So, who's buying the new Astro City series? How'd you like the first issue?
How'd you like American Chibi? Adorable? Annoying? Adoraboying?
Also, does anyone have any guesses as to the identity of the Broken Man? I do, but I'm not going on a whole lot yet... but if I recall recent interviews with Kurt Busiek correctly, he's appeared in the series before. And even more interesting than who the Broken Man is, is how he got that way, and what he's up to? As to those questions, I haven't a clue.
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Mark me down for "adoraboying."
I did not read the last page, BTW.
Whenever Astro City comes out, I'm there! I thought #1 of the new series was very good. Glad we can expect it monthly for awhile. Don't have any thoughts on the Broken Man, though.
You didn't? Oh, man, you missed an intriguing little wrap-up, then.
I'm on the fence about American Chibi -- as a little girl with superpowers, I think she could be really annoying. But if it turns out to be Comic Book Guy in a Shazam-type situation, that's awesomely twisted.
No idea who the Broken Man is, but I hadn't been in Astro City in quite awhile.
As I said elsewhere on this board, reading this felt very much like comfort food to me. Astro City has a very unique feel to it, and it's great to see that it hasn't changed. A lot of books have a very unique feel to them--Hellboy/BPRD, Butcher Baker, 100 Bullets...but Astro City is so doggone welcoming.
As for American Chibi, I think she's a bit annoying and more-so redundant with the Barbie doll character that must be around there somewhere still. I did like the line that she is "some girl's dream of the ultimate hero", or (paraphrasing; don't have it in front of me) "the scarier possibility is that she's some guy's dream of the ultimate hero..." That made me laugh out loud, because you know it's probably more likely.
Ah, right, Beauty, I think her name was. I'm trying to remember her story -- I remember really liking her one-shot, way back when. I'll have to dig it out. I only have a few of the Astro City collections, since they're redundant to all the single issues I have. But whenever I see a deal on a hardcover I don't have, I snap it up.
Anyone who doesn't have the "Confession" collection probably doesn't have the mind-blowing story "The Nearness of You", which was publisher by Wizard as Astro City #1/2. At Wondercon in Anaheim this Spring, Brent Anderson said it was his favorite Astro City story, as it is mine.
As I recall, Beauty is actually an android similar to the Vision in wanting to be human.
As far as American Chibi goes, it's hard for me to decide at this point whether I find her annoying or adorable. I have a feeling that my views will change depending on the situation.
Thanks, Randy -- that firs with my recollection, but I remember there being a twist to it somewhere. (Although I think I recall the twist now, and it's more of a plot point to that individual story than her origin, IIRC, so I won't spoil it in an incidental conversation.)
And yeah.. the closest character my attitude toward her tracks to (at the moment) is Comet Queen in the Legion -- who can be *incredibly* annoying, but Levitz managed to wring a fair bit of pathos out of her backstory. I've got tons of confidence in Busiek, so I'm not worried.
I'm glad to see Astro City back and didn't really mind American Chibi, on the other hand, I can't say I'm really happy with the Broken Man. I've always hated stories that break the 4th wall and, while I've known Busiek would get around to playing with the concept eventually, I've got to say I'm a little disappointed that he's planning on making it a major through line of the series. So, I'd have to say I was a little luke warm on the first issue.
Just got #1 today. What a wonderful comic ! There's a possibility we mightn't see the Broken Man for a while. He's made the connection with the reader and can now view events from behind our eyeballs, hidden from the Ourbos or whatever its called.
I loved Broken Man. Busiek's use of all the elements in this story was so assured, including this very Morrison-esque chap. The white suit and folded legs and his whole schtick was very Morrison. Busiek is on topform here.
I have to read the 2nd half of the Dark Age now and get caught up, and maybe reread everything else after that. I'm getting jittery here now realising that those characters in the stories I enjoyed will have grown older at the same rate as myself and we're going to see how some of them fared! Not many superhero universes work like that!
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