And Then I Read: ASTRO CITY 5

Image © Juke Box Productions.

This issue is an anthology of sorts; three short stories tied together by the tricksy Broken Man. All three stories take place well in the past. One is a Lovecraftian horror story about a team of agents trained to deal with such things, and how their mission goes wrong. Two is an unfinished tale about a demon cult in India. Three, my favorite and on the cover, is the steampunk adventure of Eulalia Jane Verne versus the ebullient Mister Cakewalk. While fun, I didn’t find any of these stories as engaging as the longer tales writer Kurt Busiek has been telling in previous issues, and the framing story also remains cryptic. Not a bad read, but not as satisfying as the very high standard set for this book.

Mildly recommended.