Agents of Atlas #1: Assemble!

The newest Agents of Atlas make their magnificent return in a brand new five issue miniseries, kicking off with a first issue that is full of action and surprise.

Agents of Atlas #1 brings together an expansive cast of characters with unbelievable heart and relatability. This is a team that will no doubt face their share of tribulations, but they have also began to place sincere trust in one another, especially after the fiery events during the “New Agents of Atlas” War of the Realms tie-in. Their budding relationship sets the foundation for a story that feels both substantial and heartfelt, not just another gimmick to capitalize on the surprise success of the team.

Writer Greg Pak has a knack for big “comic book” type stories like this, so it’s exciting to see just what is possible with such an interesting group of heroes. The artwork has moments of greatness, making particularly good usage of backgrounds in the cramped city locations. The team looks dynamic and the colors are incredibly vivid. The variation of green in Amadeus Cho’s skin tone depending on the environment is a great indicator of the attention to detail and overall care put into this book.

While the story itself can begin to feel cumbersome simply due to the number of characters involved, the length of the book luckily allows it to breathe when it matters most. It doesn’t just transition from one action sequence to the next, it develops the characters in a genuine way through exploring the struggles of rising to prominence as younger superheroes. This is a smart approach specifically due to how much has been introduced regarding this team recently.

Ultimately, all the right pieces are there for an engaging story centered around this new surprise hit team at Marvel. Greg Pak’s recent work with these characters from the Sword Master and Aero spinoffs to this new Agents of Atlas mini, have all been stunning. It’s not just an achievement for Asian superheroes, it’s one for the entire genre! I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Finally, I can’t ignore the additional story featuring the original Agents of Atlas. While it isn’t quite as remarkable as the main story from Pak, it is still very much worthwhile. Jeff Parker and Carlo Pagulayan obviously have a story with weight to tell, but it might just need more time to develop. It’s a fun short, but right now, it doesn’t necessarily add anything of particular importance. I’m sure that will change soon though!