The Atom #7, July 1963
Atom and Hawkman (Silver Age versions) both celebrate 6oth anniversaries in 2021. Hawkman (and Hawkgirl) launched in Brave and Bold #34 in March 1961, while The Atom launched in Showcase #34 later that year.
34 must have been the lucky number in 1961.
This beautifully-rendered page is from the first team-up of the two characters in issue #7 of the Atom’s own title in 1963.
Murphy Anderson’s lush inks can often overpower any penciller, but here it’s relatively easy to spot Kane’s trademark style, especially in the final panel. Great storytelling and dynamic action from both characters help make this a terrific example from the issue.
Neither the solo Hawkman title, nor the solo Atom series ended up gaining much traction sales-wise, so as a final ploy later that decade, the two characters were merged together into one title. The gambit didn’t work, and both books disappeared from the stands by the end of 1969.
