Atlas #0
Bluewater Productions
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Created by: Darren G. Davis
Pencils: Mark Brooks
Inks: Clayton Brown
Colors: Jason Kieth
Letters: Robie Robbins
Reviewer: Warren David Wesson
Summary: “After commanding the Titans in their war against the Olympians, Atlas was forced to hold up the heavens on his shoulders. His life was a tragic story of a lone God fighting boredom on Mount Olympus. However, monitoring the earth from above, Atlas watched Earth change and the emergence of super powered beings donning capes and tights. Growing restless and craving adventure, Atlas decides to take the world in his hands and become one of the Earth's newest heroes. However, learning the superhero game is not going to be easy for him as Atlas fights against one of the oldest superpowers in history!”
Review: Darren G Davis, head of ‘recently departed from Diamond Comics’ Bluewater Productions, based in Vancouver, Washington has created a line of superhero children's books based on self-created character Atlas called ABC's for Superheroes, 123's for Superheroes and Superheroes Guide to the Planets. Mark Brooks delivers a stellar performance on the art. Marv Wolfman wastes no time getting to it. Atlas says after seeing how much fun it looks like from his heavenly perspective it is to be a Superhero, I don’t want to be a God anymore … I want to be a Superhero. So he literally, drops the ball, or “The Heavens”, or what appears to look like the Earth, tells his fellow Gods, “ok, that’s it I’m done. See yah.” Blows off Mount Olympus and everyone on it “We didn’t want yah anyway” and comes to earth to be king Superhero..
His first encounter in this issue that I read pits him right away against Venice Beach Weightlifter Baddies. Like the Charles Atlas ads of old except, he’s not the skinny dude who gets punked, he’s the real Atlas and all these huge body builders are the punks. Everyone loves him. Well the girls do anyway, which is what sets off the first “battle” and it’s right here, I have one point of mention, this is the point the team lose site of the prize I think, the audience they are after. Clearly stated in the mission mandate, Atlas is intended for a children’s audience. Children do not care how sexy, scant clad huge breasted women on Venice Beach think Atlas is. Is he married? All that stuff. They want to see Super Stuff only. Again the art is good even through this bog of confusion. It certainly had me confused. I didn’t have the benefit of knowing who the target demographic was the first time I read it. There you have it from Wes World on that one.
When one is going to create for a child audience, one would do well to remember who’s paying for it. The kids might not care but stick to the mandate, or change the mandate as I can assure you the parents do. Now don’t run out and order this thinking it’s a sexual game changer either, it’s just some really nice detailed art in the wrong place… and some silly writing that simply will not appeal to kids. There are some beautiful extra panels by other artists as well at the end you can get with your purchase. Atlas is a well-developed superhero character and most likely could survive in any superhero corporate universe. So Mr. Brooks, awesome artist, he makes this tricky bit easy to plod through, this confusing bit of Marv Wolfmans take on Atlas, drawing up some really easy on my eyes panels while the character gets comfortable in his new digs.. Venice Beach California.
My favorite part of the story comes at the end. We get introduced to out of circumstance, and Wolfman certainly redeems himself herein my eyes, a geriatric super villain, looks like Stew Griffin might near the end of days, whose name is, are you ready for this? Evil. Evil and Atlas bump into each other at a rooming house and there is one room left. Atlas has it out for a second time as Evil & Atlas both decide they want to rent the room, Evil’s pretty strong for an Old Man. Stronger than those punks at The Beach …. during the course of the scuffle, the Landlord points out there are two beds, so they decide to become roomies. Which I totally though was an interesting spin.
Hero and villain roomies. I liked it after I realized who Marv was writing to & I hope it continues but the book surely needs to decide who the audience is. The art was awesome. Please don’t change it. All the goodies at the end were lovely. A few panels could have been scrapped and so could some of the dialogue and I would recommend this to virtually anyone with kids. As is, I would put it in the young teen category.
WW
kids comic 1 out 5
........ as a young teen book a 3 out 5
Bluewater Productions
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Created by: Darren G. Davis
Pencils: Mark Brooks
Inks: Clayton Brown
Colors: Jason Kieth
Letters: Robie Robbins
Reviewer: Warren David Wesson
Summary: “After commanding the Titans in their war against the Olympians, Atlas was forced to hold up the heavens on his shoulders. His life was a tragic story of a lone God fighting boredom on Mount Olympus. However, monitoring the earth from above, Atlas watched Earth change and the emergence of super powered beings donning capes and tights. Growing restless and craving adventure, Atlas decides to take the world in his hands and become one of the Earth's newest heroes. However, learning the superhero game is not going to be easy for him as Atlas fights against one of the oldest superpowers in history!”
Review: Darren G Davis, head of ‘recently departed from Diamond Comics’ Bluewater Productions, based in Vancouver, Washington has created a line of superhero children's books based on self-created character Atlas called ABC's for Superheroes, 123's for Superheroes and Superheroes Guide to the Planets. Mark Brooks delivers a stellar performance on the art. Marv Wolfman wastes no time getting to it. Atlas says after seeing how much fun it looks like from his heavenly perspective it is to be a Superhero, I don’t want to be a God anymore … I want to be a Superhero. So he literally, drops the ball, or “The Heavens”, or what appears to look like the Earth, tells his fellow Gods, “ok, that’s it I’m done. See yah.” Blows off Mount Olympus and everyone on it “We didn’t want yah anyway” and comes to earth to be king Superhero..
His first encounter in this issue that I read pits him right away against Venice Beach Weightlifter Baddies. Like the Charles Atlas ads of old except, he’s not the skinny dude who gets punked, he’s the real Atlas and all these huge body builders are the punks. Everyone loves him. Well the girls do anyway, which is what sets off the first “battle” and it’s right here, I have one point of mention, this is the point the team lose site of the prize I think, the audience they are after. Clearly stated in the mission mandate, Atlas is intended for a children’s audience. Children do not care how sexy, scant clad huge breasted women on Venice Beach think Atlas is. Is he married? All that stuff. They want to see Super Stuff only. Again the art is good even through this bog of confusion. It certainly had me confused. I didn’t have the benefit of knowing who the target demographic was the first time I read it. There you have it from Wes World on that one.
When one is going to create for a child audience, one would do well to remember who’s paying for it. The kids might not care but stick to the mandate, or change the mandate as I can assure you the parents do. Now don’t run out and order this thinking it’s a sexual game changer either, it’s just some really nice detailed art in the wrong place… and some silly writing that simply will not appeal to kids. There are some beautiful extra panels by other artists as well at the end you can get with your purchase. Atlas is a well-developed superhero character and most likely could survive in any superhero corporate universe. So Mr. Brooks, awesome artist, he makes this tricky bit easy to plod through, this confusing bit of Marv Wolfmans take on Atlas, drawing up some really easy on my eyes panels while the character gets comfortable in his new digs.. Venice Beach California.
My favorite part of the story comes at the end. We get introduced to out of circumstance, and Wolfman certainly redeems himself herein my eyes, a geriatric super villain, looks like Stew Griffin might near the end of days, whose name is, are you ready for this? Evil. Evil and Atlas bump into each other at a rooming house and there is one room left. Atlas has it out for a second time as Evil & Atlas both decide they want to rent the room, Evil’s pretty strong for an Old Man. Stronger than those punks at The Beach …. during the course of the scuffle, the Landlord points out there are two beds, so they decide to become roomies. Which I totally though was an interesting spin.
Hero and villain roomies. I liked it after I realized who Marv was writing to & I hope it continues but the book surely needs to decide who the audience is. The art was awesome. Please don’t change it. All the goodies at the end were lovely. A few panels could have been scrapped and so could some of the dialogue and I would recommend this to virtually anyone with kids. As is, I would put it in the young teen category.
WW
kids comic 1 out 5
........ as a young teen book a 3 out 5