The Atomic Legion

by Mike Richardson, Bruce Zick (Illustrator)

In a hidden fortress near the North Pole, the greatest heroes of a past age live secluded from the world that rejected them. But when their benefactor—a mysterious scientist known only as the Professor—is kidnapped, it’s up to a young boy to rally the robots, monsters, and superheroes in the fortress to come to the rescue as the Atomic Legion!

* From the writer of the critically-acclaimed 47 Ronin and Crimson Empire.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, Comic Book

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2014

About the author

Mike Richardson is an American publisher, writer, and Emmy-winning producer. In 1986, he founded Dark Horse Comics, an award-winning international publishing house located in Milwaukie, Oregon. Richardson is also the founder and President of the Things From Another World retail chain and president of Dark Horse Entertainment, which has developed and produced numerous projects for film and television based on Dark Horse properties or licensed properties.
In addition, he has written numerous graphic novels and comics series, including The Secret, Living with the Dead, and Cut as well as co-authoring two non-fiction books: Comics Between the Panels and Blast Off!.

Reviews

[MB Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at my local comic shop today and was just flipping through the pages, while waiting for my comics. I was taken by how fun it looked. From the steampunk-like ornateness of the art to the parodies/homages of old comic book covers, it all looked like fun. I just knew I had to have it.

And it didn't disappoint. It was just as fun as I'd hoped; the story was engaging and somehow managed to not cross the lines into silliness on one side and parody on the other. Not usually the kind of book I give 4 stars, but it was unusual enough and executed well enough that I thought it deserved more than just 3.

Not a purchase I regret (unlike several other impulse buys I've made in the past).

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up from the library randomly for my husband, but after he raved about it, I ended up having to read it myself, too. The story was completely and utterly charming and the art was gorgeous. I wish it would have been at least 3 times as long.

[Gabriel Benitez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conseguí este cómic sin ninguna expectativa y ha sido mucho más que una sorpresa agradable. La historia es tierna y divertida —muy divertida— y la cantidad de guiños a los que saben de la cultura pop te mantienen atento a descubrir más. Sin embargo no se esperen un desfile de referencias, este cómic se sostiene por sí sólo y es una historieta que van a adorar. Ojalá no la echen a perder con una segunda parte. Con un estilo dieselpunk, La legión atómica es un coctel de monstruos, robots, supehéroes, héroes pulp, máquinas estilo Flash Gordon y muchísimo más. Vaya, es el cómic hecho para el niño interior.
Robby es el único sobreviviente a un choque aéreo y con sus escasos 13 años se ve inmerso en un mundo nuevo y sorprendente: una base secreta donde conviven supehéroes, robots, supermaquinas y un genio científico que deben su existencia al bien de la humanidad. Hasta que el villano Rue Morge logra entrar a las instalaciones y secuestrar al doctor, haciendo peligrar la existencia de la nueva familia de Robby... Y él no lo va a permitir.! ¡Muy buena!

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd book that seems to be aiming to attract kids and fans of Golden age comics and pulps...and I'm not sure it's entirely successful.

The art is gorgeous, funky and imaginative and the ideas are interesting, but it doesn't quite click.
It could be "Monsters vs Aliens' for comics, but the kid is only okay and Zap girl feels very formulaic and it doesn't quite have the emotional hook it needs.

It almost read like they had all the drawings first and then they just plugged in a story.

[Kumar K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give it 2/5 stars, the 2 stars are for the art. I love the way the comic looks. It reminds me of old Soviet cartoons I used to watch with the dented details and muted pencil shading.

That being said, the jokes almost always fall flat and the set-up takes way too long to get going. We explore these labs full of heroes for forever instead of having some goal to strive for, and letting the hero intros occur naturally.

[DOUGLAS J BERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sergio aragone would be proud.

Good color artwork. The robots. The elaborate doors. The parodys of iconic superheroes. Every panel is filled to overflowing. A dark horse freebie. The closed time loop story is familiar but extremely well done. Well worth a look. Suitable for all ages.

[Will Cooper · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wasn't a huge fan of the art and that seems to be the big selling point here. Richardson takes Superman, Wonder Woman, the Shadow, and a few others and makes them dumb, I guess? I didn't think the jokes(?) were funny and I was bored by the lack of anything happening in this. Sorry to be negative. :(

[Niche · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

It's alright. It has the vibes of the old school superhero comics with updated art and less stilted dialogue. It leaned a bit too much into the kids are smarter than adults trope for my taste, I prefer when it's executed with a bit more subtlety.

[Trike · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not nearly as funny or clever as it thinks it is. I was actually wincing during some of the dialogue, which is as witty as a 10-year-old’s fart jokes.

[Tim Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very silly fun

[Brannigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art is amazing but the story just doesn’t do it for me.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silliness, but with sort of a point. I enjoyed the ride

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad little riff on silver age superheroes.

[Mark Timothy Lewis Jr.]

Fun

An enjoyable adventure with a lot of recognisable comic tropes. Almost seems like a parody of other comics but in all the right ways.