Image Comics’ The Strange Talent of Luther Strode is a comic book series. It brings together the talents of writer Justin Jordan, Tradd Moore’s art, and Felipe Sobreiro’s colors to provide the perfect trifecta for this gruesome, action-packed epic. Historical, horror, pop culture, and Judeo-Christian elements are all woven throughout the plot. In October of 2011, the first issue was published.
These three series follow Luther Strode, an adolescent who gains superhuman strength, speed, and healing abilities after pursuing the Hercules Method, a Charles Atlas-inspired training regimen. The combatants are at the center of the comic’s never-ending bombardment of action sequences, each taking their own method to become truly lethal individuals. While all of these warriors have participated in some very dramatic and violent battles, they are without a doubt the most powerful Method users from the Luther Strode trilogy.
The plot centers around Luther Strode, a thin adolescent living alone with his mother, and how he benefits from The Hercules Method, a Charles Atlas clone. The concept was conceived as a horror film with a Spider-Man basis, with the exception that he would be like the Marvel superhero without his great Uncle Ben’s moral compass to guide him through his life.
The Hercules Method
We start the story with Luther, our main character, wearing a mask with seven bullet holes in his chest. He simply ejects them from his body without any qualms. He talks about how it all started, and we go into a flashback. It is genuinely fascinating, and within a couple of panels, my attention is absolutely stuck on the book.
We see a young Luther, who is stick thin, as he returns home with his best friend, Pete. On reaching home, he sees that his Hercules Method exercise handbook has arrived in the mail. Pete makes fun of Luther for getting it, but he is also supportive as maybe this might just be the way for them to leave their bullies behind for good. Luther begins making plans to utilize it as soon as Pete leaves to go to his house for the day. Luther trains by himself that night. The book talks about focusing the mind, body, and spirit on one unified goal. But much to his disappointment, there are no evident results.
The scene then changes to a bald guy, identified as the Librarian, approaching a man tied from head to toe with chains in a secret location and informing him that they’ve discovered a candidate with great potential. On the other hand, Luther has developed not only an insatiable appetite, but he now has superhuman reflexes and speed, as seen by his ability to catch a falling dish.
The next day, in school, Pete pushes Luther into Petra, a girl he has a very massive and obvious crush on, as she is standing next to her locker. Luther’s bully tries to intimidate him, but Petra clearly has good taste, so she makes fun of the bully and then kisses Luther. Later in the day, Pete is hit on his face during a game of dodge ball at P.E. Here, we find out that the bully is called Paul. While Luther is checking up on Pete, Paul throws a cheap shot at Luther, as he doesn’t seem to be paying attention. Luther’s instincts kick in, and he catches the ball and tosses it back with enough force to break Paul’s nose.
The bald man makes a reappearance as a lone crewman is sought after and then supposedly killed by the Librarian aboard a ship in an unknown place. We shift back to the school where Paul and his buddies corner Pete and Luther in the bathroom; Luther endures a beating from Paul at first, until the latter starts making remarks about Petra. This clearly angers Luther, and he retaliates with a single punch that is so strong that it breaks Paul’s jaw and disgusts the rest of the room.
The Re-birth of the Nerd
In this issue, the first hints of the larger tale emerge, and it’s evident that Justin Jordan has something evil planned. As gory as this book is, Jordan manages to ground his characters enough to make their interactions palpable and human, providing a much-needed counterpoint to the series’ generally wild nature.
Luther returns to school after being suspended for fighting in this issue, which picks up a few weeks after we last left off. While we don’t see Luther engage with his mother, we do get a closer look at his relationship with Pete, and we see a considerable amount of interaction with Petra, which is both natural and endearing.
Paul tries to pick a fight once more. Luther begins to get images of him starting a school massacre with just his bare hands as he prevents Paul from going after Pete. After relaxing and letting Paul go, he notices that he is beginning to view people as their musculature, but this appears to cease. After a brief conversation, Petra approaches and convinces Pete to leave her alone with Luther. Petra tells him that she does, indeed, like her. She kisses him and leaves him reeling, which I find to be quite a boss move.
Jordan has made the school bully even angrier than before. He is working out nonstop and fantasizing about beating up our reborn nerd. Later that night, while Paul is working out, he is attacked and then killed by the Librarian, who was standing at the dining table after having slaughtered his parents rather brutally.
Luther Strode utilizes the Hercules Method book to become super-muscular, stop the bullies, and defend his mother, most likely inspired by classic Charles Atlas advertising where the tiny weakling learns how to pump up and fight the neighborhood bully. He’s grown super-muscular, but nothing else appears to be going according to plan. He’s having trouble regulating his urges, his closest friend Pete doesn’t seem to comprehend what’s going on, and there’s also that scary person related to the Hercules Method who’s beginning to actively enter the remainder of the story.
Luther is in the middle of a workout when Petra enters his room, catching him in his underpants. It is a rather sensual and teasing kind of interaction. It is pretty fun to see the muscular nerd boy and the strong headfast girl get together. Luther tells Pete about his night with Petra while they are on their way to a grocery store. However, it gets robbed. We see Luther heroically fighting the robbers and incapacitating them. Pete names Luther a superhero when Luther utilizes his abilities to thwart the robbery.
Luther is the story’s central character, and Jordan does an excellent job of allowing us into his thoughts. We can instantly understand Luther’s conflicted feelings about his change; he’s powerful, and he can do anything, but we can also see how everything is slowly slipping away from him. On the other hand, Luther is a kind kid at heart, and it’s that essential core that makes us want Luther to succeed despite the spiral he’s sinking into.
A Superhero is Born
The sense of humor is the number one feature that pulls this work forward. Luther searches the tops of buildings for criminals, but he becomes bored when nothing happens.
Pete is the one who provides Luther with an improvised outfit consisting of all-black clothing and a homemade mask a few nights later. After arguing with Pete about the costume and his abilities, Luther reveals that his father assaulted his mother and that he felt powerless to stop it. Luther is quite humble, claiming that he isn’t really exceptional and that he can’t offer much to the world. As a picture of his mother being beaten by his newly released father flashes across his head, he reconsiders his potential. Luther seemed to be moved by the word “helpless.”
When Strode’s mother discovers him discreetly departing during the night, his “Ninja” talents are put into doubt. Her genuine concern for Luther is heartwarming. Another aspect of this comic that has been meticulously crafted. She is concerned that their father will discover them. If this encounter takes place, Luther appears to be confident. After being captured by his mother while attempting to flee the house, he promises to protect her if his father finds them.
He goes on patrol in costume, and he is quite a relatable superhero as he talks about feeling bored while you wait for crime to happen. Just then, he notices a man dragging a woman out from a bar. He attempts to interfere, but the woman defends the man before Luther can do much. After that, Luther decides to pay a visit to Petra in order to cheer himself up, but her father finds him after a brief conversation, and he is forced to leave.
As the story progresses, we see that the robbers who Luther stopped are killed by the Librarian when they are on their way to jail. However, while Pete and Luther discuss it, Petra interrupts them. We see that she has been physically mistreated but is hiding and being evasive about it as she is wearing sunglasses and long-sleeved shirts to hide things. Luther, enraged, goes to the man who had been defended by the woman the night before and beats him half to death. The Librarian comes in right after Luther has thrown the beaten man across the room. He eggs him on and asks him how it feels to beat up a man like that.
Just like a PlayStation Game
Jordan continues his hot streak in this issue, with an origin for the mail-in book and some time with the Librarian, a well-dressed villain.
There was a man in a sweater vest and bow tie who seemed to know quite a deal about Luther’s powers while he was learning about his powers and establishing a new identity as a hero while Luther was learning about his powers and forging a new identity as a hero. He was also a serial killer. Quite a bit. Now Luther meets the Librarian and hears the story behind the book that bestowed his abilities on him. Although the Librarian does not win the prize for Most Unique Villain Ever, his highbrow talk and praise for murder’s higher purpose make him an intriguing and frightening foe.
Luther believes his revenge is complete, but the Librarian attacks, claiming Luther is mistaken and describing how he has been cleaning up behind him. Luther loses the brawl and is knocked unconscious; when he wakes up, the Librarian has brought him to a room with another man in it. He has offered Luther his father, who has caused a lot of grief for him and his mother over the years. But Luther refuses as he feels that his father isn’t worth it, which is the right way to go about it, I think.
It is only when Luther inquires as to why he has been chosen that it is revealed that it all begins with biblical Cain, who passed down his teachings of unlocking power through the centuries in the form of a manual that only a few can read, one of whom is revealed to be serial killer Jack the Ripper. Luther’s father has great potential, but he squandered it; Luther refuses to kill his father, and the Librarian murders the elder Strode.
After Luther has recovered, the Librarian informs him that the companions of the guy Luther had beaten have been dispatched to attack someone he cares about. Luther returns home, believing that person to be his mother, only to find her safe and chatting with Pete. It’s only then that it dawns on me that the Librarian was talking about Petra.
Connecting the Dots
The Strange Talent of Luther Strode #5 is perhaps the greatest since it recognizes that we’ve already set all of the frameworks for the plot and that it’s time to kick some asses once more. This issue starts the scene with Luther is rushing against the time in order to save his loved ones are continued. Luther rushes to her rescue after learning that his girlfriend, Petra, has been kidnapped, leaving a trail of bloodied dead behind him. Luther’s befuddlement, conflict, and desperation are palpable and amplified by his actions in these perilous situations. The plot is moving at a breakneck speed at this point.
Luther finds Petra’s father and gets information out of him on where she was taken by brutally assaulting him. On the other hand, Pete is trapped explaining everything to Mrs. Strode when the Librarian arrives and kidnaps Mrs. Strode, nailing Pete to a cabinet with knives and leaving him for dead. It is a rather intense scene with Pete doing his absolute best to save his best friend’s mother even though his own life is at risk.
Jordan shows readers what led to the flashback in issue #1 while also raising the stakes for Luther in his battle with The Librarian. It’s a good thing Jordan was able to create a likable ensemble out of Luther’s mother, best buddy Pete, and love interest Petra since it all pays off when the characters are put in mortal danger.
Luther stages a rescue for Petra at the same time but is shot by the captors. Fortunately, Luther survives thanks to his newly acquired power, which renders him invincible to small guns fire. Luther then proceeds to execute the kidnappers in front of Petra, causing her to drop out from shock. She finds herself in Luther’s house when she wakes up, where Pete is still barely alive while Luther deduces the truth.
It’d be good if The Librarian had a little more personality. Even after the damage the Librarian wreaks in this issue, he remains too formulaic and cryptic to act as a proper counterbalance to our nascent hero, and Jordan didn’t really make full use of Luther’s father before killing him off in the last issue.
In Life and Death
With issue #6, The Strange Talent of Luther Strode has come to a gruesome end, and fans of the story should be more than happy. Luther ultimately goes toe-to-toe with the Librarian in the series finale, not just for the sake of his mother’s life but also for Luther’s own humanity!
The battle that follows is one of the most outrageously gruesome confrontations I’ve ever seen in a comic book! This issue marks the end of Luther’s “origin” story, and it continues to defy expectations. Although the plot of Issue #6 is less creative than previous issues, writer Justin Jordan does his bit to build a final battle between Luther and his enemy, which has tragic and archetypal consequences.
After Pete’s death, Luther pursues the Librarian, instructing Petra to notify the authorities. The Librarian is hiding in an old wooden dock while he tells Luther’s mother about his efforts spreading the “Hercules Method,” stating that Luther is the first in decades to be talented enough.
The Librarian then drags Luther out of concealment, starting their final battle. Things get very heated during the battle, and unfortunately, Luther accidentally murders his own mother when the Librarian dodges in such a way that she is caught in the path of Luther’s assault. Luther continues to battle the Librarian while reeling through the loss of his mother.
The Librarian pulls out his intestines during the fight, but even after being disemboweled and grieving his loss, he does not give up. As the building’s structure comes crumbling down, their battle smashes the fishery, revealing that the cops have arrived with Petra.
The Librarian appears to be triumphant at first, but Luther soon seems to pull his spine and skull from his back. Having no other way out, Luther charges at the cops, who shoot him. Luther, however, punches his way out of the body bags after being deposited in the morgue before cutting away to the man who is shackled and delivering a chuckle.
What Makes Luther Strode So Strong
After using the Hercules Method, there were various changes that we saw in Luther. He gained a considerable number of powers and abilities, which we shall be looking at in this section.
After the metamorphosis, Luther’s mind, spirit, and body were irrevocably changed. His physical attractiveness, muscle mass, and other physical characteristics were improved and perfected, and he became exceedingly appealing and handsome. Luther grew into a tall, elegant guy with a powerful voice and an overwhelming authoritative presence.
He has an immaculate complexion, perfect teeth, lovely, wavy hair, a “perfect golden-proportioned figure,” brawny and well-toned muscles, and is exceedingly “well-endowed.” He secretes potent hormones that make him highly alluring to females. Because he is still physiologically a flawless human, studying his DNA yields no odd results.
Luther Strode possesses great strength, capable of maiming and killing normal humans in a single attack. He has proven the capacity to sever humans in two while wearing body armor and crash through wood, stone, and metal with ease, by pounding his foe into the ground during his fight (like in the case of Jack the Ripper, he made a big hole.
Perhaps most spectacularly, the ferocity of his punches against the Librarian was enough to bring down an entire warehouse. Luther is considered to be the most gifted practitioner of the “Method” in the last 500 years. His strength exceeds that of a mortal man by a factor of ten. He can cut a large man in half or smash through solid steel doors with his bare hands.
Luther is very coordinated and has demonstrated advanced equilibrium while evading bullets and other objects that regular humans would be unable to dodge in time. His dexterity and speed are also improved. Luther has the ability to move faster than the human eye can perceive; in fact, during battles, he appears to vanish and reappear behind his opponents before they can react.
Luther’s abilities extend beyond brute strength and speed; he also possesses perfect mental control over his body. Luther is almost resistant to any kind of physical harm, injury, or discomfort. Bullets can puncture his skin but not his muscles because his body tissue is significantly denser than that of an average human. Pounding him is like punching a concrete wall, and bullets can pierce his skin but not his muscles. This enables him to bear inhuman levels of pain and cure deadly wounds, ranging from gunshots to disembowelment, in a matter of seconds.
Luther’s toughness has also been improved, allowing him to employ his strength without risking damage. Luther was unconcerned when a regular man repeatedly hit him, and the assailant injured his hand. Luther’s toughness was such that a full Warehouse collapsing on him didn’t bother him. When seven bullets were fired at close range, they lodged in his muscles rather than passing through his chest.
Luther Strode possesses a healing factor that has grown in efficiency over the course of his superhero career. It took him a few moments to recover from being shot many times at first. However, he was able to quickly recover from being disemboweled, but not before breaking his opponent’s neck with his intestines. Bullets no longer bother him, and repeated knife wounds heal rapidly. He’s also shown that he can reverse the effects of pressure points and fight off paralyzing toxins in a short amount of time.
Finally, Luther’s senses have been enhanced to superhuman levels by the “Method.” He has such keen hearing that he can detect a human heartbeat from hundreds of feet away. His olfactory senses can tell the difference between people only by smelling them.
His abilities include Intimidation, Hand-to-Hand Combat, Throwing Acrobatics (Luther’s heightened vision allows him to toss any object with perfect accuracy); he has also learned to fool other people’s Accelerated Probability after five years of training and can utilize it to show them only what he wants them to see.
Why should you read this comic?
This issue taps into a core reason why many people read comic books: the desire to be a hero. Luther uses his abilities in the same way that you or I would, which keeps the tale nicely realistic. The best part about the comic is the relativity of the character. He starts off as a skinny nerd who gets bullied on the regular by a jock. It seems like a very typical high school experience until it is not. Suddenly he becomes the master of his own destiny, which is simply fascinating.
He doesn’t wear a cape or tights like most superheroes; instead, he wears a black jacket and a face mask. Justin Jordan’s debut novel features likable characters, a frightening villain, and plenty of heads getting smashed into gory pulp. The comic has gore galore, but it treats all the characters with respect as well. The comic has an air of mystery, which keeps you hooked from the very first issue. It is a brilliant and engaging read.