Despite my presence here at this blog every day, I'm not much to wander the byways of the comic news internet. That's why it was very much a surprise when my local shop owner told me that the last regular issue of Astro City will be the fifty-second issue of the current run from DC Comics. I am very sad. I've been on the tour of Astro City from the very beginning in 1996 (over twenty years ago...sigh). I'll admit I've gotten off the series a few times, but I've always returned with a renewed vigor to see all that's visible or at least what Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Alex Ross allow me to see. To be fair, the series has dumped me a few times too, jumping publishers more than once and also going on hiatus, often having to do with Busiek's fragile health. Astro City was always a run I expected to end at almost anytime, so while I was momentarily surprised, and I am sad, I'm not terribly shocked. The series did a magnificent job of presenting a superhero universe as seen from the perspective of not only the heroes, both young and old, both male and female, both human and otherwise, but from the perspective of the humble citizen on the street, just trying to cope in a world full of wild science and magic and more. The series was a parable of real life, and like real life, loss is a normal part of it, sadly. So it's farewell to Astro City the series. The saga is supposed to continue in periodic graphic novels, really a great way to tell these stories, but who knows what will come next. The fate of Astro City like life itself is a mystery.
A year ago I posted a reflection on the series, to see it go here.
With the recent cancellation of Popeye from IDW and now this, I am down only one regular comic book series -- Future Quest Presents. And frankly I'm not sure how long that will last. It's just barely possible that I will have no regular comics on my reading list sooner than I expected. For a guy who has at times had scores of comics each month, that's quite a change.
Rip Off
I'm with you all the way on both the sadness of seeing Astro City close down and in buying new comics. I've decided to get the trade collections of Future Quest from now on, leaving only Archie as my regular color comics purchase. And with Waid welcoming a co-writer, methinks the handwriting might be on the wall for that title (at least as far as my buying it.) I am going to give Dynamite's Charlie's Angels book a try, though I'll probably regret it. But hey, it's Charlie's Angels. I still get The Creeps magazine (I highly recommend it--and not just because they use my stories occasionally ;D). If Charlton Neo can get its act back together, Charlton Arrow is a worthy color comic. I miss the days of buying 25 comic mags a month, but what's a fella gonna do...?
ReplyDeleteAstro City has been the best comic book on the stands for twenty years. Like most things that are consistently great, after a while folks begin to overlook it. When it's gone, the awesome work of Busiek, Anderson and Ross will only grow in reputation.
DeleteI've been hesitant on The Creeps for reasons of just not wanting to dig into another series, but now I have room. I've picked them up and sampled them and will have to likely give it a tumble. I'll look for your byline.
Rip Off
I love Astro City, but don't tend to read it month-to-month. It's one that i prefer to catch up on in big lumps. With the end of this era, i guess it's time to catch up again.
ReplyDeleteOn the possible up side, i hear that that Astro City is in development as a TV series. That would be much better format for it than movies, if done with high production values and good scripts.
We can hope...
It's been such a treasure, I don't want to see it spoiled. But that's selfish. Brent Anderson's artwork is central for me as a necessary component of an Astro City story. I haven't liked it when other artists, regardless of their talents, have dipped in.
DeleteRip Off