Todd, Matt :: Strange Adventures: Adam Strange and Mister Terrific By Tom King Mitch Gerads and Doc Shaner

"Strange Adventures" Adam Strange Art by Mitch Gerads and Doc Shaner Writer Tom King

Artists: Mitch Gerads (All) , Doc Shaner (All) , Evan Shaner (All) , Tom King (Writer)

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Strange Adventures Adam Strange Art by Mitch Gerads and Doc Shaner Writer Tom King Comic Art

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"Strange Adventures" Mister Terrific Art by Mitch Gerads

Artwork Details

Title:	"Strange Adventures" Adam Strange Art by Mitch Gerads and Doc Shaner Writer Tom King
Artist:	Mitch Gerads (All)
Artist:	Doc Shaner (All)
Artist:	Evan Shaner (All)
Artist:	Tom King (Writer)
Media Type:	Marker
Art Type:	Sketchbook
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	290
Likes on CAF:	1 2
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	11/5/2021
Comic Art Archive:

Description

With “Strange Adventures” collaborators Tom King, Mitch Gerads, Evan “Doc” Shaner, and Clayton Cowles deliver on the premise and the promise of what I hoped to see and want to see in an Adam Strange story and a Mister Terrific story. The series had incredible visual storytelling, a seamless duet from masters of their craft. Gerads and Shaner have never looked better. Both artists are handling all stages of their art, they are even doing their own coloring which makes the cohesiveness of the art more impressive. “Strange Adventures” is a Sci-Fi mystery and meditation on war. Created in the Silver Age, Adam Strange is a Flash Gordon/John Carter like space hero. Adam is an archeologist who is transported to the alien planet Rann. Adam becomes the finned rocket pack wearing hero who saves the planet. He marries the heroine and leader of Rann Alanna, and they have a daughter, Aleena. We open the story on a Adam at a book signing for his memoir “Strange Adventures.” After the civil war that engulfed Rann is over, Aleena’s fate is unknown as Adam and Alanna return to Earth. Adam writes a memoir about his exploits called “Strange Adventures”. Both literally and metaphorically “selling his story,” When an enraged protestor who confronted Adam about war crimes during the war on Rann ends up dead. Adam asks his friend and fellow hero Batman to investigate him. To come at him hard like any other criminal, to prove his innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt. Batman, knowing that his relationship with Adam could cloud the investigation refuses and Adam asks Batman to find a detective as good as he is. Which brings Batman to ask Mister Terrific to investigate. Mister Terrific, aka Michael Holt is a genius tech hero and the third smartest man in the DCU, although some would say he is the smartest. He is an Olympic class athlete, and his main tools/weapons are his t-spheres which are the spherical computers surround him and protect him. He is the second person to take the mantle of Mister Terrific, the original, Terry Sloane, was a founding member of the Justice Society. The first issue ends with Adam and Michael just meeting for the first time.
The investigation officially begins. Eleven issues in and King, Gerads, and Shaner have shown their cards. Each revelation more heart wrenching than the last. For several issues, I was worried the team was maybe slowing things down a bit too much, but now I get what they were doing, and I am seeing the clues they left along the way. The scripture that Adam paraphrases in his dedication in the book. “For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.” Mister Terrific reciting the lesson of “The Green Knight” "”Gawain feels only shame for his failure not keeping his honor." Even the family picture of Adam, Alanna, and Aleena in celebration with red confetti falling hinting at the blood shed this war has wrought on the Strange family. As Mister Terrific so eloquently puts in his letter to Alanna Strange “Adam wanted us to find what he didn’t hide. It So we would miss what he did.” Adam Strange lied, his war crimes were the lie to hide a much darker truth. His war crimes metastasized into treason. The man of two worlds struck a deal to save Rann, and in exchange Adam gave his enemies, the Pykkts, Earth, and his daughter Alanna was collateral. Tom King, Mitch Gerads, and Doc Shaner have taken us into Adam Strange's “Heart of Darkness”. War is hell but with his sins revealed Adam has become a warrior in line (inverted might better convey my point) with Col. Kurtz from "Apocalypse Now"
“Mister Miracle” used a nine-panel grid to tell the story “Strange Adventures” is largely using a three-panel page, a change they were inspired to use based on Darwyn Cooke’s “New Frontier”. It gives the story a different flow but still epic and incredibly personal. King is setting the rhythm of the story and I love the cadence of his writing for the issue. The music this comic orchestra is playing is magnificent. I love how King writes Adam and Alanna’s relationship. Full of love, passion, joy but you can see there are cracks in the veneer this is not Scott and Barda. This was a really fun idea I had, since Mitch Gerads and Doc Shaner each drew a cover to every issue of "Strange Adventures" I thought it would be really cool if Mitch drew half of Adam's face and Doc drew the other half. Then to incorporate Tom King into the piece I asked him to write my favorite line of dialogue from the series that I love. A masterful meditation on war, and the cost of selling one’s soul. I love that this piece like the series as a whole is a collaboration of true masters of their craft.

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	Matt Todd Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	August 2014
Last Login:	September 2025
Country:	UNITED STATES
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