Customer Reviews

Showcase Presents: Strange Adventures Vol. 1

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unfortunately, the stories from this era were somewhat dumbed down due to the Comics Code. In the 1950's it was believed that comic books contributed to juvenile delinquency. Authors like Edmund Hamilton who wrote for DC had one hand tied behind his back due to the limitations of the Comics Code. Obviously there could be no sex or excessive or explicit violence. But there could also be no negative criticism of society, government or questioning of authority. The stories were naive, simple to understand and always had a positive lesson. Plus they were marketed to 11 year olds and had to be written accordingly. For that reason they seem overly simplistic and naive.

Because of those constraints the stories in SA are somewhat lacking in quality. Still, this is great light reading while commuting to and from work. Then there is the nostalgia factor. During that era Science Fiction was somewhat new and exciting for readers. There are a lot of aliens here, some good, some evil, some warning earth, some needing help. Each story has a moral lesson.

The black and white art is not as much of a detraction as you might think. After a while the crisp line work grows on you. Now I prefer the B&W renderings. They give the book a classic look while leaving something to the imagination.

I would recommend this book with the caveat that your expectations should be realistic. There are no Hugo Award winners in this book. This is light reading for a nostalgia rush.

I bought this collection (500 pages btw) at a comic book store the other day. I came to AMAZON to see if VOL 2 had been released. Why? Because this anthology collection is excellent. Each story is like a mini-Twilight Zone episode. Talking Monkeys, Hologram Machines, Alien Invasions etc... I collect SCI-FI radio shows from the 1950s and these stories are right up with the best of them. If I had a suggestion for future volumes, it would be to request that the issue covers be in color, exactly like the cover of the anthology. In case you were wondering, it is a book that is safe for kids as well and I think would inspire the imagination. I thank DC for releasing this. I hope it sells well because I want to read other volumes!

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered this volume--one never knows what one is going to get from a collection of an anthology title--but I was pleasantly surprised.

These stories were published between 1955-1956, most of them 6 pages in length. There's little to no characterization, and the art style is likely the standard house style for National Publications at the time. However, what really makes this work is the stories themselves. The vast majority are true science fiction tales, meaning that a primary plot point hinges on an actual knowledge of science. Sure, there's an overabundance of alien invasions, but at the same time it doesn't get quite so old because of the unique ways utilized by the protagonist of the story to solve the problem.

I won't tell you that every story here is fabulous as there are a few clunkers, and certainly one could roll one's eyes at the 1950's (pseudo) science, but for the most part it's good, solid storytelling.

I wouldn't call this essential, but if you've got the money to spend and you're interested in this period, I can recommend this volume. I would say it's best read in small chunks, however.

GREAT book !!!! Lots of fun and the stories are what makes it. The art is over all quite good as you get the cream of the crop of mid 50'd DC stable of artists. But as long as you don't expect too much these 6 page stories are a revelation. Proves you can tell a story and tell it in an entertaining way. Okay most of the time the characters are secondary as not much backgrounds. But you can see Strange Adventures and eventually Mystery in Space becoming the premiere Sci Fi books that DC has ever produced. Julie Schartz even has a cameo in a long ago story :) Well worth getting and mix it into the bloody 6 part series going today and see that 6 pages can say a great deal, besides been a great read . Highly thought of in my library of old reprints :)

What was DC thinking when this reprint volume was formulated? STRANGE ADVENTURES is certainly a worthy title from DC's past that deserves extensive reprinting. The stories are a mixed bag of science fiction that range from fair to great, and there are neat visuals by DC's stable of artists, including Gil Kane, Sy Barry and Carmine Infantino.

But, Volume 1 of this likely continuing series reprints STRANGE ADVENTURES issue numbers 54 through 73. Number 54?! Why didn't this volume begin with issue number 1, as it SHOULD have??! DC certainly has source material to reprint the earlier issues, meaning that DC either doesn't intend to reprint those earlier issues, or perhaps will eventually reprint them, but out of order. Either scenario is inexcusable.

We don't know DC's reasoning in this matter, because the SHOWCASE PRESENTS volumes, this one included, lack any introduction and further insight into the reprinted material other than basic script and art credits - something that DC should definitely rectify. If you're a science-fiction fan, a comic book fan, or just like good comic art, I do recommend this volume. But the starting point of the reprinted material is unexplained and unwarranted, and DC owes its readers a big apology.

Read this with your son to open up worlds of discussion for you to have! My 9 year old son loves the DC Showcase line and this is one of his favorites! The six page stories are an excellent length for bedtime reading, and the subjects covered are great fun. Simple, fun, sci-fi at it's best!

As another poster stated, the stories are simplistic and written to appeal to the average age of the person who would buy the original comic in the 50's....11 years old. Count me in as one who would have spent a dime to buy one of these comics back then!

The stories are simplistic, yet entertaining and are written very much like the original Twilight Zone series.

My 10 year old son had read the book cover to cover several times and keeps asking me if another one will come out. Not only did he read the book, his 10 year old friend also borrowed the book to read. That's what is great about these stories, they capture the imagination in a manner that is entertaining yet doesn't involve adolescent vampires or kids waving magic wands and fighting demons.

If Volume 2 is released, I will certainly purchase it!

The stories in this compilation are older than me... (and I'm 56!) But if you like ingenious, albeit naïve, science-fiction stories, you will like these. And, about the artwork: most of the artists were beginning to show their talent, which would be in full bloom 10 years later, doing s-f tales in the same vein. It's an opportunity to appreciate Carmine Infantino, Gil Kane, Murphy Anderson, Mike Sekowsky, Sid Greene, Joe Kubert, Russ Heath, and others, doing diverse work from the super-heroes stuff they were to dedicate their efforts to. This kind of comic book artwork shows what creativity and craftsmanship these guys were capable of, without the distraction of having to depict a super-guy doing a bunch of super-feats. I LIKE super-heroes, but you can really appreciate their talent when the artists have to create an alien, an alien landscape, and alien buildings, without having a model to rely on. And making it believable, which is the more difficult aspect of the craft. A great show, which will be even greater in the next 3 volumes. The editorial guidance of the (deservedly) now legendary editor Julius Schwartz, and the extraordinary scripts by Otto Binder, Edmond Hamilton, Gardner Fox and John Broome are what make these tales second only to EC's Weird Science and Weird Fantasy comics.

This title includes consecutive publishing dates of the comic book "Strange Adventures" from 1955-1956. Classic kid-level science fiction featuring early art work by later Superman artists Carmine Infantino and Gil Kane. These stories are not of the type that would have caused an uproar against comics in the mid-'50's. They are innocent adventures of time-travel, space aliens, and lots of surprise endings. Just be aware that these comics are in black & white. Recommended for the curious fan, especially for the early work of latter-day artists.