By: Jeff Parker (writer), Gabriel Hardman (artist), Elizabeth Breitweiser (colorist), Ramon Rosanas (backup story artist and colorist), Nathan Cosby (associate editor), Mark Paniccia (senior editor)
The Story: The new 3-D Man (Delroy Garrett) is flipping out and his mysterious memories are challenging everyone. Whose memories are right? In the meantime, another Atlas evil empire rebellion is in full swing in Iceland.
What’s Good: Parker’s character work is always fun. Particularly well done are Lao (chewing on a bull hindquarter like I’d chew on a chicken leg) and Hale (who has no end of snappy one-liners and smart-ass remarks). And the tremendous world-building that has to go into every issue of Atlas (the underground culture, the hidden conspiracy-filled past, the weirdness of the characters’ origins, the weirdness of their foes) generates that sense of wonder that I look for in comic books, fantasy and science fiction. It’s the brain-stretching “I-wish-I’d-thought-of-that” feeling. Nice work, Mr. Parker.
Artwise, Hardman, Rosanas and Breitwesier carry a strong issue with dynamic action, expressive faces and gritty scenery. The underground stonework looks textured and stony. Lao looks wrinkled and tactile, as do the zombies with power generators on their back. The art teams make the story look real, which is one of the highest compliments I have for art.
What’s Not So Good: Venus Ex Machina. This is usually my biggest problem with an Atlas story. No matter the punches thrown, the clever plans or the action-filled heroics, the resolution to many (I’m not saying all) conflicts seems to come down to Venus singing us a song. Lao going to munch on a guest? Venus can sing. Giant Icelandic monsters giving you a hard time? Venus can sort that out too. Venus as a character seems really to be a Thor-level game changer, so in the long term, having her with a gorilla and a guy with a gun is going to cause some storytelling problems. Her siren powers have some practical limitations, but when she can’t use them, her group dynamic role becomes that of a pretty target. I think that the writers and editors at Marvel need to (a) lay some clearer limitations around her power (for example: how long can she sing? how many people can she sing to at once? what is the source of her power? can it be drained? etc) and (b) give her character more dimensionality than just being the big gun they pull out with M-11. (I should also note that Atlas #2 almost became a contender for this week’s award for cover that has the least to do with the story.)
Conclusion: Parker and team have delivered a solid Atlas adventure to comic shops. The story is high-concept with a great mystery element and is well-executed by the art team. Pick it up.
Grade: B-
-DS Arsenault
Filed under: Marvel Comics Tagged: | 3-D Man, Agents of Atlas, Atlas, Atlas #2, Atlas #2 review, Comic Book Reviews, comic books, comic reviews, Comics, DS Arsenault, Elizabeth Breitweiser, Gabriel Hardman, Jeff Parker, Jimmy Woo, Ken Hale, M-11, Mark Paniccia, Marvel Boy, Marvel Comics, Namora, Nathan Cosby, Ramon Rosanas, Reviews, Uranian, Venus, Weekly Comic Book Review, Yellow Claw
Agreed…this was a fun issue, but I’m mostly digging on the art. I think I’d buy anything that Hardman does.
What Venus needs is a D&D Monster Manual type entry describing the radius of her singing power and how many turns it last and whether the bad guys get to make a saving throw.