Wallace Sellars wrote: Alex, I haven't read any of the ADAM STRANGE books.  I'm headed to the comic shop today.  If you'll pick up DOOM PATROL #s 7 and 8, I'll pick up two issues (#s 1 & 2?) of ADAM STRANGE.  (Please see my previous post concerning reviews.)

sounds like a deal to me, Wallace. i will grab DP #7-8.

if they're in stock, i would suggest picking up #1-2, if only because the story really opens with a bang, but you should be able to jump on anywhere without much problem.

Will do, Alex!

Mike Conte - here's my review of Savage Dragon #118 (and Jacob Secrest, I haven't forgotten about Mary Jane. I had to order it online.)

I've known about Savage Dragon ever since it debuted in the early 90's, yet this is the very first time I've actually sat down and read an issue. SD is not a book I deliberately set out to avoid. To me it was just one of those titles that got lost in the tidal wave of product of that era.

The one thing that stands out in SD is the umistakable Marvel influence. There's the Negative Zone, a Shield hovercar, the down-to-earth, everyman hero and his close-knit family.

Quite a bit goes on in this issue. Without spoiling the story, the Dragon finds himself unwillingly involved in the Presidential elections. It seems like this is the beginning of storyline that satirizes American politics, which could be interesting.

The art is lively and colorful. Some elements are very comic strip-like, especially in the depiction of SD's surrogate children. It's an abbreviated sort of style which tries to communicate energy above all else. It doesn't click with me, but I can see how others can really get into it.  

I'm not sure if I'll get the following issue. It's more likely I would hunt up some back issues to get a feel for the chacaters before deciding whether to read this regularly. Thanks for the suggestion, Michael.

lest my silence be misinterpreted, i'm just popping in to say that i picked up and read DP #7-8 yesterday, and i will be posting detailed reviews for both as per my agreement with Wallace. i was sick last night and i went to bed early before i got a chance to post.

now i'm at work. bleh.

ADAM STRANGE #s 1 & 2
Andy Diggle - story
Pascal Ferry - art
[Spoiler Alert]

Background

Yesterday, Alex and I agreed to a trade - his reading DOOM PATROL #s 7 & 8 in exchange for me reading ADAM STRANGE #s 1 & 2.  Well, I was able to grab both issues of AS on the way to school yesterday, and I read them last night before drifting off into Slumberland.

First of all, let me start by saying that my exposure to the character of Adam Strange has been pretty limited.  I vaguely recall a "comic book panel" style television program years ago featuring Strange narrated by a nameless voice and illustrated by a slow succession static images.  More recently, I saw a dead Adam Strange in Alan Davis's JLA: THE NAIL.  So before reading my two issues of ADAM STRANGE, I knew that the protagonist was a "regular" Earthman who, when transported there by something called the zeta-beam, became the hero of the world Rann, but not much else. 

Issue #1

The cover features a closeup of Strange's face.  I generally prefer covers that are representative of the action inside, but first issues get a pass on this because usually the character is being introduced.  The only problem I had with the cover art (and, unfortunately, this continues on the interior pages) is the lack of black!  I prefer strong, dynamic black lines for superhero comic book artwork, and Ferry just doesn't use those here.  The lines and colors have that Dreamwave thing going on.  Don't get me wrong; the artwork isn't unattractive.  The lines and colors are not totally unpleasant to the taste; it's just not (Dare I say it?) the cup of tea I would order.  THE RETURN of ADAM STRANGE title text is smooth, but not overdone, and the first three words let everyone know that this isn't a new hero.

Diggle has a clear story to tell, and does a good job of setting things up and letting that story unfold.  He starts by introducing Adam Strange to readers who don't know him, and reintroducing him to those who do.  Having Strange recount his fantastic story to a skeptical law enforcement officer drilling him about his past feels natural, and it works well in the context of the story.  We learn of Adam's trips to Rann via the zeta-beam, his otherworld wife Alanna and daughter Aleea, and of the supernova destruction of that world while Adam is on Earth.  Superman showing up in Adam's flashback is a good way to establish Strange's place in the DCU, and it doesn't feel forced.   In a world populated by Batman, Wonder Woman and the Flash, you'd think that people would be a bit more open-minded about meeting a superhero, but Adam has no luck convincing Johnny Law of who he is.  (And to Diggle's credit, he does address this.)  Strange escapes his captors, but runs headlong into a hostile alien who thinks he knows something about the Rann situation.  It is here that we get the first inkling that all is not as it seems regarding the planet's destruction.  We also get to see Strange in action for a second time, and it's pleasing to see that Strange is brave and resourceful without his gadgets!  Strange dispatches his alien abductor in record time, but must now face a new armored foe if he wishes to get the answers he so desperately seeks.

Issue #2

The cover of this issue features an anguished Adam Strange against the backdrop of space, and since that accurately depicts an element of the story inside, you'll hear no complaints from me!  The title now reads simply ADAM STRANGE.

We rejoin the title character in the midst of his battle with the armored bounty hunter who shows up at the end of the first issue.  Since Adam now has a jetpack (taken off his first attacker), we get to see some of his flight fight skills at work.  Once again, Strange is triumphant, but still has no idea who is sending bounty hunters after him, or why.  (The relationship between Adam's first and second attackers earned a silent chuckle from me.)  Adam is inspired to go back to his ruined apartment and don his uniform.  This uniform is not the one I remember from my youth, and it is not the one featured in the first issue's flashback retelling of Strange's origin.  The original is great, and while the redesign remains somewhat faithful to the first, it follows the Ultimate trend of seams and excessive accessory "bulking" that I dislike.  After eluding the cops once again, Strange uses a zeta-beamer off of the second alien to visit Rann Space, so he can check out the supernova situation up close and personal.

Unfortunately for Adam (but fortunately for readers), zeta-beam matter transport system failure + flight control system failure + imminent cooling system failure + imminent radiation shielding failure + an expanding shell of superheated plasma = one heckuva cliffhanger!

Conclusion

I'm not normally a fan of futuristic, planet-hopping heroes, but Diggle has sparked enough of my interest that I'll probably pick up the next issue to (hopefully) find out what happened to Rann.  I'd like to see what a different artist, inker and colorist might do with this series.

Whether I end up following Adam Strange's adventures on a regular basis or not, I'm indebted to Alex Ridell for giving me a reason to try this title.  Thanks, Alex!

I already reviewed WE3 #2 as part of my swap with Peter Hicks. This week #1came in on backorder. Since issue three was on the shelf I bought that as well. This is all part of my sneaky way to try and convince Peter to try DP #8 and read the conclusion of the Devolutionist story.

Reading issue one after issue two did answer a few questions I had about certain characters. However, to Morrison's credit you could have picked up any one of the three issue mini-series and still been able to follow the premise of the story. Issue one was a great deal like issue two with very little dialogue. The sequence of the animal's escaping as told through the security cameras was very well done. Quitely has a real Geof Darrow quality to his work. Insanely detailed and good at panel to panel storytelling.
Buying issue three was a good idea. This issue made the whole story for me. As I said in my review of number two, I didn't feel connected to the animals enough to care if they lived or died. But the introduction to the homeless man who wanted to care for the animals made the story more endearing. The fact that the animals were killing machines left me cold. When they found they could trust this man and he helped them escape the government gave something you could attach yourself to. Overall I'm glad I did the trade with Peter. This book while very violent shows that anything that kills can also love and be loved.