DCU Comic Book Reviews

THE ALL NEW ATOM #15

Hunt For Ray Palmer, Part Four:  Loss Leader

November 2007

Written by Gail Simone

Pencils by Mike Norton

Inks by Trevor Scott

Cover by Ladrönn

Synopsis

The Challengers from Beyond have been joined in the search for Ray Palmer by Kyle Rayner, formerly known as Ion and Green Lantern.  Kyle is about to lead the on when a giant hand reaches down and pulls Ryan Choi back to Ivy Town.  The hand belongs to Dean Mayland, who tells Ryan he is needed to save the town.  At the moment, Panda, wearing Ryan’s spare belt, and the Giant Head, wearing a cape, are trying to save the town from an attack by the giant lizard Gosana and the reptile Kame-Komori, creatures that were supposed to be fictional monsters from Japanese horror films.  At first Ryan tries to stop the creatures from fighting until he realizes they are actually mating.  After Ryan helps the creatures, he visits Dean Mayland.  Ryan wants to know why he is helping him now when before they were against each other.  Mayland tells Rya he is trying to protect Ryan, from ray Palmer.  Ray never wanted Ryan to become the Atom, but rather Ray’s sidekick, Neutrino.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

For the past couple of issues, this book’s connection to Countdown has made the search for Ray Palmer problematic because it is happening in two different books but in different places and encountering different threats.  Somehow the two books just did not mesh.  Hell, even the release couldn’t match the story.  The events in this issue take place before the events in Countdown #33, which is fine except for the fact that The All New Atom was released week before then (as noted by the “Countdown 34” logo on the bar code on the cover).  DC couldn’t wait an extra week before releasing this issue?  Just a measly extra seven (actually six because of the Labor Day Holiday) days?

The bad news is that the manner in which the story “ends” is annoying because it is obvious that the rest, minus Ryan, are continuing onward to find Ray.  So, what exactly was the reason to include Ryan in the first place?  I understand that as the new Atom it seems logical that he would want to be involved in the search, but then this book is telling us that he won’t be.  Why even bother to put him in there in the first place if Ryan is not the one to find him?  My own opinion on that is when Simone first started this book she had a plan to search for Ray Palmer (see:  taxi driver) and thus was forced to alter her plan to make it fit with Countdown. 

The good news is that Simone finally got rid of that storyline and can focus on what she wants to do with it rather than what the editors tell her to do.  Because of that, after the first four pages, the rest of the issue supports the usual maniac, hilarious adventures that this book is noted for.  From the sight of the Head with a cape, Panda in uniform, the scientists arguing over what to do with the monsters, and, of course, the ultimate solution to dealing with the beasts are typical of this book.  For me, I like the off-kilter view Simone has adopted.  Moreover, I think the book will definitely get better as Mayland and Ryan continue to butt heads. 

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