ostrava's review against another edition
3.0
The first couple of issues where an introduction to the overall feeling of Astro City, and despite not accomplishing much, they sit well if you have your expectations in the right place. But now? Now, we've started telling stories, so now we can finally be fair on our treatment.
And yet, I'm still unsure of how to feel about it.
This is a Batman and Robin story, if the former became a more mythical being and wrapped up in cheesy superhero exploration of the pre-Watchmen era. It does however, nothing with its characters.
Same old tango, same old stories about evil conspiracies and caped heroes who need to take them down, and not challenge societal's "real problems".
Why are people impressed? What's unique about Astro City? The fact that it's a post-90s era superhero comic that's not edgy, was the bar that low? And no, that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. It does a good job with the characters, and in fact, it's one of the better stories I've read about Batman. But that doesn't mean I'm impressed either, it's just simply means I've come to expect little from these comics nowadays.
Have I become this much of a cynic? Or do my interests lie elsewhere? It's perfectly normal to enjoy heroic stories, but how many of these supers do we need in our life before realizing we're walking in circles?
I'll continue reading Astro City, but with low expectations from now on.
And yet, I'm still unsure of how to feel about it.
This is a Batman and Robin story, if the former became a more mythical being and wrapped up in cheesy superhero exploration of the pre-Watchmen era. It does however, nothing with its characters.
Same old tango, same old stories about evil conspiracies and caped heroes who need to take them down, and not challenge societal's "real problems".
Why are people impressed? What's unique about Astro City? The fact that it's a post-90s era superhero comic that's not edgy, was the bar that low? And no, that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. It does a good job with the characters, and in fact, it's one of the better stories I've read about Batman. But that doesn't mean I'm impressed either, it's just simply means I've come to expect little from these comics nowadays.
Have I become this much of a cynic? Or do my interests lie elsewhere? It's perfectly normal to enjoy heroic stories, but how many of these supers do we need in our life before realizing we're walking in circles?
I'll continue reading Astro City, but with low expectations from now on.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
5.0
A re-read. So many elements. And definitely better than the first volume but clearly builds on it. So many details that reference DC and Marvel, characters and stories, but done in a different way. And then I go to look and Marvel's Secret Invasion was 2008 and this book was 1999. And Secret Invasion was preceded by the Superhuman Registration Act. This book is also makes nice use of going deep in some parts and shallow in others. And you start to see the characters from volume one gaining depth, while at the same time new characters are still appearing.
Surprisingly awesome. Well written, good art, good ideas, good story. And it answers the question, How do you get to be a superhero sidekick in yet a slightly different way. In this book we basically follow just one character which I think works a bit better. I like it's take on propaganda and crowd manipulation. And again the book is quite light with its darkness.
Surprisingly awesome. Well written, good art, good ideas, good story. And it answers the question, How do you get to be a superhero sidekick in yet a slightly different way. In this book we basically follow just one character which I think works a bit better. I like it's take on propaganda and crowd manipulation. And again the book is quite light with its darkness.
davybaby's review against another edition
4.0
probably my favorite astro city comic. really interesting detective story and obvious allusions to batman that made it hard to not like.
rouver's review against another edition
5.0
This is amazingly excellent. Gripping story & absolutely beautiful artwork. I can't recommend it highly enough. Grab vol 1 (which you'll also enjoy) then read this fantastic work. Even if you never read 'comics' or superhero stories, you should definitely read this.
quoththegirl's review against another edition
4.0
I'm becoming quite the fan of Kurt Busiek. If you like your comic books heavy on the character development and light on predictable action and super villain trash-talking, this is for you. The main characters are intriguing, but I found the peripheral characters almost more so. I'd happily read a whole comic book about the Hanged Man.
antlersantlers's review against another edition
4.0
This comic has everything: aliens, superheroes, teenagers, vampires, religion, conspiracies. What more could you want? What really sold me from the get-go was the introduction by Neil Gaiman; it was the absolute perfect way to start this book.
bremnerek's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bowienerd_82's review against another edition
5.0
I'd liked [book:Astro City, Vol. 1: Life in the Big City|72111], but this one really stepped it up. In the intro to the first book, Kurt Busiek mentioned that a lot of time had been spent deconstructing superhero stories, but that it was not time to start rebuilding with the lessons we'd learned, and I think he did an excellent job of living up to his ideals here. The Confessor storyline was beautifully constructed, plotted, and executed.
The ideas in this book aren't new, but Busiek keeps them fresh and compelling, making it all worth the read.
The ideas in this book aren't new, but Busiek keeps them fresh and compelling, making it all worth the read.
jakekilroy's review against another edition
4.0
There is something mesmerizing about Astro City, and I know that it's a combination of things. It's this beautiful mix of what you read as a kid, and what you understand about the filer of nostaliga as an adult. The real world can exist in a playfully fun way, and it can be acknowledged as that without really calling attention to it.
Astro City contains heroes and villains that only exist here. But they feel like the ones you grew up adoring. It's such a refreshing and comanding execution of imagination, functioning so well within itself, it almost feels like a haven for your inner child. It has depth, but nothing challenging. Instead, it's for adults that remember reading comic books on camping trips and want to get that taste again with an adult sensibility. Cool.
Astro City contains heroes and villains that only exist here. But they feel like the ones you grew up adoring. It's such a refreshing and comanding execution of imagination, functioning so well within itself, it almost feels like a haven for your inner child. It has depth, but nothing challenging. Instead, it's for adults that remember reading comic books on camping trips and want to get that taste again with an adult sensibility. Cool.