DCU Comic Book Reviews

THE ALL-NEW ATOM #13

Hunt For Ray Palmer, Part Two:  Second Genesis

September 2007

Written by Gail Simone

Pencils by Mike Norton

Inks by Dan Scott

Cover by Ladronn

Synopsis

Ryan Choi (aka The Atom) and David Clinton (aka Chronos) are searching for Ray Palmer in the jungle, where Palmer had spent considerable time amongst a village of aliens that had been shrunken by white dwarf matter.  When they get close to the spot, Chronos pushes Choi into the river, where he barely escapes the teeth of an alligator.  When he washes up on shore, he is unconscious.  When he awakens, he finds himself tied up in the middle of an arena.  Because he claims to be a friend of Ray Palmer, he is forced to battle against giant snakes along with a member of a different tribe, Yawen.  They are able to defeat the snakes and then make their way to Yawen’s village, where he claims Ray Palmer is.  When they get there they find an impostor.  Suddenly the first tribe attacks Yawen’s tribe.  Choi stops the war, telling both tribes that Palmer is neither Demon nor God, but just a man.  Choi then leaves the villages and stumbles upon Jason Tood, Donna Troy, and a Monitor, who tell him they are there to take him to Ivy Town.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

“I Ray Pama!  Sci-ence!  Justice Leak! Trech-ery Woman!”

Usually I love the wackiness Simone infuses this title with, but this issue I could just not get into.  Part of that was the weird language the aliens were speaking.  The other part is that I am unfamiliar with the original Sword Of Atom series which this is based upon and therefore don’t really have any basis to see how faithful Simone was to the original concept (other than the “new” costume given to Choi, which matches what I have seen with the covers).  But I think it is mostly because not much happens in this issue.  To some, the Sword Of Atom was a remarkable, if divergent, take on the Atom mythology.  It would seem like an opportune time to really explore this idea in a couple of issues.  But Simone plows through it quickly.  It just seems like a lot of effort to re-introduce the concept and then drop it almost as quickly.  The ending comes too quickly.  Simon mightily tires to convince us of a happy ending, but the arguments that Palmer is just a man doesn’t seem like it would much weight and I think Simone realizes it as she gets Ryan out of there before seeing if it actually works. 

It seems like Simone had given the situation some thought.  As stated, the village was supposed to be destroyed in a fire.  A number of villagers who think Palmer is the demon are scarred, presumably from the fire.  Those not scarred consider Palmer a God.  As I said, a lot of thought for a story that led nowhere. 

Even at the end, Chronos’ role seems to have been disappeared.  Of course, whether this is because Countdown once more hijacked another series or if Simone has further plans for him down the road, who knows.

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