Adam Strange: Planet Heist
Grade 8 Up–The DC Universe calls Adam Strange a superhero, but he languishes in a tenement, trying unsuccessfully to convince the police that he's allied with the Justice League and one of the good guys. Even a visit from Superman does nothing to help. When Adam learns that his home planet is missing, he is terrified that his wife and child are gone forever. Traveling to find them, he is captured by an armada that treats him suspiciously well. When he discovers the planet has been teleported away in an attempt to fool him, the scheme is revealed and Adam and a group of mercenary aliens fight in intergalactic space. The armada and its leader, Valkyr, turn out to be the villains. Only a passable science-fiction story, the novel has few standout moments. Adam comes across as more of a dull workman, never doing any of the delectable grandiose pontificating that great heroes do. The human element of the missing wife and daughter is rather weak, and the nonstop flow of characters stepping in from the sidelines obscure the plot, which seems contrived enough as it is. Even Adam Strange collectors may give up on this one.–John Leighton, Brooklyn Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.