35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Could be the next great classic, September 24, 2009
This review is from: Irredeemable: Volume 1 (Paperback)
We all knew that this was going to be good. Mark Waid is one of the most distinguished comic writers around, involved not only in great comic "events" like 52, but one of the great comics events of all time, KINGDOM COME. Mark Waid was part of what made KINGDOM COME so extraordinary, though at least as important was the utterly astonishing art work by Alex Ross. Peter Krause is doing a fine job, but Alex Ross is irreplaceable. Still, IRREDEEMABLE has all the marks of a classic. This is furthermore a story that could never be done with Superman. We'd never believe that he had gone so far over the edge that he would be irredeemable. No one would believe that he would be so far over the edge that he couldn't come back. By inventing a completely new nearly all-powerful superhero makes this story possible.
Essentially, the story is of a Superman-like superhero, the Plutonian, who has gone bad. More precisely, the comic delves into the question of what caused the world's most beloved super hero to turn evil. And by evil, we mean killing many other super heroes and destroying major cities. Killing millions. For fans of ANGEL, it is like Angel becoming Angelus, but with the powers of a Kryptonian. Like Angelus, the Plutonian has not merely become evil, but sadistic. He takes a perverse pleasure in committing atrocities and thrills at the grief he causes others.
The Plutonian was previously part of a group of superheroes, not unlike the JLA. The difference is that the Plutonian has no fellow superhero who is in any way in his class. Superman has Green Lantern and J'onn J'onzz and Wonder Woman, who could definitely give him a battle. In the world of the Plutonian the only person who can challenge him is a genius super villain who is missing.
The narrative proceeds by shifting between the present and at various points in the past. There we see the Plutonian happy, good, and adored. And also looking very different than in the present, in which the blonde hero looks incredibly Aryan, in contrast to the past where he looked All-American. We see moments that contributed to his turn to the dark side. Hopefully there will be a big payoff when we discover the key to his flip. Meanwhile, we are getting a series of issues that are immensely enjoyable. I definitely look forward to this one each month.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More Frightening, More Disturbing, But Absolutely No Less Gripping, November 2, 2009
This review is from: Irredeemable: Volume 1 (Paperback)
The Plutonian, the world's most powerful being, has always been a force for good. An inspiration to all, and a superhero so above and beyond good that he leads the way for the world. Until now. Those days are over. He's turned as viciously evil as they come, going on a mad killing spree (he knows he needs to eliminate the world's other heroes first).
Irredeemable begins in medias res with the Plutonian having already begun his killing spree. It begins with particular viciousness, a bloodiness that is so savage and impactful that you won't soon forget it. That in turn sets the tone for the entire book. What do you do when the greatest force on earth, an unstoppable powerhouse, turns against you? The best people fight back, of course, but it's hard to see it's going to do them any good.
The basis of superhero comics, Waid says, is that "pretty much everyone who's called upon to put on a cape is, at heart, emotionally equipped for the job. I reject that premise." Irredeemable does indeed. He then draws a parallel, in the introduction to this first volume, to Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and it's apt too. The Plutonian is someone who's seen too much, been called upon too many times, to still be a pure force for good. The artwork by Peter Krause is phenomenal, as well, and perfectly suited to this dark take on traditional superhero fare.
Irredeemable is an ongoing series available in comic-book form, and this first volume collects issues #1-4. Waid has been down similar roads before (most notably in the wonderful Kingdom Come), but it would be wrong to make too many comparisons to that previous work. This stands alone. Irredeemable is more frightening, it seems, even more disturbing, but absolutely no less gripping. Where Waid takes the series from here is anyone's guess--he plans to keep it going quite a while--but it will be fun to be along for the ride.
-- John Hogan
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"You don't get it. The Plutonian has gone rogue. We're all going to die.", October 11, 2009
This review is from: Irredeemable: Volume 1 (Paperback)
- The Plutonian: "You do astonishing things for them a hundred times a day. You bring wonder to the lives of ordinary people. And in the end, you realize it's like doing magic tricks for a dog."
(Man, the Plutonian is one harsh mother.) Before comic book writer Mark Waid became INCORRUPTIBLE, dude was EVIL. Or so the promos from BOOM! Studios would have you believe. IRREDEEMABLE is threatening to become Mark Waid's greatest opus. If anything can dethrone KINGDOM COME, this looks to be it. Ah, but can Mark Waid keep it up in an ongoing monthly format? Fingers are crossed.
IRREDEEMABLE is what happens when the first and most powerful superhero on the planet goes bad, is what happens when godlike powers are bestowed on someone who, as it turns out, isn't prepared, emotionally or psychologically, to cope with all the baggage that goes with it. Only four issues collected in this first volume, but Mark Waid - and I guess I'll call him a master storyteller - delivers a hell of a stunning read. Alan Moore hit on this same premise decades ago when he briefly covered Kid Miracleman's alienation and eventual succumbing to corruption. But Waid digs deeper and, in progressive issues, peels away layer after layer and shines a light on those little signpost moments which led up to the Plutonian's turning his back on humanity. We're still waiting for that one seminal event which decisively pushed him over the edge, but it just may be that there isn't one seminal event. It could just be that all those smatterings of perceived slights, the public's constant displays of ingratitude, the pressure of carrying the mantle of the world's preeminent superhero... all those things could've just built and built and then, one day, the world's greatest hero just... snapped.
***Some SPOILERIZATION now***
The first issue grabs you by the scruff of the neck and gives you a good shake. The opening sequence establishes the series's very dark tone as we witness the Plutonian's brutal on-panel incineration of a scared-out-of-his-wits superhero called the Hornet and his wife and children. We learn that the Plutonian had already annihilated Sky City - of which he was the self-designated protector - and had murdered millions of its inhabitants. And now he's out to kill his fellow superheroes. Mark Waid is playing his cards close to the vest, and so we're left in the dark as to the Plutonian's motivations.
What we're given, though, are these flashbacks. The Plutonian used to be part of the superhero group Paradigm, and it's the surviving members of Paradigm who try to stand up to him (when they're not on the run from him). The sense of hopeless desperation is palpable; it horrifyingly dawns on these overmatched heroes just how incredibly daunting a task this is. It's a race against time, then, as the Plutonian's former teammates frantically dig into his private life and into his past (but not much is known). Hoping against hope for any clue, for any sign of weakness that might give them a fighting chance. But four issues deep, and not one weakness has been unearthed.
The Plutonian is so ridiculously powerful and so far past the point of no return that I couldn't help but feel uneasy for these "good guys." I also can't help but sense that the Plutonian is working some sort of master plan, and that every worried step the Paradigm takes is somehow falling in line with that plan. Even Qubit, a genius who manipulates machinery and who seems to be the leader of Paradigm, seems outclassed and outmaneuvered at every turn. An indication of how so very grim things look is that the world's best hope may in fact lie in finding the Plutonian's archnemesis, except that he has gone missing.
We don't get to peek into the makeup of this present perverted Plutonian, and this of course heightens the mystery; the unknowable is always more alarming. But we're along for the ride as his backstory unfolds bit by bit. And it's as if Mark Waid had snatched Superman from the Silver Age and plonked him in today's jaded, predatory culture, a culture which tears down its heroes at the slightest provocation. Waid introduces time-honored superhero conventions and then twists them up. There's that chilling thing that the Plutonian does to his sidekick, and, in a really strong piece of storytelling, there's what happens when the Plutonian reveals his secret identity to someone he thought he could trust. Waid also shines a light on man's duplicity and his at-a-drop-of-a-hat willingness to trade principles for survival. Check out that sequence in the United Nations as various representatives hasten to fawn over this god among men. But the Plutonian can listen to your heartbeat and so can detect insincerity. One lie later, and an island city-state is toast.
***Okay, done with SPOILERS***
Character development for the supporting cast comes and goes. In incremental stages, we pick up on the backstories of several of the Paradigm, and we see their interactions before and after the Plutonian's fall from grace. Waid is very good at making you feel what these frightened heroes are going thru, the palpable tension, the bleakness, and the panic barely held in check. I'm not that impressed with Peter Krause's artwork, but the guy is good enough that he's able to provide effective visuals to what Waid wants to get across. On the other hand, I'm totally on board with John Cassaday's strikingly moody covers.
Lately, BOOM! Studios is claiming that Mark Waid is now INCORRUPTIBLE. This is a new title that I don't think has come out yet, but I can't wait for its debut. INCORRUPTIBLE is a bookend title to go with IRREDEEMABLE, and its hook (a supervillain going straight) sets the stage for a really good overarching story encompassing both series. Looks like I'll be hanging out at BOOM! Studios for a bit longer. That is, if Mark Waid can keep this up. With all the stuff already on his plate, hopefully, dude doesn't need a lot of sleep. Latest from the grapevine: Mark Waid is also INSOMNIA-ABLE.
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