[Lightknight]

Does anyone else like these? They have a rustic (50s?) feel to them even though they're set in the present. I really like what they've done and how they've created an entire world out of thin air.

[Skeeter]

I'm a huge Kurt Busiek fan and Astro City is my favorite of his various projects. It's a marvelous comic.

[Lightknight]

Good, I checked one out of the library while I was up in MA and loved it. So I went and bought every one I could find (about four told) and haven't been let down once.

[Skeeter]

Kurt Busiek is a fantastic comic book writer. My favorite storyline is easily the Confessor and Altar Boy series. Fantastic stuff. The Steeljack storyline is also a personal favorite.

[Pre-Ex-Girlfriend]

I adore Astro City. I remember before I read it Skeeter told me about how it's written to incorporate the person on the street's point of view (or something like that), and after reading it I totally agree. I was drawn in quickly and really cared about what was going on. Love it!

[Lightknight]

Does it feel kinda rustic to you, too? It not only feels that way to me, but I feel like those superheros have been around forever and their well developed side-stories seem to imply that they have. But we know they've only existed for a few years.

[Skeeter]

Part of it is the way that Busiek plays with well-known archetypes of the superhero genre. The Silver Agent clearly harkens back to the silver age, especially Captain America. Samaritan is a clear Superman archetype and the Confessor is a brilliant take on the Batman concept. The First Family is clearly a take on the Fantastic Four family-style of superteam.

Even the society surrounding the superheroes reflects the popularity (and infamy) of superhero comics throughout the decades. Because the stories are rooted in the superhero tradition and draw so much from the archetypical characters and stories of the tradition (albeit in new and interesting ways), the characters and their world seem very familiar.

The other side of it is that Busiek does have extensive backstories for each of the characters and a well-developed history of the world they live in, so that he can make references to past events in a fairly natural way.

[Lightknight]

Yeah, that's incredible. For so long, it's been just the DC universe and the Marvel universe. Then "poof" a new one is spoken into existence and it is good.

[guitarfan01]

Kurt Busiek is indeed fantastic. However, I have not gotten around to reading Astro City. Lack of money is no fun.

[Lightknight]

Check out the local library. You don't always have to buy things. Though Astro City is certainly something to have in your collection.

[guitarfan01]

Yeah. Libraries are good. We just don't have a whole bunch of comics in ours here in hickville.

[Lightknight]

A lot of libraries are involved in cross-state book borrowing programs. You might be able to 'order' stuff from other libraries and be alerted when it comes in.