World Famous Comics: ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE, BOOK 1
ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE, BOOK 1
By: Kurt Busiek Publisher: WildStorm Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: WildStorm Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 256 Publication Date: July 29, 2008 Release Date: July 29, 2008
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A little disappointing This is probably my least favorite Astro City story so far. For some reason, I don't care much about the interplay between the two main characters. The back story of the golden age Astro City heroes is always interesting, though. Even an ordinary Astro City story is better than most everything else out there.
Silver Agent and more!!! Anyone familiar with Kurt Busiek's Astro City knows there was an ongoing foreshadowing to something that ended up seeing the Silver Agent dead. There is a big statue early on in the series with the caption: "Our Greatest Shame" with the agent staring down obviously distraught. It was tantalizing to say the least.. What happened to the Silver Agent? Who was the Silver Agent? But also in Astro City we realize that stories are told through regular people who somehow bear witness to the events of the heroes.. This is definitely a strength for this series, because everything is observed, not directly experienced (like Busiek's and Ross's Marvels)... In any event, Busiek's storyline has hit a higher gear than ever in this first part to the Dark Age saga... It is by far the best Astro City story yet, and it will only get better with the second part... This was all obviously pre-planned, and looking back on all the hints and foreshadowing that was applied in relation to the silver agent, it was genius, and we were all getting sucked in slowly, not realizing we were going to get the full on serious story of these heretofore peripheral characters.
Any Astro City fan would be seriously missing out without this collection!!!
A Fine Addition to the Series The Busiek series Astro City is a masterpiece in the comics genre. The latest addition to the series "Dark Age" is a worthy addition.
Kurt Busiek's series tackles the superhero mythos from a consistently different perspective. These stories are not about heroes versus villains as much as they are about the personal aspect of living in a world with superheroes. In Dark Age, the two main characters are not superheroes. On the contrary they are two normal brothers who do not even care for costumed villains or their heroic adversaries.
Charles and Royal Williams live in Bakerville. One day they tragically lose their parents who have been caught in the middle of battle between costumed super heroes and their equally flamboyant opponents. This trauma affects them in diametrically opposite ways. One, Royal, becomes a cynic only interested making a quick buck on the street. Charles becomes a dedicated police officer.
This era of the Astro City takes place during the Vietnam War. Traditional values are being challenged and Royal's cynicism and Charles' frustration are symptomatic of society. An event central to this era is the arrest and murder trail of Alan Craig, the Silver Agent. This character has been mentioned peripherally in other Astro City storie. Until now all we have known is this hero's treatment was it is the very public shame of Astro City. His story is fleshed out more in this graphic novel.
Meanwhile these two brothers find themselves caught in the middle of these very public battles of costumed adversaries. Royal, a petty criminal, finds himself the target of costumed vigilante who believes death is the only option for criminals. At the same time we see the rise of the Deacon, the Astro City crime overlord.
Rather than ruin it for potential readers I won't tell you more. 'Busiek' is a mark of quality. This is a very strong character-driven series. You should be able to enjoy this graphic novel even though you have not read any of the other Astro City graphic novels.
The best superhero series around keeps getting better Astro City creator Kurt Busiek gets it. He realizes that superheroes are a well-established genre and just like crime dramas or westerns he does not need to waste time covering old ground.
So in AC we have new characters swiftly introduced with some quick shorthand, and then Busiek starts telling the interesting part of their story. In superhero land aliens and lab accidents are a dime a dozen. Busiek tells new stories with these familiar staples.
So in Dark Age he enters the 70s a time when life in America was going through tremendous social upheavals. He uses superheroes to tell the story of that time and capture the chaos in society.
Brent Anderson's art and Alex Ross' designs are just as beautiful as ever. Astro City books belong on every comic fan's bookshelf.
Heroes for the real world Kurt Busiek's Astro City series are modern classics - sometimes told in similar vein as older stories but with fresh perspectives and depth of characterization seldom seen. His stories are more often told from the viewpoint of the man on the street rather than an invulnerable superhero.
The Dark Ages continues this trend, but as the title indicates, these are not happy times for the citizens of Astro City. This is where their trust and belief in their heroes gets washed aside, where they fail not only those heroes but themselves.
Busiek presents this story set in the 1970's primarily through two brothers - Charles and Royal Williams - whose parents die in the crossfire between heroes and villians while they are still children. They take decidedly different paths in life - Charles becomes a policeman, Royal a thief - yet remain in contact. Their lives are affected on a daily basis by the super-powered community, in good and in bad ways, and through their eyes you get a feeling for how you might react yourself in those situations.
Busiek is at his best when showing how the common man is impacted by the super human, and this story line shows that off very well. Fans of Astro City know this is the big reveal of how the statue of the Silver Agent marking the city's "Greatest Shame" came to be, and this collection (which is the first half of the story) continues to have shadows around the circumstances but does give enough to explain the situation. With Watergate and Vietnam serving as backdrops, it is easy to understand how the citizens came to mistrust even the heroes. I guess they wouldn't be heroes if they didn't accept that from the people and do their jobs anyway.
If the second half is as well composed and illustrated as this volume, this will be a story that could be used in a history class to explain the disillusionment that hit the United States in the 1970's.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
