Written by Tom King
Interior and cover artists: Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” Shaner
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

“Adam Strange is the hero of Rann, a man famous throughout the galaxy for his bravery and honor. After leading his adopted home to victory in a great planetary war, Adam and his wife Alanna retire to Earth, where they are greeted by cheers, awards, and parades. But not all is as happy and nice as it seems, as the decisions Adam made during battles on Rann come back to haunt his family and threaten the entire DC Universe. And now a surprise DC hero will have to choose between saving Adam Strange and saving the world.  
A story like no other, Strange Adventures is an ambitious, thrilling, shocking, and beautiful 12-issue saga that will push Adam Strange to the breaking point-and beyond!”

Where do I even begin?

I love Tom King, there is no denying that ( see me blabber about it here and here ), and I’m on a mission to read everything he does. Now, Adam Strange was not originally on my list of characters I wanted to read about, really, so the announcement wasn’t super exciting for me. But, I knew I’d read it. Because, ya know, Tom King. Toss in the talented artists, and I was sold.

Strange Adventures #1 is FANTASTIC. There is so much depth in one issue, it’s a bit astounding. Like I said, Adam Strange wasn’t a character I was all that familiar with when I went in, aside from knowing he was a bit John Carter of Mars-ish. But I was able to dive into this elevated sci-fi pulp world with ease, despite no prior knowledge.

The blend between visual and written storytelling is flawless. Each person involved has their task to tell the story, and every bit is executed beautifully. The combination in the script of past vs present, turmoil and triumph, space hero vs war criminal, and science fiction with a murder mystery twist, all add layer upon layer of intrigue to a character that didn’t seem interesting to me, beforehand. Plus the exciting element of bringing in Batman, and then Mr. Terrific, really brought it back into my comfort zone some. But even without the familiar faces, I was hooked.

The alternating artwork between Mitch Gerads, who is handling the present story artwork, and Evan “Doc” Shaner, who handles the past, is brilliant. Each brings a unique and stunning quality of work, giving us some of the most incredible art in comics, ever. Seeing it all put together in the book, it’s clear they’re a perfect team to be working together. Their styles compliment so well, and readers get the bonus of two amazing artists.

All in all, Strange Adventures #1 was an absolute hit with me. I can’t wait to watch the story unfold beautifully over the 12 issue series.

Did you pick up Strange Adventures?

-Angel