X-Men vs. Agents of Atlas (2009) #1

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Ok, so I’m not sure it’s really a “versus” book. I mean, sure, it’s got the Atlas guys fighting the X-Men, but it’s really just an Agents of Atlas issue with an X-Men crossover (much like the New Avengers crossover early in the Atlas series).

Parker does an unsurprisingly fantastic job, though I wish there’d been a little more recap–I can’t remember if Venus got snatched in the Atlas finale, though I know for sure Parker did start laying the groundwork. He mixes the unfunny X-Men brilliantly with the humorous, but serious, Atlas team.

Pagulayan’s artwork is excellent as always, a slick modern Marvel style without sacrificing expressiveness. The backup, which is just a fun insert instead of dramatically important, has lovely art from Samnee. Along with the other Atlas backups, it does more to establish the series’s perceived playfulness than anything in the modern stories.

Agents of Atlas (2009) #11

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Parker wraps it all up nicely, answering some half-asked questions (i.e. what was the dragon thinking sending him over to see Jade Claw without a briefing), while not seeming like he’s doing anything abrupt. There’s even something organic about it, since Temugin joined the team at the start and now he’s off on his own, returning the status quo.

Unfortunately, the art’s split between Hardman and Panosian, with an emphasis on Panosian, so it doesn’t look as good as it could. But Parker nicely does an almost all-action issue, giving the impression of no dramatic points or even breathers (but they’re there, in fact, the the issue takes place over two days, but I didn’t remember that point–having read it ten minutes ago–until I looked back).

It’s a fine close to the series–Parker gets most of his threads closed.

But I need more Atlas.

Agents of Atlas (2009) #10

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Is Parker’s intent to make me cry, to weep for this brilliant comic book in its second-to-last issue of the ongoing? Because he’s close to successful. I mean, wow. Parker turns in maybe the best “team” book issue I can remember reading here. It’s a perfect comic book (even if the coloring on Hardman’s art is a little problematic in the darker scenes).

Let’s see, Parker gets in a lot of story (he even introduces a new subplot, which is kind of mean, given there’s only one more issue), with the threat of the Jade Claw being a big thing, but there’s also lots of character stuff. The comic’s separated into chapters and when it gets to Bob’s (titled “The Smart Guy”), it’s devastating how much is being put on him, and Parker’s showing it to us, even though Bob doesn’t say a word the entire time.

Wonderful.

Agents of Atlas (2009) #9

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Do I complain too much about artist changes on Agents of Atlas? Because, if I do, I’m going to really seem like I can’t stop as I’m now going to complain about Dan Panosian. He does an adequate job, but he really doesn’t have enough fluidity to his forms, especially given how much action this issue ends up having.

I think Parker knew the ongoing series was winding down at this point, because he’s tying it all together here. It’s maybe the first issue I finished reading and didn’t really have an impression from. It’s good stuff, but there’s nothing lasting about it. There are some nice details–the intro of the opposing dragon, if a misfire, is well executed and it’s hard not to smile at Parker’s treatment of Bruce Banner–but it just doesn’t add up to anything concrete.

I hope it’s not a sign Parker’s lost interest.

Agents of Atlas (2009) #8

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Maybe I need to take a break from going through these straight because everything’s starting to run together. I’d totally forgotten Suwan (not just the name, but the character), though seeing the team in action against the Hulk is fun. Unfortunately, Pagulayan is back and there’s, once again, something way too finished about his art for this book. Maybe for the “Dark Reign” issues I can see it, him doing the “new” Marvel house style, but as Agents of Atlas starts to figure out what it’s going to do without being a tie-in series, he just seems wrong. He spends way too much time on the Hulk’s hair styling, for example.

Lots of references to stuff in between the limited series and the ongoing to confuse the heck out of me, but Parker does well, even in with the “Dark Reign” constraints still somewhat present.

They need some fun.

Agents of Atlas (2009) #7

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Parker basically undoes what he did in the previous issue–the Namor and Namora romance, at least the impending nuptials–as fast as he can. There are some backstory developments and some supporting cast developments, but it’s really just an excellent exercise in drama. Parker’s undoing of this romance, he does it in one issue instead of twelve (the modern story-arc is so much different than even fifteen years ago), is superior because of his storytelling ability.

It’s hard to imagine the narrative going any differently–especially with all that undersea life for Bob to get naughty, touchy-feely thoughts about–and there’s where Parker truly succeeds. Even though it’s a fast resolution, which retcons Namor and Namora’s entire existence, Parker sells it.

The issue is apparently the last one with the “Dark Reign” tag on the front, which Parker clearly references in the issue, with Jimmy discussing it.

Agents of Atlas (2009) #6

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What am I going to say about him doing a breather issue with the sixth? Ostensibly, it’s another action issue–there’s the cover promised fight between the Agents and the Atlanteans–but it’s really this mellow, relaxing sixty-two year payoff in the story between Namor and Namora. Parker doesn’t miss the opportunity for humor (underseas hillbillies), but it’s really just a nice issue.

Having Gabriel Hardman on the art helps, since he did the flashback scenes in the previous four issues and seems to have a better grasp of the Agents of Atlas at rest than anyone else has so far in this series.

Parker has time not just for his humor, his romance, his fight scenes and his catch-up (the way M-11 gets put back together is just awesome–and off-page), his also has time to develop Jimmy’s character.

It’s the best issue so far.

Agents of Atlas (2009) #5

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The “Dark Reign” tie-in, at least the storyline Parker started with, ends here with a rather convenient uncontrollable outburst from killer robot M-11. It ties into the first issue’s backup story, which probably cuts down on Atlas‘s accessibility to new readers, but certainly rewards the faithful.

Pagulayan’s return is a double-edged sword, while it does present the guest-starring New Avengers in a more familiar light, it (and Parker’s general approach to the narrative) make eighty percent of the issue feel like New Avengers with Agents of Atlas guesting. It’s a neat device, presently the New Avengers with their traditional introduction, but it’s disconcerting, especially for a book only on its fifth issue.

Unexpectedly, Parker makes Temugin into a full member of the team, while still using him as comic relief. It’s a nice move, if sudden (this issue eschews a straight follow-through from the last).

Agents of Atlas (2009) #4

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Parker brings his two stories together to great success, even if Clayton Henry’s art is uglier this time around (last issue they seemed to be going some kind of connection to Pagulayan’s–here it’s clean and bright, kind of like art on action figure packaging).

But, again, Hardman’s art makes up for it. Parker ties his two stories together with a nod toward Brubaker’s recent Captain America flashbacks–seeing Gorillaman in a Brubaker and Epting Cap scene is a little nutty and not at all played for humor, Parker’s way too subtle for it (which makes him a little different from Marvel’s last wunderkind, Dan Slott)–but also with a hint at the depth of the future stories. It’s Levitz’s ABC method, only applied to Marvel (but in a very pre-Didio DC way).

The issue ends with everything brought modern, which gives it a lovely feel. Parker’s just fantastic.

Agents of Atlas (2009) #3

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Frank Cho likes women with big bottoms, Clayton Henry likes women with big foreheads. To each his own. I thought Henry was one of those CG artists, but maybe not (didn’t he do that Venom/Carnage limited, the awful one by Milligan?). Anyway, I hate saying it, but I really missed Pagulayan’s grandeur this time around.

Thankfully, Gabriel Hardman is still doing the flashback art and the flashback is the primary story this issue. The split is basically the same–the flashback has this intriguing compelling story, the present day one does some “Dark Reign” lip service but also does some real character moments (this time between Namora and Venus).

There’s some momentum on the “Dark Reign” tie-in building, along with the title tying into the bigger Marvel Universe (is a Bucky Captain America cameo the Marvel equivalent of a Superman cameo or a Batman cameo? Wolverine’s Batman, right?).