Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Irredeemable #8

Eight issues in and this comic still jumps to the top of my reading pile.

That's partly because you never know what's going to happen in the next issue of Irredeemable, and that seems to be a rare event in comics these days.

Comics based around villains are notoriously a difficult sell, because who wants to read about a character who's always losing? And how can a villain always win?

That's a question this comic has struggled with, and up to now, it seems that the heroes in this comic have faced a hopeless task: stopping the Plutonian, a hero-turned-villain whose power seems to be limitless.

Through a surprising twist, the heroes find that they have a powerhouse on their side, too. But will it be enough, and what about the other mysteries around the Plutonian?

This issue offers some answers, but it doesn't seem as substantial as we might hope - but presumably there's more to the story.

Credit writer Mark Waid for keeping the reader on the edge of his or her seat, waiting for the next revelation. And kudos to Peter Krause for his strong artwork here, cranking up the intensity even more.

Compared to past issues, this one isn't quite as good - it leans a bit too much on the superhero smackdown - but it's still quite entertaining, and the balancing act continues.

So far, Irredeemable is keeping its place at the top of next month's reading pile.

Grade: B+

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