Ok, I know. I'm a bit behind the times. As I've said before, I didn't read comics growing up. As a result they are all kind of new to me. This week I read the first volume of Astro City which was originally published in 1995.Astro City is a superhero comic completely different from anything in the Marvel or DC universes. Astro City is the name of the city where the comic is set. It was written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by Brent Anderson.
Astro City starts off pretty slow. Each issue is told from a new viewpoint (sometimes by heroes, sometimes by average people), so each feels like an independent story. The reader is also introduced to a slew of characters from the very beginning. Because of these things, it can be hard to get into Astro City. I was kind of bored by issue 3, but I kept going and I am glad I did. I really enjoyed issue 4 because I think it accurately reflects the expat experience. You can read my in-depth analysis (with spoilers) over on my other blog. I was also very surprised with issue 6. Issue 6 spends most of the time with two heroes, Samaritan and Winged Victory, talking about the fact that women matter. Imagine that, two comic book characters discussing the fact that women are people. It's really a surreal read.
Even though Astro City has a slow start and it can be hard to get into, it is a unique take on the superhero genre, both in terms of storytelling style and substance. The first six issues were surprising enough that I plan to keep reading them until I'm finally caught up.
Have you read Astro City? What did you think about it? What comic would you recommend I read next?
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