Hot Off The Comics Press: Picks Of The Week 25 May
'When good guys go bad' may sound like a trashy US reality TV special, but as a narrative exposit it is one that Eisner-nominated writer Mark Waid has relished. Beginning with his tales of fallen superheroes in Kingdom Come and Empire, Waid finally reached his pinnacle with Irredeemable, the story of a superhero's turn to, if you will, the dark side. The Plutonian was a Superman-esque hero who grew weary of the constant disappointment of humankind before finally turning judge, jury and executioner on the human race.
Irredeemable, published by Boom! Studios, has been met with both critical and commercial success. Sure enough the next whim followed: what if the irredeemable did seek redemption? And with that, Incorruptible was born. Now on its 18th issue, Waid's story (with art by Marcio Takara) is about Max Damage, a cliché named villain-gone-straight after witnessing the horror of the Plutonian's rampage. Like its predecessor, this story of the newly reformed is a gloriously hard-boiled and innovative twist on the morals of the superhuman.
Veering from the superhero to the supernatural, this week American Vampire #15 hits the stands. This consistently excellent title continues the 'Ghost War' WWII arc in the rise of a new breed of Vampires. Written by Scott Snyder with art by Rafael Albuquerque, this ongoing series has been a triumph for Vertigo and as the Vampire fad begins to lose steam American Vampire still excels issue-on-issue.
This tale of bloodsuckers has moved from the old West through the birth of Hollywood, and onto the bright lights of Las Vegas, circa 1935 before landing in WWII. So if you want to get a taste of the mouthwatering back story, pick up the sumptuous hard cover collections: Vol. 1 is available now with Vol.2 coming to a store near you soon.