Posts Tagged mark waid

Book Of The Month – July

Irredeemable – Volume 1

Written by Mark Waid

Art by Peter Krause

BOOM! Studios

Mark Waid is evil (or so I’ve been told). The writer that we all cherish and adore has absorbed all the love we’ve ever poured into him over the past decades, and has thrown it up back into our faces. He used to be such a kind and jolly man, but one day he just snapped, and the comic book community was rocked because of it. A tremor like this hasn’t hit us since the late 1980’s, when works by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and Frank Miller were felt by all. What could have possibly made Mark Waid do unspeakable acts against those who thought they knew him so well?

Simple. He was tired of not being appreciated.

Crap, I did it again; I sometimes accidentally get the writer mixed-up with the main character of the collection I’m reviewing!

I for one didn’t know Mark Waid had it in him to write such a shocking and creepy comic revolving around the most powerful and beloved superhero on the planet. Sure, we have seen glimpses of Waid’s dark side in other works by him (Kingdome Come, 52), but never full-on gaze into the soulless abyss such as with Irredeemable. To have The Plutonian, the Superman of his universe, suddenly stop being good and become the deadliest supervillain in all existence? You suddenly have my undivided attention.

If you’re like me, you’ve had the Superman versus Batman discussion with a friend once or twice (the obvious answer is ‘Batman’, by the way). The Superman side of the argument is “he’s so fast, he’d decapitate you before you could throw a punch” or “he would shoot eye-lasers from up in space, totally disintegrating you!” Only problem is, Superman doesn’t kill, nor will ever cross that line. The Plutonian used to be the exact same way, but now is feared by all. We get to see what Superman would totally be capable of if he didn’t have any moral codes stopping him. That’s what Irredeemable is all about; seeing the man of steel cross that line.

Would DC comics ever feature a comic about Superman killing both good guys and bad guy at the drop of a hat? Hell no. The main three (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman) are holy icons, and to shed them in a bad or gruesome light would be considered blasphemy by Pope DiDio! Mark Waid on the other hand, is not only Editor-And-Chief at BOOM! Studios, but a damn good writer when he’s not being held-back by editorial. It’s obvious when reading through the first four issues of the series that he has been plotting a story like this for many years, and all he needed was a perfect opportunity to share his twisted vision with the rest of us. He pours his heart and soul into this creation, and goddammit it shows!

What would a great comic be without the great artist to illustrate the said twisted vision? What Peter Krause does on art is equivalent to what Stephen King did to clowns; he made something that makes you feel safe and happy, turn into something terrifying and unnerving. To see The Plutonian make such a 180-degree turn from good to bad isn’t something that’s easily accomplished, but with Krause on the job, you can sit back and take-in all the creepy unfolding throughout the pages.

When this series first started, two other series from DC and Avatar in the same vein as Irredeemable were also coming out; The Mighty and Absolution. As good as they were, they didn’t hold a candle to Irredeemable in my humble opinion, because the cream always rises to the top.

Do yourself a favor and go get the first volume of Irredeemable as soon as possible. For ten dollars, you don’t have any excuse.

Book Of The Month – June – LOCAL

Book Of The Month – July – Sub-Mariner: The Depths

Book Of The Month – August – Superman: Secret Identity

Book Of The Month – October – Welcome To Hoxford

Book Of The Month – November – The Nightly News

Book Of The Month – December – CLA$$WAR

Book Of The Month – January – The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite

Book Of The Month – February – Locke & Key: Welcome To Lovecraft

Book Of The Month – March – Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection

Book Of The Month – April – Asterios Polyp

Book Of The Month – May – Green Lantern: Secret Origin

Book Of The Month – June – Titanium Rain: Book One