| Ad Astra: Astro City: General introduction |
Kurt Busiek's Astro City (KBAC) is an ongoing superhero comic published by Homage Comics. KBAC was created by Kurt Busiek with several characters designed by Alex Ross. Together, they were also the creative team behind Marvels the 1994 prestige format miniseries published by Marvel Comics. Besides character design, Alex is also responsible for the stunning covers on KBAC. The interior artwork however was left in the capable hands of Brent E. Anderson, also know for his work on the X-men: God loves, Man kills graphic novel.
KBAC started in August 1995, published by Image Comics, with the first issue
shipping on August 8th. The series lasted for six issues before going on hiatus
during which Kurt Busiek sought and found a new publisher, Homage Comics.
The series was relaunched as KBAC v2 in late September 1996.
For more information on why KBAC went on hiatus, look below.
Astro City is not a "superheroes in the real world" comic. The series isn't trying to create a Watchmenesque look at the way superheroes would work in the "real world". In fact, the world in which KBAC takes place is very different from the world as we know it and resembles the "traditional" superhero-universes of Marvel and DC.
To sum it up, here's what Ampersand ( ennead@teleport.com) thought of it: "WATCHMEN and other such comics ask, 'what would these comic-book people be like in the real world, where real-world logic applies?' ASTRO CITY asks instead, 'what would real-life people be like if they lived in a comic book world, where comic-book logic applies?'"
The second volume of KBAC, which started in late September 1996, is trying to maintain a monthly series. This has been made easier because of two reasons. First, Homage comics now handles most of the drudge work on KBAC, things like promotion, production work and trafficking. This gives Kurt more time to work on the creative side of KBAC, as well as his other projects. Second, Brent Anderson has stopped doing the entire artwork, instead focusing on penciling. Will Blyberg has been hired as an inker to finish Brent Anderson's art. By splitting the art chores, it takes less time to create the artwork, so it's easier to keep KBAC on a monthly schedule. For more information read the press release Kurt send out when Astro City returned.
However, as you may have noticed, KBAC hasn't exactly come out on schedule as planned. For those of you who want to know whether or not the latest issue is or will be late, check out the Late Comics Report.
KBAC returned with a one-issue story, this was followed by a two-parter, issue 2 and 3, focusing on the First Family, and what's it like for a young girl to grow up in a superhero family. These three issues together served as a re-introduction to the world of KBAC.
With issue 4 Kurt launched a six-part epic, about young Brian Kinney who came to Astro City with dreams of becoming a teen superhero sidekick. This story arc also featured the return of the aliens from volume 1 issue 5. This story ended in issue 9.
Issue 10 was a oneshot focusing on the supervillain the Junkman, with issue 11 and 12 featuring Jack-In-The-Box. Issue 13 was another one issue story featuring Loony Leo a cartoon character trapped in the real world.
Finally, issue 14 started the next multi-issue epic starring the supervillain Steeljack, who attempts to go straight. The latest issue of this storyline is issue 16.
To date, this is what has been published:
| The six Image issues, or KBAC v1. Collected in: | The Astro City: life in the big city trade paperback. |
| KBAC 1/2, a Wizard exclusive, was only available by sending in a coupon. | This has been reprinted as KBAC volume 2 issue 1/2 |
| The second trade paperback, collected KBAC 1/2 and volume 2 #4-9. | The third Astro City trade paperback, collecting the Confessor story, #4-9. |
| Sixteen issues of KBAC volume 2, published by Homage Comics. | Of which issues 14-16 aren't collected yet. |
| A second printing of KBAC v1 #1. | A second printing of KBAC v2 #1, plus a 3-D reprint of v2 #1. |
So you want some more Astro City? These lists will get you to places where you can find out more about your favourite comics series.
Greg Morrow'sWho's Who in Astro City formed the basis of my Who's Who list.
Ray Mescallado is a frequent contributor to The Comics Journal. According to him
his review of Astro City (volume 1) #1
was the only rave review of an Image comic to ever appear in those hallowed pages...
The review is listed about halfway through this webpage.
He has also put up an interview with
Kurt Busiek at his home pages which was conducted just before Astro City was launched.
At the moment there are two places where you can actively discuss KBAC. The most logical place to start would be the Astro City Mailing List set up by Greg Morrow (him again). This is a fairly active mailing list which averages about 100 messages a day, so beware. This list is not intended for discussion of Kurt's other works btw, although Kurt Busiek does participate in the list. You can subscribe to the list by sending an e-mail to majordomo@mlists.com with subscribe kbac-l or subscribe kbac-l-digest in the body of the e-mail. The second option will subscribe you to the digest version of this mailing list, handy for when you don't have the time to read dozens of e-mail each day...
And then there's good old rec.arts.comics.misc. This is the Usenet newsgroup where Astro City is on-topic. Discussion there tends to be at its peak when the latest issue has come out. Please note, however, that KBAC isn't the only topic of this newsgroup. RAC.misc is a general purpose newsgroup in the rec.arts.comics.* hierachy, dealing with everything which isn't handled in the other RAC.* groups.
In both cases, Kurt Busiek will occasionally respond to your posts, especially when he's asked something, e.g. when the new issue will come out. Please keep this in mind when contributing to the discussions. Also, don't assume that Kurt will react to everything someone asked them; he doesn't have the time. (He has to write all these great comics you know!)
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Of course you could send your comments on Astro City to Kurt Busiek himself, by e-mail. Just click on the image left. |
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