A murder mystery is afoot in Strange Adventures #2, as the Golden Age Michael Holt a.k.a. Mister Terrific, of course!
Now readers can get their first glimpse of Holt on the case in the next issue of Tom King and Mitch Gerads' follow-up to their award-winning run on the mature DC Black Label imprint through and through, writer Tom King weaves a mature parable on the nature of fame and heroism, as Strange re-adjusts to life after years spent in an alien world, alongside his wife Alanna. Initially lauded as a hero, Strange comes under scrutiny when he is confronted by an angry conspiracy theorist at a book g, only to be suspected of his murder when the acc turns up killed by weapons similar to Strange's own alien-tech lasers.
Stricken with grief from the accusation and desperate to prove his innocence, Strange agrees to enlist Mister Terrific to see the case through. The arrangement was made by Batman after rebuffing Strange's request to investigate the matter himself, due to the perception of bias given their long history together. Nevertheless, DC's official preview pages from Strange Adventures #2 confirm the Dark Knight won't be left out completely, as he can be seen confronting the fiendish Professor Pyg.
Being a Black Label title, Strange Adventures is a self-contained that draws on the storied history of the DC Universe. King uses the opportunity to tell a more grounded tale psychologically that doesn't skimp on the wonder. The dual narrative style of Strange Adventures puts both Gerads and Shaner's style to work, between the '50s-style off-world adventure of Adam Strange in the Rann-Pykkt War, and Adam's modern struggle to adjust to life back on Earth (with an alien wife). In the first issue alone, the switch between styles grants the series an increasingly off-kilter tone.
The introduction of Mister Terrific -- a man with the power to learn any new skill almost instantly -- investigating this conspiracy to frame Adam Strange arrives amidst Alanna Strange's suspicions that the alien Pykkt race might somehow be involved. Could the marginalization of one of their most hated enemies be the first step, as part of a larger strategy hell-bent on invading earth? Only time will tell.
Strange Adventures #2 is on sale April 1st, 2020.
