Calling them "Marvel's Doom Patrol" oversimplifies them. Other than their deep eccentricities when stacked up against Marvel's other teams, the Agents of Atlas don't have a lot in common with Doom Patrol.
More than anything, the Agents share global issues with Doom Patrol - inventive storytelling and dismal sales.
After a handful of mini-series and a ongoing that ceased at Issue 11, Marvel brought them back as Atlas. Rather than endure the interruption of another crossover or event, Parker chose to shut down the latest ongoing (Issue 3 arrived today). Running concurrently is a three-issue Gorilla Man series steeped in potential.
The characters had made two modern appearances, in a What If? tale and Kurt busiek's Avengers Forever (which, if we're drawing parallels between competitors, was the Crisis on Infinite Earths of the Avengers franchise).
In collecting the original six issue Agents of Atlas from 2006, Marvel outdid itself - the hardcover goes beyond the typical background materials to include the What If? and the original Golden Age appearances of each primary character. Chalk that up as the best $25 I spent on comics in 2010.
Parker gets the rare opportunity of putting his stamp on old characters, and he doesn't go for the obvious by making the characters fish out of water (no Atlantean pun intended). Aside from Sub-Mariner cousin Namora, few casual readers have any heard of any of these Agents: FBI/SHIELD suit Jimmy Woo, Ken Hale (Gorilla Man), M-11 the Human Robot, Venus, Namora, and Bob Grayson, the Uranian formerly called Marvel Boy (don't confuse him with Grant Morrison's crazed Kree).
To tell too much would give away the original series' premise. but Parker amply stocks this pond with story twists and visits from Marvel heavies intended to drive sales. He ingrains a sense of humor in the book - what can be expected of a boxy Fifties robot and a gorilla with a man's consciousness? But he also knows when to bring the emotion, as when Venus discovers her true origin (she's not the Greek goddess), or Woo finds his lost love.
Marvel has resorted to some old tricks with the Agents, tying them into "events" like Secret Invasion and Dark Reign in hopes that those ties will bring in new readers. Sadly, a guest-spot from Wolverine doesn't hold the same value anymore, even though he and Gorilla Man are incredible foils for each other. But overexposure is the devil for a well-crafted cameo.
The end of the first ongoing was chased by mini-series with the X-Men, Avengers and Thunderbolts. With the second ongoing set to end, mini-series will be the Agents' best chance of staying on the radar, perhaps building up enough interest for another try (unless Parker moves on). Fans will take a chance a three-issue mini, and Gorilla Man was an easy choice to go next (I still haven't read the Marvel Boy: The Uranian mini from earlier this year).
Just when I think the world of comics can offer nothing to alter its apparent death spiral, glimmers of hope have emerged. Who ever thought Nick Fury could star in a relatively popular book? Well, Secret Warriors gets both critical and fanboy acclaim and not for the Samuel Jackson-modeled Ultimate version, but plain old graying-at-the-temples super spy Nick Fury. Granted, Fury has a past including Stan Lee scripts and groundbreaking Jim Steranko art. In Parker, Marvel has a great young talent. Unfortunately, his signature book can't get any steam behind it.
I don't want this to sound like sour grapes; I'm a newcomer here as well. The age of $4 comics forced readers to guard their dollars, making it harder to take a chance on a new series. Luckily, the Agents are worth it. More importantly, anyone can catch up on their exploits in a few slim volumes; no one will wade into decades of convoluted continuity.
Perhaps the greatest irony for a comics book in search of readers is the power behind one of its characters. Venus can persuade men (and sometimes women) to do anything with just a few notes. Too bad Parker can't borrow enough to win over a few more fans.
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