Astro City #23

[Expletive Deleted]

So good. So, so good.

Teenage rebellion and rock and roll, the joy of playing music, even a take on the immigrant experience . . . all in a story with super-gorillas from a hidden city in Antarctica. Maybe I'm still in the afterglow of last week's Gorilla Grodd episode of The Flash, but this really hit the spot.

[Enigmatic Undead]

Outstanding issue. A gorilla super soldier that escapes to play drums in a band. Why aren't more comics like this?!

[InSavnity]

Outstanding issue. A gorilla super soldier that escapes to play drums in a band. Why aren't more comics like this?!

Because they wouldn't sell, unfortunately. No, seriously, according to how many people just on this forum alone post their surprised reaction at discovering that there's an Astro City regular series being published right now can mean two things:

1) companies have absolutely no advertisement for all the cool stuff because they are ashamed of it (unlikely, otherwise they wouldn't even have published it to begin with);

2) the percentage of people out there who are interested in reading comic books with actual personality is smaller than we think it is (a sad situation, but I'm afraid also quite close to the truth).

[FanboyStranger]

I picked up the issue at lunch, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. The cover alone makes it worth it, though.

AC has been on a massive roll over the past year. The "Doctor Strange's assistant" story. The Quarrel multi-parter, which was the best female-centric superhero story I've read in years. Last issue's Starfighter story with art by Jesus Merino that reminded me of Al Williamson's art in all the right ways. I keep saying it, but in a just world, Astro City would be the best selling superhero book on the stands.

[Expletive Deleted]

I picked up the issue at lunch, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. The cover alone makes it worth it, though.

It's good, but I think next month's is even better.

AC has been on a massive roll over the past year. The "Doctor Strange's assistant" story. The Quarrel multi-parter, which was the best female-centric superhero story I've read in years. Last issue's Starfighter story with art by Jesus Merino that reminded me of Al Williamson's art in all the right ways. I keep saying it, but in a just world, Astro City would be the best selling superhero book on the stands.

I agree one hundred percent. I don't know if it's quite as good as the series' peak ("Life in the Big City" is damn near perfect), but it's really close.

Incidentally, speaking of the art, I loved Brent Anderson's gorilla body language in this issue. He gives Sticks a lot of character, but doesn't overly anthromorphize him.

[gwangung]

2) the percentage of people out there who are interested in reading comic books with actual personality is smaller than we think it is (a sad situation, but I'm afraid also quite close to the truth).

Yup. Sigh.

You want GOOD comics with continuity and consequences in every story? You read ASTRO CITY.

The fact that this sells so poorly tells the publishers that readers really aren't interested in that.

[Astrozac]

I agree one hundred percent. I don't know if it's quite as good as the series' peak ("Life in the Big City" is damn near perfect), but it's really close.

Incidentally, speaking of the art, I loved Brent Anderson's gorilla body language in this issue. He gives Sticks a lot of character, but doesn't overly anthromorphize him.

For me the volume 2 run at Homage through Loony Leo's story are the highwater marks. Top notch stories and art throughout. And the little details and info/name droppings helped push the stories into greatness. And not to mention the detailed art by Anderson. Anderson is a great artist, but when Blyberg was inking him it brought out his work even better.