The legendary comic series, Astro City is back with a new story centered around the mystery of the 1960s superhero team, The Jayhawks. 
Five young heroes travel across the coast to investigate the whereabouts of the Jayhawks. What becomes of them and how does their story impact the modern world of Astro City?
Kurt Busiek has written all kinds of superhero stories and books and has a lengthy resume full of great works, especially in regards to his Avengers run with George Perez. But the hidden gem that is known within the comics community, yet doesn’t get mentioned enough, is Astro City. This series is an anthology of stories that stand alone, yet interconnect into a larger tapestry of fully realized characters filled with depth, and humanity. That is something the big two haven’t quite nailed in some time, nor achieved on such a level as Busiek’s acclaimed series.
This latest installment is a fantastic jumping on point for new readers that aren’t familiar with Astro City, and a welcomed return for longtime fans of the title. Busiek explores the sort of trauma and difficulties that come with being a superhero teen group, writing a meditative commentary on teen superhero teams (akin to the Teen Titans) and the coming of age growing pains that come with that territory, and beyond. The way the story cohesively comes together by the end of the book is brilliantly crafted, and Busiek’s ability to make each character’s plight relatable as the team tries to figure themselves out as individuals is beautifully handled.
Brent Anderson is no stranger to illustrating the world of Astro City and seeing that he’s still able to deliver well-crafted illustrations, and layouts that are in service to the story is a testament to his long-standing collaboration with Busiek on this series. Anderson brilliantly conveys all the emotions that Busiek’s script carries, and coupled with Alex Sinclair’s colors and Comic Craft’s Tyler Smith and Jimmy Betancourt’s lettering, the entire creative team deliver a quality book that’s worth the price of admission. If you’re looking for a comic within the superhero genre that has all the substance that you seek, this is the book to pick up for new comic book day.
Newsdesk