Astro City

I think one of the comics I most enjoyed reading this semester was “Astro City”. While the characters could clearly be linked to the classic comic book characters, like The Samaritan to Superman and Winged Victory to Wonder Woman, they were far enough away to be portrayed differently and perhaps more realistically. They give a different spin on the old character types that draws the reader in.

One of the things that has always bothered me about Superman is his seeming invincibility. He always succeeds and is happy about helping people- he is just the regular Boy Scout. The Samaritan, on the other hand, is a worn down Superman. He still feels it his duty to help everyone, but he feels the stress of always helping people and never having a spare moment to just relax. Showing this weakness, this perceived flaw, makes him a much more likable character. Rather than being the unattainable form of perfection, people can sympathize with him, if just to a small degree.

I also liked how this story went more in depth in its depiction of characters that were not directly related to the Superheroes. Like Marta, the woman who lives on Shadow Hill. Her inclusion in great detail in the story further draws in the reader and helps them relate to this aspect of the story. She is an ordinary person facing real problems that she has to cope with. She provides a perspective to the story that is not often obtained. A different perspective is also obtained through the development of the character of Mr. Bridwell. He is different because he is a villain, but not in the black and white sense so widely used in early comics. The comic shows his dilemma, his trying to find a good side to humans that will prevent him from sending a signal to begin an alien invasion.