STRANGE_ADVENTURES_Cv4

Strange Adventures #4

DC Comics

Written by Tom King

Art by Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” Shaner

Letters by Clayton Cowles

The Rundown: Mr. Terrific’s investigation continues and Adam Strange’s desperation to return to Rann will alienate friends and allies alike.

With a new army behind him, Adam Strange is ready to take back the planet Rann and rescue his family. Unfortunately, Adam gets transported back to Earth during the battle and is desperate to return. To make things worse, with the planet at war, he can’t get a ride back to Rann from either Hal Jordan or Superman. Strange does not take the news well and lashes out at the people he thought were his friends and allies.

Strange_Adventures_4_4

In the present, Mr. Terrific has traveled to Rann to continue his investigation. After being shown the war ravaged city, Holt is told he will have access to whatever he needs. It doesn’t take Terrific long to realize something isn’t right when his inquiries into the war records of the enemy put him in opposition with people he thought were his friends.

The Story: There is a cold, matter of fact quality to this issue that I really enjoyed. As Holt’s investigation continues in earnest, Tom King begins to chip away at the fantasy hero story of Adam’s time on Rann and you get to see a man desperate to return to the people who need him and finding no help from the people that can take him home. It’s almost sad to see Strange’s desperation, but showcasing shows the reader how his desperation might lead him to doing things he might regret.

Terrific’s time on Rann is the best part of the issue and his investigation continues to be one of the things that cuts through all the artifice to get to the truth and his single question that has yet to be answered continues to be the one I want to see pursued. A great next chapter to an increasingly compelling and thought-provoking story.

The Art: Gerads and Shaner’s styles and panels begin to combine in this issue and the transition between different parts of the story is both visually stunning and emotionally compelling. I continue to love the noir style of the Holt scenes as well as the evolution of the Strange storyline as well. Both artists bring some beautiful visuals to this issue.

Strange Adventures #4

0.00
9.4

Overall

9.4/10

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.