Agents of Atlas: Turf Wars
posted in comic books on 2010-02-06 19:45:26I've been on a collected editions kick as of late. I've gone back and re-read such Jim Starlin fare as the Infinity Gauntlet and his Silver Surfer issues (specifically his "Rebirth of Thanos" arc), as well as taking some looks at Alex Ross and Jim Kruegar's Project Superpowers. To top it all off, I finished up the first volume of Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus as well. In between the reading of all that heady comics material, I've managed to squeeze in what's become a must-have book: Agents of Atlas.
Although I loved the first collected edition, this second volume shows Jeff Parker really hitting his stride. The quips are just that much more effective, and even when the action is slowed, the dialog keeps you entertained without missing a beat. The issues dealing with Atlas in Atlantis are prime examples of this. There really wasn't that much action (or at least action pertaining to the overall story arc), but the dialog won out, and the interaction between the different Agents was fantastically written. In limited issues, Parker has given a great deal of personality to his team. If Marvel was smart, they'd make sure that these Agents of Atlas are given a solid push in this whole "Heroic Age" that they're selling us on after Siege. Seeing Gorilla-Man in two of the Heroic Age promos so far gives hope.
After dealing with underwater adventure, this volume really takes off when Jimmy Woo goes to war with a rival organization led by his former girlfriend - the daughter of the Yellow Claw. Parker goes the extra mile portraying a team that despite its obstacles can win with heart alone. The robot M-11 and his battles (and blow-ups) with the Jade Claw's more advanced robot are a prime example. In fact, the robot trash talking (especially when revealed as M-11 just humoring Gorilla-Man) was the highlight of the entire volume.
I think the ultimate appeal of Agents of Atlas lies in its utilization of science fiction archetypes. As mentioned before, you have a talking gorilla, a mermaid, a goddess, a killer robot and a spaceman. These are primary archetypes in science fiction culture. Jimmy Woo, on the other hand, is the everyman that the reader relates too. This ensemble is a spectacular collection of everything that is right with science fiction... and Jeff Parker writes them perfectly.
Despite this being the last collection of the regular series, Marvel has really been pushing Parker's work with this team. The Agents of Atlas have appeared in Thunderbolts and Incredible Hercules, plus they've had mini-series verses the X-Men and (currently) the Avengers (not to mention the Uranian mini-series). I'm just holding out hope that they stay on this kick and give this team a chance to catch on with more comic books fans.
tags: agents of atlas, jeff parker