Strangelands, Vol. 1: Love and Chaos

The opening volume of this offbeat superhero series scripted by Visaggio (Morning in America) with Little Badger introduces Adam and Elakshi, who share a strange power. Adam can attract objects, Elakshi can repel them—but if they get either too close or too far apart from each other, they unleash a massive destructive energy. Forced to stick together and constantly monitor their distance, they’re “a walking Tunguska,” and all they want is to find a cure. In this introductory arc, their search takes them to Wild Saints Resort, a secluded Colorado compound where a guru lectures that superpowers come from “Collective Consciousness Energy” and promises to rid powered people of unwanted abilities. The series carries the vibe of classic X-Men or Incredible Hulk comics, with the focus less on heroics and more on day-to-day survival with powers (which make normal life impossible and attract unwanted enemies and shadowy conspiracies). The art by Sanna is serviceable but strains when rendering complex action scenes; however, his lush views of the Colorado wilderness provide a keen sense of place. Overall, the creative riff on superpower stories sets up intriguing central characters for future adventures. (Dec.)