A review by joshgauthier
Strange Adventures by Tom King
5.0
Ow. Whenever I think I'm braced for what Tom King will do to me, he delivers another surprise.
As with King's run of Mister Miracle, this was my first encounter with this character--and as with that miniseries, Strange Adventures is a whole lot more than a superhero adventure. Hero of a war the home planet of his wife and child, Adam Strange has returned to Earth, joined the Justice League, and settled into his role as protector. But beginning with a single murder, questions begin to arise. Is Adam Strange a hero or a war criminal? What really happened during the war in Adam's past? What do those secrets mean for the future?
King's complex storytelling is not diminished in this 12-issue run. With nuanced characters, morally gray situations, and a sweeping scope of events, King's writing is epic and complicated, but ultimately is the story of two people, their family, and the traumas visited on them from without and within. Strange Adventures nestles comfortably within the DC Universe while also charting its own course. With cameos from familiar characters--as well as a key role given to the less-familiar Mr. Terrific (in one of his best incarnations that I've read)--this DC world feels even larger as humans, heroes, and others find their lives caught up in the fate of these Strange Adventures.
Bringing King's story to life, the incomparable Mitch Gerads and Doc Shaner each tell the past and present stories of Adam Strange's life. The two art styles help clearly separate the timelines, and both artists bring their full talent to the the action, the intrigue, and the joy and heartbreak of the comic.
Strange Adventures is a superhero story, a war epic, a noir, a family drama. It packs an emotional punch and a wealth of emotional complexity. When the secrets are revealed, will Adam Strange be a hero, a villain--or is he, like many people, something more complicated than either of those titles convey?
As with King's run of Mister Miracle, this was my first encounter with this character--and as with that miniseries, Strange Adventures is a whole lot more than a superhero adventure. Hero of a war the home planet of his wife and child, Adam Strange has returned to Earth, joined the Justice League, and settled into his role as protector. But beginning with a single murder, questions begin to arise. Is Adam Strange a hero or a war criminal? What really happened during the war in Adam's past? What do those secrets mean for the future?
King's complex storytelling is not diminished in this 12-issue run. With nuanced characters, morally gray situations, and a sweeping scope of events, King's writing is epic and complicated, but ultimately is the story of two people, their family, and the traumas visited on them from without and within. Strange Adventures nestles comfortably within the DC Universe while also charting its own course. With cameos from familiar characters--as well as a key role given to the less-familiar Mr. Terrific (in one of his best incarnations that I've read)--this DC world feels even larger as humans, heroes, and others find their lives caught up in the fate of these Strange Adventures.
Bringing King's story to life, the incomparable Mitch Gerads and Doc Shaner each tell the past and present stories of Adam Strange's life. The two art styles help clearly separate the timelines, and both artists bring their full talent to the the action, the intrigue, and the joy and heartbreak of the comic.
Strange Adventures is a superhero story, a war epic, a noir, a family drama. It packs an emotional punch and a wealth of emotional complexity. When the secrets are revealed, will Adam Strange be a hero, a villain--or is he, like many people, something more complicated than either of those titles convey?