Doc Atlas was created by Michael A. Black and Ray Lovato as a clear homage to Doc Savage. I have posted on him before, but Airship 27 teamed up with the authors to reprint all the stories in a consistent set of volumes, with hopefully some new works.
The first volume, with new cover and interior artwork by Ed Cotto, came out in 2022. I’ve been waiting for further volumes, but until then, here is a look at the first one.
For those who haven’t seen my prior postings, Doc Savage and friends were all World War I veterans (which is when they met), and the heyday of their adventures was the 1930s and ’40s. Doc Atlas and friends are all World War II veterans (which is when they met), and thus most of the stories are set post-WWII. So Atlas is not a total copy of Savage (similar in the way Solar Pons was created as a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, but as a separate individual set in the Edwardian period).
Doc Atlas has just two assistants, plus a girlfriend (which Doc Savage didn’t have). One assistant is a lawyer like Ham, the other is physically like Monk, but it’s not clear what other talents he brings in. The Ham analog is named “Ace” Assante, a former captain in the Army Air Force and bomber pilot. The Monk analog is “Mad Dog” Deagan, a former lieutenant colonel in either the Army or Marines (not sure).
Atlas’s girlfriend is a reporter, Penelope Cartier, who writes up his adventures (under a pseudonym) and sells them to the pulp magazines. It’s an interesting idea, except this was the twilight of the pulp magazines.
Doc Atlas also has a group of secretaries running his office (the main one, “Mad Dog” hits on) and some kind of computer. Missing is the equivalent of Doc Savage’s special Flearun elevator from his Empire State Building headquarters to his Hudson River warehouse of vehicles, as well as Doc Savage’s special commissions from police to aid in his work.
Bottom line, Doc Atlas is a Doc Savage pastiche that the authors decided not to place exactly in the same time period or be a total mirror of the Man of Bronze. And that is good, as Black and Lovato can make Atlas more original.
Atlas is a doctor, inventor, and explorer; big, blonde, and with yellow eyes (dark amber). But he is not as emotionless as Doc Savage, and has a relationship with Penny (something the earlier Doc avoided). He’s not above killing his opponents if forced. There are no mercy bullets or the like.
This first volume reprints three stories.
“The Riddle of the Sphinx” appeared in Double Danger Tales #52. Set in 1947, this tale is a standard one of Mayan treasure that would easily be an Indiana Jones story. Also introduced is a childhood sweetheart of Doc Atlas (again, showing the differences between Atlas and Savage).
“Desert Shadows” appeared in Double Danger Tales #34, and is a tale dealing with Roswell, N.M., and stories of crashed alien spacecraft in 1947.
“The Green Death” appeared in the Tales From the Pulp Side anthology. This story is set in 1948 in Brazil, and has Doc Atlas and his associates dealing with a new evil called the Green Death while looking for a missing heir.
I think the plan is to reprint the stories by internal chronology. I’m not certain when the next volume will come out or what it will contain. I look forward to it as I would like to see some new Doc Atlas stories. If you haven’t gotten into his stories, this is a good place to start.
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