Adventureman, Vol. 2: A Fairy Tale of New York

Adventureman #5-9

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

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE END OF THE WORLD? For Claire Connell, it means inheriting the legacy of legendary pulp hero the Adventureman. Now, Claire's learning that fighting Adventureman's fights means she's the one who must face Adventureman's foes, past AND present...

Collects ADVENTUREMAN #5-9

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Ebooks, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Adventure

145 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 2, 2022

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+) 76% | Good
Notes: Quite action-lean, more set-up scenes, an ending at the start, though still a sight if not as bright: no gas to fuel the art.

*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issue #5 ◦ Issues #6-7 ◦ Issues #8-9

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, it’s been a year … almost exactly a year, since I read Adventureman, Vol. 1: The End and Everything After. Completely unplanned. Interesting.
Second, I was right, the pacing is exactly the same and it definitely detracts from the actual narrative.
Third, yeah … basically … What the butts!? This series is good on so many levels. But it all falls apart with this reckless and high-speed pacing that never lets up for a minute. So, I really, really want to love this … but I just can’t. Maybe, at some point, when I decide to reread the series?

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matt Fraction and the Dodson's put such effort into this Adventureman series that you can't help but be charmed by it, even if some issues are entirely incoherent and the characterizations are limp to nonexistent. The backmatter alone is enough to make you reconsider a negative opinion of the book - Fraction is just so in love with the idea of pulp comics and building a weird world of adventures for his heroes. It's infectious!

I just wish A Fairy Tale of New York was at the same level as Fraction's enthusiasm. The first issue should have been included in the previous volume because it concludes that story arc. As the cold opener of this second volume, it makes zero sense. Who are all these ghostly heroes and bug queens? What the hell is going on? Unless you just set down the first volume, it's a beautiful mess.

The other four issues in A Fairy Tale of New York introduce a black cowboy and a ghost gangster, and also serve as brakes on the headlong pacing of the series. The gorgeous art tugs you along even as the story never quite sings. It's all adequate when it looks like it should be amazing. And then there's another cliffhanger ending because I guess Matt Fraction is obsessed with those, but I know it means that I'll eventually pick up the third volume and be thoroughly confused.

[Aileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took my time with this one, and am very glad I did. Loved the art, the storyline, the cliffhanger. Excited for when they finish volume 3!!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarce resources. Summoners. Building the team. Links in a chain.

[Alex Sarll]

Having got its high-stakes establishing story out of the way, Adventureman seems much happier just running with a returning world of pulp craziness in a New York suddenly regaining its strangeness and shine since the rediscovery of the eponymous hero's legacy. I didn't find the Dodsons' art quite as clear as usual in the first volume, and the endnotes here gave a hint as to why: they're colouring themselves on this one. But whether it's the different tone of the arc, or they're just settling into it, at this point Fraction's endnote is quite right to say it looks like it's lit from within. And doing a Christmas story is a masterstroke, New York being the only place I've ever thought looked as magical in the snow as a British country village. Ghost gangsters, other heroes coming out of the woodwork, the great assassin who's never actually killed anyone...it's just got such a sense of fun and wonder, that maybe all those old, lost futures aren't so lost after all. "It all happened. It's all true. And now it's all gonna come back..."

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still recommend this series, but this installment felt light on story. It's fun, and certainly a modern pulp type of tale. However, questions are raised about how long Claire's tenure as Adventureman will be, and the flashbacks are a bit of an issue.

Knowing what happened with the previous Adventureman, companions, and other characters from that time period is important. But, in this volume it feels like those flashbacks takeaway from the current day story line.

Full disclosure: read as digital floppies.

[Norman Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is worth reading for the artwork alone--it's gorgeous. The story is a bit muddled, however, being the second chapter of a longer work that doesn't stand on its own. I don't think a reader would really understand what's going on without first reading Volume 1, and the story ends with a literal "to be continued". It's nevertheless a fun tribute to pulp heroes with a modern emphasis on female characters. There's a lot of back matter that explains how the book was written and drawn, of interest to creators but not necessarily to ordinary readers.

[Marco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great artwork by the Dodsons. As far as the story is concerned, I'm not all that happy. Way too many characters, none of whom get much - if any - adequate development. Then new characters get introduced who do not fare much better.
Things happen - or have happened in the past - that I really would have liked some context for instaed of having to piece everything together after the fact. Some narration would actually be very much appreciated.
Three stars because I just love the artwork.

[John Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful and fun, but scattered, aimless, and hard-to-follow unfortunately.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great looking book but the writing is a mess.

Pacing is all over the place, zero characterisation, if there’s a plot I’m unsure what it is

[Seizure Romero · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another gorgeous mess from Fraction, Dodson, and Dodson. I swear the editor is there in name only. Is it just too much 'star power'-- the editor doesn't dare criticize? The first volume made me feel like pages were missing, the visual jumps were so bad. This volume isn't much better. The end of the story arc that starts in volume one has a very anticlimactic ending.

Also, the little things around the villains speech bubbles that are probably supposed to look like little bugs actually look like cute little hearts. I'm guessing that's not the vibe they were aiming for.

If you absolutely must buy this, please try:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/adventur...

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and fun superhero comic series.

Not having read Volume 1 put me as a disadvantage but I found enough in Volume 2 to understand to some extent some of which had already occurred. Claire has become the latest Adventureman and gets involved in a ghostly tale to be resolved in a subsequent volume. The first part of the volume continues a story from the previous volume presumably and is less easy to follow. The artwork is well worthwhile - the Dodsons do a great job. It's quite good but the continuity is tricky as the previous volume and the next one make everything clear (presumably). I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second volume we learn a bit more about what's going on with Claire, aka Adventurema'am, as well as the Crossdraw Kid, and ghost gangsters from decades ago who are causing havoc in an abandoned subway station. I liked the first volume a bit better, but I really appreciated the end materials with Matt Fraction sharing how he began writing comics as a kid and what his process is now, Terry sharing how his art process works, and Matt letting us know they'll be at least one more volume of Adventureman stories to wrap up the current events.

[Greg Trosclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a five star review if I could enjoy the coloring to this graphic novel. Both volumes are superb but I HATE the dull colors and astonishingly they are provided by the artist himself. Everything else. characters, plot story, art....everything is great. Beautiful book should totally check this out. Right up there with Echolands by J.H. Williams III for best graphic work of the year.

[Joel Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sometimes comes across disjointed. There are shifts in time that come without warning and the dialogue on occasion is conversational, is in incomplete sentences, or requires the nuance of an actor's reading to understand what is conveyed.

However, if you stick with it and read carefully (trying on different inflections to figure out the dialogue) the plot does start to come together and make sense. It's a cool story with interesting characters and the art is absolutely amazing.

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Adventureman: A Fairy Tale of New York" is a strong second volume for the "Adventureman" series. The book continues to develop it's unique and compelling characters and the art is even more impressive than in the first volume. Additionally, the book expands the reader's knowledge of the "Adventureman" universe in several significant ways.

First it fixes a major gap from the first volume and finally gets around to explaining why almost no one was aware of the Adventureman. It also introduces a new major character and develops the plot in a new direction to focus on additional villains. More humorously, the book also confirms that Claire has taken the role of the Adventureman and proceeds to throw out various terms for her including Adventuremom and AdventureMa'am.

Unfortunately, the action and plot development in this book is fairly uneven and the book does feel somewhat incomplete. This is particularity true with the ending which is overly abrupt even for an intended cliff hanger.

The above quibbles aside, this is still an excellent book and, hopefully, it will not be the last in the series.

4.5 stars rounded to 4.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't quite as much fun as the first volume, although some of the world building is more fun. The new hero is a nice addition, but the villains don't really make much of an impression. The back matter is more entertaining than the story line. But the highlight is, as always, Terry Dodson's art, with wonderful coloring done as well. Too many storylines mean none of the characters get enough depth, especially as so much time is spent on introducing the new characters and villains.

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing the Adventureman saga, we find Claire's sisters are working to help her out - at least some of them. A super-serum is developed and tested and Claire is asking her sisters to take a drink, too - which some of them are wary about doing.

In the meantime, a superhero's great (great?) grandson has a Hansom cab in Central Park and is heir to a pair of six shooters that glow when bad guys are around. Surprise - he and Claire meet up and hit it off really well.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the oversized print is gorgeous and really showcases the Dodsons art, but it loses a star because of the humongous cast and constant time jumps that make an otherwise interesting ghost story difficult to follow. A few more captions for the audience to keep up would go a long way here

[Sebastian M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of the same from the first volume, fast-paced, pulpy fun.

Hits:
-Story is both dense and fast-paced.
-All characters remain endearing.
-Dodson's artwork continues to impress.

Misses:
-Keeping up with all the "lore" and who's who can be a bit jarring between volumes if not read back-to-back.

[Brannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series. It scratches my pulp itch.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art is gorgeous, story is a bit meandering. Not really sure where it’s going and I need a little something to keep me invested.

[Rob Schamberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeously illustrated romp answering the question of what Doc Savage meets The Neverending Story would be like. Full of heart, action and of course adventure!

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it. Too bad we didn’t get to see Claire’s family more involved in her superhero antics or learn more about the original Adventuremen. Hope they make a return!

[Michael Rhode · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 pretty but hard to follow in spots

[Sydney Edlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I said for volume 1, this is such a fun and interesting series! If you love the 1930s, Rocketeer/The Phantom vibe, plus stories with big, loving families, this is for you! I love that Claire's lettering is bigger than everyone else's, I love her enthusiastic attitude, which feels unique amongst heroes. She accepts these changes to her body, her understanding of the world, with excitement, no "why me? I didn't ask for this!" Her family is great, I love their dynamic. The art is wonderful, the story is fun, just A+ all around.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire and her family adjust to her life as the modern-day Adventureman incarnation, and that means getting sucked into dastardly plots. Claire meets a Chris, Central Park buggy driver who a descendant of the Crossdraw Kid. The Kid is a title passed down from generation to generation, and Chris' grandpa was one of Adventureman's former allies. The two try to figure out why the ghosts of New York Past have been way more active and violent. Just as these ghosts kick up their ghastly ways, Claire is running out of the serum that gives her the Adventureman powers, so it's up to her family to discover the formula while still making it in time for son Tommy's opening night of A Christmas Carol​.

New York at Christmastime is already a magical place, so throw in the on-the-nose allusions and parallelisms of A Christmas Carol, and you've got another entertaining outing for Adventureman. This volume is definitely not as strong as the first, and the wrap up from the cliffhanger from volume one could definitely have been included there instead of being the beginning of this volume. There could have also been a lot more flashbacks and parallels between the old-timey Adventureman and his pals, as that was much of the appeal of the first volume. However, I can see Fraction and team wanting to break ranks with their origin story in favor of establishing this new timeline, so as long as the flashbacks don't stop all together, I'll probably still be along for the ride.

The art from the Dodson team is not quite as crisp as the previous volume, but they explain their methods in the end matter and I am appreciative of their efforts to try to better their art form.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12

Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.

[Peter Evett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Updated review (up to 4 stars) after 2nd reading: While I agree with most of what I said below, I was less dissapointed this time (probably expecting the let down helped). The art is still strong, the writing still leaves too many gaps amidst the cool big central ideas.

A disappointing follow up. So much promise in volume 1, very little done with it here. No growth for our new Adventurmom - very little examination of what becoming a superhero means. And while there was talk of the family getting involved, they really did not. The Cowboy ghost fighter is just a silly idea (even for pulps), although the new guy was well done - the most interesting of the book.

The art was good, but not at the level of volume 1.

The whole thing felt like somewhat less time was invested in each chapter. Volume 1 rang out as a true labor of love that all were deeply invested in. This one felt much more like "wow, that worked, what do we do now, and oh, I still have to do my old job too." Fine.

The design remains very strong, although the oversize printing is far less cool when the art is more hurried and the weaker panels more clearly show their failings.