When a force even greater than the all-powerful former superhero Plutonian comes to earth, will it finally be the savior the world has been waiting for... or will it prove to be an even bigger threat? See what everyone is talking about in this Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated superhero series from comic book legend Mark Waid.
Mark Waid is an American comic book writer widely known for shaping modern superhero storytelling through influential runs on major characters at both DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Raised in Alabama, he developed an early fascination with comic books, particularly classic stories featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, whose imaginative scope and sense of legacy would later inform his own writing. He first entered the comics industry during the mid 1980s as an editor and writer for the fan magazine Amazing Heroes, before publishing his first professional comic story in Action Comics. Soon afterward he joined DC Comics as an editor, contributing to numerous titles and helping shape projects across the company. After leaving editorial work to focus on writing, Waid gained widespread recognition with his long run on The Flash, where he expanded the mythology of the character and co-created the youthful speedster Impulse. His reputation grew further with the celebrated graphic novel Kingdom Come, created with artist Alex Ross, which imagined a future DC Universe shaped by generational conflict among superheroes. Over the years he has written many prominent series, including Captain America, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and Superman: Birthright, bringing a balance of optimism, character depth, and respect for comic book history to each project. Waid has also collaborated with notable artists and writers on major ensemble titles such as Justice League and Avengers, while contributing ideas that helped clarify complex continuity within shared superhero universes. Beyond mainstream superhero work, he has supported creator owned projects and experimental publishing models, including the acclaimed series Irredeemable and Incorruptible, which explored moral ambiguity within the superhero genre. He later took on editorial leadership roles at Boom Studios, guiding creative direction while continuing to write extensively. In subsequent years he expanded his involvement in publishing and digital storytelling, helping launch online comics initiatives and advocating for new distribution methods for creators. His work has earned numerous industry awards, including Eisner and Harvey honors, reflecting both critical acclaim and enduring popularity among readers. Throughout his career Waid has remained a passionate student of comic book history, drawing on decades of storytelling tradition while continually encouraging innovation within the medium. His influence extends across generations of readers and creators, and his stories continue to shape the evolving language of superhero comics around the world today through enduring characters imaginative narratives and thoughtful reinventions of familiar myths within popular culture and modern graphic storytelling traditions.
What the hell is it with these super heroes and their secret agendas? Plus, they’re all nuts.
Don’t worry alternate version of planet Earth, you’re in good hands! The Paradigm has your back.
Really, really spoilerish, so beware!!!
As E.T. fully realizes that having a captive Plutonian isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be, the remaining heroes, try to out fox one another.
Um, I don't have a clue either!
Even though Batman would run rings around these boneheads using every manipulative trick in the Bathandbook, Bats isn’t in this comic so it’s still a matter of who has the most devious plan.
Meanwhile, the Plutonian is deep inside his own head, but even still, he’s unmanageable.
So, the next stop, an insane asylum – on a sun! Bring the wieners and Smore ingredients. It’s just a matter of time before Captain Crazy wakes up….
Bottom line: If you are into the capes and cowls stuff, you need to read this series.
Waid sends things in a new direction. The Plutonian goes to space prison where even while he's trapped in his own head is a problem. Meanwhile, Earth tries to rebuild while Survivor tries to take over even though he's not very smart about it.
What happens when you capture a criminally insane murderer? Put him in an insane asylum of course! But when that insane murderer is the Plutonian, one of the most powerful beings in the universe, how do you treat and keep him locked up? Meanwhile on Earth, Survivor and the Paradigm begin the task of rebuilding in the wake of Plutonian's destruction - but have the people of Earth traded one egomaniacal superhero for another...
Mark Waid writes another spellbinding book in his magnificent series looking at the unexamined side of superheroes - their egos, their personalities, and their feelings, and what being a superhero can do to their minds. I like how Survivor is becoming the new Plutonian, if only to once more highlight the abuses someone with such extraordinary levels of power can inflict. Everything Survivor says and does seems indicative of the rise of real-life fascists in the early 20th century - how in the midst of hopelessness and despair, a figure promising change if everyone put their trust in him can rise up and become head of a movement in the name of progress. And then never give up that power, subverting it for his own selfish reasons. It's a very promising storyline that returns the focus back on to the superhero id, as well as injecting urgency into the narrative by placing the flailing Paradigm back on the ropes to find a better solution to the superhero problem.
Tony's story is also fascinating as his mind is completely shot. We get glimpses in his head to see what true madness looks like, while his "dreams" seem to show that a few shreds of humanity remain somewhere deep within... is he irredeemable? Also, Waid introduces a new character who might or might not be real. Tony's so far gone at this point, his point of view is shaky and unreliable which makes the story going forward all the more interesting as we readers are questioning what he sees as real or not.
Book 6 heightens and broadens the story of the fallen superhero and the shattered world he left behind. While the last book and this one have been less Plutonian driven and consequently feels not quite as razor sharp and driven as the first 4 books, Waid's new direction for the Plutonian and the rest of the cast is still an inspired treatment of the story. Whether the momentum of the first 4 books can be regained or not is yet to be seen but with 4 books remaining, I have every hope that Waid and co. round out this brilliant story strongly. I thought Book 6 was thoughtful and inventive in continuing and setting up storylines that are developing nicely. I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to Book 7!
Sometimes I think as readers we want Mark Waid's tale of a superman who goes insane and decimates the world to be great. The series was excellent at the start and has settled into solid story telling (nothing wrong with that). We see the Plutonian possibly go even further insane and he ends up being transported from the alien prison to an alien insane asylum. On Earth we start to see Survivor might be as bad as the Plutonian, if not worse, and Qbit remains an interesting supporting character.
"He's not simply daydreaming. He's utterly withdrawn from all reality of his own accord."
This volume is similar to "A World Without Superman" except The Plutonian is daydreaming throughout the story, while the remaining members of The Paradigm try to restore order in Sky City.
Is it fair to review this when I accidentally read these out of order? I figured I probably should before I forget what I read.
I thought I had read volume five, but I was wrong, and I realized it fairly soon after I started reading it.
Waid is a tricky fellow. He has some moments where you feel just as delusional as Plutonian does. I couldn't figure out what was really happening. The other lowdown thing he does is have me feeling kinda sorry for Plutonian. Yeah, I wish I didn't. He's a really bad guy. But at the same time, he has some pathology that makes you a softhearted person which things had gone differently for him.
Although this was weird as all get out, and it has quite a few sexual deviants in it, I ended liking this volume more than I previously expected. It was freaky weird, and gave me a different vantage point. I needed it though, because I thought I had maxed out on how much I could despise Plutonian, and I wondered where it could go next. It looks like it can go very far.
A slower volume. Some things are awesome, some not so much.
The bad parts are really due to the diving into the mind of Mr. Irredeemable himself. While a neat idea (and kind of a nice fuck you to him) it's really boring. They could have cut these flashes to just one page each time instead of dragging it out.
While back on earth least we get some more interesting plots. Some repetitive ones, especially with Savior, but everyone else stays interesting. Also the end of this volume really sets up for the next few to be real good.
I found this to be a rather dull entry in the series. I'm always waffling on whether I'll continue the series or not, but I suppose I've come this far so...
Now that Plutonian has been contained by a powerful alien force, the Earth is safe!
Oh wait, no it isn't. In fact, the void left by the Plutonian may actually have made the world even more dangerous...The Paradigm is shattered, The Survivor is getting drunk on his own power, taking credit for the victory and making others suspicious of him. Meanwhile, Mobius is still at large, and in love with Plutonian. Who's plan has a chance to help and who is just looking out for themselves... Meanwhile, Plutonian might not be as under control as we thought, he actually finds himself moved from one sort of prison to another, but this new one might not be able to hold him...
Good stuff here, but starting to become a little repetitive, We've set up the potential for a whole bunch of things to happen, I am still interested to see what happens, but not as exciting to me as previous volumes.
It almost seemed like the story had pretty much wrapped-up at the end of volume 5, but apparently there's more to tell. It's all a bit anti-climactic, sort of like the latter half of the second season of Twin Peaks, after Laura Palmer's murderer was revealed. I'm not sure there's really much more of interest to be added to this particular saga, though what was here was at least fitfully interesting.
This series is settling in nicely. It almost felt in reading the last trade that this would quickly run out of places to go, but Mark Waid shows that he’s willing to weave a narrative that doesn’t telegraph where it’s going next, and that is genuinely exciting reading. I won’t say more than that for fear of spoiling anything—I’ll simply state that this is another solid entry in an involving series, and some of Waid’s best work in years.
With the series nearing the end of it's run the story takes yet another twist. Mark Waid never lets up on the excellent plot and storytelling. Very recommended
World: The art is fie, it's been strong throughout and continues the trend here. The world building for this arc is fairly strong. It serves the story well and give readers another glimpse of the world. Good stuff.
Story: Not bad, interesting and expected. You know the direction that this story was going to take with Survivor. Fairly straightforward and paced reactivity well, it is well written. It's just that the characters which were one of the best parts of the series is now bringing it down. Imbalanced as a result.
Characters: You know the direction that Survivor is going and the rest of the cast. So it makes it fairly boring as a result. I can't stand Survivor now and I'm not suppose to but the veil that we readers see him covered by is too thin to make sense.
Again, this doesn’t have some of the heft of the early volumes, but Waid has taken Irrdeemable in an interesting new direction that really opens up the possibilities of the comic.
Probably my least favorite volume so far, and it's STILL full of huge twists and really interesting plot. Just pretty repetitive and doesn't do too much for the series overall.
Ok I love superheroes in comics. And I love that since the fifties and the sixties they have evolved from superheroes-with-no-flaws-at-all-and-serious-do-they-ever-poop? to ordinary-people-who-just-happen-to-have-powers. It makes them in my eyes much more loveable.
This comic is a whole other ballpark. It digs into the psyche of a superhero/super-villain. And does that way better than everything else I have read (not that that is saying much because I don't just read comics all the time, and also have a job to sponsor my reading addiction).
So I started reading this comic by chance. I picked up the first issue and it sounded interesting but it took a while before I started reading. And. Then. I. Couldn't. Stop.
I had to get the next volumes (budget, what budget?).
I just finished this one and I have to say I cried for Tony... Tony is a head case and a murderer and still I think he can redeem himself.
So yeah that's why I think this comic is different from other superheroes comics because I haven't read one who gives me all the things I love about superheroes, make them feel human and still let me root for the underdogs and villains.
The Plutonian has been taken away to mine terromite on a prison world. He remains mentally disconnected from his body, however, preferring to remember more pleasant experiences/times (or at least dream them – we can't be sure what's going on in his very disturbed mind). But even their prison cannot hold him, and he ends up in a mental hospital inside of a sun. Back on earth, Survivor is making sure that everyone knows who's responsible for their liberation – mostly him – and is making all kinds of promises that he can't keep (like amnesty for any bad guys who are willing to help remake the world after the destruction the Plutonian has wrought). Modeus is still plotting to get the Plutonian back (so he can express his love and devotion), and there's some tension between Qubit and the Survivor over Scylla (Survivor's brother), who may still be alive.
Another suspenseful installment! A bit confusing, too – what the hell is going on in the Plutonian's head? What's real? What isn't? Still disturbed by Modeus' revelation and his efforts to experience the feelings he had for the Plutonian.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
SPOILER ALERT What saves the day? The Plutonian goes insane. He snaps in a total different way, and i like the humanity he is given with this arc. I also enjoy watching Survivor prepare to go nuts with hubris, power, and madness. Oh, it's coming. You know it is. What I did not really like is the prison and asylum arc.
Who are these beings, that they are so powerful they require a prison with the capabilities of having the gravitational pull of a black-hole? Who are these beings they require an insane asylum in the heart of a star? How the heck does this masked due know the hero's name of Tony? It better not be his dad. How will the fighters of Earth defend against an army of Plutonian-esque beings? What will finally put an end to the rage and havoc of the greatest hero gone mad? And, what the heck is going on with Survivor, his brother, Encanta, and Modeus?
So people are beginning to feel safe b/c Plutonian was taken away by the aliens, unfortunately, they aren't actually able to hold him, which will eventually cause some awkward. I feel like we are waiting to see who else is going to go evil and the relationships are getting interesting.
With the Plutonian gone, abducted (yes, really) by aliens and trapped in a dream/simulation world where he's still a hero, Earth's recovery can finally begin. Unfortunately, there's still a superpowered egotist charging around the place in lycra. The Survivor announces to the world that he got rid of his former friend, declares a worldwide holiday and grants a full amnesty to every "criminal or an outlaw with powers" in return for helping get the planet back on its feet.
What could possibly go wrong?
The Survivor also asks a grateful population for their help in locating Scyla (his presumed-dead brother) but, as the increasingly important-to-the-story Qubit notes, seems to be doing very little himself about it. Elsewhere, those Vespan aliens realise they may have something more dangerous than they thought on their hands with the Plutonian.
After a strong fifth volume, this installment (issues #20 to #23) drops off noticeably as a compelling story. The Plutonian's plight feels exaggeratedly wacky and only an idiot would unleash superpowered supervillains everywhere and expect them to suddenly be the good guys.
Peter Krause and Diego Barreto share the artist duties for this volume and their work is both good enough, and close enough in style to not feel like there's any real jarring or distracting differences between their pages. Unusually for Irredeemable, the art really outshines Waid's story but, as ever, there's still a lot to enjoy in a series that's at the very least, never predictable.
I binge-read this entire series in 5 days, which was a really bad idea, especially after just finishing The Boys, a similar series of superheroes gone bad. I am only giving this series 3 stars, but it might be worth more if I had just taken the time to enjoy it instead of speedreading it.
In Irreedemable the Plutonian, the ultimate superhero, a god-like being, goes bad. Contrary to The Boys it are his former teammates who are trying to stop him. Also contrary to the Homelander in The Boys, the Plutonian really wanted to help people, to do good, but the stress and increasing demands on him made him go postal.
Which is better, The Boys or Irreedemable? I don't have the answer to that question. In The Boys the sometimes absurd amount of violence and bloodshed is offset by some (dark) humour, which isn't the case in Irreedemable. In Irreedemable the Plutonian has more depth than the Homelander in The Boys. I have a slight preference for The Boys.
PS: I am using this review for the 10 volumes of Irreedemable.
Rating this volume one less star just because I feel like a lot of the volume was focused on the fantasy that Tony created in his head, which was fine but since it wasn’t real I didn’t care much. It’s wild that he’s literally in the core of a star right now, and the fact that there’s an insane asylum there. I’m curious about this Auroran character, I wonder if he will be a real new ally for Tony or not, and if this means one more enemy coming back to earth.
So we now know that Survivor is a real deal baddie, earth has truly traded one psycho superhero for another lol. I’m not sure that siding with Modeus is a good idea on Qubits part, but there isn’t many options left. And with that panel of the bullet I wonder if Qubit is finally set on killing Plutonian?
Oh also the horny aliens trying to get freaky with Tony was very unexpected lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The story is starting to lose its humanity, both figuratively and literally. All of a sudden, there are aliens with cool 3-D printers and less of the character development that made this series so compelling from the onset. But there's robot love... kind of?
This volume especially gives meaning to the saying: "power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." Whoever is in charge of vast amounts of people will devolve until nothing is left but sin. That includes the "good" guys. Man can only handle so much.