I'm hopefully going to pump out a fair few of these reviews as my "waiting to write about" pile is growing even larger that my "to read" pile. First up, Astro City: Life in the Big City. Honestly, I can't even count how many times this series has been recommended to me personally, or recommended on various podcasts and websites. It seems as though no one has anything bad to say about it, and for good reason.

Story:

Kirk Busiek crafts a beautiful and nostalgic feeling with his writing in this book. The book is actually a collection of six interrelated, stand-alone stories, and he approaches each story from a slightly different angle. Together the six stories present a stunning introductory portrait to Astro City, a postmodern metropolis bristling with costumed superheroes, sinister villains and other interesting characters. He introduces us to a number of characters including Samaritan, a godlike Superman-ish hero; Winged Victory, a feminist superwoman with a Wonder Woman feel; the mysterious  and vigilant Hanged Man; the tech-savvy, clown-costume-wearing Jack-in-the-Box; and the cocky and eccentric Crackerjack. In addition, Busiek does a fantastic job of introducing us to the other important components of Astro City, her inhabitants. From veteran reporter Elliot Mills to the brave legal clerk Marta, we are treated to insight as to what it would be like living in a city with superheroes zooming about on a regular basis.



9.5/10

Art:

Brent Anderson does great work with the visual design and storytelling this first volume. His style is steady and dramatic, but without being overly flashy. With Alex Ross helping out, the character designs are really well-thought out. They range from simple to elegant to flamboyant and even campy when it's needed. There are no wildly confusing panel layouts, but action flows nicely from page to page.



7.5/10

Overall:

This is simply a fantastic use of the comics medium, and stands out as proof that the superhero genre is not tapped out...it just takes a special team to create a compelling and interesting tale. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in capes and tights, and really anyone into comics for that reason. 

8.5/10