Astro City: The Dark Ages has the ugliest man alive in it, by which I mean “Royal.” Not only is he poorly in the face, but he is also the most unwise fool ever to star in a comeek. I need to tell you both that I really like Kurt Busiek’s writing, but I just cannot seem to get into this title.

I know that it is all seventies and outmoded and thick on the historical socio-political perspective. I am also sure that Busiek is trying to make a slight political statement by comparing the era of Nixon and Vietnam to the current period in America, but let’s make with a point. The two ‘heros’, by which I mean the people around whom the story focuses, are both wimbly-bimbly sycophantic hypocrites. So, unless you’re Fumanchu, it is hard to identify with them.

Anyway, I still cling to high-hopes for this title, but in the past I have held similar hope for things such as Valiant Comics and Pogo Ball.

-Peblee