Cold Cut Distribution's Feature Spotlight #43 - July/August 2000
The Atomics
| Publisher: | AAA Pop Comics |
| Writer & Artist: | Mike Allred |
| Colors: | Laura Allred |
| Cover Price: | $2.95 |
| Format: | 24 full-color pages |
| Frequency: | Monthly |
| Issues Available: | 7 |
Storyline:
When six street beatniks are mutated by an alien spore, they
become... mutant street beatniks, of course! As they gradually manage
to overcome their feelings of angst and isolation to team up, they
soon begin to find that their mutations have given them superhuman
powers. But their newfound camaraderie is immediately put to the test
when a strange teenage boy wearing a space-age suit appears out of
thin air and runs right into them, soon followed by a monstrous being
intent on catching the boy. After the team of mutant friends help the
newcomer resolve this little interdimensional problem, he joins their
team as "Zapman", and "The Atomics" are born! With a little help from
Madman himself, they build a secret underground lair and begin
preparing for their new life and adventures.
Writing Review:
Mike Allred takes some supporting characters from his popular Madman
series (the "mutant street beatniks") and spins them off into a series
of their own, venturing into monthly color self-publishing to do it!
The first four-issue story arc is structured in an unusual
way, starting with the climax (with the alien teenager
fighting the monstrous alien) with little explanation, then
doing flashbacks to present how the characters got there, and
the basic origins of the Atomics. It's an unusual approach,
but fairly effective for readers who picked up the first issue
- Mike tries to hit you with a slambang fight scene starring
Madman and the Atomics right up front, then slows down to
explain where they came from.
After the first four issues, The Atomics is settling into a
series of single-issue stories just right for grabbing the
curious new reader without turning them off with long
continuing stories. Issue 5 deals with the Atomics building
themselves a headquarters, and issue 6 gives the origin of
Zapman, the alien teen, as told in flashback form.
The general tone and tenor of the writing is reminiscent of
Silver Age Stan Lee, intentionally I'm sure. The Atomics
reminds one most of the original X-Men or of the early Doom
Patrol - a group of mutant outcasts banding together to fight
bad guys despite being ignored or even shunned by society.
Simple yet effective plots, straightforward dialogue, and
themes of cooperation in the face of adversity combine to
great effect in this throwback to the Silver Age.
![[ panels from Atomics ]](images/atomicsweb.gif)
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Art ©2000 by Mike Allred
Art Review:
As you can tell by the samples scanned here, Mike has started with his
well-known clean art style and taken it one step further, bringing
back the days of Silver Age Marvel with his Kirby-esque character
designs (from the heroes to the monsters) and Stan Lee-inspired
storytelling sense ("The World's Grooviest Comic Magazine!" proclaims
the cover). Madman's constant guest appearances look almost out of
place, as his 80's look nearly jolts you out of the 60's feel of the
rest of the book. Laura Allred's bold, flat colors are intentionally
reminiscent of the halcyon days of four-color printing. With
straightforward panel layouts and distinctive characters, The Atomics
is a sixties comics time-capsule for the new millennium.
Audience:
Mike has cleverly created two "instant audiences" for the Atomics: all
the many fans of Madman (and his other works like Red Rocket 7) will
love The Atomics since it not only brings much of his same offbeat
superheroic sensibilities to the table, but also every issue so far
has featured Madman in a guest appearance. Also, older fans who
fondly remember the classic days of early Marvel will enjoy this
loving tribute to their childhood favorites. The Atomics will also
appeal to fans of alternative superheroics such as the entire ABC line
(Tomorrow Stories, Tom Strong, etc), Pantheon, and Threshold, as well
as to fans of hip comics like Spyboy, Sugar Kat, and Rex Hellwig.
If you like Atomics, take a look at:
Cold Cut Distribution
220 N Main St. - Salinas, CA 93901 - (831) 751-7300