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It occurs to me that another post-apocalyptic series (although more of a space-travel science fiction series, as well as a romance with Alanna) is Adam Strange, in
MYSTERY IN SPACE 53-91, by Fox and Infantino.
On the planet Rann, they had a devastating global nuclear war, from which a thousand years after, the people of Rann are still struggling to recover from.
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Mystery-in-Space-1951/Issue-53?id=88634 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Strange![[Linked Image from coverbrowser.com]](https://www.coverbrowser.com/image/mystery-in-space/73-1.jpg)
Infantino reluctantly left the Adam Strange series in 1964, assigned to work on the "new look" Batman in DETECTIVE 327-369.
The series continued after Infantino's last issue in MYSTERY IN SPACE 91 for a few more issues, by artist Lee Elias, but it just wasn't the same without Infantino. The series was remarkably upbeat and optimistic for a post-apocalyptic series. Because it was more about Adam Strange as the hero of Rann, using his wits to repel one race of alien invaders after another., with Rann's nuclear war history mostly as a backdrop occasionally mentioned. The series also focused on the unrequited love of Adam Strange and Alanna.
I first read these stories reprinted in
STRANGE ADVENTURES 217-244 (1969-1973), in what seemed like a very long and well received series of reprints.
Since then about 15 years ago, they were also reprinted in three DC Archives volumes.
And just as I got the third volume, they announced an omnibus hardcover of the same issues.
Here are all the Infantino issues, in MYSTERY IN SPACE 53-91 :
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Mystery-in-Space-1951/Issue-53?id=88634 And while I'm less enthusiaastic about the three origin story issues that preceded the Infantino run, here are the three Sekowsky issues in
SHOWCASE 17-19 in 1958-1959 :
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Showcase/Issue-17?id=43357 https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Showcase/Issue-18?id=43358 https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Showcase/Issue-19?id=43359 I also really enjoyed the wedding story of Adam Strange and Alanna, in JLA 120-121.
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Justice-League-of-America-1960/Issue-120?id=27543 https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Justice-League-of-America-1960/Issue-121?id=27544 And a few Adam Strange team-up stories in three issues of
BRAVE AND THE BOLD in three issues :
issue 90 ( a good "last Batman story", by Haney and Andru/Esposito),
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/The-Brave-and-the-Bold-1955/Issue-90?id=31191 issue 161 (by Haney and Aparo),
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/The-Brave-and-the-Bold-1955/Issue-161?id=31261 and issue 190 (by Barr and Infantino/Trapani)
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/The-Brave-and-the-Bold-1955/Issue-190?id=31290 And a
SECRET ORIGINS 17 story, Aug 1987, where Infantino once again pencilled Adam Strange in his origin re-telling. Why Murphy Anderson was not selected as inker (instead of Tony DeZuniga) is a mystery to me. Writing and art that re-tells the origin story, but for me strayed a bit too far from its Silver Age appeal. Thanks to DeZuniga, Infantino's art was virtually unrecognizable.
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Secret-Origins-1986/Issue-17?id=48194 As compared with this "Space Museum" tribute in SECRET ORIGINS 50, also pencilled by Infantino, and beautifully inked by George Perez, that I think in both story and art perfectly re-captures the Silver Age stories it was tribute to.
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Secret-Origins-1986/Issue-50?id=48242 Adam Strange's run was one of the brightest lights of the Silver Age.
And likewise Infantino's FLASH run and DETECTIVE COMICS run, particularly the Elongated man backup stories in DETECTIVE.
And Gil Kane's THE ATOM, and Kubert's HAWKMAN, and the early Zatanna crossover appearances.
All very fondly remembered. A wonderful blend of beautiful art, whimsey and optimism across all of these Schwartz-edited titles.
In Adam Strange's case, even amid the aftermath a thousand years after a nuclear war on Rann.
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