Review: ‘Strange Adventures’ #9 Feels Like A Story Drawn Out For Too Long
by Olly MacNamee
Summary
Strange Adventures #9 is another issue that feels like its just playing for time in a comic book that could have easily told its story in half the issues.
Overall
6/10It feels like the Earth invasion by the Pykkts in the pages on Strange Adventures has gone on forever. And all the while ee are left pondering whether Adam Strange is a war hero or not, as suggested by a new report just published in the latest issue by Tom King, Mitch Gerads and Evan Shaner. It’s the part in seemingly every Tom King script where things slow down to a snail’s pace and the story seems to be simply elongated out to fill the request set of issues in the series. A man with issues needing the support of his seemingly stronger and more intelligent wife is a trick I’ve seen once too often from King and it begins to sound like a stuck record the more its played.
Questionable actions carried out by Strange as a soldier on Rann haunt him here on Earth as he is surrounded by superheroes who have no concept of what it is to follow orders. Orders that can result in the loss of lives innocent or otherwise. And it’s a theme that’s beginning to bore me, I’m afraid. The initial sheen has worn off a good few issue ago now and King’s slow-burning plot is begin to outstay its welcome for this reader. We get it, war is Hell and really bad things can happen to good people when put in these complicated situations. Write about what you know is all well and good, but why does it always have to come back to Kings time working for the CIA?
Meanwhile, the artwork of tag team Shaner and Gerads will always be a winner for me, but even these two seem to be going through the motions of getting the comic on the shelves on time. I’m beginning to think this whole endeavour could have been better played out and paced over just half a dozen issue rather than the twelve it’s destined to be. Indeed, it’s this slow-paced and often opaque scripting that’s already seen me drop Rorschach after just a few issues.
I’ll continue to buy it, because that’s what us completist will do, but I’m no longer enjoying it.
Strange Adventures #9 is out now from DC Comics/Black Label
