#the Pykkts

[gamerbulten]

Alanna Strange, Strange Adventures final önizlemesinde günü kurtarmalı Strange Adventures'ın gerçek kahramanı ...

[dccomicsnews]

Review: Strange Adventures #9

Review: Strange Adventures #9

Review: Strange Adventures #9[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers] Writer: Tom KingArt & Colors: Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” ShanerLetters: Clayton Cowles   Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd   Summary As the war against the Pykkts rages on Earth, the Justice League releases a bit of the report with mixed reactions. Positives There’s such an intensity to the drama of discovering what’s in…

[ufonaut]

It’s open. Magnificent.

Strange Adventures (2020) #9

(Tom King, Mitch Gerads, Doc Shaner)

[librarycomic]

Strange Adventures by Tom King (writer), Mitch Gerard and Evan "Doc"Shaner (artists). DC Comics, 2021. 9781779512031. Contains Strange Adventures #1 - 12. http://www.powells.com/book/-9781779512031?partnerid=34778&p_bt

There's so much to love here: Adam Strange, the Flash Gorden-esque, jetpack-wearing, laser gun toting Earthman who becomes a hero on the planet Rann (and then on Earth). He and his wife recently united the peoples of Rann against the Pykkts, a previously unbeatable alien threat, and lost their daughter in the war. Now they're on Earth, and Strange is not only the man of the hour, he's on book tour. But after a man who confronts him at a book signing is murdered, rumors of Strange's misconduct and dishonor during the war gain some traction. Strange asks Batman to investigate him, to prove that he's innocent, but Batman passes that task to super genius Mr. Terrific. As he starts to turn over Adam Strange's story in every way he can; it's clear he believe's a lot of it to be BS, especially after the Pykkts begin a war with Earth and its heroes.

There's a lot to love about this book, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a great superhero story. Everything about it is great. But I have to tell you, I think I've read too many superhero books like this lately, dark stories about heroes fans like me are nostalgic for who aren't as heroic as they'd like us to think. Maybe I need something a little brighter and more hopeful. But if you're in the mood for this kind of story it's an excellent graphic novel.

[vermiculated]

Strange Adventures (2020)

A primer:

Strange Adventures (2020) is a comic book about an adventure story, drawn by Evan Shaner, and a political thriller, drawn by Mitch Gerads. In the end, the stories become one another and the hero dies. The premise of all of these stories is Adam Strange, with his jet pack and ray gun, is trying to win a war against the Pykkts, who have attacked the planet he lives on some of the time, called Rann. The original Adam Strange comics are treated as backstory to this war, and Strange Adventures is partly meant to emphasize how brutal and lonely war really is, even in a planetary romance setting: Adam’s been fighting pointless wars for decades, but this is the saddest of them all. 

source: why-i-love-comics

The several parallel stories that make up this comic are meant, at least partly, to give two underwritten characters some depth: Adam’s squeeze, Alanna of Rann and Mister Terrific, Michael Holt. Alanna is a scientist who meets Adam when he is transported to Rann by the zeta beams, which run on an irregular but predictable schedule, serving the same purpose as the sword between Tristan and Isolde. In most Adam Strange comics, Alanna is lovely and smart: the general arc is that Rann has been put in danger, Adam shows up, Alanna provides the necessary exposition, and she plays lovely assistant to Adam’s science hero. There’s some later complications to this, including the addition and subtraction of Adam and Alanna’s daughter, Aleea, and their appearance in other superhero stories, usually to indicate that all of space is looking in on this conflict. 

source: why-i-love-comics

Michael Holt is a genius decathlete polymath who, after the death of his wife Paula, took up the mantle of Mister Terrific, vacant after the initiator of the title died, and started working with the JSA. His “superpower” is being naturally good at everything and usually in stories, his role is to provide background information on whatever threat the heroes are facing, and explains whatever science is being used to fight the bad guys. He works with the T-spheres, robots who further his pedagogical theme/approach, and allow him to test his knowledge at random.

source: why-i-love-comics

Michael and Alanna have chemistry, they visit the Walker Art Institute’s sculpture garden together and talk about their problems:

source: why-i-love-comics

The twist to Strange Adventures is that Adam, to save Rann, bargains away Earth. He does this by promising to the Pykkt that he will sabotage the Justice League’s efforts to defend Earth, which is the next planet that the Pykkt intend to invade. The Pykkt guarantee this bargain by holding Aleea hostage. In order to keep this deal and its condition secret, Adam lies and says that the Pykkt killed Aleea. He and Alanna come to Earth in the wake of this deal and publish an autobiography of Adam’s time at war, and try to raise the alarm about the invasion. Adam, out of hallucinatory guilt, shoots a guy who he interprets to be a Pykkt scout: he goes to Batman and asks to be investigated, and Batman sets Mister Terrific the task of figuring out what happened. Mister Terrific goes to Rann and figures out that the Pykkt made a deal with Adam, and that Aleea is still alive. When the Pykkt do invade, Adam allows them to break the cordon and bomb Phoenix, Arizona. The war goes poorly, and Michael tells Alanna what really happened to Aleea. Alanna confronts Adam, they fight, and Adam is killed. Mister Terrific takes custody of Aleea when Alanna returns to Rann to face a renewed Pykkt attack. 

you may say, these themes seem very familiar to me as a person who enjoys nine panel therapy comics. THOMAS. This is substantially darker than Mister Miracle (2017) or The Omega Men, as the nature of the story itself is deconstructed, and the hero is pushed to make a deal that is antithetical to continued heroics, so what is he; whereas Mister Miracle answers that question by saying, he’s a good person who doesn’t care about the story in the end, Strange Adventures says when a hero’s no longer heroic he is dead. 

shorter: I would have made this amazing transformative work my summary.

This is how I win: after the fixit, Adam’s back on Earth in time for 2022’s vampire-fighting arc and the promised dinner party at the Frees’. 

[morticornio]

La aventura de la historia

“La historia la escriben los ganadores”. Esa frase condensa la base de la historia en general. Es simple, se necesitan a los buenos, a los malos y al club de fans para fortalecer y darle sentido al ánimo nacionalista, patriotero. En esas historias hay héroes que le dan sentido de pertenencia a quienes leen sobre ellos y, si bien no se identifican, sí se siente “a lado de”, que se diga “son como yo, pudo ser yo, pudo ser cualquiera”. O puede ser que se los vea como ese ideal inalcansable, digno de ser idolatrado a costa de lo que sea. Los héroes, como se les trate, siempre están ahí para reforzar esas, a veces, muy necesarias narrativas.

Pero ¿qué sucede cuando esas certezas aparentes son cuestionadas? Cuando el que es héroe tal vez no lo sea, cuando la mancha de la duda alcanza a más de uno. ¿Sigue siento válida la narrativa? ¿Se condonan los errores, grandes o pequeños, sólo porque el resultado fue benéfico para una de las partes, para los “buenos���? Tom King nos presenta una historia donde cuestiona esos aspectos de las figuras prominentes, sus actos y las consecuencias de estos llevadas al terreno de lo superheróico y para ello retomó un personaje conocido de las aventuras pulp de Amazing Fiction Tales, Adam Strange.

Strange Adventures es una maxi-serie de 12 números que nos habla del Héroe de dos mundos, Adam Strang”. En ella vemos quién es Adam Strange, qué hizo y cómo se convirtió en héroe de dos mundos;, así como la popularidad e influencia que adquiere ante el público en general y las altas esferas políticas. Toda esta exposición mediática, muy ad hoc a los tiempos actuales de medios masivos, redes sociales y demás, -nada que ver con la Liga de la Justicia- tiene su culminación con la publicación de las memorias de Adam Strange llamadas, precisamente, Strange Adventures.

® DC Comics, Strange Adventures

No es un detalle baladí que la historia inicie con la firma de autógrafos de estas memorias. Como dije al inicio, la historia la escriben los ganadores, y Adam fue EL ganador de ese conflicto. Es testigo de primera mano, es quien puede decir cómo fue esa guerra con los Pykkts, una civilización tan barbárica como avanzada, y qué se perdió en esa refriega. Adam lo cuenta para que sepamos.

Es aquí donde inicia el embrollo. Siempre hay gente inconforme, que critica a este tipo de figuras y una de ellas aparece para acusar a Adam de asesino, de criminal de guerra porque él sabe sobre los pykkts, y lo llama escoria.¿Por qué un civil sabe esa otra historia de los pykkts, cómo se enteró? Como sea, este mismo ciudadano inconforme y que sabe cosas aparece muerto, con heridas de un arma de tipo láser… y todo apunta a Adam. ¿Qué hacer? No se escapa el detalle de que lo que sabemos de los Pykkts, lo sabemos por el propio Adam.

® DC Comics, Strange Adventures, 2020

En estos tiempos, un conspiracionista diría que asesinaron a alguien que sabía la verdad para que no despertemos. En el comic no sucede nada así, sin embargo, las dudas no tardan en caer en Adam y éste se ve forzado a demostrar su inocencia. Así que acude con el mejor detective del mundo, quien decide no investigar el caso, pero sí ayudarlo.

Otro aspecto que me pareció acertado fue dejar el misterio a Mr. Terrific, uno de los hombres más inteligentes del mundo. Terrific no le debe nada a nadie y eso lo hace el detective perfecto. Algo que me llamó la atención es la constante de la historia, los hechos registrados, que se pueden encontrar en los libros, y es ahí, en la lectura de las memorias de Adam que ve parte de la verdad detrás del héroe.

En medio de todo ello podemos atestiguar la pompa y embeleso de los altos funcionarios con personajes prominentes, que quieren que los avalen y por ello les conceden prerrogativas. Leemos las justificaciones de todo tipo antes los hechos, la repartición de culpas al por mayor, las recriminaciones, cómo se ocultan las cosas y se le niega el discurso al perdedor, contemplamos la manipulación más cruda de los hechos para un fin que para algunos es justificado, para otros no. Al final, entre esos dimes y diretes, la verdad no puede esconderse y las consecuencias son funestas.

® DC Comics, Strange Adventures, 2020

Somos capaces de condonar la mentira. Podemos perdonar la manipulación sólo porque admiramos a quien tejió la intriga. En estos tiempos parece que sí. Tampoco es gratis que entre todos las paginas se nos presenten fragmentos de noticieros americanos. Esa narrativa de los “gringos” basada en la apariencia más que en los hechos o que se toma un detalle y lo explota al por mayor hasta lograr el linchamiento, que adora la supuesta brillantez del personaje del momento y olvida, para su mala suerte, que son seres humanos antes que nada y eso los aleja de esa anhelada perfección.

Si bien no he leído toda la obra de Tom King, en lo que sí he podido disfrutar, suele poner el problema central desde el inicio. Va al grano desde el principio para ir desenrollando la historia. En no más de 5 páginas ya tenemos todo el conflicto. Ahora, es cuestión de leer los 11 números restantes para ver qué sucedió y cómo se arregla todo.

En esta obra King dejó un poco de lado el uso de los nueve paneles, para usar una doble narrativa con páginas completas incluso que nos presenta la vida de Adam en la guerra contra los Pykkts, en el planeta Rann, y la de Adam en su natal planeta Tierra, pero sujeto a una investigación que él mismo pidió.

® DC Comics, Strange Adventures, 2020

Los recuerdos están dibujados en un estilo preciosista, acaso idílico de esos momentos de pena, pero vividos a lado de sus amadas esposa e hija. Lo actual tiene un estilo de dibujo más realista, menos lindo, más sucio incluso. Ambos cortesía de Mitch Gerads y “Doc” Shaner.

® DC Comics, Strange Adventures, 2020

En cuestiones del fomato, estas maxi-series pueden dividirse en tres actos, al menos aquí se cumple. Los primeros 4 números sirven, además de plantear el problema, para que veamos todo el contexto y los ires y venires que de ahí surgen. En el segundo acto, las dudas se profundizan, Terrific busca pistas y se mete en problemas por ello. También sirve para ver a Adam desesperado por detener la investigación porque Terrific no le da confianza ¿o será por otra cosa? En el tercer y último acto, en los cuatro números restante, tenemos el cuadro completo. Sabemos qué pasó, por qué pasó, si estuvo bien o mal, si valió la pena o no.

El equipo que forman Tom King, Mich Gerads y Evan Shaner es indiscutiblemente inmejorable desde mi punto de vista. Trabajan muy bien, entienden perfecto lo que el otro necesita y el resultado es poco menos que brillante, múltiples premios Eisner lo comprueban.

Strange Adventures es un space opera -como lo define Alanna, la esposa de Strange- que no tiene desperdicio y nos regresa, de alguna manera, a lo sucedido en Omega Men y hasta dónde podemos sostener nuestros discursos frente a la realidad y frente nuestros propios hechos.

Por supuesto, a diferencia de Omega Men, aquí el final es certero, aun así, quien lee decide qué significa la viñeta final que redondea el inicio de la historia.

® DC Comics, Strange Adventures, 2020

[stranger-who-writes-fiction]

Ya know what these self-indulgent Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow posts need? Self-indulgent banner art, that’s what.

Spoilers for issue #4!

Let’s start this off right with CREATOR CREDITS. Issue 4 of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is titled “Restraint, Endurance, and Passion.” Written by Tom King, Art by Bilquis Evely, Colors by Matheus Lopes, Letters by Clayton Cowles, and Edited by Brittany Holzherr. (w/ Assist. Editor: Bixie Mathieu & Senior Editor Mike Cotton)

THE STORY: 

Right, so this? This issue? Best one yet.

Also the bleakest of the bunch thus far; even though we don’t always see the brutality of the space pirates that Kara and Ruthye are following, there’s...the suggestion of it. The aftermath. And how Kara responds to it.

Okay, getting a little ahead of myself. BASIC PLOT SUMMARY: Ruthye and Kara continue their pursuit of Krem, who has taken up with Barbond’s Brigands.

The Brigands basically just. Murder and terrorize people, for profit.

Each planet they visit brings new horrors, as well as people who need Supergirl’s help.

And help she does.

KARA-CTERIZATION:

I yell a lot about the art on this book, and have, in fact, openly admitted that I’m primarily here for Evely and Lopes.

Well, that wily son-of-a-gun King went and wrote some of the best ‘Super’ stuff I’ve ever read and dang it, dang it, now I gotta yell about the words too. XD

Specifically, I wanna yell (in a good way!) about some words that occur towards the very end of the book.

Kara and Ruthye have Seen Some Things; things like genocide and mass grave sites and horrible violence, and upon reaching a planet where peaceful monks were slaughtered, Kara’s had enough, and needs to leave because if she screams, she’ll destroy what little is left of the monks’ monastery.

Here’s the text in full, because my gosh. It’s so good:

“What I write next I write based on my observations in those long-ago days at the side of the greatest warrior in the history of this august reality we all call home. It is important to note that my assertions do not rely on anything Supergirl said. It was not a subject we ever discussed or even approached, but nonetheless I believe it to be as true as the turning of worlds. You see, what is not well understood about the daughter of Krypton is that her power was not one of action but one of restraint, endurance, and passion. She did not choose to fire a beam from her eyes, or have breath of ice, or run faster than a speeding bullet. Or any of her other well-documented miracles. No, she held back her heat vision to look you in the face. She warmed her breath to converse with you. She slowed herself to walk by your side. Ever moment of every day, she suppressed the forces churning inside of her. All of the energy of a dead world that strained against her many barriers, eternally demanded to be released. I believe this effort hurt her. I believe she lived her life in pain. But I reiterate again, for I think it important enough to repeat--These beliefs are based on my time at her side, watching her as she moved through strife and sorrow. If you were to have asked her, I have little doubt she would have claimed that such as assertion was absurd. She would say she felt fine and well and then she’d as you if you needed any help.”

A long chunk of words, I know (this comic is DENSE!) but like. This is it. This is one of the defining attributes of the Supers--all that raw power at their disposal and they choose to help people, to be kind, to suppress that power for the benefit and safety of others.

HNNNNNNNG.

Hope, Help, and Compassion for All.

Whole lotta folks claimed at the outset of this book that King did not understand Kara, that he was a bad fit. And that may be so, I suppose--there’s a whole other discussion about like. The violence and swearing and ‘does that belong in a Supergirl book?’ But the characterization? Getting that Kara and Clark are just good people? 

King gets it. He got it in Superman: Up in the Sky and he gets it here, in Woman of Tomorrow.

Other things King gets! Kara is stubborn! Kara is passionate! Kara is going to fix things, even if the effort of doing so hurts her, physically, emotionally, and mentally!

(Fuuuuuuun fact for the crowd saying that Woman of Tomorrow is vastly superior to the CW show: TV Kara is ALSO all of those things! King isn’t pulling this stuff out of thin air. It’s almost like...gosh. I don’t know! Both the show and Tom King are pulling from the character’s comic history, or something!!!! HOW NOVEL.) 

Like, seriously. There’s a lot of overlap. Stop pitting Karas against each other!

Anyways!

I promised art, so here is art!

Oh, right, forgot to mention, Kara literally THROWS HERSELF INTO THE SUN to express her grief and anger, so as to not cause that unnecessary destruction. She gives new meaning to the phrase: Set yourself on fire to keep someone else warm. 

More art yelling: GOTTDAMN, the way Evely draws Kara just colliding with the surface of the sun and then the way Kara’s hair like...becomes the flames...

I am FEELING FEELINGS. HOW DARE.

Also, props to King and Cowles; King for deciding to have that initial scream, Cowles for the way the letters burst forth from the point of impact on the sun, and then back to King who decided that it would just be...devastating silent screaming from Kara, for the remainder of the scene. 

Back to the characterization, I just wanted to highlight something I mentioned...earlier on, I think? In these posts? But haven’t brought up recently, and that is how this book has not once brought up Zor-El, and I think Superman only got a quick mention in issue 2.

Honestly, I think that’s gotta be some kind of record.

It’s so refreshing. Not because I think there should never be mentions of Clark, or anything--I love that boy--but because so much of modern Supergirl comic drama is mined from the same like, angsting over her place compared to Clark, or her crazy sometimes-a-supervillain dad. 

There is no Clark and Kara drama here, no manufactured friction, because it’s just. A cool Supergirl story! 

Gonna keep going, but let’s do it with some more...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTT!!!!

Once again, Mat Lopes is all over the dang place with his palettes, it’s marvelous.

Each new planet gives Evely the opportunity to go hog wild on the worldbuilding and design, and similarly! Each new locale is an opportunity for Lopes to set the tone with colors. Like, here, towards the beginning of the book, we’ve got a planet bathed in this warm, pale yellow/orange light. 

(Quick note: “Sure, yeah, I get it. We all have our duties. And it’s mine as a neighbor to do what I can to help you with yours. Please.” A+ Kara content. We love to see it. And then locating the remains of the alien’s daughter, so that they can go visit the grave site and have some emotional closure???? It’s just. So. Touching.)

Anyways, back to colors.

Like!!!! LOOK AT THAT JUMP. From the soft, almost pastoral feel of the delicate oranges and yellows to HARD GREEN, PINK, AND PURPLE. (Difficult colors to pull off in print, I might add.) 

(This is also an interesting scene, character-wise, because I think it helps re-contextualize some earlier stuff with Kara. Like, I’m mostly thinking that incident on the bus, where she was swearing at the passengers as the space dragon was about to destroy them. Here, we see Kara kind of...goad this alien woman into releasing her pent up emotions by yelling at her/getting her to fight, and you can clearly see at the end of it that Kara did not mean the things she said, because check this out:

She goes and gives her a hug once the woman is able to finally cry.

It’s not ‘Kara is being mean, Kara is swearing at her’, it’s, ‘Kara has an unorthodox solution to a problem, and she’s gonna FIX that problem, NO MATTER WHAT.’

Circling back to the bus thing--again, that could be an instance of ‘unorthodox approach to a weird situation that Kara is going to handle because lives are at stake.’)

But also, DIG THAT KIRBY KRACKLE, BAY-BEEEEE!

And a little Strange Adventures easter egg! The Pykkts! 

(I think those guys are unique to the Black Label series, rather than deep Adam Strange lore, but don’t quote me on that.)

Moving on to YET ANOTHER PALETTE, one I’ve dubbed, ‘Treasure Planet Purple/Grey’

Love Ruthye’s snoozing against the door, waiting for Kara.

Also, just as striking as the colors of the environment, are the colors used on Kara. 

If you compare this page with the previous one, Kara’s eyes are a paler shade of blue, and the red-rimmed look on her eyes here is not as intense as the red-rimmed look we saw back in issue one, when she was confronting Krem. 

All of which to say! There’s a pale, haunted quality to both the linework and the colors. Like. We know Kara has Seen Some Things. But she’s shoving all that stuff down to protect Ruthye, to save Krypto, and to stop these monsters, and you get all of that WITH COLORS AND LINES ON A PAGE.

I love it, I love it so much.

OTHER BOOKS WISH THEY HAD THIS LEVEL OF CHARACTER ACTING, I TELL YA! THEY WISH THEY HAD THIS BEAUTIFUL ALCHEMY OF INKER, COLORIST, AND WRITER WORKING IN SUCH TIGHT TANDEM!

Ahem. XD

Alright, last bit of art, lest I just. Post the whole issue in here. (Which I’m honestly always tempted to do but Strong Feelings about Piracy hold me back.)

JUST HECKIN’ LOOK AT THAT BLUE, MAN. JUST LOOK AT IT. S’BEAUTIFUL.

And more stunning character acting from Evely. Like. Bottom middle panel. The expression, the tilt of her head and the shadows on her eyes...

*insert silent flailing here*

Oh, also, KRYPTO LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVESSSS (for now). 

I’m never right about these things, so I’m glad the one time I’ve correctly read a thing is when it involves Krypto not, ya know. Being dead. XD

Also absolutely love that Kara’s instinct is to send Ruthye home to protect her--once more leaning into that whole, ‘I’m going to protect you, even at great cost to myself’, though of course we know that she can’t send her home, not here, not now, just halfway through our journey. 

ERRRRRRGH, so mad we’re not getting twelve issues of this! CURSE YOU, POOR SUPERGIRL TRADE SALES! CURSE YOOOOOOU!

That said, King’s pacing? Has been phenomenal. I feel like Strange Adventures and even Mr. Miracle kinda...I’m not gonna say dragged, that’s not quite right. But it is more build up, I guess. Takes a while to get to the payoff.

Here, I think King is pushing things steadily along as he doesn’t have the benefit of an additional four issues, so he has to get to the point, so to speak. Keeps everything moving.

SOME FINAL, MISC. STUFF:

I’ve sort of glossed over the darker stuff from this issue, and I just wanna note that like. This is a book that features a bad guy getting stoned (in the death sentence way, not the drug way) on panel. Like. I can’t recommend this to children.

I can’t even really recommend it to some other Supergirl fans, because I know that the King elements will be too off-putting. 

It never feels like the book is going too far, though. At least in like an...exploitative way? If that makes sense?

The violence is handled with discretion, I guess is what I’m trying to convey. This could very easily tip over into like, gross shock factor territory, if not handled well, but I think the creative team pulls it off.

...Still wouldn’t hand this book to kids, though. XD

As mentioned, we’re halfway through this series! Can’t wait to see where it goes--every time I think I have this book figured out, it surprises me. So, like. Bring on the Dinosaur planet! With no sunlight! I wanna see how Lopes handles THAT. XD

(But Oh, OooooOOooh, we gotta wait until NOVEMBER.)

(Hhhnnnnng!)

(Then again, maybe that’s good; we’ve got the TV show in the meantime, and then once it ends we can pick right up with new Supergirl content just a few weeks later.)

(...Aw. Made myself a little sad, thinking about the TV show coming to an end.)

:C

So as not to end on that sad note, here once again is tiny, smushed Kara:

Give ‘em the ol razzle dazzle.

[dispatchdcu]

Strange Adventures #11 Preview

Strange Adventures #11 Preview #DCEU #dccomics #comics #comicbooks #news #dcu #amazon #dcuuniverse #art #info #NCBD #superman #comicbooknews #previews #reviews #strangeadventures #adamstrange #flash #justiceleague #tomking #greenlantern

  Strange Adventures #11 Synopsis:   CHAPTER 11: Adam Strange may save the world, but can he save his marriage? There are things that happened in the original war with the marauding Pykkts that Adam never told his wife, Alanna, and she wants answers now. Adding fuel to the fire is the possibility that he didn’t just deceive her, but entire galactic civilizations, in his quest for victory—which…

[thecomicon]

War Criminal Or War Hero? Previewing 'Strange Adventures' #10

War Criminal Or War Hero? Previewing ‘Strange Adventures’ #10

Written by Tom King Illustrated by Mitch Gerads, Evan Shaner “Once upon a time on Rann, Adam Strange made a deal with his neighbors and foes to take a stand against the invading Pykkts. Now, on Earth, he is trying to do the same thing: to get all the heroes to rise as one to keep the marauders from doing to his home planet what they already did to his adopted one. But the original deal was a…

[graphicpolicy]

Preview: Strange Adventures #10

Strange Adventures #10 preview. If Alanna Strange wants to keep her husband safe, it’s time for her to go on the offensive. #Comics #ComicBooks

Strange Adventures #10 Written by: Tom KingArt by: Evan “Doc” Shaner, Mitch Gerads Once upon a time on Rann, Adam Strange made a deal with his neighbors and foes to take a stand against the invading Pykkts. Now, on Earth, he is trying to do the same thing: to get all the heroes to rise as one to keep the marauders from doing to his home planet what they already did to his adopted one. But the…

[farsight-the-char]

Strange Adventures #11 story by Tom King art by Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” Shaner cover by Mitch Gerads ON SALE: 7/27/21 $4.99 US | 40 PAGES | FC | DC 11 of 12 Ages 17+ variant cover by Evan “Doc” Shaner US $4.99 (card stock) Adam Strange may save the world, but can he save his marriage? There are things that happened in the original war with the marauding Pykkts that Adam never told his wife, Alanna, and she wants answers now. Adding fuel to the fire is the possibility that he didn’t just deceive her, but entire galactic civilizations, in his quest for victory—which raises the question: How much has been true in the stories he’s told Earth to mobilize its greatest heroes against an invasion right here at home? This is the big one before the finale. Massive secrets are revealed, as two timelines rush toward a collision.

[oosteven-universe]

Strange Adventures #9

Strange Adventures #9 DC Comics Black Label 2020 Written by Tom King Interiors & Cover by Mitch Gerards & Evan “Doc” Shaner Lettered by Clayton Cowles The Pykkts are attacking Earth. As the only warrior in all the cosmos to ever defeat them, Adam Strange leads the planet’s mightiest heroes in all-out war! The only thing is, evidence is mounting that Adam’s victory on Rann may not have been everything he says it was. There is time unaccounted for, circumstances left unexplained. Even Batman has started to wonder about his friend. Sure, they are fighting side by side right now, but who will answer for all the things that got them here? Why, Alanna Strange, of course! It’s time for the Rannian princess to go out and set the record straight. The hit series continues on a bimonthly schedule. This is one of those series that is not only utterly amazing but it says a lot about what some folks think of the Justice League.  They put themselves on a pedestal and if you don’t live up to what they consider are their standards than you are fair game to go after.  Nevermind the fact that hardly any of them go into space and understand the dynamics that work within the cosmos or on other planets.  Self-righteous, self-proclaimed gods who wouldn’t stand a chance fighting on their own under the exact same circumstances let alone what gives them the right to police what folks do on another planet that’s not under their jurisdiction. I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development is utterly extraordinary to witness and it really is Alanna who benefits the most from it.  Though in all honesty the exchange between Adam and Superman says a lot about both of them.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story along with daytime’s most popular talk show, Ellie & Bryan, thoughts on who the world needs more well it really is about public opinion isn’t it. How we see this being structured with the layers within the story being showcased throughout the main arc moves the story forward beautifully.  Also how we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is incredibly well done. The interiors here are phenomenal!  The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level and quality of detail work is mindbogglingly brilliant stuff.  The way we see the faces and facial expressions and body language help to further the characterisation.  How we see backgrounds being utilised or don’t depending works within the composition of the panels so we get depth perception, a sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masters eye for storytelling.  The colour work is completely and utterly divine.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is brilliantly rendered.  How we see the colour utilised to create such depth in the facial structure or musculature of the body that we see really showcases someone who understands how to use colour effectively. ​ These are the stories that remind us how the gods see the mere mortals, or how the A-Listers see the C-Listers and below.  They aren’t nice, kind of forgiving of all the previous times they’ve worked together and now after raking him over the coals the Earth is under attack from the very enemies they chastised him about and Earth’s mightiest heroes aren’t faring very well against them.  Nothing like being forced to eat a little crow.  This is brilliant storytelling from every single facet you can imagine and it’s why DC tends to lead the way when it comes to premiere storytelling.

[dccomicsnews]

Review: Strange Adventures #10

Review: Strange Adventures #10

Review: Strange Adventures #10[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers] Writer: Tom KingArt: Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” ShanerColors: Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” ShanerLetters: Clayton Cowles Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd   Summary Alanna gets Mr. Terrific’s insight on what’s really going on with Adam and the Pykkts.  Is it the truth?  Is it the whole truth?  Is it nothing but the…

[ufonaut]

i’m going absolutely nuts about strange adventures #11 and the fact that, as we finally get our answers, it becomes obvious that the genius of the story lies in the fact that it operates on irl rules and the mystery is based entirely around us -- the readers -- expecting it to work like a comic book. as in, why didn’t the pykkts kill adam when they had the chance after they kidnapped him? because he’s the main character, is what a person expecting this to work like a comic book would say and through that, a clue that’s obvious in hindsight immediately stops being suspicious. once it becomes obvious that irl logic is at work here (the pykkts didn’t kill adam because, naturally, they had something to gain from him & vice versa), not only does the mystery unravel but the parts of the story that are in the past -- the golden age-y fantasy of a man of two worlds -- quite literally do too

[scienceninjaturtle]

STRANGE ADVENTURES #8

Written by TOM KING

Art and cover by MITCH GERADS

Variant cover by EVAN "DOC" SHANER

The battle against the Pykkts continues! The Justice League -- including Green Lantern, Doctor Fate, Batman, the Flash, Superman, and Wonder Woman -- has scattered across the Earth, pushing back the marauders wherever they appear. Even Mr. Terrific takes a break from investigating Adam Strange's alleged war crimes to land a punch or two in their stupid alien faces. But Adam Strange has made his decision: to save Rann at any price -- even if that price is the Earth itself!

32 pages, $4.99, available on Jan. 5.

[biggoonie]

STRANGE ADVENTURES #6

written by TOM KING art by MITCH GERADS and EVAN "DOC" SHANER cover by MITCH GERADS variant cover by EVAN “DOC” SHANER ON SALE 10/6/20 | $4.99 US | 32 PAGES 6 OF 12 | FC | NO ADS | CARD STOCK COVERS DC BLACK LABEL | AGES 17+ How determined is Mr. Terrific to find the truth? The answer becomes more challenging as the whole world starts to turn against him. Adam Strange is a hero who can save the Earth from alien invasion, and who is Mr. Terrific to say otherwise? The extent of the denial only makes the man more suspicious. Not that the warmongering Pykkts care one way or the other. If Strange is to be believed, they only have one thing on their minds: taking over the planet. Adam and his wife beat them back once before, and the key to doing it again is to dig into the past that Mr. Terrific is so hell-bent on destroying. Read the series IGN calls one of the most anticipated comics of the year!