Adventureman, Vol. 1: The End and Everything After

Adventureman #1-4

by Matt Fraction (Writer), Terry Dodson (Illustrator/Colorist), Rachel Dodson (Illustrator)

WHERE HIS STORY ENDED...HER STORY BEGINS! Everyone knows the story of how ADVENTUREMAN, the greatest pulp hero of all time, ended in a heartbreaking CLIFFHANGER with our hero facing his very execution...now, learn the startling truth about how, 80 years after his seeming demise, single mother Claire and her Adventurefan son Tommy light the spark of RESURRECTION! Can these inheritors of the Adventureman legacy rise up to face down the evil that bested the original?

Collects ADVENTUREMAN #1-4

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Adventure, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

168 pages, Hardcover

First published December 9, 2020

About the author

"How he got started in comics: In 1983, when Fraction was 7 years old and growing up in Kansas City, Mo., he became fascinated by the U.S. invasion of Grenada and created his own newspaper to explain the event. "I've always been story-driven, telling stories with pictures and words," he said.

Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.

"My mother was not happy about that," he said.

But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."

Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.

Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.

Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."

Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.

- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(B+) 78% | Good
Notes: Bit huh? and who?, bit hard to chew, the clarity's not great, though rough in parts, its luscious art's a joy and elevates.

*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issue #1 ◦ Issue #2 ◦ Issue #3 ◦ Issue #4

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like there really wasn't enough story here for a full arc. Fraction's storytelling is obtuse at times, leaving me somewhat lost. I do love the pulpy feel and the Dodsons' art is gorgeous. However, there's is a lot thrown at us in these 4 issues and none of it is really clear other than the broad strokes of there was a Doc Savage type team 80 years ago that everyone forgot and somehow Clair and her son are starting to remember them through a book they found.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extended riff on pulp fiction (the genre, not the film), that I had kind of a hard time to follow. Part of that lies in the art, which although quite beautiful, became a bit confusing. There's a story in the world of the pulp books, and there's a story in "our" world, with subsequent overlapping, and the art mainly delineates between the worlds by having different colour palets, but then those palets also overlap.

The set of pulp heroes seem interesting, but badly defined. How the pulp world invades the real world starts out a bit slow, and then flips to moving quickly, which is where I started to get confused.

The book feels like a lot of set-up for the real story yet to come.

(Received an ARC through Edelweiss)

[Artemy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't my favourite Fraction, but I still enjoyed it for what it is — a simple pulp-y family friendly adventure story. It kind of lacked that special something that I usually find in Fraction's other books. Maybe it's just the fact that it was in production for years — some of this book was written even before the first issue of Hawkeye, so its production pretty much lasted through Matt's two whole career-defining runs and the end result could never live up to that level of hype behind it. Or maybe it just needs a bit more time to breathe — it's only four issues that are absolutely stuffed with action, worldbuilding and character work with no downtime at all. Either way, I can definitely see Adventureman improving in future volumes, but for now I found it thoroughly okay.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torn about this one.

Matt Fraction really speaks to me as a writer; I enjoy how his loves and attitude clearly infects everything he writes ("Sex Criminals" is a great example of how world-views impact art), and I'm always down for at least TRYING anything he writes.

That said, not everything he writes is a home-run for me. I loved his Hawkeye & Iron Fist runs (they're up there with James Robinsons' "Starman" and Hickmans' "Fantastic Four" run), his "Fantastic Four" run was solid but unexceptional, but "Sex Criminals" started strong but quickly slid into mundanity.

So I'm torn on this. While I love the Pulp genre, and thought this would be an interesting romp, this totally subverted my expectations (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). This is a DENSE book, unlike most pulp fiction, and that is both a boon and a drawback in this case.

Fortunately, the art by the Dodsons is gorgeous (as always) and serves well to illuminate the action and flow of the story quite nicely.

I'd recommend this for fans of Fraction, and for those interested in a story that warps the genre of pulp fiction.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous Art Deco-inspired visual art but the story didn't grab me with this one.

[Димитър Цолов · Rating 3 out of 5]

Арт - 5.
Сценарий - 1.
Сумарно - 3.
Щото,
без
майтап,
почти
нищо
не
разбрах...

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a gorgeous looking fun book...giving the pulp genre a modern take (less racist etc)..
I'm a bit late to this so I've got Vol 2 waiting for me...can't wait

[Rory Wilding · Rating 2 out of 5]

Matt Fraction, who has done exceptional work in superhero comics, has decided to go all-in with the pulp in his latest Image title, now that Sex Criminals is officially over. In Adventureman, the eponymous pulp hero, along with his fellow heroes of Adventure, Inc., fights off a supervillain invasion. Eighty years after his apparent demise, single mother Claire and her Adventurefan son Tommy seem to be the only two people alive who recall the hero’s history, which now exists as adventure novels. However, this memory will spark the return of both the heroes and villains from decades ago.

Please click here for my full review.

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

A reasonable comic, where a cute, spunky bookseller is mother to a kid addicted to Adventureman books, that have a fantasy superhero world somewhere between LXG and The Rocketeer. A world that is somehow bleeding through into ours – or is it perhaps the other way round? A bit of a mess, all told, both narratively and artistically, this might have some potential, but I didn't find much to recommend.

[Alex Sarll]

A lot of the Matt Fraction I've enjoyed most has been his most pulp work, such as Immortal Iron Fist and Defenders, so this was off to a good start. Yes, the eponymous hero is fairly blatant in his borrowings from Doc Savage and the Avenger, and zeppelins are no longer the exciting (retro-)novelty they once were, but I'm still a sucker for larger-than-life (yet non-spandex) figures facing off against an Art Deco cityscape. Granted, the opening scenes aren't the easiest to follow, which surprised me; Fraction can sometimes be guilty of chucking cool-sounding ideas at the page without worrying enough about how it'll all cohere, but the Dodsons' art has saved worse than him before. This may be deliberate, though, as it's soon revealed that this is a story within a story, an old pulp being read by a kid and his bookseller mum, who are soon revealed as the series' real protagonists. One detail I enjoyed is that this isn't the old 'taking refuge from an unhappy home life in dreams of another world' bit; both nuclear and extended family are occasionally exasperating in a fond sort of way, but fundamentally lovely; his school doesn't seem that bad either, nor her job. Although as with so many things nowadays, there are moments when it feels a lot darker from context, as with this exchange from Friday night dinner:
"I just can't believe nothing interesting happened to you all week."
"Well, nothing did."
"Nothing interesting?"
"No."
"Nothing weird?"
"No."
"Did anything happen you were looking forward to..?"
"Yeah, souffle day."

Subtract the souffle and that's most weeks now. Except that Claire is lying, having already had her first hint that the world is stranger than she thought, and that maybe those Adventureman pulps aren't as fictional as all that. Soon she's combing through the wreckage of a world that shouldn't exist, and if there's one thing for which I'm more of a sucker than an Art Deco skyscraper, it's an Art Deco skyscraper decades past its prime, the haunted halls and fallen treasures within. And yes, so far I'm not seeing much that's original in the big picture, but it's packed with little treats like that, from the categories in Claire's bookshop (the supernatural is 'between "Pet Sports" and "Train Crimes"'), to the erased lettering which can sometimes just about be read to represent Claire's perspective when her hearing aids are off or out. There are lines which feel a lot like early Grant Morrison – "That sound. Like babies made of glass, shattering." "The Judas Press stirs from its slumber! The Obliteration Bible is written!" Granted, the 2020s make me a little sceptical of the idea of measuring human misery on a clock, at least not unless you also bring in some form of Zeno's paradox right before midnight to enable infinite further gradations of awfulness even when things initially appeared to be at the limit of possible shitness – but that aside, it's an arresting image for how the villainous Baron Bizarre might be summoned into the real world. Does it have strong echoes of Planetary, except with a simpler metafictional level? Yes. But Planetary was a long time ago now, terrifying as that is to consider, and even before recent developments put everyone off Warren Ellis, it was generally agreed to have completely fluffed its second half. So a fresh attempt on that terrain seems fair enough and, if I don't quite get why some people are so excited about this series, it's definitely fun.

(Edelweiss ARC)

[Martin Doychinov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Както подозирам/се надявам, че ще стане с голяма част от изданията от ултимативната поредица, нямах никаква представа кой е Адвенчърмен. Сега вече имам.
Макар и конфликтът да е съвсем стандартния "добро срещу зло", останалото е доста оригинално. Личи си, че комиксът е създаден с голям мерак, внимание към детайла и без бързане. Артът е много добър, постоянно се играе с цветовата гама. Откъм текст - на моменти е почти неразбираем - не поради ниско печатно качество. Не знам колко идва от оригинала и колко е в градинката на преводача.
Нямаме завършена история, а само началото на такава, както е и обяснено в един от много интересните бонус материали в края на книжката. Броеве 1-4 са издадени между Юни и Октомври 2020 г., като следващите 3 са след пауза - Септември, Октомври и Декември 2021-а. Надявам се да видим "Адвенчърмен брой 2" догодина като част от поредицата на "Артлайн", която да се окаже много успешна и дълга!
Заради това, че тук имаме само начало макар и доста добро, и защото думите по страниците на моменти са неразбираеми като смисъл: 4,3*

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Adventureman, Vol. 1: The End and Everything After' by Matt Fraction with art by Terry Dodson is a graphic novel about a fictional team of heroes that may or may not be all that fictional.

Claire and her son are fans of Adventureman. They read and collect the adventures. Claire starts to find weird things happening to her and around her. Her lifelong hearing loss is suddenly healed, and now there is a building in the city that was never there before but looks very familiar.

When it was all said and done, I liked it, but it took over half for me to warm to it. Once I did, I enjoyed the ride. The art was a lot of fun and I really liked the perspectives and angles to it.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm willing to give the story in Adventureman a pass simply because the Dodson's artwork is so freakin' stunning. This is an extra-large book that belongs on every coffee table for passersby to peruse. You don't even have to read it to admire the gorgeous lines, colors, and characters.

And maybe don't read it? Matt Fraction's scattered story dims the beyond stellar art. The first two issues are an exciting introduction to two worlds: the world of Adventureman, a classic pulp hero and his team of adventurers, and the world of Claire, a modern woman with a big extended family and a son who loves the Adventureman stories. After the second issue, the two worlds collide in an increasingly unpredictable fashion. I'm fairly certain that Claire becomes an Adventureman-style superhero so she can battle Adventureman's returned foe? But why is her family looking for her at the end? It doesn't seem like she's lost...

Fraction's end-notes help explain why the story descends into confusion. Apparently, Adventureman has been in the works for more than a decade - and Fraction is notorious for changing names/plots at the last minute. Clearly, an editor needed a firmer hand on this production. Nonetheless, Adventureman is well worth a look for the art alone.

[Mario Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super fun, original, and surprising story by Matt Fraction full of unexpected turns of events, with incredibly gorgeous art by Terry and Rachel Dodson. Nowadays I read 99% of my comics digitally, but I'm glad I got the oversized hardcover edition of this one, because it is a thing of beauty. A great experience from beginning to end!

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nova editora Hyperion Comics começou muito bem com seu primeiro título, Aventureiros, dos autores superstars Matt Fraction e Terry Dodson. A dupla já colaborou na Marvel em títulos como Fabulosos X-Men e Os Defensores, e agora traz uma bela homenagem à literatura pulp, popular no final do século XIX e início do sécuo XX. A HQ contra a história de uma dona de sebo que é fã dos pulps do Aventureiro, herói comandante de uma corporação chamada Aventureiros LTDA. A livreira está frustrada por não saber como as histórias do Aventureiro se acabaram, encerradas em um hiato narrativo. Mas tudo muda quando ela recebe uma visita inesperada em seu sebo e seu filho descobre uma comunicação entre o mundo real e o mundo fantástico do Aventureiro. Assim, nossa heroína parte uma jornada para salvar não apenas um mundo, mas dois! Aventureiros se torna rapidinho uma história em quadrinhos superempolgante, com um mundo imenso a ser desbravado pelo leitor. Ou melhor, dois mundos. As histórias têm uma duração em páginas por capítulo maior que o comum dos comics. A arte dos Dodson (Terry ao lado da esposa Rachel, na finalização), que desta vez também cuidam das cores, está mais deslumbrante do que nunca. A HQ também traz muita diversidade e representatividade, além de prestar essa homenagem incrível aos pulps. Toda a indústria dos quadrinhos precisa saber reconhecer e reverenciar os pulps por serem precursoresdos comic books. Em resumo, uma HQ cinco estrelas!

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got intrigued by this because someone said it was supposed to be a kind of updated, revised, twisted take on Doc Savage. Full disclosure: I’m a huge fan of The Man of Bronze. And this is only the briefest most infinitesimal way … hmm … only a quantum of seed can be followed back to Doc Savage. This is NOTHING like a Doc Savage adventure. But this is pure, unadulterated escapist fun - in the tradition of pulps (just not really Doc Savage). Actually, I suppose it has far more in common with contemporary comic books and manga than anything from the pulp era. Sigh. So, at least in that regard, I was devastatingly disappointed (1/5).
On the other hand - this IS a fast-paced, free-wheeling, wild ride of non-stop action and adventure. In fact it’s so PACKED with action, that there are times that the storytellers forget that the rest of us lowly readers still haven’t a clue what-the-butts is going on. The reader is presented with concepts and characters and kitchen sinks at a speed that only (and I do mean this literally) contemporary comics and manga can deliver. Why? Because the readers of today’s comics and manga are able to keep up only because the entire medium is, and has pretty much always been, presented in this way. Comics, at least the really good ones, the really exciting ones, never slow down to bother with explanations (Doctor Who is the only TV show I can think of that comes anywhere near the same level of this as do comic books). This is a formula, and a genre convention, that really only works in this particular illustrated medium. Okay, fine, whatever, so where does that leave this book-volume-collection? A mess. This is a new world, a new character(s), a new history, and a whole new narrative. The overall result is that this narrative feels more than a little chaotic and more than a little disconnected, a little ungrounded, and more than a tad … discombobulated. There’s so much, almost too much, being thrown into the Adventureman blender and just hitting amalgamate doesn’t really make the whole thing perfectly digestible. Maybe volume two will take care of cleaning some of this mess up. Maybe. But I’m not holding my breath.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.

Former cop Claire and her son Tommy are big fans of the stories of Adventureman and his squad of superhero friends, who protect a city that looks an awful lot like New York meets Gotham. The last Adventureman book left things on quite a cliffhanger that didn’t seem very favorable to the Super squad, so Claire challenges Tommy to come up with his own ending. Claire manages her boisterous family dynamic with the quiet of her late mother’s bookstore, both playing different games with her hearing aides. One day, a mysterious customer comes in and leaves an older, possibly first edition copy of Adventureman with Claire, and the fiction starts to bleed into her reality. Men made of bugs chase Claire, she finds a mysterious skyscraper she’s never noticed before, and relative strangers, who resemble fictional characters, begin to help Claire.

The beginning of this book will completely throw you off. Don’t worry, keep reading. You didn’t miss another volume, there wasn’t something that came before this, and it’ll all make sense soon. The introduction of Claire and her family is one of the most sincere, genuine beginnings of character development I’ve seen in a while. Claire's hearing loss is handled beautifully, with Cowles lettering changing to match her level of hearing - as she turns the volume down, the words become more faint

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

All right the rating is maybe a little high. In one of the floppies' afterwards Fraction talks about wanting to do pulp, but pulp with a more modern take. I'm not going to use the term "new" pulp because outside of the Weird Heroes series I think a lot of "new" pulp = recycled pulp.

But Fraction knows something about pulp stylings. With Ed Brubaker on The Immortal Iron Fist they did a damn good job of bringing some pulp style to parts of the story (the legacies, and especially the Orson Randall tales as examples). Here working by himself, and with a stated goal, Fraction hits the mark. I was a little surprised, because Fraction's solo work (ex: Casanova) hasn't always been to my taste.

Some of the tale is arguably told via flashback, or is it a flashback or another dimension (just tossing it out there), when Claire gifts her son Tommy an Adventureman book he hasn't read. That is how we are introduced to Adventureman and his multi-ethnic team in what appears a Doc Savage type of tale.

Then the scene shifts to Claire's extended family and their traditional Friday Sabbath dinner. Her family is, well extended and unique. Things happen, now we can question what is real, what is fiction and who is Adventureman?

Kickback and settle in for the ride.

[April Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, so, wow, that was good. I loved this, I don't know if it just hit me at the right time, but I think it's more that this was really good. It was fun, a rollicking good time. So much pulpy goodness! Pulp fiction action-adventure heroes and heroines are fighting the evil bad guys, all seems lost- then the book ends. Not this book, the book in the story that the mom is reading to her son before bed. The mom that runs a book store, that a mysterious woman brings a super rare book to, gives it to the mom, tells her to read it. It's a compendium of sorts about the main hero of the book she's just finished with her son, Adventureman. Then the weirdness shows up, the world of Adventureman et al. starts bleeding into the mom's world, and hell is literally trying to break loose. This was a wild ride, I could not put it down until I finished, and omg when is the next volume coming out?!? The art is gobsmackingly beautiful, just stunningly gorgeous, and fits the story perfectly. Seriously, though, next volume please?

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Individual issue reviews: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4

Total review score: 2.69

[Juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few weeks ago, I was searching for something new to read, eager to explore a fresh and original story. That's when I stumbled upon Adventureman, a graphic novel series written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson. Published by Image Comics in December 2020, Adventureman immediately caught my attention.

Terry Dodson's artistry was the initial draw for me, as he is one of my favorite artists. His style, often described as "good girl" art, showcases impossibly beautiful characters and possesses a commercially appealing quality. Influenced by renowned artists such as Adam Hughes, Kevin Nowlan, Michael Golden, Arthur Adams, Al Williamson, Milt Caniff, and Alex Toth, Dodson's talent shines through his work.

With an extensive portfolio as both a penciller and cover artist, Terry Dodson has contributed to numerous notable comic book projects. Some of his notable works include Harley Quinn (2000-2001), Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do (2002-2006), Marvel Knights: Spider-Man (2004-2005), Wonder Woman (2006-2008), Uncanny X-Men (2008-2011), Star Wars: Princess Leia (2015), and Red One (2015-present). Additionally, Dodson has expressed his admiration for Franco-Belgian comics and even collaborated on European projects such as Songes: Coraline.

Adventureman, as revealed in an interview with Forbes, draws inspiration from beloved sources like Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Indiana Jones, The Rocketeer, and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. This combination of influences aligned perfectly with my interests, making Adventureman an easy choice for me.

Now, let's talk about the writer behind Adventureman, Matt Fraction. Fraction is a highly regarded comic book writer known for his exceptional work at Marvel Comics, Image Comics, and DC Comics. He has lent his talents to acclaimed series such as Hawkeye, Sex Criminals, The Invincible Iron Man, The Immortal Iron Fist, Casanova, and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen. His contributions have earned him prestigious awards like the Eisner Award, the Harvey Award, and the Inkpot Award.

Fraction's expertise extends beyond the comic book pages. He served as a consultant for the film Iron Man 2 and the TV series WandaVision, both based on Marvel characters that he has written. Currently, he is involved in new projects for Image Comics and DC Comics, while also developing some of his comics for television adaptations under a deal with Legendary Television.

Despite Fraction's impressive accolades and extensive body of work, I must confess that I haven't read much of his previous material. As an aspiring artist myself, I often gravitate towards books illustrated by my favorite artists. Even if a comic book is written by a literary giant like a resurrected Shakespeare or Hemingway, I would skip it entirely if the art doesn't appeal to me.

Having said that, I decided to purchase Adventureman Vol. 1, which collects issues #1 through #4, from ComiXology.

Without giving away too many spoilers, let me provide a summary of the story so far. Adventureman opens with our hero and his team embarking on a mission to save the city from the clutches of Baron Bizarre. However, the narrative takes a thrilling turn when Adventureman finds himself facing imminent death at the hands of the villain. This particular sequence occurs in a past time period marked by unique architecture, clothing styles, and aesthetics, offering an engaging visual experience thanks to the Dodsons' exceptional illustrations. Clayton Cowles handled the lettering, and their combined efforts effectively bring to life the multitude of elements and characters in this first part of the book.

The scene transitions to a bedtime story being read by Claire Connell, a single mom and owner of a used bookstore. Claire, with her stunning beauty, short hair, piercing blue eyes, and Dodson's signature "wow-wow-wow" figure, is unaware that the stories she reads to her son hold a deeper significance. A mysterious woman, recognizable to readers as one of Adventureman's allies, discreetly drops off another Adventureman book for Claire”s used book store. As Claire delves deeper into the contents of the book, she starts to realize that the events described within actually happened and were not mere fiction. Intriguingly, she seems to be the only one aware of this truth.

Without divulging further details, I will now share my thoughts on this first volume. I thoroughly enjoyed the premise and the artwork, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. I mulled over this observation before penning down my reflections. As someone who has dabbled in writing projects, I understand firsthand that crafting a compelling story is no easy task. Therefore, I am hesitant to critique a writer of Mr. Fraction's caliber. To be fair, evaluating the entire story based solely on the first four issues would be akin to reviewing only the first twenty minutes of the movie Jaws.

This initial story arc primarily focuses on laying the foundation—introducing Adventureman, delving into the world-building, and setting up the main characters, including Claire and her family. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide a clear sense of the stakes involved for Claire and the world at large. What draws Claire to Adventureman? What do the villains seek to achieve? And what consequences will unfold if Claire and/or Adventureman embark on their heroic quest?

If I were to nitpick, it would be regarding the marketing or packaging of the book. The initial issue was apparently double-sized upon its release. However, there are practical limitations to how much content can fit into a physical book before it becomes cost-prohibitive. While Fraction and the Dodsons boast impressive reputations within the comic book industry, Adventureman's story features original characters and a unique narrative, potentially making it less accessible to casual readers. Consequently, including only the first four issues in Volume 1 might not be enough to entice readers like myself to continue with Volume 2.

Therefore, the crucial question for me, and perhaps other readers, is whether this first volume leaves us invested enough in the characters and the story to justify purchasing the second volume. Volume 1 is priced at $25.00 ($15.00 on ComiXology), while Volume 2 is available in both hardcover and ComiXology formats for $19.00. I find myself in a contemplative state, pondering whether my connection to these characters and their world warrants the investment in the next installment.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts! Have you had the chance to read Adventureman? How do you feel about the talented writers and artists involved? I would love to hear your perspective!

[Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get into this. I'm a fan of Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run, so I was a bit disappointed.
It seems like there are a lot of references to old pulp heroes here, but they were lost on me. It's basically about an ordinary woman who gets superpowers. She spends the rest of the book questioning herself and her powers, even though she's read all the books about the original hero that she got the powers from.

[Hristo Simeonov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Приятен комикс от "новата генерация". Разбирайте, вътре има теми, сравнително "модерно представени". Което не винаги предпочитам, но тук ми хареса. С интерес бих чел следващите броеве и се надявам Артлайн да ги публикуват :)

[Paul Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Great fun reminiscent of Doc Savage and the old pulp adventures.

[Andrew Nedelchev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great art, confused plot.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Passing the torch in a very unique and interesting way. I like hidden worlds and magic.

[Imogene · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there were some amazing concepts, the all adopted family of amazing women from all over the world, the memory erasure storyline, etc, there was just too much. Without enough space to breathe, of a different colour palette for the past and present, it just seemed like a bit to much hard work.
So much potential though!

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm aware of Matt Fraction's history not just with adult topics like Sex Criminals but also how his career was forwarded by things he loved. It's how he met his wife Kelly Sue DeConnick. But the things you love can easily vanish when something groundbreaking comes along. Video tapes and physical media getting replaced, or in this case pulp magazines getting replaced with comic books.

These stories can invigorate readers from a boring life in spite of people not minding that boring life. I certainly felt that when Claire got that surge of excitement from living those stories she shares with her son. Not to mention those fun times come with a lifetime potential that was long held back in Claire. But at the same time, it's not the safest thing as it's like living in a dream. Unlike nightmares that more easily come back like the Baron (and Baroness) that are cautionary and self-destructive for people to get involved in. The worst part is, people focus way too much on these bad times and not enough on the good.

This by no means implies that you can separate the good from the bad. There are some things that you have to critique to fully appreciate, especially when they show their age. But where does Pulp Magazine formats fit in? Get an impression in Adventureman.

[Mike Perschon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was as confused by many of the reviews here as the reviewers seemed to be about Adventureman Volume I. The consensus among the two and three star reviews seems to be that Fraction’s narrative or Dodson’s art is too hard to follow. That makes me sad, because I didn’t find anything about this book hard to follow. It makes me wonder what people want in a comic book.

This is some of the best sequential art I’ve ever seen, hands down. It’s a gorgeous book with a great revisionist riff on pulp era heroes, particularly Doc Savage. By the way Hollywood, it’s time to stop thinking about that Doc Savage movie you’re never going to launch and start thinking about Adventureman. This book is a major achievement in how it is true to Doc Savage while completely updating his team to suit our woke, diverse world.

It’s also great meta fiction, so those of you looking for something fun to write your dissertation on, look no further. You’d get to research the pulps AND read Josh Roth’s work on meta fiction.

Anyhow. It’s the best comic I’ve read in years, and the best thing to happen to Doc Savage fandom since James Bama.