2018.002 Adam Strange: The Silver Age Omnibus

Adam Strange is one of my all-time favorite characters.  I can't tell you why, though.  Not because it's a secret, but I really don't know what draws me to him.  He's cool, he's got a simple yet effective design, but otherwise, I don't know.

And I should NOT have enjoyed this book as much as I did.  The reason being every Adam Strange story is basically the same.  He pinpoints when the next Zeta Beam will hit Earth to take him back to Rann.  He arrives to be greeted by his true love Alanna, a crisis ensues that only Adam can save Rann from, the Zeta Beam wears off and he's drawn back to Earth.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  But there is such a charm to these stories that I can't stop reading them.

The bulk of them are drawn by Carmine Infantino, not a favorite artist of mine.  But Carmine's work on Adam Strange is some of his finest work.  There's some STUNNING Murphy Anderson art in here that fills me with such joy.

There are some stories in this book I've never read before.  I had no idea there was an Adam Strange descendant in the future who took on his mantle.  Only two or three stories, but still.  Brand new to me.

One of the things I discovered in this book, also, is Lee Elias' run on Adam Strange.  In his stories, he drew Adam without his familiar cowl, which just looked odd to me at first, but by the time I finished that run, I kind of dug seeing this version.

The New 52 ruined Adam Strange for me.  I hope DC gets it's act together to Rebirth him back to his old self.

Adam Strange: The Silver Age Omnibus

Written by: Gardner Fox, Dave Wood, Jerry Siegel, Denny O'Neil

Illustrated by: Carmine Infantino, Gil Kane, Mike Sekowsky, Murphy Anderson, Lee Elias, Phil Kelsey, Joe Giella, Bernard Sachs, John Giunta, Sid Greene

DC Comics

166 Legion Of Super-Heroes: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol 1

Reading this book was a labor of love.  I have such a fondness in my heart for these early stories of the Legion.  Sure, they're hokey and cheesy, but they're just a pure, innocent joy.

This massive book collects what I believe were the stories in the first three Legion Archives books.  I have those books and now I have this, too, and it was so much fun re-reading them for the first time in years.

I did look at this with a different, maybe more critical eye.  The issue to issue continuity is just plain weird to me.  What I'm talking about is this.  In one issue, we have a new member join.  Let's say it's Lightning Lass.  Then she doesn't appear again for a few issues.  Same with Element Lad.  You'd think that upon introduction, you'd get to see more of the new characters, but that's not how it worked back then.  I don't know if a bunch of stories were commissioned and then published in a random order or what.

There really isn't a ton I can say about these stories that hasn't been said before.  But these are highly enjoyable stories.

Legion Of Super-Heroes: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol 1

Writer: Otto Binder, Jerry Siegel, Edmond Hamilton, Robert Bernstein

Artist: George Papp, Jim Mooney, Curt Swan, John Forte, Sheldon Moldoff, George Klein

DC Comics

057 Supergirl: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol 1

So, I always have comics in my desk at work to read during my lunch break.  I always eat at my desk and use my measly 1/2 hour to down my lunch and devour something graphic.  For the last few weeks, this is what I've been reading on my lunch breaks.  And man oh man, was it glorious.  I love all this Silver Age nonsense.  Comics were so much simpler back then.  And much more illogical, but that was the charm.

I've read a lot of the stories in this volume, but there were a ton I've never read before, or at least don't remember ever reading.  This book contains all of Supergirl's adventures from when she landed on Earth to the time Superman was ready to reveal her existence to the world and just beyond.  We follow Supergirl from Midvale Orphanage to a couple unfortunate adoptions to her final placement with the Danvers family.  We get to see her help other orphans get adopted (apparently back in the day, all you needed was a special talent like being able to play golf to get adopted by a famous golfer, or have a special talent like playing piano or cooking to find a loving family), we get to see her hang out with the Legion of Super-Heroes, we get lots of adventures with Streaky, the Super Cat and Comet, the Super Horse.  She's got boyfriends, both super and ordinary.  It's 600 plus pages of super cheesiness and it's absolute glorious.  I hope this whole new Omnibus series DC is pushing does well because I want more.  I want this to at least reach the Supergirl run in Adventure Comics and her own short lived title around that time.  There's a special place in my heart for that era of Supergirl.

Supergirl: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol 1

Writer: Otto Binder, Jerry Siegel, Leo Dorfman

Artist: Al Plastino, Jim Mooney

DC Comics