The Agents of ATLAS Thread

[NightBeetle]

Marvel Boy: Alien of Atlas

"We want to remind everyone around Marvel's 70th Anniversary that Bob Grayson is a hero from the 1950's, and that's the decade we stay in for this," says Parker of the three-part series. "You see him in AGENTS OF ATLAS in a very post-super hero mode, feeling out of place on Earth, so it's a good time to show him at the start of his adulthood, when he's very excited about being an adventurer and coming to his home planet.
"This is a part of Marvel embracing its long and action-packed history, that didn't just begin with the Silver Age. I think some readers will expect us to play with some of the conventions the way AGE OF SENTRY did, and we do to an extent, but I think people will come away finding they can identify with Bob way more than expected."

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Not sure about the art--it's really scratchy. But I'm excited for it nonetheless. More Atlas stuff!

 

[NDX]

I like the art except for the for the inset panel in the first page. That man looks like he fought a bear and lost.

 

[Dread]

I have really enjoyed the AGENTS OF ATLAS series. From the 6 issue mini from 2005 to various one-shot tales (such as in SPIDER-MAN FAMILY or SECRET INVASION: WHO DO YOU TRUST?) to their 11 issue ongoing series and now a new series of mini's. The characters are quirky and unique, and Jeff Parker really has a flair for their interaction as well as adventures. It's pulp meets modern superheroes.

What has surprised me the most is how well Marvel is sticking to promoting this franchise after sitting on it for a few years. From 2005 until 2008, it basically only got maybe one or two random one-shot stories per year in annual style comics. But now, not only did it get a decent push for DARK REIGN, but Marvel has refused to quit on them. Many times a book dies, it dies; just look at THE LONERS or CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13 (even if, to be fair, that made it 16 issues). Despite finishing up at 15k sales, Marvel was willing to have them appear in a mini with the X-Men, and soon the Avengers, and not including back-ups in INCREDIBLE HERCULES, and Marvel Boy's mini. Jeff Parker will also have them show up in THUNDERBOLTS.

Many times when a unique franchise dies, it is easy to blame Marvel for not promoting it well. This time, it won't be the case. Marvel is doing everything but have the Agents guest star in NEW AVENGERS or SIEGE. If this franchise never flies off the ground, no one will be able to blame Marvel for giving up on it. Frankly, I am pleasantly surprised it is getting such a push.

 

[NightBeetle]

Parker Deploys the Agents of Atlas

The Agents of Atlas are currently appearing monthly in a back-up feature in Marvels' "Incredible Hercules" series. The story, by Parker and artist Gabriel Hardman, is part of that title's "Assault on New Olympus" storyline and pits the Agents against the forces of the Olympian Gods. On December 16th, the Agents will find themselves even busier as Parker pits them against the title characters of his ongoing "Thunderbolts" series in a storyline that features art by Miguel Sepulveda. It's a two-part tale that will run through "Thunderbolts" #139-140.


"Editors Mark Paniccia and Bill Rosemann and I discussed it earlier, and I think the doubting Thomas was actually me, saying something like it seemed like an odd fit to get the teams together. And then, soon after I verbalized that, I realized that's why it should happen," Parker told CBR News. "Putting these two wildly different groups against each other was likely to take us somewhere unpredictable and interesting."
The coming clash between the T-Bolts and the AoA stems from the Agents' attempt to gather dirt on and deceive Norman Osborn in the early issues of their ongoing series. The team had approached Osborn using the cover of the Atlas Empire and offered the former Green Goblin access to advanced high-tech weaponry.


"The Agents finally dropped their fake partnership with Osborn, who was expecting lots of weaponry for [H.A.M.M.E.R.] to use in the upcoming 'Siege' storyline," Parker explained. "He wants to send a message to people who break deals with him. And his message is, 'Die.'"


The deliverers of that message are Osborn's personal hit squad, The Thunderbolts. The Agents are a powerful and experienced team, but the elements of both surprise and unpredictability will factor into their conflict with the T-Bolts. "The Thunderbolts have been briefed on the Agents, and the Agents know nothing about them, so [the Agents] lead in with their general tactics. First, let Venus loose; she can usually stop most conflicts with no losses. If heavy attack continues, you next follow with the big guns, Namora and M-11. Her strength and his death ray usually knock the wind out of enemy forces," Parker stated. "But! The Thunderbolts are a group of highly unstable men who don't respond like typical supers. So conventional planning against them is maybe not the way to go."

 

[NightBeetle]

The Thunderbolts vs. Agents of Atlas story comes to a conclusion on January 20th with the release of "Thunderbolts" #140. That same day sees another AoA adventure kick off, the four issue "Avengers Vs. Atlas" mini-series, which features artwork by Gabriel Hardman. "We were actually going to do more books focusing on individual agents, but then a good response around the Marvel offices to the Silver Age X-Men parts in the 'X-Man/Atlas' mini-series got this possibility to come up. And it's a good suggestion!"
The Agents of Atlas have traveled around the world, visited undersea kingdoms and have done battle with alien, high-tech and supernatural threats. In "Avengers Vs. Atlas," Parker takes the team on a new type of adventure. "It is a bit cosmic, in that it deals with time-space being manipulated," the writer explained. "A very bizarre phenomenon that is very Avengers-specific has begun, and the Agents of Atlas are on the trail of it - which brings them right to the epicenter, The Avengers."


The mysterious goings on in "Avengers Vs. Atlas" mean that the Agents will be dealing with two very distinct teams of Avengers. "First, they run into the New Avengers, who they've scuffed it up with before. But then you'll see that the deck changes, and they're facing the earliest Avengers," Parker revealed. "I can't say more about why without spoiling some stuff, but I really like the dynamic between the old team and Atlas - for once, the Agents aren't the throwbacks, someone else is!"


The Agents of Atlas characters won't just be sparring and interacting with other super teams in 2010. On January 6th, Marvel will release Parker and artist Felix Ruiz' three issue mini-series "Marvel Boy: The Uranian," putting the spotlight on one of the more alien and enigmatic Agents of Atlas members. The series will flash back to the character's early days in the 1950s, when Bob Grayson AKA the Uranian operated as the teen superhero known as Marvel Boy. "Bob is a young man who only knows of Earth from listening to radio transmissions and what his father has told him, he's lived his life in the Uranian Colony," Parker said. "The current Bob is very withdrawn and alien to this world, feeling very apart from it. The early Bob wants very much to fit in and be a part of it."

 

[Dread]

This'll be the first THUNDERBOLTS story I have ever paid to read, all due to the AGENTS OF ATLAS. You have to give it to Marvel; they clearly believe that there is an excellent premise to this team, and they haven't let a low selling ongoing series sink it. It'll be on retailers and fans if the Agents never catch on.

 

[NightBeetle]

Marvel scribe Jeff Parker sits down with the ''Mighty Marvel Podcast'' crew.

The Avengers may be Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but now they've got to deal with the mad men of the Marvel Universe...the Agents of Atlas! In the latest installment of the Mighty Marvel Podcast, acclaimed host Jeff Suter and plucky sidekick Nate Cosby talk with scribe Jeff Parker about this colossal meeting between two of Marvel's most unique teams! Just what could set these heroes on a colossion course? And what does it mean for Atlas? This is your chance to find out before AVENGERS VS. ATLAS #1hits stores in January!Well, what are you waiting for? Download and listen to the Agents of Atlas Mighty Marvel Podcast right now!


AVENGERS VS. ATLAS #1 (of 4) (NOV090480)
AVENGERS VS. ATLAS #1 (of 4) HARDMAN VARIANT (NOV090481)
Written by Jeff Parker
Penciled by GABRIEL HARDMAN
Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS
Variant Cover by GABRIEL HARDMAN
FOC-12/24/09, On-Sale-1/20/10

 

[NightBeetle]

MARVEL BOY: THE URANIAN #3 (of 3)
Written by JEFF PARKER
Penciled by FELIX RUIZ
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
The times are changing, and they've finally caught up to
Marvel Boy with bizarre menaces and strange threats to match his power! A mysterious figure with an agenda has also caught up to Bob Grayson. Surrounded by manipulators, how can the Uranian finally become the hero he was born to be? Jeff Parker, writer of the acclaimed series AGENTS OF ATLAS, reveals the untold tale of other-worldly mental marvel! Plus, re-presenting classic Atlas-era tales of the space-boy’s adventures!
48 PGS./New & Reprint/Rated T+ ...$3.99

AVENGERS VS. ATLAS #3 (of 4)
Written by JEFF PARKER & PAUL CORNELL
Penciled by GABRIEL HARDMAN & PETER VALE
Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS
The original Avengers and the Agents of Atlas find that the chronovirus is accelerating, affecting the entire world. As the past continues to collide with the present, the man...or thing behind it must be stopped...or an Avenger will DIE! PLUS, A BONUS BACKUP: VENUS answers your favorite heroes’ love queries, courtesy of Paul Cornell and Peter Vale!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

 

[NightBeetle]

Avengers vs. Atlas: Blast From the Past

Jeff Parker brings his Agents of Atlas against a time-displaced group of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

The past has a way of catching up with the Agents of Atlas.
This time, however, the team will have a more literal run in with a bygone era as they face the original roster of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in AVENGERS VS. ATLAS #1, on January 20 from writer Jeff Parker and artist Gabriel Hardman.
And if a face off between the Agents and the original Avengers doesn't sound like enough for you, each issue will also feature an all-new back-up story focusing on a different Agent by a variety of the industry's greatest talents, beginning when Parker and artist Takeshi Miyazawa take a dive with Namora.


Scott Kurtz and Zach Howard delve deeper into the mysteries behind Jimmy Woo in issue #2, before Venus takes center stage in AVENGERS VS. ATLAS #3 as the acclaimed creative team of Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk reunite. Finally, Jason Aaron and Carlo Pagulayan team up for a story of Gorilla Man in the final thrilling issue.
As to what brings the Agents and the Avengers together, Parker would only hint at the exact circumstances.
"It's part strange phenomenon, [and] part-well, someone all Marvel readers know," hints the writer. "And it creates a very unique phenomenon that brings the earliest version of the Avengers back in action."


According to Parker, when the two teams first meet they'll have much the same reaction to each other that many of Marvel's heroes have experienced.
"Well you know, when most Marvel heroes meet for the first time, they like to bring gifts, properly introduce themselves, and assess the situation before doing anything rash," he jokes. "I'm just kidding, they start hitting." Given the number of Avengers lineups running around in the present day Marvel Universe, Parker had his options when it came time to choose which iteration the Agents would come up against. However, he decided to go with the original team to give the story a more classic, epic feel.


"At first the Agents are running into the New Avengers, whom they've mixed it up with before," promises Parker. "But then when the original team arrives, I mean, that's like getting to meet Louis Armstrong and Chuck Yeager and Cary Grant and Muhammad Ali, all the biggest of the big from the past! Iron Man and Thor are there! The Agents seriously need to remember to get some autographs."


Recently, the Agents have run into a number of groups, from the X-Men to the Thunderbolts. Parker says he enjoys giving his team a tour of the Marvel Universe because it allows him to riff on what they really represents.

 

[NightBeetle]

Marvel Boy: The Uranian #1 Preview

A young man has travelled billions of miles through space in a rocket to help our world. But is Earth of the 1950's ready for a new super hero? Before he became the dark figure the Agents of Atlas call The Uranian, Bob Grayson raced through the skies as Marvel Boy! From the critically acclaimed writer of AGENTS OF ATLAS and FALL OF THE HULKS: ALPHA comes this all-new look back at one of Marvel’s first heroes!

Release Date
Wed, January 6th, 2010

 

[NightBeetle]

Preview: Avengers vs. Atlas #1

Spacetime is being selectively eroded by an unknown force. To stop the effect, the Agents of Atlas seek the help of the Avengers- and find a much earlier version of the team than they expected: Captain America, Iron Man, Wasp, Giant-Man and Thor are together again, with the atomic wildcard THE HULK!

 

[NDX]

Reilly Brown is doing the art for some backup stories for AoA in upcoming Herc issues.

Here is some art he did of Venus and Namora for his DA page.

http://reillybrown.deviantart.com/art/Venus-150259003

http://reillybrown.deviantart.com/art/Namora-150148321

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Brown's good. His Namora is a bit too stocky for my tastes (talk about some massive thighs), but overall pretty good.

Can't friggin' wait for the Avengers vs. Atlas mini, especially the parts with the founding Avengers (and not just because the members chosen for the "current Avengers" team mostly suck). Cool to see an ex-Teen Brigade member who's not Rick Jones for once, too.

 

[NightBeetle]

Dp.....

 

[NightBeetle]

AVENGERS VS. ATLAS #4 (of 4)
Written by JEFF PARKER & JASON AARON
Penciled by GABRIEL HARDMAN & CARLO PAGULAYAN
Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS
Variant by ALAN DAVIS
The assembled heroes get to the bottom of the time phenomenon and find out what... and who is really behind it all. The answer reveals some horrible facts for the Avengers to face–and an even harder decision to make. PLUS...an all-new Gorilla Man story by Jason Aaron & Carlo Pagulayan!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

 

[NightBeetle]

Marvel Boy: The Uranian #2 Preview

From fan-favorite writer of X-MEN VS. AGENTS OF ALTAS comes a look back at the birth of one of Atlas' strangest heroes...the mysterious Uranian! Bob Grayson is starting to get the hang of super-heroing, but who is he doing this for? Does the Uranian Council really want to help our world - and are we even worth saving? Experience the Marvel Universe of the 50s through the eyes of the original Marvel Boy! PLUS: re-presenting selections from Marvel’s vault of Golden Age Marvel Boy classics! New and Reprint/Rated T …$3.99

 

[Dread]

Reilly Brown is doing the art for some backup stories for AoA in upcoming Herc issues.

Here is some art he did of Venus and Namora for his DA page.

http://reillybrown.deviantart.com/art/Venus-150259003

http://reillybrown.deviantart.com/art/Namora-150148321

Cool to see him doing the art for the back-up's, even though I do like Gabe Hardman.

 

[NightBeetle]

Parker Remaps Marvel's "Atlas"

CBR News: Jeff, let's kick things off by talking about the title, which has been changed to simply "Atlas." Why the name change?

Jeff Parker: A natural progression to what most people call the book and the team. Also I like the fact that it's shorter, and I can make a small logo that will leave more space to work with for the cover artists, in this case, Terry Dodson!
And yes, I am so much a control freak that I design the Atlas logos. I'm trying now to figure out how to top the Dragon/World icon.


Jimmy Woo and friends are currently without an ongoing series, but you're still keeping them very busy. Right now, they're appearing in the "Avengers Vs. Atlas" miniseries and in a back-up feature in "Incredible Hercules." So how would you describe the team's condition when "Atlas" #1 begins?

They're starting to assert themselves, let the world know they exist. Of course, they're still tied to all the corrupt arms of the Atlas Foundation that was run for years by The Yellow Claw, so with that visibility comes trouble. But they won't be revealing the existence of the Hidden City where they live or anything like that. Or that they have a Dragon adviser who still expects them to return the greatness of Genghis Khan's Mongol empire.


Is there anything you can say about what the Heroic Age means for the status quo of the cast of "Atlas?" Are they still trying to solidify their control over the Atlas Group? And are they still posing as villains?

They are not keeping up the cover as criminals, they're actively shedding it. The conundrum is that they don't look like the modern version of a superhero team. It's really unlikely a manufacturer will try to make Uranian or M-11 The Killer Robot action figures like we know happens with Iron Man and the Fantastic Four.


The cast of "Atlas" recently rubbed elbows with both the X-Men, and the Thunderbolts, and currently they're having an encounter with both the new and classic Avengers, so it seems like they're becoming a vital part of the larger Marvel U. Will this continue into the Heroic Age?

I think their main role is to break down the Great Wall of Continuity and expand the borders of the Marvel Universe so we're not reading the same ten heroes doing everything. We've got more options of types of characters and types of stories. That's the meta-answer, anyway.


The idea for forging the various characters of "Atlas" into a team first came in 1978's "What If?" #9, a book that featured 3-D Man. However, when you brought those characters into the current continuity with "Agents of Atlas" #1, you left 3-D Man out because he was a character created in the '70s and not from books published by Marvel Comics' predecessor, Atlas. Now it appears as though the current 3-D Man is going to play a large role in May's "Atlas" #1. What made you want to look at him now, and is this the original 3-D Man or the new one who adopted the identity during "Secret Invasion?"

He kept coming up, and Gabe Hardman and I came up with a neat way to build a story around him. This is Delroy, the current 3-D Man, formerly Triathlon [from Kurt Busiek's run on "Avengers"]. He has a kind of convoluted personal history, but don't worry, you won't need to know it. And you will also be seeing Chuck, the original 3-D Man.
Again, don't fret over the continuity of the character; it will be told in a way that is very easy to get into, yet work with what has come before. Gorilla-Man will not tolerate having to listen to someone's wending origin story.


Is there anything you can share about the first arc in terms of plot or themes? Will you be picking up any plot threads from the previous "Agents of Atlas" ongoing, like the story of Mr. Lao and his counterpart from the Great Wall?

There is a lot more Mr. Lao involvement coming. That dragon never stops scheming. And we'll be keeping track of other recent developments, like the fact that Venus has recently been accepted into the pantheon of the Olympians.


Currently the rogues gallery for the cast of "Atlas" consists of Norman Osborn and the forces of the Great Wall. Can we expect their list of adversaries to grow in 2010? What types of villains are you interested in throwing at your cast?

The rogues gallery grows right away, and they're very strange. We are rarely going to have traditional villains in "Atlas", and you'll see that from the get-go


In their previous appearances, Jimmy Woo and Company's adventures from the 1950s played a prominent role. Will that continue with "Atlas?"

The past matters in a big way with "Atlas". Those stories will have ramifications on the present. Also, I think much of what makes "Atlas" special is its roots in the past, so we need to see that.


You're working with an artist who has drawn these characters before, Gabriel Hardman. What can people expect from his work on "Atlas?"

Readers can expect excellence. Gabe is simply a powerhouse, and the kinds of artist other artists make sure to follow. Speaking of, why not follow him on Twitter if you keep up with that? It's @gabrielhardman. And should you want to go even further, @jeffparker .


We have our favorite colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser back too! It's going to be an incredible looking book- just go pick up "Avengers Vs. Atlas" for an idea of what's in store.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Wow, kind of a spoiler about Venus there.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. I just hope it sells this time. Glad Dodson is just on covers. I'm not a fan of his art. The inclusion of the current 3-D Man kind of sucks for me, since I thought his about-face from stand-up hero to active participant in attempted genocide on the Skrulls during Secret Invasion was incredibly stupid and badly executed. But hopefully Parker will do better with him.

 

[kguillou]

Wow, marvel's pushing the hell out of this series. I've personally never read anything about the Agents of atlas, but apparently they're worth checking out since Marvel wont let it go.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

They've always been worth checking out. They're a great team and Parker does a great job with them.

 

[bryanss3]

Parker is great writer I wish Marvel would put him on something big like an issue of ASM or a Spidey One-Shot to get his name out there or something(Spider-Man 1602 doesn't count, but I will buy it in trade). He's a great writer just bery few people looked into AoA and even with this relaunch it might see the same fate, but it better not

 

[Dread]

I am glad that the Agents are getting another stab at an ongoing. I will be curious if the months of mini's and guest-appearances since their last ongoing ended will give this stab more juice in sales. The addition of the new 3-D Man makes sense, since he was with the original 50's team that Parker was inspired by. At any rate, looks good.

 

[NDX]

How are they going to collect the backup stories? Do they get their own trade or do they get collected in the Herc trade or just not collected at all?