ADAM.3 #1 (of 5)
[10.25 x 6.75, landscape format]
“Survival”
Story & Art by: Scott Kolins
Lettering by: Michael Heisler
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
S.E.E.D.S. Chapter One (13 pages)
Satellites above Earth observe the dynamics between Adam.3 and his son Beo. Things are tense. The discovery of some shackles causes concern since they were retrieved from a volcano. Adam is being a dutiful father. He voices his love and expresses gratitude. Adam’s wife 037 was observing via a floating sphere.
Adam takes a high-flying dip in the ocean. The dolphins congratulate him on the impending birth of another child. Beo is playing hard to get. He will not appear despite his father’s pleading. The inhabitants of the jungle storm into the open and deliver their heartfelt felicitations. Skye, his wife, informed them of the coming newborn. The joyful encounter is interrupted by news of Mojo being in grave danger by Grae. One of the birds relays a report that an explosion killed Mojo’s twin and scarred Grae. Mojo is invading the ursine’s territory. Adam arrives just in time. He pacifies the big bear by hitting him in the jugular and feeding him berries. Adam wants to hear Mojo’s side of things but the one-of-a-kind species stays silent. Suddenly, Adam has a grisly vision of the future. Blood drapes the skies and all his furry friends!!
S.E.E.D.S. Chapter Two (10 pages)
The nightmare is extremely disturbing. Chains extend from the bracelets. A claw slashes Adam’s face. Darkness rises in liquid form enveloping the protagonist. Adam’s eyes are blood-filled, possessed by the alien substance. He snaps out of the trance with Mojo licking him awake. The ordeal lasted less than four seconds.
Home, sweet home. Adam’s residence is the grooviest treehouse ever! His spouse is a blonde bombshell, radiant in her golden garb, and positively glowing with her pregnancy. She consoles Mojo. The sphere inquires her knowledge of events since Adam never said anything. She brushes it off. The joyful couple are expecting twins!! 
Beo finally comes out of hiding. He sarcastically applauds the dual arrival of his siblings and rudely comments on his mother’s weight gain. He flings the carcass of a calf as a ‘gift’. Skye is horrified. Adam is outraged. Beo wishes for his da’s death and takes a swing at him. Adam head-butts his hard-hearted son. Beo pushes Skye over the platform. She’s about to experience the same fate as Gwen Stacy. Luckily, she is spared as are the unborn. Adam forcefully pushes aside Beo in rage. The boy disappears.
Night has fallen. No sign of Beo. Adam cannot unshackle the bracers. A storm approaches. Skye assures everything will be just fine. She is overjoyed with the upcoming dual birth. As the storm intensifies, Beo glares in the distance. Where he is crouching is anyone’s guess.
Where in the world are you? 19° 43’ N, 155° 05’W. These coordinates point to the island of Hilo in the archipelago of Hawaii. At least in the real world. It’s simply referred to as Island 3 in this story but Adam specifies that it is Avalon.
Animals all around! Meet the diverse cast of this original tail tale:
- Buck – deer
- Cora, Tidal – dolphins
- Humpert – blue whale
- Snowcap – eagle
- Burbank, Bask – elephants
- Wire – finch
- King – treefrog
- Mojo – unique breed. I’ll say a cross between donkey, jackal, rabbit ;-P
- Grae – bear
Neat-speak: It goes without saying that ‘unconventional’ lingo would be used by these Earthlings:
- obvidense – I’ll speculate that it’s “obvious” and a slight against understatement.
- heart – like the emoji, “love”.
- westwind – “breezy”, as in everything is just fine.
- snoutache – separate the words: “snout” and “ache”. What happens when you are punched in the nose snout.
- snug – I’ll assume it means to “get comfortable” as well as to “rest”.
- chirp – “to tell”. Were you inspired by Twitter, Mr. Kolins?
- gratis – Latin for “free”. I think in this context it is “gratitude” as in “Thank God” or some other divine being.
Baby, don’t forget my number: Skye is designated as 037; Adam is 058.
Mr. Kolins, you have produced an innovative exhilarating mini-epic!! I see various sources of inspiration effortlessly blended by your own brilliance: The Jungle Book, Tarzan, and especially Kamandi. I guessed correctly when I interviewed you at Montreal Comic Con. Reading the acknowledgement after the credits, you greatly admired the late Jack Kirby, creator of Kamandi the Last Boy on Earth. The fact that you tackle triple tasks is even more admirable! I have noticed the progression and evolution of your style during your lengthy career. Like a chameleon, you have adjusted your pencils for each distinct book and/or genre. The art presented here is grand-scale for a particular reason. The landscape is welcoming, not engulfing. Adam is much a part of the paradisiacal planet as are the other inhabitants.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau is falsely credited with the notion of the noble savage. This oxymoronic phrase was first used by playwright John Dryden. The concept is divided – Adam is the noble; his son Beo is the savage. Beo is recently ‘hatched’: less than two weeks old. His motives are unknown but he harbors much resentment against his progenitors. His outward appearance differs greatly from his proud parents. Adam and Skye live harmoniously among the wildlife, even the rough and gruff Grae is implied to have a softer side. There is a ‘flaw’ in Beo’s making. He doesn’t want to share space with the delightful creatures nor does he want to be neglected when his siblings come into the world. I predict that Beo is the root of evil that will eat away at the idyll. Adam’s forecasting most likely represents his son turning on him. Beo could be an alien sleeper agent sent to test The First Man’s mettle. After all, who created Adam? It certainly wasn’t God! Who mans those satellites?
Mr. Kolins mentions six artists that he idolizes. The execution is all his own but there is no doubt that this is an homage to “King” Jack Kirby. Adam has the perfect physique that most of us aspire to have. His tanned skin is characteristic of endless days in the sun. His garb is tribal yet regal especially with the shoulder sash displaying a stylised ‘A’ among leopard-like swirls. There is modesty since he is not a bare-bottom or loin-clothed jungle man.
Attention is given to all things great and small. The eyes are extremely important since that is how Beo is shown until his full-figured appearance on page 20. The animals are incredibly authentic. There is no cartoony or artificial representation. You should work for Encyclopedia Brittanica, Mr. Kolins >_^
The blood-soaked damask red ‘dream’ of Adam’s is a sharp contrast to the multi-colored magnificence. The deep purple is an interesting wardrobe choice but it works well against Adam’s bronze body. Skye is an absolute vision in light. She is as bright as the sun. This may be a little much but it also serves to highlight the unlikeness from her lifemate. I won’t say that she’s Eve since I doubt that the First Woman was blonde, but who knows? Authors and artists are extremely imaginative, scholars are sometimes erroneous, and historians are always subjective.
Michael Heisler outdoes himself with the various animal sounds. Boe’s speech is full of bile. It’s no accident that it’s covered in crimson. When he isn’t shouting, the font is darker, thicker, and italicized for extra emphasis.
Gold medals are adorning your wall for designing the ADAM.3 logo, Mr. Kolins!!!
Time to theorize!! (1) Before uncovering the book, I had my own version of S.E.E.D.S – I saw that Survival was the first word. I guessed that one of the E’s would be for Extinction, the D for Destruction, and the S for Saviour. The rest of you can see that it stands for Survival, Enemy, Epidemic, Death, Sacrifice. (2) The symbol on Adam’s bracers and Beo’s pendant resemble a ‘Y’ but I see it as an inverse Omega. Anyone with half a brain knows the significance of that. (3) Appropriately, I end on the number three. It is a perfect number in that commonfolk notice good things happen in this amount. Plus, Adam has point three in his name. The island has no actual distinction from the overseers. It is simply the third one. The family of three will soon increase, breaking the unity at least in Beo’s eyes. There are three orbiting unmanned craft in prominent view above Earth. It took three years for this stellar production to come to fruition (the cover has Mr. Kolins’ sig dated 2012). Am I right or completely off my rocker?? You decide, readers!
The S.E.E.D.S. have been planted. Adam will have to fight his own son in the next issue. I give this first part a resounding five out of five [100%]. Bravo, Mr. Kolins!! You are on the cusp of the upper echelon!
Find Scott Kolins on Facebook as well as Twitter. He also has a DeviantArt page: http://kolinsart.deviantart.com/
