Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Astro City: The Dark Age: Book Three #1 (of 4)

Welcome back to the stands our good friends from Astro City!

Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson are talented creators in their own right, but together they've turned in their best work on this long-running series (although it's been a bit erractic in its publishing schedule).

After a bit of a hiatus, it's good to see this comic back, as it begins the third part of the Dark Age story, which focuses on two brothers who lost their parents in an encounter between superheroes and supervillains. The brothers have spent their lives trying to track down the man responsible, and they're getting close to their goal.

It's an interesting look at the changes in how superheroes were perceived in the 1980s, and along the way we see the birth of a "new" hero.

My only criticism of the issue, actually, is for the cover - a surprisingly average job by the usually-infallible Alex Ross, it offers an odd angle on Cleopatra. Its biggest sin is that it plays the "hide the title" game - the Astro City: Dark Ages is almost impossible to read. I almost missed this comic on the stands as a result.

This issue might be a little difficult for a new reader to dive into, since it's the third chapter in the story - but it's well worth picking up those collections to get up to speed.

It's also good to hear that future issues in this story will arrive on schedule. It's great to have Busiek and Anderson - and Astro City - back on tour again!

Grade: B+

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