When I picked up this issue, there was only really two things that came struck me.
- Adam Strange was that cool concept that my dad tole me about when I was a kid, sort of like a John Carter from Mars type.
- Comics writer/artist extraordinaire Jim Starlin knows a thing or two about putting together epic cosmic stories.
That said, Adam Strange Special #1 kicks in towards the end of the Rann/Thangar War during the Infinite Crisis period of DC. I didn’t follow that cross over, but this issue is pretty self-contained. The story is a lot like A Christmas Story,with Adam visiting his past and future on the planet Rann.
Adam finds out that not only will he win up being responsible for the death of his daughter Aleea, but eventually for the destruction of the planet. Eep. Along his time shifting, he encounters a shady character named Synnar, who comes to power as a result of Adam destroying Rann. The story ends with Adam figuring out how to communicate with a younger version of himself, warning him of the impending horrors he will cause.
This could have been a really awkward one shot to read, as it directly finishes Rann/Thangar War mini series and its sequel. Instead, it’s a pretty straight forward tale, warning Adam Strange of something horrible that he will inevitably cause.
Rick Leonardi and Dan Green’s art on the book is great; it really has that 1970s/1980s cosmic super hero feel to it. At first I thought it was Starlin doing the art, but the duo really matched his visual style.
I really haven’t checked out much Adam Strange stuff over the years, but definitely got my attention.
Ridiculously Awesome 