: Hawkman [0:02:51]
3. [Silver Age] Hawkman (JLA-Z) art by José Luis García-López [0:16:47]
4. [Silver Age] Hawkwoman (JLA-Z) art by Sal Velluto & Bob Almond [0:30:49]
5. Cover Story: The Atom [0:45:42]
6. The Atom (JLA-Z) art by Mike Wieringo & Karl Kesel [0:49:30]
7. Dr. Light Profile Page art by Rags Morales [1:06:24]
8. Hawkman in “Visitors Day” by Bates, Byrne, Stucker, & Co. [1:22:10]
9. Chronos (JLA-Z) art by Peter Pachoumis & Aaron Sowd [1:31:20]
10. Shadow-Thief Profile Page art by Richard Case [1:42:16]
11. Hawkman in “Love in the Air"” by Busiek, Simonson, Wiacek & Co. [1:51:30]
12. [Silver Age] Zatanna (JLA-Z) art by Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan Jr. [1:54:29]
13. The Gentleman Ghost Profile Page art by Bryan Talbot [2:10:02]
14. The Atom in “Ride a Deadly Grenade!” by Gibbons, Olliffe, Livesay, & Co. [2:26:09]
15. Animal Man (DC Cosmic Cards) art by Tom Mandrake [2:32:02]
16. Deadman Profile Page art by Anthony Williams [2:46:33]
17. The Atom in “Ride a Deadly Grenade!” by Waid, Jurgens, Jon Bogdanove, & Co. [2:58:23]
18. Confidential Communiqués [3:08:05]

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E-MAIL: rolledspinepodcasts@gmail.com
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DC Secret Files theme song by Luke Daab

Animal Man #2 (December, 2011)

Blood tinged "tattoos" erupted across Buddy Baker's skin. His son Cliff was sent to fill in the graves of the undead animals Maxine had reanimated. Maxine pointed out that the "tattoos" were a map to "The Red Place," from which their powers originated. A bigoted neighbor caught Cliff and led him around by the back of the neck. Maxine turned his arm into that of a bird, which proved quite painful, and lasted until Ellen convinced her daughter to reverse the effect. Buddy told his wife to call Detective Krenshaw to help smooth over the neighbor problem, while he and Maxine would have to travel to the Red Place for answers. With the guidance of local animals, father and daughter found their way to the universe of meat and blood called "The Red." Meanwhile, the Hunters Three erupted from hippos at a zoo to devour and assume human form in search of "the avatar."

"The Hunt Part Two: Maps" was by Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman. It was another solid issue advancing an intriguing storyline with nice art, but now I've got the Yeah Yeah Yeahs stuck in my head. "Ma-a-a-a-ps, wait! They don't love you like I love you..."

New 52's Day

• Aquaman #9 (July, 2012) @ Justice League Detroit
• Stormwatch #9 (July, 2012) @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• 2012 Capstone DC Super-Pets! advertisement @ Power of the Atom
• DC Comics - The New 52 FCBD Special Edition #1 (June, 2012) @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman

Animal Man #1 (November, 2011)

Buddy Baker was a stuntman, had dabbled in acting with an independent picture, and was getting back into super-heroing after a bit of a hiatus. At home, he fretted over how he came off in a magazine interview while his wife Ellen cooked dinner. Daughter Maxine was obnoxiously persistent in trying to get a pet doggy with a bit more life than her stuffed doll, Mr. Woofers. Buddy explained once again that his animal powers would zero in too much on an in-house pet, plus the death toll on previous pets was already at two. Son Cliff ran into the kitchen with word of a hostage situation on the news, so Ellen let Buddy fly off as Animal Man to check it out. Besides, it was a role her husband had just too much fun playing.

Detective Krenshaw greeted "A-Man" at the children's hospital where the grieving father of a deceased cancer patient was in denial and demanding the return of his daughter. Animal Man entered the building and tried to reason with the guy, but when shots were fired, he swiftly tapped into the morphogenetic field to survive and conquer. However, Buddy's eyes began to spontaneously bleed. After getting checked out by a doctor, Buddy returned home to his sleeping family.



Slipping into bed, Buddy had a nightmare about being in a twisted, dead forest. Cliff had been eviscerated by Maxine, who was being served by a mammoth Mr. Woofers. Maxine was on the run from "the hunters," and hid in a river of blood. Buddy's body deteriorated into nothing but brain and nerve endings, and he was caught out in the open by terrifying creatures.
"We are the Rot in the Red."
"We are flesh made sickness."
"We are your child's true fathers. The Hunters Three."

Buddy woke with a start in the night, only to find his wife gone. Hearing a call from the back yard, Buddy found his horrified family. Maxine was kneeling on the lawn, Mr. Woofers in her lap, petting one of the ten animal corpses that she had reanimated. "I-I'm sorry, daddy. I just wanted a pet of my own."

"The Hunt Part One: Warning From The Red" was by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Dan Green.

New 52's Day

• Action Comics #7 (May, 2012) @ Power of the Atom
• Aquaman #8 (June, 2012) @ Justice League Detroit
• Stormwatch #8 (June, 2012) @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• Wonder Woman #8 (June, 2012) @ Diana Prince