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Children of the Atom (2021)
Children of the Atom #2
BREAKOUT! A local prison riot is quickly turning into an escape and the only ones who can stop them are a bunch of high schoolers?! The strangest teens of all are on the case! Guest-starring the Avengers!
cover: R.B. Silva
cover: R.B. Silva
25 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 1, 2021
It's a group of kids playing dress-up. They're lying to everyone, including themselves. I also don't really get the purpose of the story being told. Wannabes cause trouble? And there's Multiple Man being used for jobs other mutants don't want to do. 😑 Free Jamie Madrox
May 2, 2021
Non è male, eh.
Però già al secondo numero diventa ripetitivo.
Abbiamo di nuovo questo gruppo di teenagers contro Hell's Bells, che sono evase di prigione. Perché lasciar fare ai Vendicatori quando puoi perderti un concerto (lo ammetto, pensavo avrebbero poi scoperto che c'era stato un attacco contro Lila, e che il responsabile sarebbe stato il compagno di Gabe tornato dall'ospedale stranamente più forte di prima dopo queste "cure sperimentali"), venire surclassato da mutanti senza più poteri ed essere salvato di nuovo da veri X-Men?
E questa volta arriva direttamente Ororo, decisa a portarsi via il gruppo criminale prima che venga ricatturato dagli umani. E ci prova pure lei con i Children, ma anche questa volta l'offerta è rifiutata.
Rispetto al primo numero manca lo stupore avuto nell'incontrare questi ragazzi, la trama è praticamente la stessa (abbiamo di nuovo solo una sorta di pov di Gabe che ci mostra accenni della sua vita) e l'elemento di interesse rimane il loro rifiuto ad andare a Krakoa (che potrebbe essere il senso di responsabilità per chi rimane, ma a quel punto perché la sera provano sempre ad attraversare il varco? Potrebbe essere legato al fatto che convenientemente Cerebro non è in grado di tracciarli? Saranno realmente mutanti o una sorta di esperimento genetico?) e il loro costante ritrovarsi sulla spiaggia pronti per il viaggio senza poi andare (ma alla fine, ci provano e non passano, stile Kitty e gli umani, o non ci provano e perdono la volontà prima di fare il passo?)
Il timore è che di questo passo quando arriverà la risposta saremo troppo stanchi per apprezzarla (o per leggerla), se il canovaccio verrà riproposto altre volte.
Però già al secondo numero diventa ripetitivo.
Abbiamo di nuovo questo gruppo di teenagers contro Hell's Bells, che sono evase di prigione. Perché lasciar fare ai Vendicatori quando puoi perderti un concerto (lo ammetto, pensavo avrebbero poi scoperto che c'era stato un attacco contro Lila, e che il responsabile sarebbe stato il compagno di Gabe tornato dall'ospedale stranamente più forte di prima dopo queste "cure sperimentali"), venire surclassato da mutanti senza più poteri ed essere salvato di nuovo da veri X-Men?
E questa volta arriva direttamente Ororo, decisa a portarsi via il gruppo criminale prima che venga ricatturato dagli umani. E ci prova pure lei con i Children, ma anche questa volta l'offerta è rifiutata.
Rispetto al primo numero manca lo stupore avuto nell'incontrare questi ragazzi, la trama è praticamente la stessa (abbiamo di nuovo solo una sorta di pov di Gabe che ci mostra accenni della sua vita) e l'elemento di interesse rimane il loro rifiuto ad andare a Krakoa (che potrebbe essere il senso di responsabilità per chi rimane, ma a quel punto perché la sera provano sempre ad attraversare il varco? Potrebbe essere legato al fatto che convenientemente Cerebro non è in grado di tracciarli? Saranno realmente mutanti o una sorta di esperimento genetico?) e il loro costante ritrovarsi sulla spiaggia pronti per il viaggio senza poi andare (ma alla fine, ci provano e non passano, stile Kitty e gli umani, o non ci provano e perdono la volontà prima di fare il passo?)
Il timore è che di questo passo quando arriverà la risposta saremo troppo stanchi per apprezzarla (o per leggerla), se il canovaccio verrà riproposto altre volte.
April 21, 2021
3.5 stars. Last issue I misunderstood what happened at the end. I got it now. This issue was similar to that last issue, the kids trying to stop the Hells Belles again and the X-men showing up and the kids still not wanting to go to Krakoa. But this book ends with me confused again just like the end of the last ish.
April 14, 2021
Another disappointing mess that is tangentially related to X-Men comics. Just like last issue, this team of teenage strangers fought the Hell's Belles, except this time the Hell's Belles had some backup. The fight scenes were okay, I guess.
We were given a little more detail about the black teenage guy in this team of strangers. Basically, his thought boxes just told us that he's not a stereotypical black teenage boy. Which, okay, yeah. All real people have depth beyond their demographics, we know. His defining personality features are that he's good at math and he smuggled watercolors to paint Starry Night for his mom. He's also good at basketball, but don't hold that stereotype against him.
And then... Yet again, the X-Men invited these strangers to come to Krakoa, and again, they declined. It's not even a spoiler to say that they once again attempted to cross a Krakoan gate, because that exact thing already happened last issue. Narratively, this second issue was nearly identical to the first issue, except that the teenagers went to a concert instead of a basketball game, and real X-Men played a smaller role this go around.
Really riveting stuff.
Can this title please be cancelled already?
We were given a little more detail about the black teenage guy in this team of strangers. Basically, his thought boxes just told us that he's not a stereotypical black teenage boy. Which, okay, yeah. All real people have depth beyond their demographics, we know. His defining personality features are that he's good at math and he smuggled watercolors to paint Starry Night for his mom. He's also good at basketball, but don't hold that stereotype against him.
And then... Yet again, the X-Men invited these strangers to come to Krakoa, and again, they declined. It's not even a spoiler to say that they once again attempted to cross a Krakoan gate, because that exact thing already happened last issue. Narratively, this second issue was nearly identical to the first issue, except that the teenagers went to a concert instead of a basketball game, and real X-Men played a smaller role this go around.
Really riveting stuff.
Can this title please be cancelled already?
April 15, 2021
Some of this is really, really good...particularly the character work with Gabe. I feel like we know tis guy now, we know what makes him tick.
Where it falls down is in the confusing fight with Hell's Belles. It's never clear what's actually happening, and that really lets the book down.
It also disappointed me that the team never actually made it to the Dazzler concert. It was such a big thing for them all to go see Dazzler, and a huge part of the start of this book was taken up with Gabe convincing his mother to let him go...and then they all just blow off the gig to go fight Hell's Belles, despite them saying that they want to get there before the Avengers show up...so it's not like Hell's Belles will get away if they go to the gig.
Ultimately, I'm feeling a little frustrated that we still don't really know what's going on. Once again the Children of the Atom are invited to Krakoa, and once again they make their excuses...and the book, once again, ends with them preparing to attempt to go through a gate on their own. If they believe they're mutants then why don't they accept the invitation and have the X-Men help them figure out why they can't use the gates? If they know they're not, why do they keep trying to get to Krakoa?
I'm sure all will be revealed in time, but I'm just impatient, I guess.
Where it falls down is in the confusing fight with Hell's Belles. It's never clear what's actually happening, and that really lets the book down.
It also disappointed me that the team never actually made it to the Dazzler concert. It was such a big thing for them all to go see Dazzler, and a huge part of the start of this book was taken up with Gabe convincing his mother to let him go...and then they all just blow off the gig to go fight Hell's Belles, despite them saying that they want to get there before the Avengers show up...so it's not like Hell's Belles will get away if they go to the gig.
Ultimately, I'm feeling a little frustrated that we still don't really know what's going on. Once again the Children of the Atom are invited to Krakoa, and once again they make their excuses...and the book, once again, ends with them preparing to attempt to go through a gate on their own. If they believe they're mutants then why don't they accept the invitation and have the X-Men help them figure out why they can't use the gates? If they know they're not, why do they keep trying to get to Krakoa?
I'm sure all will be revealed in time, but I'm just impatient, I guess.
April 25, 2021
I think the writing by Vita Ayala for this issue is brilliant. So I'm guessing that the first five issues will walk us through the first-person perspectives of our five Children of the Atom, one by one? Which is a great idea. I like that the group comprises disadvantaged teens from different backgrounds and we readers are getting glimpses of their personal lives. After all, comic books are rife with basic white male protagonists, reusing the same cliches and tropes over and over again, and we're supposed to think of their struggles as sooooo distinctive or unique or interesting. Boohoo. But use the voice of a nonbinary teenage girl followed by a black teenage boy two issues in a row and Ayala is accused of rehashing the same plot. Cry me a river.
The only thing that I am not sold on yet is the artwork and the skin tones especially the way black / darker skins are rendered.
The only thing that I am not sold on yet is the artwork and the skin tones especially the way black / darker skins are rendered.
April 22, 2021
Besides getting to know a little more about Gabe/Cherub, this was basically a repeat of the last issue. Not a big fan of the artwork either. This title won't stay on my pull list for long if this keeps up. Very disappointing considering some of Ayala's other work.
April 17, 2021
I'm a completionist and a sucker which is the only reason I purchased this after the dismal (and that being extremely generous) offering in the first issue.
I'm not sure if it was planned or a reaction to the almost entirely negative lambasting the first issue got, but the characters themselves now are even mocking their stupid names. It's just, urgh, is all I can think.
We get some more backstory on the angel rip off except he's black and has some sort of quake powers or something? Oh and he's a math genius which will differentiate him... Except it won't because every kid in these is a genius and a good kid despite X (whatever X is.) It's almost laughable that in an attempt to push an inclusive agenda they don't do it, because you cannot be a disadvantaged black child, no you MUST be a genius or something to make it? Can he not be a "normal" child with issues who, despite that, is battling through due to a strong character? Nope, no, obviously disadvantaged black kids can't break the mold (/sarcasm.)
It's just so forced, most pages make you want to cringe with the amount of clichés stomped into the story line.
I was actually tempted to drop a second star as the fight scene was good, but the art? Urgh! Why did every female character look a middle aged woman jammed full of Botox? They had weirdly distorted, fake looking faces. I haven't seen Storm ever looking worse, terrible art!
So we've got the (forced) intrigue of why gates aren't working for them, their weird desire to want/not want to go to Krakoa and that about it. The next 3 issues will probably dig into Gimmick (still lol) Marvel Guy (really?) And Daycrawler (even the character hates his own name) and tell is why they are all so unique and worthy of page time.
Fingers crossed, with it being so awful, it will manage a 5 or 6 issue run, the pathetic arc will be tied up and it will ditched hard never to be heard of again because I cannot imagine this getting any further. I mean it's even managed to be worse than Fallen Angels and that is a monumental achievement.
Final thought, why the outright hostility to the Avengers? They came to try and help and politely warn them about a potential issue and Mystique and Storm go all alpha on them needlessly? The new Krakoan arrogance of some characters is something I would like to see disappear if we get the chance.
I'll keep reading this as a completionist but I'm looking forward to it being nuked.
I'm not sure if it was planned or a reaction to the almost entirely negative lambasting the first issue got, but the characters themselves now are even mocking their stupid names. It's just, urgh, is all I can think.
We get some more backstory on the angel rip off except he's black and has some sort of quake powers or something? Oh and he's a math genius which will differentiate him... Except it won't because every kid in these is a genius and a good kid despite X (whatever X is.) It's almost laughable that in an attempt to push an inclusive agenda they don't do it, because you cannot be a disadvantaged black child, no you MUST be a genius or something to make it? Can he not be a "normal" child with issues who, despite that, is battling through due to a strong character? Nope, no, obviously disadvantaged black kids can't break the mold (/sarcasm.)
It's just so forced, most pages make you want to cringe with the amount of clichés stomped into the story line.
I was actually tempted to drop a second star as the fight scene was good, but the art? Urgh! Why did every female character look a middle aged woman jammed full of Botox? They had weirdly distorted, fake looking faces. I haven't seen Storm ever looking worse, terrible art!
So we've got the (forced) intrigue of why gates aren't working for them, their weird desire to want/not want to go to Krakoa and that about it. The next 3 issues will probably dig into Gimmick (still lol) Marvel Guy (really?) And Daycrawler (even the character hates his own name) and tell is why they are all so unique and worthy of page time.
Fingers crossed, with it being so awful, it will manage a 5 or 6 issue run, the pathetic arc will be tied up and it will ditched hard never to be heard of again because I cannot imagine this getting any further. I mean it's even managed to be worse than Fallen Angels and that is a monumental achievement.
Final thought, why the outright hostility to the Avengers? They came to try and help and politely warn them about a potential issue and Mystique and Storm go all alpha on them needlessly? The new Krakoan arrogance of some characters is something I would like to see disappear if we get the chance.
I'll keep reading this as a completionist but I'm looking forward to it being nuked.
May 12, 2021
I want to like this more, but this second issue was the same as the first, except told from a different POV. I did like the POV, but...it was the same story. (Will the first five issues be like this, basically the exact same story beats while we learn about that particular character?) Not much forward momentum on any front here. I am intrigued by the kids' tech, and I like the characters--I was heartily amused by Daycrawler griping about their lame superhero names, since that was a complaint of mine from the first issue--so I'll continue with this book. Maybe things will pick up with the 3rd issue...
April 17, 2021
These characters are so interesting, but it's in this issue, with Gabriel narrating, that you really understand why they want to be mutants so badly. Any kid or teen who loved the X-Men growing up probably felt the same way as Gabriel. Out of place. It looks like a lot of reviews lack empathy for that...and some are just racist too. Vita's work is severely underrated, and I hope readers start seeing how incredible their writing is soon.
April 11, 2024
1, I'm so sad they didn't get to see Dazzler. 2, I really need an answer about their mutant status. Either they are and something's wrong, or they aren't and have been lying, but then why do they keep trying the gate? It's very frustrating to not know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2022
DIGGING this story. Can't wait to see what this is building up to.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews