Comic Book Review #1

ASTRO CITY: LOCAL HEROES #1: " NEWCOMERS "
WRITTEN BY KURT BUSIEK, DRAWN BY BRENT ANDERSON
COVER BY ALEX ROSS

Astro City isn't your normal superhero comic book. If you look at the cover by Alex Ross, you might think it is. Yes, its a really well drawn cover, but its got a Super Hero on the front saving some kid.

So it MUST be your average Super Hero comic yes?

No, its not.

Astro City is about a town full of superheroes, but its not always told from the point of view of a superhero. Sometimes the viewpoint character is an average person.

Case in point, this issue: " Newcomers."

If you want a good introduction issue, this is it. The point of view character is a doorman at an Astro City hotel. The doorman narrates the entire issue. Yes, the issue does go away from the doorman for a bit to show what happens to some people who visited the hotel, but the doorman is, without a doubt, the viewpoint character of the issue. I almost said the main character of the issue, but Astro City ITSELF is the main character of the issue. We get to see what this town is like, both good and bad. The doorman is just the person who gives us the lowdown about the town.

As for artwork, its really good. Brent Anderson is a fantastic artist who knows just the right "camera angles" to show us what's going on in each panel. You can easily tell what's going on in the issue without even reading the comic. Thats the sign of a great artist. The writing is really good and helps expand on what we're seeing. Also the sign of a great writer.

" Newcomers" isn't the best Astro City story. The issue is more focused on introducing the city & the superheroes than focusing on one complete story about a certain character (which the best Astro City stories do). This is an issue I would show to someone who has never read the book before, though if you have read Astro City before you won't bored by this; just not amazed. Overall, I highly recommend Astro City and this is a good starting point issue.

Grade:  B+