Written by: Ryan Parrott, John Ridley
Art by: Mike Perkins
Colors by: Adriano Lucas
Letters by: Wes Abbott
Cover art by: Mike Perkins (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: January 1, 2025
Justice League: The Atom Project #1, by DC Comics on 1/1/25, finds Captain Atom placing himself in the hands of The Atoms as a guinea pig to restore everyone's powers.
Is Justice League: The Atom Project #1 Good?
Plot Synopsis
The issue begins with Captain Nathaniel Adam, aka Captain Atom, quietly on the run from military forces. After the events of Absolute Power, Captain Atom was one of the unfortunate heroes who lost his powers, and it appears he isn't coping well with being human again.
Captain Atom is eventually stopped by a squad of military officers led by Ray Palmer, aka The Atom. We see through an extended flashback that Palmer/Atom and Ryan Choi/Atom tirelessly work to help civilians who randomly acquired powers (called "Unsubs") by bringing them aboard the Watchtowers research facility. Conversely, Captain Atom volunteers as a guinea pig for the Atoms' experiments in the hope that restoring his problems will lead to a cure for everyone else.
Privately, the Atoms are at odds over Palmer's optimism versus Choi's realistic expectations.
As the issue progresses, the story is narrated by two unseen, unnamed voices meticulously watching everything Captain Atom does.
The issue concludes when Captain Atom refuses to return quietly, Palmer/Atom orders the military to open fire on his patient, and Captain Atom escapes using new powers he mysteriously acquired between the flashback and now.
First Impressions
Justice League: The Atom Project #1 isn't terrible, nor is it great. There's an interesting idea at the heart of Ryan Parrott and John Ridley's story that makes it feel unique to any other All-In debut so far. That said, there's a basic miss in this first issue and a secondary concern that makes me nervous about where this story is headed.
How’s the Art?
Mike Perkins's art style may be a hit or a miss, depending on your taste for DC's typical house style. Perkins relies on photo references and rotoscoping techniques to present his character work. Sometimes, the result is great, but in other cases, it's a tough sell. For example, Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi are ethnically far apart, yet you can't tell who is who in several panels. Perkins is the kind of artist who favors style over details, so your mileage may vary.
What’s great about Justice League: The Atom Project #1?
Justice League: The Atom Project #1 focuses on the fallout of Absolute Power with a more serious tone and sense of drama than any other All-In launch, except for, perhaps, Black Lightning. Readers with a hunger for the sci-fi facet of the DC Universe will like the Atoms talking shop and solving problems. Plus, Parrot and Ridley have an opportunity to shine a spotlight on genius heroes who aren't Mr. Terrific.
What’s not great about Justice League: The Atom Project #1?
As hinted above, the weak spots of this issue fall into two buckets.
First, the hook is present but super weak. The ending suggests something happened to Captain Atom to give him powers different than his original, and some mysterious duo is watching him. The hook is a goal that demands your attention, but at the end of this issue, the best you could surmise is that the hook is either "How did Captain Atom get powers?" or "Who are the two narrators?" That's not much to go on.
Second, Ray Palmer's confident decision to order the military to open fire on Captain Atom is concerning. Ray Palmer has his faults, but displaying outright fascist behavior isn't normally one of them. Also, a comic about a "medical patient" who refuses to be taken back for treatment by force sounds a little too much like Parrot and Ridley are trying to make a statement about government overreach (*cough*vaccine mandates*cough*). It's unclear if political messaging, which is John Ridley's go-to approach, is where this series is headed, but the ending may make savvy readers nervous.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Justice League: The Atom Project #1 has an interesting idea at its core, but the execution is, to be generous, uneven. Ryan Parrot and John Ridley seize the opportunity to focus on the science (fiction) perspectives of DC with underrated and underappreciated heroes. However, the premise lacks a strong hook, and the ending is more off-putting than the creators probably intended.
6/10
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I think you are too harsh on this issue. The hook not being strong enough is very subjective and I didn't get enough reasons for why it's 'weak'. It was interesting enough. Why is Captain Atom acting this way? How did he end up with this much power? Also the whole vaccine thing is overreaching for me, at least for now. I didn't get any indication it is going to go that way so far especially cause the issue isn't necessarily applauding every action the Atoms in particular Rey is taking nor Captain Atom's situation resembles anything like a covid situation without stretching it so far that by that point anything could be argued (Seriously where did that come from??) but maybe I am not privy to all the info you might have heard about where this run is going or what is going to be discussed. If there is going to be this much scrutiny for these kind of details, I wish then it was spent more on Zdarsky's Batman and King's Wonder Woman which aren't getting nearly as harsh treatment as this. (Even Absolute Batman to some extent). By these standards those should get no higher than a 3 each issue (deservedly)
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion I think this issue was different and interesting. They actually spent time on showing the intelligence of the scientists instead of just saying "well they did a science oops" which happens a lot and it was also coupled with a lot of heroic action that showcased the individual personalities and dynamics nicely and with fitting tone and dialogue too. However I agree on art, it was difficult to recognise the Atoms from each other. 7 out of 10. (So far)