Leviathan (Back Up) Theory - Adam Strange

During the San Diego Comic Con news blitz, it was announced that a new Strange Adventures title, starring Adam Strange, would hit the racks some time in 2020. The creative team was a powerful troika of Tom King, Mitch Gerads, and Doc Shaner. Here is a news blurb:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dc-announces-new-series-strange-adventures-1225899

Now King and Gerads hit a home run out of the park with Mister Miracle. And Shaner's art is always stunning. So I am all in.

But I was puzzled a bit by the dual cover images that were sent out with the announcement.One is a 'clean', classic take on the Strange character right out of the Silver Age by Shaner. The other is a grungy darker take complete with skeletal features and graffiti calling Strange a liar and a killer.

You would think that a new series touting the character on the horizon would make him not be a possible suspect to be Leviathan. But those dual covers struck me. What if Strange doesn't know he is Leviathan? Or what if another version of Strange, right out of the multiverse, has  replaced him. It might explain why there are two cover versions. One, the heroic 'true' Strange. The other, the dark reputation of him once it is revealed he is Leviathan.

So settle in for another back-up #LeviathanTheory.

Leviathan is Adam Strange.

Let's look at the evidence.

Review: Justice League United #3

Justice League United #3 came out on Wednesday and continues to be one of the best comics that DC Comics is publishing right now. Writer Jeff Lemire and artist Mike McKone have been firing on all cylinders since this book started. There has been the perfect mix of action and characterization. There has been silver age homages and tones in the midst of new 52 dismemberments. And there has been a wonderful sense that these heroes, brought together by chance and just a short time ago, are actually acting like a team.

Good characterization. Heroes acting like heroes, acting like a team. Silver age goodness in a modern story. These are elements that is rare in DC titles these days. And so this is like delicious treat.

And I have to apologize to Jeff Lemire. When he was promoting the book before the first issue, he talked about Supergirl being an angry loner, the opposite of the bright optimistic Stargirl. I worried that he might be taking Supergirl back a couple of steps in the progress we have recently seen in her. So far, that hasn't happened. Kara might be fiery and passionate, but she has her heart in the right place here. And Lemire gives her some very big moments in this issue.

But she isn't alone. All the featured characters have great moments here. I am loving this book.

And Mike McKone continues to shine here, adding little flourishes to panels that add so much to the story. 

The main action of the book is in deep space, around Rann and Thanagar. But Lemire keeps us up to date with Equinox, the new character he is bringing to the book.

Last issue, she was captured by a shape-changing Whitago demon. In this issue we see her iced up like Luke Skywalker in the Wampa cave in Empire Strikes Back.

A vision of her Grandfather shows up saying he is 'one of the seven'. And he says she has the Whitago inside her. He then changes shape into the monster we saw earlier in this arc.

For me, I am pretty excited for this character. I feel like I don't know much about her right now. But I like diversity in comics. I like being exposed to new mythologies so learning about native Canadians will be great. And it sounds like their might be a darkness within her powers she'll need to control. That's always adds nice friction to a character.

Last issue ended with Ultra awakening and Byth's facility exploding. Luckily Sardath activated his Zeta technology to pluck the Leaguers out of the blast. But Lemire adds an interesting wrinkle. For one, the beam grabs Byth and Ultra as well as the heroes. And second, the beam is erratic taking some to Sardath's lab and sending some out into the Rannian desert. Given how quirky Sardath has been, this seems plausible.

We don't exactly know Ultra's powers are but he seems to be able to lash out with force energies. And he seems to just be lashing out. Here he actually strikes the Zeta generator, leading to even more insanity.

Great art here. You can feel the blast as Adam Strange and aliens get blown back.

Out in the desert, Green Arrow, Animal Man, Stargirl, Supergirl, and Martian Manhunter skirmish with Lobo who also was grabbed by the beam.

After initially being dropped by Lobo, Supergirl rises and retaliates. I love this moment. I like that Lemire at least references the Kara/Lobo history by her commenting on her hate for him. Secondly, it is great that Supergirl is the muscle here. Nice left hook knocking Lobo out of sight.

Prior to this punch, there is a funny moment between Animal Man and Green Arrow where Buddy verbally jabs Ollie about his power set. I think this relationship is going to be a fun part of the book.

This is more a J'Onn moment than a Supergirl moment but I thought it spoke volumes of how Lemire is going to treat Kara. Initially Supergirl is going to fly after Lobo to continue to pound him. But J'Onn reminds her that there is something bigger they need to take care of - Byth and Ultra. Supergirl needs to decide is she part of the team and part of the big mission? Or is she out for herself and revenge and violence?

She makes the right choice and joins the team. Hurrah!

But I also love the art here. Again, I always wonder if I am overreading things. But by putting the whole team in silhouette, it really cements the concept that they are one unit, a team. This panel could have been drawn many different ways. But by making them all equal in weight on the page, they are a team.

Sprinting to Sardath's headquarters, the team is united with Hawkman and Adam Strange. The Zeta generator being damaged has been wreaking some havoc. Adam and Alanna keep teleporting and switching places. And more, when they are together, they can't seem to survive.

I wonder if Lemire is setting up some sort of Ladyhawke relationship between Adam and Alanna. The are in love but can never be together. (Man, I am dating myself with my references.)

Sardath says the Zeta core is unstable and about to explode.

During the chaos, Byth grabs Ultra and escapes.

The Manhunter takes charge, splitting the team. He takes Supergirl, Stargirl, and Green Arrow with him to face Byth and Ultra. The rest will help with the core.

I love this moment. Initially Hawkman wants to join the fight with Byth but he is put in his place by J'Onn. It both shows the leadership of the Manhunter and how easily a soldier like Hawkman can be refocused by following orders.

I think J'Onn is going to be the tactical leader of the group. But I think Buddy is going to be the 'leader' of the team.

Approaching Byth and Ultra, Supergirl decides not to waste time with words and simply grabs Byth and flies off. It shows maybe a touch of impatience. Maybe a bit of feeling too invulnerable. But it also shows she is a young hero who maybe acts before she thinks. I thought it was perfect.

There is a great fight scene where Byth challenges Supergirl's resolve. He changes into her Red Lantern form, telling her she is filled with rage, and asking her to join him.

No such doing. In fact she is quite poetic as she rebukes him.

Great action. And I love that first panel with Supergirl just entangled and looking awkward.

Meanwhile, J'Onn tries to calm Ultra by entering the multi-alien's mind. Ultra is growing physically, now more like a toddler, and looking more chimeric like his Silver Age appearance.

But this moment where J'Onn says he will stop Byth from hurting Ultra, that he will help Ultra, is touching. Both telepathically and physically he hugs Ultra. It really shows the depths of the Manhunter, from brusque team leader to gentle empath.

Remember the Zeta Core is going critical and Hawkman decides the best way to save the city is to fly the thing as far away as possible. Unfortunately it explodes while still in his hands.

One last great Supergirl moment, all in 3 small panels.

Lobo comes and grabs Byth and two fly away. At the same moment, the core explodes. We see Supergirl see both events. She needs to decide what she is going to do. Is she going for the action? Or is she going to help?

She decides to help. Fantastic!

The issue ends with a great cliffhanger that I won't spoil here.

I can't help but reiterate how great I think this issue is. The characterization here is phenomenal. Supergirl and Martian Manhunter really get the spotlight (which is fine with me) but we see snippets of the others which are consistent and natural with their personalities. And it feels like this group would work together, despite how different they are. This feels like how a Justice League book should feel.

Add the new twists in Zeta tech, the Byth/Lobo team, the ongoing Equinox mystery, and some hard core action and this was completely satisfying.

Plus, Mike McKone and the whole art team of inkers and colorists really shine.

Overall grade: A+

Review: Superman: World Of New Krypton #10

Superman: World of New Krypton #10 came out this week and seemed to regain the momentum that I felt the series lost last issue. We are two issues away from this series' finale and I feel like the pieces are being moved in place for there to be a satisfactory ending.

I don't think that the entire New Krypton saga is going to end in two months. But I do think that this chapter, with Superman as a resident on the planet and all the political machinations going on in the background, will come to some sort of conclusion.

There were some very interesting revelations in this issue and it even had me coming up with my own guesses. Any time I am interested enough in a plot to speculate how it will end, it means that the comic is a quality comic.

James Robinson and Greg Rucka must realize that time is running short as several subplots that have been put on the back burner are brought back.

The issue picks up right where last issue ended with Adam Strange being found on New Krypton, the dead body of Mar-Li at his feet.

The Military Guild immediately jumps to the conclusion that he has murdered the council member. More importantly, they begin to stomp around the room with no intention of treating it as a crime scene. Apparently there aren't standard police protocols on New Krypton. I find that interesting.

Superman calls the killing New Krypton's first murder and first mystery, takes Adam Strange into custody, and seals the room for further investigation.

So a couple of things about this opening scene. The first thing is Adam Strange's appearance in the room via the Zeta beam felt a little bit too deus ex machina from me, an all too convenient way to stir up some conflict.

The second thing is I don't know if we could call this murder New Krypton's first mystery. At least initially we did not know who shot General Zod. That was a mystery. What about the illness the Labor Guild members are suffering with? What about the mystery of Kryn Kel-Ur, the missing Kryptonian whose apartment Lucy Lang lived in?

But this could be nitpicking.

Adam Strange is brought before the Council in states that he simply found himself in that room. The Zeta beam is an inexact teleportation science and he just happened to be in a room with dead body. As I said, a little convenient.

He had come to New Krypton with a purpose. He wanted to protest the New Krypton/Thanagar charter since Thanagar had recently destroyed Rann. He feels that fascists like the Thanagarians don't deserve a treaty with New Krypton. I think charter is a strong word for the uneasy nonaggression agreement the New Krypton and Thanagar have.

Superman feels that Adam Strange is innocent given he had neither the method nor the motive to kill Mar-Li. Kal convinces the Council to allow Strange to work with the Military Guild to solve the mystery and clear himself.

I understand that a lot of story needed to be covered here so I did not mind that the Council agreed with Superman so quickly.

The investigation won't be easy. It is clear that New Krypton is ill-equipped to solve a murder mystery. They don't seem to understand just what they should be looking for.

A scan of Mar-Li's apartment does not provide any clues.

But the autopsy does reveal how Council member died.

He was shot with a terraforming tool. It seems that the yellow sun has accelerated much of the Kryptonian vegetation's growth requiring constant pruning with the red sun energy. Only Labor Guild members would have easy access to such a tool.

The mystery has taken an intriguing turn.

Superman and Adam Strange fly off to one of the Labor camps to talk to Tam-Or, the Labor Guild leader who organized their protest in issue #2. We see the Guild members using these tools to cut down large red vines.

When they arrive, we see Tyr Van helping another laborer named Sura. She has come down with the illness that has been afflicting the Labor Guild members. The laborers become quite upset at the arrival of Superman. They are dying in and they have not been given a voice in the government as was promised them.

And just like that, two smoldering subplots are brought into the foreground again.

Superman tries to help the ill worker but also states that he is there to question Tam-Or about the murder of Mar-Li.

When Tam-Or sees Superman and Strange, he flees. While it may make him look guilty, Tam-Or seems more fearful than guilt-ridden.

Before Superman or Strange can catch up with him, the multiple Laborers present run interference and begin a brawl, allowing their leader to escape. The rest of the Red Shard unit enters and suddenly a brawl erupts.

As usual, Kal-El remains level headed. A fight with Labor Guild members accomplishes nothing. He actually orders his unit to break off the skirmish and fall back. He then goes back to Sura and takes her away for medical care. That is pure Superman ... not fighting when it us unnecessary, helping others. It again hammers home the difference between him and his fellow Kryptonians.

Surprisingly, despite a thorough search of the planet, Tam-Or is nowhere to be found.

Who knows where he could have gone. Anyone have any guesses.

But just like with Strange, Superman realizes that Tam-Or would have little motive to kill the Council member. All Tam-Or wants is a voice on the Council. It is doubtful that murdering one of the members would get him any sympathy. He seems an unlikely candidate to be a killer.

Maybe this was a politically motivated killing. Maybe there was nothing personal about it at all.

And political killings are also called assassinations.

The book ends with another great cliffhanger. We see Alura lined up in the crosshairs of one of these red sun tools apparently the next target of the assassin.

The first thing to say about this issue is that it really moved forward some of the older plot threads of this miniseries, something I think last issue failed at doing.

The question is who would gain anything from these assassinations. I hate to keep going back to General Zod ... but wouldn't political murders like this allow him to institute martial law. Wouldn't this help him consolidate his power. And he would seem clean in that there are such easy suspects to deflect attention to ... the Laborers. I agree with Superman that the Labor Guild would almost be taking a step backwards in their causes if they were responsible for this assassination.

But it has to be more than Zod and some members of the Military Guild. This conspiracy must be bigger than that.

As for the mystery illness, I couldn't help but notice that the Kryptonian plants were red in color. It reminded me of the classic Alan Moore story 'The Jungle Line' in DC Comics Presents #85. In that story, Superman gets infected with a Kryptonian fungus from Krypton's Scarlet Jungle and nearly dies from it. Only Swamp Thing is able to cure him.

Given the amount of plants being vaporized and the lack of apparent protective gear on the Labor Guild, I can only imagine how much super-plant matter the workers have inhaled. Could it be that they have been infected by some of these plants they have been burning away?

I really thought this was a good issue in that it finally made me feel like the writers realized they were nearing the series conclusion. It felt like a number of plot lines were suddenly coming together into one overarching story.

The combined art of Pete Woods and Ron Randall was solid as usual.

There are two more issues. And then I assume there will be a year with Superman back in his own books but with New Krypton looming in the background.

Overall grade: B+