Writer: Kurt Busiek Artists: Brent E. Anderson (p), Will Blyberg (i), Alex Sinclair (c), Alex Ross (cover) Published by DC/Homage
The plot: A TV superhero gains fame after helping stop a robbery, and learns that having something is not always as pleasurable a thing as wanting that thing.
KBAC tries to stay on a fairly regular schedule, but writer Busiek's health troubles have meant that deadlines have been blown and readers disappointed. The good news is, when it does appear, Astro City is one of the best books on the stands.
Busiek has as much as admitted that his work-for-hire efforts (such as Marvel's Avengers) are an exercise in craft for him. Not that I don't love the Avengers under Busiek and Perez; in fact, it's one of my top three favourite titles. But Busiek has admitted his most personal, visionary work is being done in other places, and the extra level of art added to the craft make KBAC a joy to read.
The story starts off with a stunning splash page, typically terrific work from the art team on this book. The page 3 shot of Samaritan taking on an electrically-charged villain over the river is similarly awe-inspiring. Anderson and Co. lend a cinematic air to the title that is like that of few other comics in the history of the artform. The characters are all individual, human and believable, but the action scenes never fail to convince either. Astro City is an extraordinary place to live, and Busiek, Anderson, and the rest never fail to convey that perfectly.
Busiek creates a tale here of a man who suddenly has the chance to make his dreams come true, and slowly discovers he has no idea what his dreams really are. It's a telling indictment of American-style ambition: As Freddy Mercury once put it, "I want it all, and I want it now!"
That doesn't mean lead character Mitch Goodman is a bad guy; it's quite clearly spelled out that he isn't. He stops the robbery not in hopes of getting noticed, but because he truly wants to help. Where he goes wrong is in his sudden aspiration to grasp at the fame that comes his way, without once stopping to consider whether he really wants to be famous, or what that fame might mean in terms of his future.
Busiek is a true optimist, I think, about the human condition. I really thought this story would have a much more cynical ending than it turned out to have. I thought it would be more "realistic" for Mitch to pay the ultimate price for his arrogance. But Busiek remembered that at his heart Goodman was a decent guy, and crafted an appropriate fate for him. He doesn't get his every wish come true, but he does learn a bit about what he might wish for, should the opportunity ever come his way again. An outstanding tale from a creative team at the absolutely top of its game.
