Adam Strange, The Man of Two Worlds #2 (1990) Review

Writer: Richard Bruning
Artists: Andy Kubert, Adam Kubert
Release Date: April 24, 1990
Cover Price: $3.95
Digital Copy Price: $1.99
Page Count: 50

Review by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

Recap from Issue #1 of The Man of Two Worlds: With only a few Zeta Beams left, Adam Strange has decided that he will leave Earth behind and stay on planet Rann with his pregnant wife Alanna forever. But he needs to go back and say goodbye to his sister and his ailing father one last time. Adam and his father's doctor (Evelyn Fox) get drunk and he may or may have not cheated on Alanna, while a revolution is being conspired back on Rann. Upon his return, Adam hallucinates in the Zeta Beam and when he finally reaches Rann he thinks Sardath (Alanna's father) has turned evil so he beats the snot out of him and his guards. Suddenly realizing what he's done after Alanna hits him on the head with a rock, he flees. But his jetpack has been shot and he crash lands into the wastelands of Rann.

That's Captain Delaken interrogating Alanna. He happens to be Alanna's ex. He's also sleeping with Marleah, the wife of another officer and a leader of the revolution that's been forming. The High Council doesn't appreciate Del's anger here while he swears he's going to drag Adam back to Ranagar so he can pay for his assault on Sardath. Alanna shames him, saying that she expects better of him, and promises that he will hear from her husband. As in "he's going to kick your ass".

Back on Earth, Doctor Evelyn Fox is kind of obsessed with Adam after their night together. She can't get ahold of him, but he did leave a fossil and a book at her apartment.

In the first issue I thought that Adam rode the second to last Zeta Beam to Earth and the very last one back on his return to Rann. But Sardath was talking about his opportunities to get back from Earth, and Adam took the first one. So now Evelyn has the exact time and coordinates of the very last Zeta Beam, even though she has no idea what it means.

In Ranagar on Rann, the High Council is in damage control mode, blaring messages to ignore all rumors. The whole 1984 "everything you hear is not true" thing. Marleah sees this as a call to action.

I really like how they tied the red of the paint and the blood together. Adam realizes the weight of the situation and it tears him apart. He wanted stay on Rann forever to be with Alanna, but now he's trapped on Rann forever while Alanna and all of Rann probably hates him for what he just did to Sardath. Rann is a dying planet void of plants, but Adam actually finds a forest and passes out from exhaustion.

Meanwhile, with Sardath in a coma, the High Council is falling apart and bickering amongst each other. And smelling blood in the water, Marleah and Navelo decide to seize the opportunity. They sneak into the High Council's building, split up, and see some disturbing things.

A member of the council hears the shots and runs in after Marleah runs out. The rest of the council arrive and assume that the member who arrived first was the murderer, so they kill him on the spot without letting him explain. The High Council is losing their shit, which is exactly what the revolution wants.

Marleah really didn't look like she wanted to kill that council member. But she knew that Navelo was up to something, so she had to put an end to him.

Zared is another citystate on Rann, and Ranagar is just completely open for conquer right now. Marleah is, after all, doing what she thinks she needs to do for the best interest of Ranagar.

But she was too late. When Del arrives at Alanna's quarters as she begins labor, there's an explosion outside. Del hurries down to the streets to see what's going on, and he sees Marleah rushing to warn him of an attack by Zared.

Bad. Ass. Also, council members continue to lose their shit. 

So what is Adam doing during all of this? It's funny because he's in this issue plenty but he's the least interesting part of this issue, and I want more of these Ranagar characters that in the first issue just seemed to be just filler material. In a broad stroke, he ends up being saved by a religious cult whose leader happens to be Alanna's mother.

Oh, by the way, Evelyn makes it to the Zeta Beam in time.

Bits and Pieces

YES! Even though Adam Strange doesn't do any Adam Strange'ing and there's some slow moments, this was a really good read. Character development of supporting characters, plot development, and surprise savagery is what this is all about. I had just begun to like angry Marleah when she was taken away from us, and I'm really interested to see what part Evelyn plays now that she's on Rann. And the art? Awesome.

8.5/10