DC Showcase: Adam Strange

For this Earthling, the Zeta Beam is a lot like Dr. Sam Beckett’s Quantum Leaps. They are unpredictable, but often come at the perversely worst possible time. It delivered the titular archaeologist to Planet Rann, where he met his beloved wife. Yet, it also takes him away when his family needs him the most in Butch Lukic’s DC Showcase: Adam Strange, which makes suitable viewing for his reported in-world birthday (12/3).

Rann is under attack and Strange’s wife and daughter are in serious peril. Suddenly, shazam (so to speak): a Zeta beam appears, transporting Strange across the galaxy to a mining colony, not unlike those seen in Outland and Alien: Romulus. Understandably, he yearns to return home, so spends months obsessively trying to calculate where the Zeta beam will next appear.

However, as the months turn into years, the increasingly bitter Strange turns into the colony drunk. Nevertheless, when freakish space spiders attack, they need a hero like Strange. Fortunately, he still has his retro-looking ray gun and jet-pack.

Arguably, DC Showcase’s Adam Strange might be the darkest animated comic book film—maybe ever. Its themes and tone would be appropriate for a vintage episode of The Outer Limits. For many viewers, it will be an intriguing introduction to the character, who has yet to break out beyond a cult following, probably because he largely stood outside the wider DC storyline continuity.

Adam Strange (don’t call him Doctor) is a great example of how DC Animated films take risks, placing their characters in entirely new worlds and new contexts (the Soviet-dominated Superman: Red Son being another prime example). This is great story, written by Lukic and J.M.  DeMatteis. It should motivate a lot of viewers check out Adam Strange comics, which was presumably one of the goals. Highly recommended, DC Showcase: Adam Strange was included in the BluRay release of Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.