Customer Reviews

Astro City: The Tarnished Angel

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The fourth, and longest, of the compilations of Kurt Busiek's Astro City book has the most initial promise but seems to lose itself in the execution. Followers of the comic will know that the 7 issues of the "Tarnished Angel" arc were spread out over a very long time due to Busiek's illness. The product itself seems a little less focused than the previous 6 issue arc "Confessions." The central idea of the story is ingenious. A recently released supervillian returns to his tough neighborhood, populated by a variety of minor supervillians and black masks who work piecemeal for whomever they can. Someone is methodically killing off many of the black masks, and our protagonist, unable to find any other work (he has very conspicious steel skin) is hired to find the killer. As typical in Busiek's Astro City, no single event is unconnected with the City and world that surrounds it, and thus we are soon drawn into a story that reaches back into the history of Astro City's heroes. The weaknesses of the work become apparent as the story progresses. For instance, though we discover the identity of the killer (it's never really much of mystery) we are never given an adequate explanation of why the super powered hoods of Kiefer Square are killed off. This detail gets swept under the table as the stakes rise. While "Tarnished Angel" works very well at its primary intent, a character study of a troubled ex-villian trying to make things right, the lack of focus on certain plot events eventually becomes annoying. Too much of the action just happens and there are few if any suprises (the death of the Mock Turtle is one, but it is seemingly random and poorly explained.) Alex Ross's covers are, as usual, stunning, and Anderson's art, excellent without being distracting. Perhaps it is a compliment to Busiek's writing to say that "Tarnished Angel" is a great idea, which suffered from merely above average execution. A final note, the introduction to this book is written by Frank Miller, which would seem to be a bonus to fans. However, most of his remarks on the nature of comic book superheroes have already been made (and made with more relevance to Astro City) in the previous compilation's introductions. "Tarnished Angel" and the gritty Kiefer Square are a must for frequent tourists of Astro City, but first time visitors might enjoy themselves more taking the sights of Grandietti Cathedral in "Confessions" or seeing the sights atop Mt. Kirby in "Family Album."

"Kurt Busiek's Astro City: The Tarnished Angel" is another fine graphic novel in the outstanding "Astro City" series. This seven-chapter story is about Steeljack, a metal-encased supervillain. Released from prison at the book's start, he is hired by a criminal kingpin to find out who is murdering other supervillains.

This is a powerful, rich, complex story. Steeljack's tale is intertwined with that of a number of other fantastic characters: whip-wielding Latino superhero El Hombre, high-tech British supervillain the Mock Turtle, and more. Many characters from the other Astro City volumes (Samaritan, Winged Victory, etc.) also make appearances.

Sort of a world-weary loser, Steeljack is a compelling, memorable protagonist. "Tarnished Angel" is full of great visuals, heroic battles, and moving human drama. The book as a whole is a fascinating look at the Astro City milieu from its dark side.

Imagine you are a villain in a world of supermen (and women).

Imagine you have been in and out of prison for as long as you can remember and now all you want to do is lay low...

Then Imagine you see old friends killed off one by one in your old neighborhood, the only neighborhood you ever knew.

What comes next?

This is a very intense, downbeat tale of a super powered bad guy who has seen the error of his ways, but still feels a kinship to his old comrades in the bad guy business..

Extremely well written, and, in my humble opinion, well drawn as well. Read it and judge for yourself, this is an engaging piece of work!

I've read nearly all the Astro City collections. I stand in awe of Kurt Busiek's imagination, his storytelling, and the high quality of his work on Astro City.

But I'm sure Mr. Busiek would be hurt if his collaborators weren't mentioned. Brent Eric Anderson has been Astro City's main penciller since it's beginning and it's hard to imagine it without him. Will Blyberg's crisp inking and Comicraft's wonderful lettering and lastly, Alex Ross's magnificent covers make AC in Wizard Magazine's opinion, "the best superhero comic being printed. Period." An opinion that in my estimate that's hard to disagree with. There's something else, it's hard to imagine any comic book with the same creators after 10 years. The fact that Astro City still has the same creative team speaks volumes for the love and camaraderie these three have for the high quality work they are producing for this title.

The Tarnished Angel was the title's second long story arc. Carl Donewicz, aka Steeljack, a supervillain who no longer has the desire to get "the big score," is parolled out of Biro Island Prison. He goes back to his old neighborhood of Kiefer Square to try to start over again. He wants to go straight, but when someone is killing off the former and active "Black Masks," in Kiefer Square parlance, the residents hire Steeljack to discover who is behind the killings.

Busiek takes his time for character development and imerses himself and the reader into the story. Steeljack is closely patterned after Robert Mitchum and the way his narration is written, it's hard not to hear Mitchum's crusty voice telling us Steeljack's odyssey.

Despite the long storyline, Busiek stays with Steeljack as the mystery slowly unravels. He ends each issue with the reader frantic to see what happens next.

The Tarnished Angel, along with Confession are superhero comic storytelling at its best. Definitely worth every dime.

Apparently some are slightly less impressed, but of the Astro City volumes I've read so far, this is my favorite. Yes, the plot is deliberately more "comic bookish" than some of the other stories, but that's neither good nor bad in itself. (I personally think it's good, but that's me.) Steeljack is a believable and surprisingly sympathetic character. A weary ex-con forced by circumstances to be a hero. The artwork is great, sa usual, and the pulp-inspired cover of the paperback edition is perfect.

In one of the other reviews someone complained that the ideas were unoriginal B-Movie ideas. I think that's half the point. The cover is done up to make this book look like an old Pulp book and the story could almost be from one of them - Except for the fact that most of the characters are super-villains and superheroes. Loads of cliches are in there, but I get the feeling that Kurt Buseik is revellingin that fact - and for me it doesn't detract from the story in the slightest.

I'd say this is one of the better Astro City books (only topped by Confession) and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next in the series.

I was very enthralled by this story. The idea of it was classic and classy. You really felt like you understood the character SteelJack and were following him along wishing him the best. We felt sympathy and empathy for him and his situation. It was full of situations and reasonable ways to deal with them. I suggest this TPB above all the other Astro City stories just because it is focused and very well written. Buy it now, you will not regret it.

The "Astro City" series of superhero comics (which I prefer to read as graphic novels, eliminating the wait between installments) has varied between Average and Very Good. This arc, which focuses almost entirely on a single antiheroic protagonist, is really quite good. Steeljack, who closely resembles Robert Mitchum, is a would-be superhero from the wrong side of the tracks who ended up becoming a small-time super-villain instead, and then getting himself caught. Through it all, he was always wistfully aware of the "angels," the Good Guy superheroes passing by overhead. Now, after twenty years in prison, he's interested only in going as straight as he can manage, but with only an average intellect and no special skills beyond strength and toughness, it's hard going. Back in the old neighborhood, a number of mostly retired "black masks" (small-time villains like himself) are being killed off, and the survivors hire Steeljack to find out what's going on and stop it. Protesting that he's not a detective, he nevertheless needs the money, so he takes the assignment, but for a considerable time doesn't really make much of a dent in the case. Then some pieces begin to fall into place, Steeljack puts them together with what he's learned about a disgraced superhero, and suddenly he finds he needs the help of the "angels." But will they listen to a lowlife like him? Because the story concentrates on a single character (except for the episode within the story arc dealing with the Mock Turtle, which isn't entirely successful), Busiek is able to provide much more detail and better thought out motivation and back story.

Tarnished Angel is a wonderful addition to the Astro City collection of Kurt Busiek's, Brent Eric Anderson's, and Alex Ross's collaborative, inspiring work. I'm amazed at how this guys are revolutionizing comics by reinventing the past. Tarnished Angel starts with Ross's and Anderson's acknowledged nod to a Robert Mitchum look-alike, the ex-villain Carl "Carlie" Donewicz, aka Steeljack. Born in the 60s, serving twenty years in prison (1978-98), he is truly out of time when he returns to a place that is strangely just like home when he gets back. He is caught in a parole system in which the officers are using their parolees for favors and graft, and as a 350 lb. man of steel without any kind of work skills, he is absolutely unemployable. So he begins to investigate a mask-killer, even though it puts him shoulder-to-shoulder with convicts and ex-cons and in violation of the terms of his probation. He is pulled even further into a convoluted plot by the wily and lethal conman, Donnelly Ferguson. To make a long story short -- and not to give away all the plot --, Steeljack, having betrayed the capes once before so that they don't believe him when he tries to secure their help in stopping the plot, has to go against a major villain on his own. Even if it kills him. The highlight of this story is the very, all-too human, all-too real predicament of Steeljack and the creation of a brilliant character called The Mock Turtle. It continues to amaze me how easily Busiek & Crew continue to create new characters whole-cloth. Although some of Astro City's characters are similar to past entities (Samaritan's resemblance to Superman, for instance), some of the characters come out wonderfully unique. The Mock Turtle is one of those. The villain here, too, is interesting. I would say more, but I don't want to ruin a surprise. Suffice it to say, it's a case of devious role-reversal. This hardback edition is very, very nice. The binding is long-lasting hard cloth, with a brilliant, light-blue metallic Astro City symbol on the cover. This has a dust jacket that is unique to this edition: an immaculately rendered Ross painting of Steeljack's mug shots. You also get three humorous mug shots of the creators on the end-flap. It has archive-quality endpapers with a skyscape of the city. Everything from the tpb is here except the 1940 or 50s era, noir pulp novel, vintage-looking cover, but I especially the muscular-prose introduction by Frank Miller. If you don't already know, the story here was originally published in the second volume of Astro City comics, #s 14-20, a run that is still a fan-favorite. When the tale revolves around Donewicz's shame that his mother lived without a son's love or care, symbolized by the disrepair of her grave's figurehead, you won't feel that it's cliche at all. Busiek makes the comfortable new rather than worn. And that's what Steeljack hopes for, as he determines to make the most of what little time he has in acknowledgment of his tarnished past and his possibly brightly redeemed future.

Kurt Busiek's Astro City is the best superhero series going, and The Tarnished Angel is an epic of where thrilling action set pieces are every bit as propulsive as subtle character growth. Not to be missed.