Writer Tom King has familiar themes that have run through his stories no matter the titles. His characters are soldiers suffering from trauma and questioning their roles. Strange Adventures #1 sticks to this formula but delivers an excellent debut, no matter how familiar it feels.

The story is split between two settings. Adam Strange is a war hero back on Earth on a book tour. We also get to see him fighting that war from his perspective. The two eras are split in artistic duties by Mitch Gerads and Evan Shaner. The two’s styles deliver a read whose are is in contrast to each other. One, a clearly exaggerated reality, the other the gritty post-war life.

Strange Adventures #1 seems to be the beginning of an exploration of the mythology of war “heroes.” It seems to question the reality we’re fed by the winners. It wants us to question this reality. It also seems to dive into the trauma experienced by veterans that we ignore as a society as we shower accolades and medals upon them. This is just the first issue but there’s a lot clearly laid out. All of it are popular topics for King’s writing. The former CIA officer seems to be continuing to work through his own experiences and thoughts on the realities of service that we as a society seem to ignore.

The art by Gerads and Shaner is top notch. The two’s styles are in contrast to each other. That, along with a shift in writing, hammers home that we’re not being fed reality in one of the settings. That the reality is being washed over in a pulp adventure. It’s an interesting choice that really emphasizes what’s going on. It also delivers two very different voices and shows off a pulp-style we haven’t seen from King.

Strange Adventures #1 delivers a debut that’ll get the reader to think and reflect. It’s an exploration of the horrors of war, during and after, in a pulp-adventure wrapping. While we’ve seen many of these themes before with King, the package and delivery is still top-notch. It’s a must get first issue that entertains and will get you to ponder.

Story: Tom King Art: Mitch Gerads, Evan Shaner
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 9.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review