Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol. 10: Victory

Writer:  Kurt Busiek

Artist:  Brent Anderson

First Publication:  September 2014

Source:  Comixology

Publisher:  DC Comics

Collects issue #s 7-10, Visitors Guide #1

Graphic Novel Challenge #7

Busiek ups his game with the story of an insidious attack on his version of Wonder Woman (Winged Victory).  Winged Victory has been a champion for equal rights.  She has established facilities to help women in trouble.  Now one of her enemies has revealed that everything was staged.  The villains she has beaten were paid by her.  She has been framed but all of the evidence has put doubt in the peoples’ heads.  It is a race against time to solve the mystery and restore her good name.  

An excellent book that gets a high recommendation from me.

Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol. 9: Through Open Doors

Writer:  Kurt Busiek

Artist:  Brent Anderson

First Publication:  April 2014

Source:  Comixology

Publisher:  DC Comics

Collects issue #s 1-6

Graphic Novel Challenge #6

Great covers?  Check (artist Alex Ross does fantastic covers).  Great Writing?  Check (Kurt Busiek is one the best-his run on Thunderbolts was amazing).  Great Art?  Check (I have been a big Brent Anderson fan over the years-some of the highlights were his work on X-Men:  God Loves, Man Kills, Somerset Holmes, Ka-Zar the Savage, Strikeforce:  Morituri, and many others).  This creative team, along with inker Willie Blyberg, launched the Astro City series.  

In the latest volume, Anderson began to ink himself.  While the art is still excellent, I miss Blyberg’s inks.  Busiek begins with a more metatextual story.  The main character of the first story breaks the fourth wall to talk to the readers.  The team turned in a great beginning to the latest volume.  It’s a can’t miss for fans of character studies set in the world of super heroes.  

Highly recommended.