Randy Reynaldo has been doing Rob Hanes since 1990—and I have been a big fan right from the beginning. Being an indie creator back then was more challenging than today. No internet, digital edition print-on-demand, or crowdfunding—or much of anything that today’s indie creators have as resources.
Back then, they were fanzines. There were two basic formats: an 8 ½ x 11 folded in half called digest, and folded in fours, it was called a mini-comic. Distribution was by mail and word-of-mouth. But, some fanzines reviewed other fanzines—and I was one of them. For a few years, I ran something called Small Press Reports. There were other review fanzines, but I remember reviewing Adventure Strip Digest, where the adventures of Rob Hanes would appear.
Flash-forward to last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, which I attended for the first time, and there was Randy! I introduced myself, and he actually remembered me. For a bit, we talked about the” good old days.” When we can both arrange it, I’ll have him on the podcast.
Let me tell you: you don’t often see something like Randy’s art.Rob Hanes Adventures is a globetrotting action-adventure series in the tradition of Will Eisner’s Spirit, Milton Caniff’s Terry and the Pirates, and Roy Crane’s Buz Sawyer, but it is set in the modern day. In 2018, Reynaldo received an Inkpot Award for Contributions to Comic Art at the San Diego Comic-Con.
Rob Hanes, born into privilege but drawn to risk and adventure, is one of Justice International’s newest agents—a spy-for-hire with a conscience. JI operates as a private investigation, security, and intelligence agency, often seen as mercenaries or spies for hire. With clients ranging from individuals to corporations and governments, they deploy agents worldwide in an instant—if the price is right. Though some veteran agents doubt Rob, lacking traditional training, he’s quickly become JI’s modern face.
Rob Hanes Adventures #25 is a standout issue—after taking a hit to the head, Rob finds himself transported to the 1930s, arriving in pre-war China on the brink of World War II. This milestone installment channels the spirit of classic soldier-of-fortune tales, weaving historical intrigue with the series’ trademark action and adventure. Fans of vintage comics will enjoy the nods to legendary heroes while following Rob on his latest thrilling journey.
One of the many fantastic things about this comic book is you can see how it all began. In 1995, Randy received a Xeric Foundation Award and was nominated for the Russ Manning Award, which is awarded annually in conjunction with the Eisner Awards at the Comic-Con International in San Diego. Volume 0 collects those four issues of Adventure Strip Digest. In 1994, Randy launched Adventure Strip Digest as a full-sized comic book in 1994, which ran for four issues before being re-booted in 2000 as Rob Hanes Adventures.
Where can you get Rob Hanes Adventures? It’s on Amazon, Hoopla, Global Comix, and Indy Planet. But you know what the best place is? On the official website, of course, you’ll find the latest news and everything you need to get this fantastic comic—right from the source. Check this fantastic comic, and you,too, will be a Rob Hanes fan!
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