Adventureman #1

Published by Image Comics

Written by Matt Fraction

Art by Terry and Rachel Dodson

Remember those bedtime stories where you would anxiously await the outcome of the good vs evil fight going on? The golden age of heroes that were beloved by all of the citizens around and then evil villains trying to take over the world. How about the stories that made you and your buddies each be a character and playout how it would all go down? Then this may be the comic for you!

In a Dieselpunk-inspired New York, the biggest battle is going on. We have heroes that are talking like they are in the golden age of Hollywood and then villains doing what they do best, causing chaos. By the hands of the evil Baron Bizarre, the demise of the beloved and fictionally thought of hero Adventureman came on this night, which is being dubbed Macabrapocalypse. Yet, what happens when the story is never finished?

Let’s skip ahead eighty years and his story has no true known ending. Single mother Claire and her Adventureman-idolizing son, Tommy, cannot fathom that this is the end of his adventures, but everything must go on. Tommy continues to idolize and be filled with his own adventure while Claire tries to take the quiet path in life by running an old bookstore. But deep down, there is a fire burning for adventure and this is all reignited when a mysterious visitor on the run drops off an unusual book containing various Adventureman stories. In this mega sized issue, we get 58 pages filled with some new age beautiful but basic colored artwork that fits the mood of the comic. From the Rocketeer inspired Dieselpunk beginning through the present day, all of it fits nicely together as the story unfolds by writer Matt Fraction which is known for his work on various Marvel and Image properties.

Overall, this was a wonderful issue. With being able to take the love for pulp stories and bringing it to a modern era, this issue sets up what could be an amazing run of comics and a true tale of the times type story. With that being said, I give Adventureman #1 8 out of 10 capes.