Product Description

The second Astro City volume collects the first extended storyline from the award-winning comics series as a young man struggles to earn his place as sidekick to the forbidding hero known as the Confessor, only to learn that his hero holds a dark secret. And while the crimefighting duo become a team, political forces are in motion to restrict the actions of the citys heroes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #208868 in Books
• Published on: 1999-06-23
• Released on: 1999-06-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781563895500
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Another "Astro City" artistic triumph
The world of Kurt Busiek's Astro City is truly one of the great fictional worlds ever created; I would rank it right up there with Tolkien's Middle Earth or the "Babylon 5" universe in terms of its richness, complexity, and emotional impact. "Kurt Busiek's Astro City: Confession" is a superb example of the power of Astro City. This book is essentially a novel in comic book form. It tells the story of Brian, a small town boy who moves to Astro City with dreams of joining the city's legion of costumed heroes. He ultimately joins up with the Confessor, a dark, brooding superhero, and together they face a chilling mystery that impacts all the city's heroes.

Many characters from other volumes in the Astro City series are woven into "Confession": Crackerjack, the Hanged Man, Winged Victory, Samaritan, and many more. Also woven into the superhero story are a number of "real world" issues: crime, spirituality, governmental intrusiveness, and more. Along the way are some innovative concepts and characters; I was especially intrigued by the Crossbreed, a group of evangelical Christian superheroes introduced early in the story.

"Confession" is at once a coming-of-age tale, an intimate character study, and a vast epic tale that spans many decades and the entire planet. The story is also a skillful blend of concepts from the horror and science fiction genres. Like many of the great graphic novels of our time ("Watchmen," "Marvels," etc.) "Confession" deconstructs the very superhero genre to which it belongs. The characters are compelling, the dialogue is gripping, and the visual artwork is awesome: many scenes look like something from a big-budget science fiction film. In my opinion, "Confession" is a profoundly moving masterpiece.

A shining example of comic book writing
I'm not a comic book fan; they're much too convulted for my own tastes. But even the first time I read Astro City: Confessions I knew it was something else, something different. Confessions is more literature than it is comic book; it transcends the genre and becomes something new altogether.

Brilliant reinvention of the classic superhero
Kurt Busiek has crafted an excellent superhero storyline in Confession. Astro City has, and continues to be the best pure superhero comic out,and Confession is the highpoint of the series. The story is completely told through the eyes of the Confessors sidekick, the Altar Boy. The fact that Busiek pulls off this narrative without seeming derivative is one thing, but the most impressive part is the quality of the story itself, and the shocking secret that the Confessor hides, adds to the drama. Throw in some mysterious religious imagery, and you get a solid enjoyable story to read. While it isnt as shocking or hilarious as Preacher, its an excellently written, beautifully drawn story, in the mold of classic comic book storytelling.