| Posted: 24 Nov 2008 14:47 |
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This week I saved up my cash to hit the comic book store. I haven’t been for a while and only had a vague idea what I was after. The easiest choice was picking up Astro City’s Local Heroes hardback. I’d bought some of the originals but missed about half the series. Written by Kurk Busiek, author of Marvels. Plus has Alex Ross cover artwork throughout. Main artwork by Brent Anderson.
It’s a collection of stories centred around the Heroes of Astrocity plus the citizens point of view. The highlights been for me the Knockwood /Justice System story. All about a lawyer defending a no win case until he come up with a novel defence. Also I enjoyed Bulldog about a comic book editor who finds himself in hot water with the local heroes and villains of Astrocity.
I also all the Project Superpowers I could find. Issue 0 to a chapter 2 prelude issue (sadly missing issue 1) This is Dynamic entertainment series which has Alex Ross at the helm with Jim Krueger plotting and scripting. Alex covers plus Carlos Paul doing interior art. After reading Alan Moore’s Terra Obscura a while back I was interested to see how Ross handled the same classic heroes (Black Terror/The Fighting Yank/Devil and others) The basic plot been the return or heroes from the golden age and how and why they disappeared plus how they and the world reacts to their return.
There’s a great epic feel to the whole story so far. And the heroes already feel familiar (maybe thanks to what I know from Terra Obscura although this is none related title)
The Fighting Yank is the focus of the story but is plain to see that this is a platform for the launch of new Black Terror and Devil titles along with others in the future. I’m looking forward to reading more.
Lastly I picked up Wildstorms ‘Number of the Beast’. Mainly because I like the work Chris Spouses work in Alan Moore’s Tom Strong. This time Scott Beatty takes control in writing. The Heroes of the Wildstorm universe not that familiar to me. But the main focus here are The Paldins. The reappearance of ‘Golden Age heroes’ who have been lost (mmm sounds familiar) But things don’t look good for these heroes.
I’m not sure what it is but Wildstorms Golden Age heroes don’t work quite as well as the Dynamic one’s they don’t feel quite golden enough. I don’t know if it’s down to the writing or just the look of them. Or it’s down to just knowing that they have been created from scratch where as the Dynamic ones are real Golden Age heroes given fresh life and a little tweaking in their wardrobe and also their superpowers.
Has anyone else read any of these? What do you think?
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| Posted: 24 Nov 2008 15:27 |
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I got a couple of the Dynamic ones so far. 0 and number one I think. I had a hard time following what was going on so far. I may have to reread it. I really like the idea of bringing back golden age heroes like that.
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| Posted: 24 Nov 2008 18:04 |
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I think issue 0 and 1 really have a tricky job of cramming years characters backgrounds into just so many pages. Imaging trying to do that with all the Marvel or DC heroes!! Plus name checking all the villans and adventures they've had. But thats also an advantage as well.Most of the Dynamite heroes were contemporaries of Superman and Captain America. So they mirrored cultural attitudes and trends of the 40's and 50's. That's why half of the characters still have sidekicks (although the story make the point of stripping the main heroes of them even before the story begins)Other than Robin not many sidekicks exist in the way they did back then. Modern audience find it a little 'suspect' to have boys running around with blokes in spandex  But in the 50's it was the trend.
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| Posted: 24 Nov 2008 19:25 |
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Yeah back then people didn't think dirty. Now adays you can't even have a conversation without somebody snickering at you. Everything you say has a double meaning these days. Sometimes I wish it was the 1950's now. Only there wouldn't be no internet and that would be rough.
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