Broken Frontier

Returning to Ivy Town is a relief for Ryan; at least until a run-in with the anagrammatic taxi driver and throw-down with a cadre of Ray Palmer’s old enemies.

This issue kicks off the highly anticipated "Hunt for Ray Palmer" storyline that is expected to tie into DC’s latest weekly comic Countdown... in addition to, hopefully, answering the question of just where Ray is and what he has been up to (or is that "down to" considering his powers?). As far as kick-off’s go, however, this one is a bit more of an epilogue, prologue, and jumping on point all rolled into one.

After being used and jilted by the woman he loved in China, Ryan returns to Ivy Town depressed. After taking several rides in the past with an odd cab driver with a tendency to drop clues in the form of anagrams, Ryan thinks he’s played it safe and avoided the cabbie. Boy, is he ever wrong... almost dead wrong. After finishing the rest of his journey on foot all he wants is to rest. Too bad his friends have prepared a little "welcome home party," and so have some of Ray’s old enemies. Just what is going on? Who is the mysterious person orchestrating all of this and what does he want from Ryan? The answers to these questions will shock, surprise, and even delight.

Writer Gail Simone manages to do a nice job by crafting an issue that provides a sincere postscript to the previous story arc while catching any potential new readers up on the story, and setting the stage for the next story arc. Of course, by trying to do so many things at once it may seem inevitable that something in the story would suffer. The epilogue for the previous story actually takes up the least amount of space this issue but it gives a greater sense of continuity to the story as well as giving the reader and understanding of how Ryan’s adventures are building on him. The strongest element of this issue is actually the part that makes it new reader friendly. Simone uses the hook of an Ivy Town travel brochure to re-introduce the characters and insane quirkiness of the city. Meanwhile, the character of Ryan Choi provides most of the background on the missing Ray Palmer and it is a tribute to Simone’s writing that the interior monologues come off as neither stilted nor forced. Which leaves the introduction of the "Hunt for Ray Palmer" as the last element in this issue... and yes, the one that is the weakest. Despite the fact that this issue is supposed to be the start of the arc it really does feel more like a prologue and that the real hunt will begin next issue. Despite this slight weakness, the issue is still one of the most enjoyable reads around. There is humor galore, terrific, zippy dialogue, and some of the best, quirky characters around. Where else do you expect to find a floating, giant, alien head that has an addition to spray cheese?

This issue also debuts the pencils of Mike Norton as the regular artist for the series. Norton did fill in for a couple of earlier issues so he is able to slide into the new Atom’s world with a little familiarity with the subject matter. It certainly shows as this issue displays an energetic, comic book style with just a touch of the traditional to it that reminds the reader of the days when comics were still "funny books." Just as the stories mix old sensibilities with modern storytelling, so too does Norton’s art. He also has a flair for fight sequences, as shown when Ryan is forced into a running battle.

Readers who are looking to hit the ground running finding out the secrets of Ray Palmer may be a little disappointed this issue but there is still a jam packed story here. Humor, inventiveness, and surprises are the hallmarks of Simone’s writing and she puts them all on display here as she does with every issue. If you’ve never tried The All-New Atom this is a great place to test the waters and get caught up. This newest strange voyage is only getting started.