My First Visit to Astro City

I'd been meaning to do more posting and gathering my thoughts and favorites about Astro City, prior to the first issue of the new monthly coming out, but I never got around to it. And doing a little walking tonight during a free night off work, it got me to rethinking some of those ideas. I originally was just going to do some rereadings and do some favorites and least favorites lists and characters I'm most curious about. But  I figured the best place to start, was my first journey into Astro City.
I was 12 at the time and it was late 1996, in either late November or early December, and definitely what you could call a time of change. I was in my first yer of junior high school, had just recently became a Christian by belief and my grandfather had just recently passed away. My grandparents also used to own a newsstand/bookstore, that they closed up that summer due to my grandfathers declining health. Along with cousins on the other side of my family, that is where is picked up my interest in comics books(and reading in general), having a vast disposal during summers and weekly trips to pick up new magazines and comics.G.I. Joe was the comic that got me hooked and eventually after it ended helped me branch out into superheroes.
At the time though, I was mostly picking up random books that looked interesting or trying to fill in gaps of storylines I was missing. I was digging the one shots of Amalgam Comics, that Marvel and DC made during, DC vs Marvel, and Generation X from Marvel was the only book I was following, but my interest was starting to wain there.
On that chilly dreary looking day, we were out shopping on a Saturday in Jefferson City, mostly antique stores, we made our way to the Antiquarium, a comic book and book store. After doing some perusing and making notes of what stuff I wanted to get or was interested in, I eventually started getting my haul. I had a bad habit in those days of not picking up what I wanted right away and often forgetting what I wanted. I don't know if it was just if my parents weren't going to get anything, I didn't want to waste time of getting some or what. I remember that day Grant Morrison's first issue of the rebooted JLA was on the spinner racks and was one of the books I was going to get, but never did. I kicked myself for years for not getting that then. I was a sucker for starting on new books anyway...   
One book I did pick up was Kurt Busiek's Astro City issue number four(vol. two). I didn't have much of an impression about the book, other than I thought it was Kurt and Alex Ross trying to recreate comic characters in their own world. I actually thought Alex Ross did the interior artwork. Though that should have made me pick it up sooner; I had enjoyed the Marvels trade paperback collection. But the fact it had someone who looked like the Thing on the cover, only reinforced that belief, but hey, I liked trying a bunch of different stuff...
After getting back home, later that night in the cozy confines of the den, where I could enjoy my days haul of comics in solace, I stepped into the world of Astro City.
Kurt's said that Astro City and its heroes are just as unrealistic as any other comic universe and it's not a realistic view of heroes. But the realistic emotions of what it would be like traveling to a metropolis full of superheroes is. Riding along with Brian Kinney in those first few pages, it felt real and unique to any other comic I had read.
And then there were the Crossbreed, a group of evangelical Christian superheroes preaching the Gospel on a street corner, with realistic and derogatory responses from those passing by. That's when I was really blown away, especially after just recently becoming a Christian. Other than a few glancing elements of Catholicism, you wouldn't find this at DC or Marvel. It felt like I was experiencing everything with Brian, rather than being a passive observer.
Then came the history. There's a hero that's been active since 1862?! Who's the Air Ace and Leopardman?  Was I supposed to know who they are? How does the universe have so much built up after only eleven stories? Everything was intriguing and I wanted to find out more.
Thankfully, that day I also bought the year end issue of Wizard, which happened to have an article, A Visitor's Guide to Astro City. It gave me an insight to a few of the things, but gave me more questions too.
The other major drawing point? Brent Anderson's artwork. It wasn't Alex Ross, it was possibly better. Again there was just the realistic element in the details of everything, from faces to the backgrounds of the beautiful city, from city blocks to the secluded museum areas.

A brief aside, but Brent's pencils never looked better than those first twelve issues of volume two, when he was inked by Will Blyberg. Anderson's always had critiques of being somewhat inconsistent, with one great panel, then a so-so one, which I can see to a degree. But, when Blyberg was inking him, it let Anderson bring out the detail a lot more, which the first volume of the series and all the later incarnations feature Anderson doing his own inking. I don't know if it was that combination, plus being on that grittier, darker paper versus shiner, glossier paper later or what, but it was beautiful.

Even though, there were several good jumping on point first issues for Astro City, this one just seemed perfect, entering into the city the same time as Brian Kinney started his journey. I read later responses that it felt like a coming out story for someone who was gay, which I could see as a I got older. But more it felt like the country mouse comes to the big city to try and make a name for himself, but more to find his place. I related it, as someone who was coming out as being a fan of comic books.
I lived in a small rural community and in the country to top it off. I had no internet access at home for another two or three years. Heck, we still only had the Big Three networks, until we got satellite the next Fall.  There was no one around I knew, that liked or even read comic books, apart from my aforementioned cousins. But I really only saw them on a couple of holidays. So, I never really had anyone to talk to about comic books or even really want to mention that I read them, for fear of being an outcast. Wizard was really the only information source I had, when I picked up a copy.
I never really found a place until later high school years, with message boards and information at my disposal where I could discuss my comic book interests. I also found a group of friends, in the class below me, who enjoyed most of the geeky things I did as well, Star Trek, sci fi and one even was a pretty big comics fan, but I still never shed the loner mentality.
Within the next month or so, on the next comic book store run, to a different store though, I picked up the next issue, number five and the first issue of volume two. The continued story of Brian Kinney and another stellar introduction issue, fueled the fire for my interest in the series.
This was my Silver Age of comic book reading, I suppose, if G.I. Joe was my Golden Age. There have been solid and great stories told by Kurt and company since and even before, but there is still something magical in those first thirteen or fourteen issues of volume two for me.

The Return of Astro City!

After almost three years, the greatest comic book returns June 5th!



When we last got to visit the great city, we were getting the final chapter of the Silver Agent's story, after wrapping up the massive Dark Age storyline. We were promised the monthly series after that, but creator Kurt Busiek's health took a bad turn for a while, in addition to the Wildstorm imprint being dismantled. But the wait will be worth it.
This comic is so much more than the fights of the tights. It's about the human aspect of what's it like living in a world of heroes, whether it be from a super powered perspective or of an ordinary guy who just moved to the city. They have the same thoughts, emotions and problems as we do, albeit with super villains running rampant. It's a deeper world of heroes and villains than the comic books of old.
Naturally my interest has waned in these in-between years, more so than similar hiatus for Kurt's health issues from 2000 to early 2003 (Or course my total comic interest these days is nowhere close to my teen years).
And Herocopia went down to spammers, plus we lost all the entries we put in and it reverted back to the original, which sucked considering we had entries for every character, neighborhood, thing and reference. If you wanted to know every issue Jack-in-The-Box was in, or who the Grandenetti Cathedral was named for, it was a quick reference for casual and hard core fan.
But I'm sure I won't have a problem getting back into the book  Even issues in a multi-part story do their best to be self contained and I'm sure Kurt will make the first issue very reader friendly, similar to the way he made volume 2 #1 of the main series and the first issue of the Local Heroes mini-series great jumping on points. There will be something for everyone.
In the MTV interview, he hints at a new intriguing character, The Broken Man, similar to the way the Silver Agent was to readers in the early issues. He's hinted that we've seen him before. My very early speculation guess would be he's the Bouncing Beatnik/Halcyon Hippie...
I'm eager to see the N-Forcer expose story that Kurt mentioned before the hiatus. It's a character who's been active in the Astro-Verse since at least 1959. Plus the fact that we'll see more of the present day characters after spending so much of the characters specials and the whole part of The Dark Age in the past. The Honor Guard is another of my favorite intrigues as I'm a sucker for super teams. They seemingly held the same roster from at least 1991 until 2008, the last time we saw the modern team. I'm just curious to some of the changes and inner workings.
But the older characters are very intriguing too. I'm still curious as to how the Silver Agent wouldn't have known Mirage, considering they were teammates on Honor Guard in the 1960s from the Dark Age Book Four #2. I want to see what the Astro-Naut looks like. Or how there were two different accounts of what happened to the All-American (I think I have another blog post formulating around now)...
Kurts always been masterful of  weaving from the past to present, in self contained, two-parters and multi parters. Heck the whole crew of Artist/Character Designer Brent Anderson, Colorist Alex Sinclair, Letterer and Designer JG Roshell and superstar Cover Artist/Character Designer Alex Ross are stellar.
June 5th can't get here soon enough. I guess I'll just have to break out some issues and get reacquainted with the great stories I already have.

Comics I Wish Existed

I guess this is making the rounds and it sounds fun. Here are a few I would think would be a hoot to read.

Amalgam Comics Presents by Various- A monthly book, featuring the same characters and continuity from the original universe created by Marvel and DC in 1996 and 1997. The publishers would alternate each month who "actually" published it or every couple of months if there are multi-parters. One issue might feature the Judgement League Avengers by Kurt Busiek and George Perez, the next might be Challengers of Fantastic by Dan Jurgens and Tom Grummett.

Batman by Neil Gaiman and Neal Adams- The master Bat artist and master writer, I think would combine to create an awesome Bat book.

Desolation Row by Grant Morrison and J. H. Williams III- A comic that features super hero versions of characters from Bob Dylan's songs. The surrealness of the characters and lyrics would make it a perfect fit for Grant Morrison. I mean we've got Miss Lonely, Mr. Tambourine Man, and a whole slew of characters from the song Desolation Row, itself.

Freaks and Geeks Season II by Paul Feig, Scott Lobdell and Tom Grummett- The brilliant but canceled show only made it one season, so this would be the best thing to see what happened in the second season. Feig was one of the show's creators and Lobdell and Grummett are mainstream comic creators who've done great work with teenage characters.

1973 by Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Dave Gibbons, Bernie Wrightson and Stephen Bissette- A sequel/continuation to Moore's 1963 mini-series, would be interesting to see. How did the characters from 1963 change by the early 1970s as comics were changing? What other characters would he come up with?

Superman & Batman: In the Beginning by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale- I'd like to see the creators of Batman: The Long Halloween and Superman: For All Seasons, tackle an early/first meeting of the two iconic characters.

The Secret Soldiers by Kurt Busiek and Kieron Dwyer - A book that would explore the history of U.S. Presidents and their involvement, with various super hero, supernatural and vigilantism throughout the history of our country and often sanctioned by the Commander In Chief. What was so nefarious with the Clanton Gang, that Doc Holliday had to be sent to in to take care of the problem? What really happened to Amelia Earhart? So many possibilities to play with history, legends and super hero archetypes.