- Title: Astro City #41
- Comic Vine: link
- Writer: Kurt Busiek
- Artist: Brent Anderson
During this latest volume of Astro City we’ve seen the Broken Man pop-up from time to time with important messages directed to the reader. What we haven’t seen, until now, is someone interrupt and hijack one of the omnipotent figure’s tales. That’s what happens in Astro City #43 when his tale about the Gentleman, the Bouncing Beatnik, and Lord Saampa is interrupted by the Gentleman’s daughter Tillie (who has her own amazing story to tell).
Breaking the fourth wall completely and talking both to the Broken Man and to the audience, Tillie steers the story towards her father, the super-hero known as the Gentleman. In doing so we learn something very interesting about this young girl who doesn’t age and how her father burst on the scene as a hero of Astro City.
With Tillie stealing nearly all of the Broken Man’s thunder it’s a little unclear what lesson he wanted to impart to the readers in this issue. However, Tillie’s story is easily entertaining enough to forgive her. I wouldn’t mind hearing more from the girl and learn where he path goes from here. Worth a look.
[Vertigo, $3.99]