And Then I Read: ASTRO CITY 4

Image © Juke Box Productions.

Writer Kurt Busiek continues to find interesting new angles to explore around the edges of the super-heroic experience. This time he looks at Sideliners, a group of people who have powers but choose not to don the costumes and go for the glory. For one reason or another they are just not cut out for that life. Instead they use their abilities in various kinds of support roles, or even completely undercover. It’s a tricky life. They stand the risk of becoming pawns in larger games, as happens to the story’s narrator Martha Sullivan. What happens then may surprise you.

I can only repeat what I’ve said before, this is super-hero comics at its best, in my opinion. Excellent art by Brent Anderson and Alex Ross (on covers), terrific writing by Kurt, top-level lettering and coloring by Comicraft and Wendy Broome. Stories with heart as well as heroics.

Highly recommended.