I
rarely read Astro City. Not that I
haven’t anything against it, it’s just one of those titles that I’ve never had
reason to pursue. But this issue spoke to me on a personal level in a way few
comic books have.
My
wife has called me anti-social on occasion. I prefer the term non-social. It’s not an active dislike
(well, sometimes) for people in general, just an indifference. If that puts me
on side of the demons, well, so be it.
Mister
Manta is a super-villain – or was
– guilty of an ocean of maritime offenses, as well as more traditional
crimes. But his last heist went a sideways – very sideways. In battle against the mermaid, his high-tech suit
was catastrophically damaged. His flight system out of control, he ended up on
a remote island in the middle of no place.
Thankfully,
he’s a genius-level engineer, and survival comes easier than it would for most
people. Rather than a modest lean to of branches and palm fronds, his shelter
is an impressive cabin, complete with its own utility systems for water, power
and sewage. But also on Mister Manta’s agenda is rebuilding his suit. It’s
close to testing.
But
then disaster strikes, in the form of modern-day pirate Skinner Bones. When he
attacks a cruise ship full of well-heeled tourists, Mister Manta catches the
distress call over his radio. A cruise ship? SALVATION!
But
is it? Who will rescue who, here? Has decades of solitude had an impact on the
super-villain’s goals and ambitions?
I’ve
enjoyed Clark’s artwork before, several years back, but it is not as I
remember. Not better or worse, just different. Maybe he modified it for the
subject matter, maybe it just the natural evolution of his talent.
But
if I were to begin actively pursuing Astro City, this is fine place for me – or
anyone – to start.