Customer Reviews

Irredeemable: Volume 1

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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

- 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.

The premise of the "superhero turned bad" has been explored before.

Chris Claremont, in his X-Men run, created a pivotal story arc called "Dark Phoenix" which focused on a young woman who started her career as a teenage superheroine and a mutant darling of millions and became a intergalatic mass-murderer.

As a previous reviewer pointed out, Alan Moore explored this angle in his Miracleman series. But let us not forget that he delved into this in an even more substantial way in his Swamp Thing series. (For any of you who haven't had an opportunity to read Swamp Thing #49 to 52 of Alan Moore's series in which Swamp Thing attacks Gotham City and raises the ire of both Batman and Lex Luthor, I suggest that you grab a tradeback copy. His dismantling of Gotham City is fascinating and the story's conclusion is still among the best I've ever read.)

Even Mark Waid himself has taken on this subject in Kingdom Come by subverting the essence of Captain Marvel. (To say that his portrait of Marvel in that mini-series was both shocking and eerily compelling is an understatement.)

With all of this having been said, what makes Irredeemable's first compliation such a masterpiece is the major departures from the way these stories have been told in the past.

Yes, we have seen heroes go bad, but there's always some rationale as to why they were corrupted-- Jean Grey became Dark Phoenix because she lost her mind; Swamp Thing became a villian because of his wife's "unjust" imprisonment; Kid Miracleman went ballistic after he was sexually assaulted, etc. These excuses serve as a security blanket for readers. They can always say "oh, Green Lantern never would have destroyed Coastal City if he hadn't been under the influence of blah, blah blah ...)

What makes Irredeemable so refreshing is that there aren't any substantive excuses for the atrocities the antagonist commits. It reminds me of the fianle of the Nicholas Cage movie "8 Millimeter," where Cage's character confronts the serial killer and is told "I didn't becomes this way because I was beaten, or abused ... I did this because I wanted to." The anatagonist in this book, the Plutonian, has the power to do almost anything. But, he DECIDED to do evil things, simply because that was what his morbidly capricious heart desired.

In writing the book in this way, Mark Waid treats his readership like adults.

I don't know where this series is going, but its first chapters both as an entertaining graphic novel and a philosophical premise are fantastic!

Two thumbs way up for this book.
I love the premise. Superman has been around for years, and we've seen several Superman knock-offs over the years, but I've never seen anything like this. What if a guy had similiar type powers to Superman but was not prepared to handle that power or the responsibility? What if he had a fragile ego, and a poor self esteem? What if he let every little snide comment bother him? What if he couldn't handle the pressure and responsibility that comes with that power? Do I save this island from a tsunami or that city from an earthquake?
Most comic book characters with god-like power seem to have it all together. Strong morals, a great sense of responsibility, and a healthy self-esteem. Not so much with the Plutonian. He started out that way, as an All-American type of guy similiar to Captain America and Superman but he fell from grace and now he's on a rampage and no one can stop him. The group that is trying to stop the Plutonian is his former team, the Paradigm. This team is lead by Mr. Qubit, a character that I quickly grew to love. The problem is that the Paradigm can't come close to matching the Plutoian's power level. No Green Lantern or Wonder Woman on this team, just a few brave heroes trying to stand up to the world's most powerful man.
The artwork is fantastic as well. Peter Krause protrays the action in a vibrant, exciting way but where he really excels is the emotion that he portrays on the faces of each character. We really feel the anger, the shock, and the fright that each character feels. Great stuff. I also enjoy the great surprises and the palpable sense of danger in this book. Top notch! Can't wait for the next tpb!

This trade paperback collects the first four issues of the Boom! Studios comic book series "Irredeemable" from writer Mark Waid and artist Peter Krause. The cover shows the central figure The Plutonian, a Superman-like character that has gone horribly rogue. As he wreaks global chaos, his former allies band together in an attempt to contain him. Krause's artwork is strong with striking coloring. Waid's concept is intriguing, but the narrative often seems stretched too thinly, and I usually felt underwhelmed at the end of each issue. I applaud Boom's decision to price this TPB at only ten bucks, considering each individual 22-page issue cost a hefty $3.99. The TPB also contains the variant covers for the four issues. This series garnered much critical acclaim, so comic fans unfamiliar with the series might want to look into this TPB. I probably will not continue with the monthly issues of this series but might check out the second TPB once it is available.

Not since reading the Bendis/Oeming comic "Powers" has a comic grabbed me this hard.

I read about Irredeemable recently in a comic review, and when buying comics that week, took advantage of a sale to buy trade paperback books 1 and 2.

After reading book 1, I set it aside and shivered. It's not that the idea is new or unheard of. Miracleman, the reboot of Squadron Supreme as Supreme Power, even bits and pieces of the recent DC line have had the concept of the Superman-archetype hero being sick of the little insects around him scurrying and begging to be saved. It's not that concept that makes Irredeemable work as well as it does.

It's the characterization of The Plutonian as frustrated and alone.

A similarity might be seen in Kurt Busiek's "Astro City" character "The Samaritan". In Astro City, Busiek showed us the concept of the Superman-type constantly bombarded by requests for help, knowing he has mere seconds to rest every day before flying off to save someone, somewhere. Marvel Comics' the Sentry is another example, where the all-powerful never-sleeping hero must fly across the world constantly to save people, and must weigh and judge where and when he can help.

But in all of those, we assume that the hero does what he can, even if wearied from the burden. But Waid's Plutonian shows the hero folding under that burden. Waid hints at the hero growing up feared and alone, shunted from home foster home to another - a far cry from the Kents giving Clark a strong moral background of selfless love. The little cracks of fear and lack of love show more and more on the Plutonian in the backstory, while we watch him in the present tearing apart the world, seemingly at last partly satisfied with fear where he could not earn real trust from the humans that always muttered 'alien' or 'mutant' or 'freak' behind his back.

Waid focuses clearly on the reasons for Plutonian's rage and turn to villain, and it works better than I thought it would. It's the little moments as well as the big failures that Waid depicts wearing on the hero until he gives up on heroism.

People think of Mark Waid as a tow the big name comic guy and why not? I have been a Mark Waid fan since his inspired work on the Flash. And ofcourse his work on "Kingdom Come" is legendary and probably the most recognizble comic since "The Dark Knight Returns". But what people don't know is that Mark Waid is one SICK TWISTED GENIUS. If anyone is a fan and wants to know where he can take a crazy story go read "EMPIRE" This was a story about a madman who ruled the world and not like marvel where he rules for six issues and then everything goes back to normal. No this is what if Doctor Doom ruled the world and killed everyone who opposes him and I mean kills and tortures alot. This was my first taste into what Mark Waid can do.

And now it is my pleasure to read "Irredemeemable" this the Mark Waid I have been waiting for. The story is a rattlesnake,on the surface, what if a Superman like hero went evil but in the end it will just bite you in the ass. Short Synopsis: as his former teamates race around the world to find anything about the former hero turned greatest mass murder on earth they come to realize with dawining horror how much they relied on him and how much they don't know about him. We then begin to see parts of the puzzle that make him "IRREDEEMABLE" This was an awsome read and a great ride.

This book is hardcore. Yes, Bendis had a similar thing going on in Powers - and Moore in Miracleman - and Kirkman at the beginning of Invincible - but the Superman-gone-rogue idea gets some really nice touches in this book. What REALLY happens when Lois finds out what Clark has been hiding? It's a short but sweet thrill ride. If you like Authority, Powers, Miracleman, or Invincible, you will enjoy this long, dark look into the one-metahuman apocalypse.

I have always liked Mark Waid's work. When he works for DC sometimes I feel he is too restrained, except for the case of Kingdom Come. Irredeemable is set in Mark Waid's own universe and he can do whatever he wants, which is great for the reader. The Plutonian is a superman like character who was the worlds greatest hero. So strong and powerful that no other hero even comes close and rivaled only by one villain who is missing. The Plutonian though changes from a hero to an arch villain. Killing millions, doing countless destruction and hunting down his old team mates. This collects the first 4 issues from the Boom Comics series. It is a nice introduction to the world and a lot of characters. You begin to get some clues as to why the Plutonian changed, but there is a much to be learned. I am eagerly awaiting the second volume of this great series. If you enjoy this, try looking up Empire by Waid and Kitson. It also outstanding Waid writing in his own world and being very evil.