- Title: Astro City: That Was Then… (One-shot)
- Comic Vine: link
- Writer: Kurt Busiek
- Artist: Brent Anderson
Kicking off Astro City‘s new run at Image Comics (where the comic originally started), Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson return with this one-shot special looking in on the teen heroes on the verge of adulthood on a camping trip in the summer of 1969. Set only weeks after burying the Jayhawks, another teen hero team who fought the good fight in Kansas City for years before eventually falling to a bigoted villain fueled by hatred, the comic features the team coming to terms with the loss and the sudden brutal understanding of how dangerous their profession can be.
As a kick-off point, Astro City: That Was Then… feels a bit odd. It’s really more of a teaser of things to come. Along with the introduction of several new heroes we do see some familiar faces as well and are teased that although the Jayhawks may be dead that doesn’t necessarily mean they are gone.
However, to get more information about what really happened to the Jayhawks and how that will play into present day tales, we’ll have to wait a little while until the new series begins in earnest. Even if the issue wasn’t everything I was hoping for kicking off a new era for the comic, I’m still looking to see what new corners of Astro City we’ll see explored next.
[Image Comics, $3.99]