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clarks_dad's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Three 5-star reads in a row. I'm lucky this summer. I love Kurt Busiek (he wrote my favorite Superman story of all time). I have to say that my summer comic reading started off disappointing with the Grant Morrison Batman stuff, but I've learned to stick with what I know is good. Astro City is a love letter to comic books. It's a self-contained universe in which Busiek is not restrained by continuity and character history and can basically do as he wants with the superhero genre, and boy does he do it right.
Astro City has a 75 year history that Busiek gradually delves into throughout the series. In this first volume, collecting issues 1-6, Busiek tells the story in one-shots that highlight certain superheroes and establish their backstory. Each story gradually crosses with the story of the others in the background and the back panels, preserving continuity and the sense that there is a larger story being told. I'm usually not a fan of anthologies, but Busiek manages to thread the needle superbly.
What's great is that the whole thing is sort of campy, but totally real at the same time. Just look at the names of the heroes: Samaritan, Crackerjack, Jack-in-the-Box, N-forcer, Winged Victory, just to name a few. All of these characters have analogs in the established world of comic books (Samaritan is Superman, Winged Victory is Wonder Woman), but they are presented in fresh new ways.
Story 1 is probably my favorite in the series so far: It centers on the main hero, Samaritan, and his dreams. In his dreams he flies, and it's all he wants to do in the world, and though his job requires him to fly around the world in just seconds to avert crises and disasters, it's not the sort of care-free flying that he wants to enjoy - flying for himself. The whole story is a sort of day-in-the-life that is touching and also raises serious questions about the personalities, rather than the 'character', of superheroes. What do they want for themselves? How do they make the crushing decision to serve over their own ambitions and goals? It's wonderfully done.
The final story is in the same vein and also centers around the Samaritan. In this story members of the Honor Guard (cough, cough Justice League), see that he is overworked and set him up on a blind date, with Winged Victory. The whole story follows them on their date and their constant stress over the fact that while they are taking time off the world is falling apart. It's quaint, romantic, and very, very fantastically written.
There are stories in between these highlighted ones that focus on the citizens of Astro City and how their lives intersect with the heroes who are inspirational, inconveniences and life changers. Focusing on how ordinary people would live in the world of superheroes is a novel idea. Most authors keep trying to bring superheroes into the "real world" and making them dark and having them deal with normal problems you or I deal with. Busiek flips that convention by forcing us to think about how we would live in the world of superheroes, and the stories that generates are genuine and innovative.
I can't wait to continue this series.
Astro City has a 75 year history that Busiek gradually delves into throughout the series. In this first volume, collecting issues 1-6, Busiek tells the story in one-shots that highlight certain superheroes and establish their backstory. Each story gradually crosses with the story of the others in the background and the back panels, preserving continuity and the sense that there is a larger story being told. I'm usually not a fan of anthologies, but Busiek manages to thread the needle superbly.
What's great is that the whole thing is sort of campy, but totally real at the same time. Just look at the names of the heroes: Samaritan, Crackerjack, Jack-in-the-Box, N-forcer, Winged Victory, just to name a few. All of these characters have analogs in the established world of comic books (Samaritan is Superman, Winged Victory is Wonder Woman), but they are presented in fresh new ways.
Story 1 is probably my favorite in the series so far: It centers on the main hero, Samaritan, and his dreams. In his dreams he flies, and it's all he wants to do in the world, and though his job requires him to fly around the world in just seconds to avert crises and disasters, it's not the sort of care-free flying that he wants to enjoy - flying for himself. The whole story is a sort of day-in-the-life that is touching and also raises serious questions about the personalities, rather than the 'character', of superheroes. What do they want for themselves? How do they make the crushing decision to serve over their own ambitions and goals? It's wonderfully done.
The final story is in the same vein and also centers around the Samaritan. In this story members of the Honor Guard (cough, cough Justice League), see that he is overworked and set him up on a blind date, with Winged Victory. The whole story follows them on their date and their constant stress over the fact that while they are taking time off the world is falling apart. It's quaint, romantic, and very, very fantastically written.
There are stories in between these highlighted ones that focus on the citizens of Astro City and how their lives intersect with the heroes who are inspirational, inconveniences and life changers. Focusing on how ordinary people would live in the world of superheroes is a novel idea. Most authors keep trying to bring superheroes into the "real world" and making them dark and having them deal with normal problems you or I deal with. Busiek flips that convention by forcing us to think about how we would live in the world of superheroes, and the stories that generates are genuine and innovative.
I can't wait to continue this series.
cassie_grace's review against another edition
5.0
I reread this after buying a used copy, and it's just as good as I remember. Every issue in the first volume is fantastic, unique, and beautifully drawn. It never seems to come up when people talk about great, influential comics, but I think it should be mentioned in the same breath as Watchmen and Akira.
salexander7341's review against another edition
4.0
Issue 1 is stellar, a couple others are good. It's a strong start.
nickleby_shepherd's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly I didn’t know what to expect going in. But I’ve got to say I really really enjoyed it. Liked the stories and the art a lot. It was refreshing to read a superhero comic that wasn’t all dark, broody, and moody. It felt intelligent and like the creators knew what they were trying to do and enjoying the process.
amieoo's review against another edition
3.0
A tiny bit confusing for a first comic in a series, but I did really like it.
uosdwisrdewoh's review against another edition
4.0
Kurt Busiek's love letter to superheroes.
After their breakthrough work Marvels, Busiek and Alex Ross launched Astro City to explore the deeper implications of superheroes. Astro City itself is a fully realized superhero setting right off the bat, with distinct neighborhoods, protectors, and villains. But, as Busiek insists in his introduction, it's not a deconstruction or a "realistic" take on superhero universes, but rather a chance to really poke around and explore the implications of them. And so he takes the time to explore the smaller aspects not typically dealt with in mainstream comics.
Each of the six chapters takes a different approach. The first and best chapter is a day in the life of the Samaritan, a Superman analogue who spends every waking moment zooming around the globe, constantly calculating how he can maximize his time to save the most lives, with his secret identity just a means to gather information to aid in this task. Another chapter explores what it would mean to live in a world where supernatural menaces are as commonplace as street crime (a lot of charms and rituals taking the place of a ton of locks on the door, for starters). While not every chapter is a home run, everything here is thoughtful and told with consummate skill, aided in no small part in the slightly sketchy but never faltering art of Brent Anderson.
After their breakthrough work Marvels, Busiek and Alex Ross launched Astro City to explore the deeper implications of superheroes. Astro City itself is a fully realized superhero setting right off the bat, with distinct neighborhoods, protectors, and villains. But, as Busiek insists in his introduction, it's not a deconstruction or a "realistic" take on superhero universes, but rather a chance to really poke around and explore the implications of them. And so he takes the time to explore the smaller aspects not typically dealt with in mainstream comics.
Each of the six chapters takes a different approach. The first and best chapter is a day in the life of the Samaritan, a Superman analogue who spends every waking moment zooming around the globe, constantly calculating how he can maximize his time to save the most lives, with his secret identity just a means to gather information to aid in this task. Another chapter explores what it would mean to live in a world where supernatural menaces are as commonplace as street crime (a lot of charms and rituals taking the place of a ton of locks on the door, for starters). While not every chapter is a home run, everything here is thoughtful and told with consummate skill, aided in no small part in the slightly sketchy but never faltering art of Brent Anderson.
gasoline_allie's review against another edition
2.0
I loved this when I read it back in the 90s, but it didn't hold up upon the re-read. Definitely not my cup of tea any longer.
evanmc's review against another edition
4.0
What a fun freaking comic! The 'a day in the life' introduction to the characters and mythology of Astro City worked wonderfully. The first issue, focusing on Samaritan (a thinly veiled Superman clone) gets across the point that being a super hero in this universe is a lot of work, and sacrifice of any possibility of a normal life. These are themes that get brushed under the rug in the actual Superman books, but go a long way toward making Samaritan, a nearly invincible person, seem infinitely more human and relocatable. The other story arcs dealing with Jack in the box, the Hanged man, Winged Victory, and the Furst Family (fantastic 4, anyone?), are lighthearted and fun. They all have that common thread of showing the humanity of these heroes, and also build Astro City into something of a character itself by the end of the volume. These stories don't take themselves too seriously, and thats a breath of fresh air to the relentlessly dark and grim trend in comics lately. The art is wonderful as well, with a classic Golden Age feel to the character design in particular. The only thing I could do without is the very "90s" looking over-use of computer shading and coloring.
jekutree's review against another edition
4.0
Solid superhero anthology. Really shows how much Busiek loves superheroes.
8/10
8/10
mellomellomello's review against another edition
5.0
I've never been this interested in superheros. Bravo Mr. Busiek.