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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly original and highly human, even for super-types, November 3, 2005
This review is from: Absolute Authority, The: Volume two (Hardcover)
This volume of issues 13-29 of the original comic is my first exposure to the "Authority" series and I'm definitely going to have to go back and locate the first collection. (Although the backstory is nicely conveyed, too.) The superheroes who make up the Authority are "manufactured" rather than being aliens or supernatural beings, and they're often not very nice, and the Good Guys are perfectly willing to use cattle-prods to get information from captured Bad Guys. They've also decided they're allowed to make the law better than any corrupt government. Unlike the "WHAM! POW!" style of the Golden and Silver Ages, there's a good deal more blood and forthright pain on the page. On the other hand, there's no doubt who the *real* Bad Guys are here -- they're the international conglomerates who control mere national governments so they can more easily strip the earth of its natural resources and enhance the bottom line. The members of the Authority aren't patriotic, nationalist flag-wavers and take pleasure in overthrowing the dictatorships they come across. In the first of the three stories in this collection, they deal both with an Evil Genius (eventually co-opted) and with political refugees while coming to grips with the replacement of their late leader -- the "spirit of the 20th century," a neat concept. In the second story, the earth-destroying force they have to fight turns out to be the Earth itself -- another interesting and original idea. The third story involves the replacement of the Authority by the G-8 nations by a bunch of creeps they con control. In other ways, this comic is very much a 21st century product, with an openly gay couple, domestic violence themes, and a drug-addicted "world shaman." Physically, it's a very nice book, too, with a slipcase and built-in-bookmark.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely stunning, November 21, 2006
This review is from: Absolute Authority, The: Volume two (Hardcover)
This review if for the hard bound "Absolute Authority Vol 2"
The Authority are today's super heroes, They are more like a De Facto JLA on drugs. They think and act like regular Joes, that just so happen to be blessed with super human abilities, which for any human being become a self defeating plague. Each member of the team has their own demons and issues to deal with, top that off with combating super villains and totalitarian Governments and they inevitably fall apart. They have weaknesses and defects which makes them easier to relate to and care about. They struggle and just when you think it's over they overcome. A true underdog comic, no Superman always wins and pretty daisy for all the damsels. This book pushed the envelope and was even subjected to censorship which was the cause for the leading artist to eventually walk off the project. The editor forced them to change many detail they deemed too controversial ( too much similarities to present day political figures and facts, the high tone violence and adult language)The story telling is dark and twisted, the art is equally horrifying, something Frank Quitely manages to keep clean and precise. Mark Millar does wonders following Ellis's run and manages to give us in inside look at the destructive nature and price that heroes have to pay in order to save the world. His writing is clever and witty, and the story lines disturbing yet all too realistic. Frank Quitely who pencils the majority of the book is a breath of fresh air in an industry filled with unrealistic and super model heroes. His art is clean and un pretty, which makes it stand apart from the Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri Era comics. I would compare his style to the McFarlane era Spider man. My only dislike are the gaps between Quitely's run only because the art seems very rushed and in my opinion unprofessional. Thank God Quitely does the majority of the pencils, he's one of my favorite artist around today and is one of the reasons I love this book so much. D.C. comics has hit a miles stone with their Absolute editions line, which are all in large format and come in a book case with tons of extras. A great addition to any collector looking to read their favorite comic with out having to go through the hassle of digging through their stash or risk damage to their collection each time they have the itch to re-read them. I recommend this to any fan of Frank Quitelys work on All Star Super man and New X-men.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Demolishing the superhero status quo, April 5, 2010
This review is from: Absolute Authority, The: Volume two (Hardcover)
It's funny now, when Mark Millar's run on the Authority is considered all but legendary, but I was very worried when series creator Warren Ellis left the title after an unforgettable year-long run. He and artist Bryan Hitch went on to bigger and better things and Mark Millar (plus a handful of artists) stepped in to further challenge the status quo.
Ellis established the Authority as a team of superheroes who didn't just power up and fight the latest gang of super villains for the sake of defending...whatever. The Authority answered to no one but their own consciences and took on the very real evil they encountered, namely genocidal dictators and governments behaving badly. It was pretty close to what you'd have if ordinary people were given the power and freedom to really make a difference. Of course, the world's powers couldn't tolerate this, so Millar's run was all about their attempts to bring the Authority to heel.
Millar's run on the Authority was even more subversive than Ellis's, and it played a huge role in how I would come to view superhero comics. It's hard to settle for the X-Men beating up on Mr. Sinister for the umpteenth time after reading something like this. Millar pushed the envelope conceptually, and his dialogue was just as edgy (though all of the characters developed a decidedly British way of speaking). Some of the one-liners Hawksmoor or the Midnighter would toss off are just priceless.
Millar wasn't alone in this endeavor. Frank Quitely (better known for his collaborations with Grant Morrison) provided most of the artwork in this collection. Quitely has a quirky, very unique style that's often hard to accept in a superhero comic, but he has since become one of my favorites. The great Arthur Adams handles a couple of fill-in issues, and of course his work is high quality. The other fill-in issue artists were sub-par however.
It should be obvious by now that I absolutely love this book. I think it's one of the high water marks in the comics industry, and one every serious reader of superhero comics (yes, I know how that sounds) should own.
If you can manage to track down a copy, the Absolute Authority volume 2 hardcover, which collects the Authority #13-29, is the very best way to experience this groundbreaking series. The sturdier hardcover format better for preserving the book for the inevitable repeat readings and the larger page size (roughly 33% larger than the standard comic page) is the perfect format for appreciating the (mostly) impressive artwork.
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