Published On: 2022-05-25 by Image Comics
Artist: Terry Dodson
Colorist: Terry Dodson
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Catch-up on Last Issue
THE CHAINS HE FORGED IN LIFE
Claire – like any decent Adventureman – teams up with Crossdraw – y’know, the ghost-hunting super cowboy – to get to the bottom of the Ghost Gang’s terrifying return to New York City.
In This Issue of Adventureman #9
The Ghost Gang are back, and they have big plans for the last vial of Adventureman serum. Claire and the family go to work Scooby-gang style while the Crossdraw Kid rushes to his grandfather’s side. The guns are glowing, but the new Crossdraw Kid doesn’t know what the revolvers are telling him.
What Else Happens in this Comic?
There’s a budding romance happening in Adventureman. Will the Crossdraw Kid and Claire become an item or will they keep it professional? Do they know how to keep it professional when neither have been in the super hero business for very long?
The Comic's Themes
Belief seems to be the biggest theme in Adventureman #9.
Belief in oneself.
It’s not easy having the confidence to move forward when you don’t have experience to bolster your faith. Grandpa Charles gives Chris the best advice for times when you don’t have faith in yourself, “Fake it until you make it.”
Belief in things that don’t make sense.
Claire and the Crossdraw Kid have seen some weird things but is it a calling or just a passing oddity. Plus there’s the b-story. Do our main characters have faith that love is something real?
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How's Adventureman #9's Writing?
The Dialogue
Being able to add ‘adventure’ to any other word has to be the best comic invention of all time. In Adventureman #9 our latest addition to the adventure lexicon is “adventurebusiness”. Even though these are all new characters (by comic book standards), Matt Fraction has given everyone a very distinct voice.
Showing Versus Telling
In addition to all the action in the issue, we have two, Christmas- themed, related-literature Easter eggs for you to find. One is easy as it’s Tommy’s major focus throughout the issue. Animation fans should be able to find the second.
With the multiple generations of heroes and villains, there’s a lot in the story to move through. Despite three separate storylines happening simultaneously, this issue of Adventureman does a good job of showing us what’s happening.
The Vibe
Adventureman #9 felt like a Disney+ show with high-end special effects, a quick-moving plot, a pinch of humor, and a lot of heart. With Adventureman, there’s always a hint of the pulp comics found at its core.
Comic Art Review
Any artwork by the husband and wife team of Terry and Rachel Dodson is fantastic. They are one of the greatest art teams of modern comics. In Adventureman #9, we see all the things you’d expect from an A++ art team — solid character designs, many camera angles, good facial acting, and at least one full-page poster design.
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- Adventureman 9 Cover
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- Adventureman 9 Cover Pencils
On the Cover
Our cover hits hard on the b-story of this issue, the budding romance between Claire and Chris. It looks great, but it doesn’t have much to do with what’s inside.
The Comic Panel by Panel
With this art team, we expect to have top-notch art. This issue seems to go beyond our expectations. Pay special attention to the shadow, silhouette, and color work in the subway scenes. It takes the phrase painting with light to an entirely different place. Wow.
Color also plays a large role in helping us transition between scenes. Christmas is red. Real life is blue. Ghosts are green, and Claire is too (which can’t be good for Claire).
Clayton Cowles moves through the dialogue with ease and brings the ‘boooom!’ with sound-based effects. Adventureman #9 wouldn’t be the same without them.
World Building
The Adventureman serum can be used for even more things than we originally believed. The line between the living and the dead is illustrated for us. We spend a little time in the family bookstore.
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Who's In This Issue of Adventureman #9
- Chris, the Crossdraw Kid
- Charles (grandpa)
- Johnny Caspar Spettero
- Tommy
- Harriet 'Bits'
- Ghost Gang
The Big Question for Next Issue
With a cliffhanger likes this one, how long do we have to wait until next issue?
Wear the Pulp Comics
What kind of business does mom ever have?
Adventurebusiness.
Who Will Like Adventureman #9?
Mobsters, ghostbusters, and Christmas Carol fanatics will like issue #9 of Adventureman. Harriet also gets a fair amount of screen time.
I Need More Content like Adventureman #9
The Dodson’s artwork can be found in a few places. You’ll see sketches and full artwork on these Web sites.
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What was I missing?
Just as the story opens, Crossdraw Kid and Claire are down in the subway. We flip the page, and they are ice skating. There is a transition panel, but I could have used a word bubble as the ice skating starts to clue me in that time had passed and the super heroics were temporarily over.
There’s a lot about family and generations of heroes in this arc of Adventureman. Even after three reads, I’m still a little fuzzy on how many generations we are introduced to. World building is my favorite thing about comics so the confusion is a welcome one as long as we eventually solidify the details.
Should You Buy This Comic Book?
Adventureman almost lost me after the first volume. I enjoyed all the characters, but the story felt hollow and the cliffhanger with a multi-month wait wasn't cool. In volume 2, I was instantly sucked back into the story. I bought Adventureman #9. Read it and just kept clicking the buy now buttons inside the Comixology app. The family felt real to me. The Crossdraw Kid and his grandfather were a lot of fun. The ghosts were similar to volume 1 but different enough to add intrigue. If you were like me and skipped Adventureman issues 6-9, grab your phone and buy all of them today. Or, wait a few months and purchase the collected edition.