Adam Wreck
Getting my comic book fix while waiting for the next Al*Hero to drop, I ordered up a few copies of the second best deal in comics these days. Alterna Comics uses newsprint and ink that rubs off on your fingers for that extra old school charm.
“Adam Wreck“, written and illustrated by Michael S. Bracco, presents a sci-fi take suitable for younger readers. The titular character’s genius parents take
their reluctant son off earth in search of extraterrestrial life. The good news is that they find it. The bad news is that the first aliens to meet mankind are space pirates, and Adam soon finds himself stranded on an alien planet, determined to find his way back to his parents. Aided by the usual sort of Northwest Smith style opportunist, Adam’s adventure provides a solid story with the sort of thrills suitable for younger readers.
The pirates are scary enough to threaten, but silly enough not to lead to bad dreams. Adam’s parents represent a strength of the title – they are loving, brave, clever, and outmatched early enough to justify a rescue by their young son. The art is suitably cartoony, and the touch of orange and blue coloring is used to good effect. The design of the aliens and spaceships are fun and creative.
I wouldn’t recommend “Adam Wreck” for serious connoisseurs of sequential art as a medium of exploring the subtle distinctions between good and evil, and man and monster. But it does make a perfect gateway drug to lure your children into the wider world of graphic novels.