Gil Kane - Strange Adventures 222 Page 8

This is a kind of curiosity...

After Neal Adams' Deadman storyline wrapped up in Strange Adventures 216, further issues were published offering (high-class) reprints of Adam Strange adventures (well accompanied by underrated Murphy Anderson's Atomic Knights). All of these were boosted by absolute terrific brand new covers by Neal Adams (check out # 217: the definitive Adam Strange portrait, methinks...), Joe Kubert and Murphy Anderson.

But, when #222 appeared, a brand new adventure was published. While this was quite a dynamic modern approach of the original concept, this proved to be a one-shot as the reprint routine was reestablished from the next issue on and Adam Strange would only make guest-star appearances for the rest of the decade...

Judging from that single story, it's quite a shame. Powered on by the Dennis O'Neil/Gil Kane/Murphy Anderson team, this forgotten gem could have ushered a new start for the star-hopping hero, as this issue includes strong heroic fantasy elements. And it's worth noting as this appeared almost a year before Conan #1 hit the stands...

I have been lucky enough to grab two consecutive pages from this story that bear all the classic dynamic elements of Gil Kane and Murphy's Anderson's art.

And on this page, we all get to see the kind of angular geometric structures that Gil Kane will display more freely within his own Blackmark strip, a year later...

Finally, since this is still DC Comics Silver Age, I can't help myself smiling as the flying commandos from Rann, led by Adam Strange and Alanna's father, take on the fierce Reekans barbarian warriors... with their bare hands! And look at their frightened faces! Priceless, but great art, nonetheless...

Oh! And still, the front cover is credited to Murphy Anderson alone. But nobody will convince me that Gil Kane had a strong hand on it. I mean: look at Alanna's face for instance, she bears all the traits of the quintessential Kane girl!...
Check additional picture and you'll tell me...