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mjfmjfmjf's review
5.0
And the grand re-read is all done. And I think I liked this one even more this time. G-Dog just resonates to me even without being a dog-person. It just comes across so believably. And it being Astro City you get to see his whole life. Resistance was okay. I liked the idea of the superhero being all of us. And the mad scientist being the good guy and still dying. But his daughter's view of him both young and old were what held my interest. And then there was Miranda's Friends. Which really captured the whole series. Active loss, invisible loss. Donuts and the Hanged Man. And just getting by on memory.
Maybe I'll wait 10 years and read the series again.
Classic Astro City. Nostalgic. Emotional. And basically awesome. This time with a super-corgi kind of, which even as a non-dog person, worked for me. The use of language. The use of cast. The big sweeping world. There's just something about this that catches me every time. Nothing particularly special or different about this one. 4.5 of 5.
Maybe I'll wait 10 years and read the series again.
Classic Astro City. Nostalgic. Emotional. And basically awesome. This time with a super-corgi kind of, which even as a non-dog person, worked for me. The use of language. The use of cast. The big sweeping world. There's just something about this that catches me every time. Nothing particularly special or different about this one. 4.5 of 5.
justinlife's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My first exposure to Astro City happens to be the last volume. I saw this at the library and picked it up. From my understanding, the series is more of vignettes of people and superheroes living in the town and isn't really a cohesive story.
This was a fun and surprisingly emotional collection of three stories dealing with loss in a superhero city. The first is about G-Dog- a man and his dog who, because of an amulet, combine bodies and become a superhero. The second is about a daughter trying to find her dad. The last is about a man who runs a support group for people who've lost loved ones due to superheroes. All of these stories deal with various aspects of loss and moving on. They are poignant and well written.
The art reminded me of the Watchmen or earlier superhero comics. Having that hyper stylized feel to stories with depth gave the script room to breathe.
Overall, I would recommend. I look forward to reading more.
This was a fun and surprisingly emotional collection of three stories dealing with loss in a superhero city. The first is about G-Dog- a man and his dog who, because of an amulet, combine bodies and become a superhero. The second is about a daughter trying to find her dad. The last is about a man who runs a support group for people who've lost loved ones due to superheroes. All of these stories deal with various aspects of loss and moving on. They are poignant and well written.
The art reminded me of the Watchmen or earlier superhero comics. Having that hyper stylized feel to stories with depth gave the script room to breathe.
Overall, I would recommend. I look forward to reading more.
trike's review
5.0
I bought Astro City as soon as it came out. “Bought”, past tense, because this is the end of the regular book, which has been running since 1995. Astro City has survived numerous changes in publishers and formats over the decades, and I’m sure it will survive this new phase of switching from a monthly comic to original graphic novel format. I know I’ll be there.
Anyway, I’ve been putting off reading this because I knew it was the end and I kinda didn’t want to go there. I don’t know why I finally decided to dive into it now, but it was a strange coincidence. This year I meant to tackle my TBR but so far I’d only read one book off the stack. This is the first comic from the pile that’s on my nightstand.
The first story is a two-parter about G-Dog, a super-Corgi who becomes a member of the Pet Patrol. (There’s also Ghost Ferret, Rocket Dog, Dr. Monkey and Kittyhawk.) I loves me some animal superheroes; I had three supergroups in the videogame City of Heroes comprised of animal-themed heroes and villains, so I was all about this.
I’ve known Kurt Busiek online since a little before Astro City debuted, when Usenet was the only real social media going. Reddit is just Usenet with graphics. So I knew that G-Dog was based on his dog, Fenway.
This year we lost three dogs right in a row: Spartacus the Chihuahua had to be put down on March 31st because his quality of life was decreasing rapidly and he clearly had a fast-moving cancer. (https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNHdUxlDKld/?utm_medium=copy_link) Suddenly a few days later Maia the Schipperke had a seizure, perhaps a stroke, and died in the middle of the night. (https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNPSHDLjlQU/?utm_medium=copy_link) And then at the end of April, our friend had to put down her dog, Pixie, a Bichon, because she also had a rapid decline in health as she lost the use of her legs out of the blue. (https://www.instagram.com/tv/COT-bxwj32M/?utm_medium=copy_link) Pixie stayed with us several times a year over more than a decade. She treated Spart like a boyfriend — we joked that she liked the bad boys — and in their younger days she and Maia would parkour around the family room playing “the floor is lava”. So losing them all at once was a shock.
This is background for my reaction to G-Dog’s story, which is as pure a paean to canine friendship as I’ve ever encountered. Every single bit of it rings true, because Busiek has been there, and he gets it. Andy is a small-time crook who takes a Corgi puppy in lieu of payment, intending to sell the dog. Instead he ends up keeping him, naming him Hank. An amulet Andy stole is magic, because it’s Astro City, and Andy and Hank get accidentally morphed into G-Dog. Andy first wants to use these powers to steal, but Hank’s inherent goodness redeems him, and they become heroes. Really good stuff.
These issues were illustrated by guest artist Mike Norton, who created [b:Battlepug: Volume 1|13505293|Battlepug Volume 1 (Battlepug, #1)|Mike Norton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360508239l/13505293._SX50_.jpg|19055541]. Even before that was a comic, I bought the shirt he was selling because at the time we had 5 Pugs and it’s awesomely goofy.
So he was the perfect choice to bring G-Dog to life. This is the great thing about Astro City: it can encompass all of these stories.
The other two tales here are Resistance and Aftermaths, which are about a journalist chasing down the legacy of her inventor father and a guy who runs a support group for people who’ve survived encounters with supervillains. These are equally good but clearly it was G-Dog’s story that resonated for me.
I’m anticipating the next phase of Astro City, which I hope comes sooner rather than later.
Anyway, I’ve been putting off reading this because I knew it was the end and I kinda didn’t want to go there. I don’t know why I finally decided to dive into it now, but it was a strange coincidence. This year I meant to tackle my TBR but so far I’d only read one book off the stack. This is the first comic from the pile that’s on my nightstand.
The first story is a two-parter about G-Dog, a super-Corgi who becomes a member of the Pet Patrol. (There’s also Ghost Ferret, Rocket Dog, Dr. Monkey and Kittyhawk.) I loves me some animal superheroes; I had three supergroups in the videogame City of Heroes comprised of animal-themed heroes and villains, so I was all about this.
I’ve known Kurt Busiek online since a little before Astro City debuted, when Usenet was the only real social media going. Reddit is just Usenet with graphics. So I knew that G-Dog was based on his dog, Fenway.
RIP Fenway.
— Kurt Busiek (@KurtBusiek) December 6, 2019
Best dog. pic.twitter.com/3vhJ2z7upc
This year we lost three dogs right in a row: Spartacus the Chihuahua had to be put down on March 31st because his quality of life was decreasing rapidly and he clearly had a fast-moving cancer. (https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNHdUxlDKld/?utm_medium=copy_link) Suddenly a few days later Maia the Schipperke had a seizure, perhaps a stroke, and died in the middle of the night. (https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNPSHDLjlQU/?utm_medium=copy_link) And then at the end of April, our friend had to put down her dog, Pixie, a Bichon, because she also had a rapid decline in health as she lost the use of her legs out of the blue. (https://www.instagram.com/tv/COT-bxwj32M/?utm_medium=copy_link) Pixie stayed with us several times a year over more than a decade. She treated Spart like a boyfriend — we joked that she liked the bad boys — and in their younger days she and Maia would parkour around the family room playing “the floor is lava”. So losing them all at once was a shock.
This is background for my reaction to G-Dog’s story, which is as pure a paean to canine friendship as I’ve ever encountered. Every single bit of it rings true, because Busiek has been there, and he gets it. Andy is a small-time crook who takes a Corgi puppy in lieu of payment, intending to sell the dog. Instead he ends up keeping him, naming him Hank. An amulet Andy stole is magic, because it’s Astro City, and Andy and Hank get accidentally morphed into G-Dog. Andy first wants to use these powers to steal, but Hank’s inherent goodness redeems him, and they become heroes. Really good stuff.
Spoiler
And when Hank the Corgi dies of old age at 15, bringing an end to the adventures of G-Dog, it hit me hard. Full-on crying, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.These issues were illustrated by guest artist Mike Norton, who created [b:Battlepug: Volume 1|13505293|Battlepug Volume 1 (Battlepug, #1)|Mike Norton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360508239l/13505293._SX50_.jpg|19055541]. Even before that was a comic, I bought the shirt he was selling because at the time we had 5 Pugs and it’s awesomely goofy.
So he was the perfect choice to bring G-Dog to life. This is the great thing about Astro City: it can encompass all of these stories.
The other two tales here are Resistance and Aftermaths, which are about a journalist chasing down the legacy of her inventor father and a guy who runs a support group for people who’ve survived encounters with supervillains. These are equally good but clearly it was G-Dog’s story that resonated for me.
I’m anticipating the next phase of Astro City, which I hope comes sooner rather than later.
lukeisthename34's review
5.0
Astro City is always on another level, but then you get something like the final arc in this volume and you remember why it's just so special. The fact that Busiek can take something as fictional as a support group for the victims of loss in a super hero city, and make you feel so emotional about it that you have to take breaks, is incredible. A totally unreal plot point like 'is a person who didn't really lose someone in this reality the same as someone who lost a child?' somehow becomes so important to you, you can't breathe as the characters tries to defend themselves. Busiek's writing is a gentle as it is jarring. What an unreal talent.
bowienerd_82's review
4.0
Four and a half stars, for sure. This one was fantastic- moving, interesting, and as always, a fascinating take on a comic book world.
I can't believe this is the last book of the series- I mean, don't get me wrong- this is an excellent series finish- I'm just sad the series is over, because it has been so good for so long.
I can't believe this is the last book of the series- I mean, don't get me wrong- this is an excellent series finish- I'm just sad the series is over, because it has been so good for so long.
xanderbernhard's review
5.0
Another brilliant installment of probably my favourite comic series of all time. I'm sad that the run of individual issues is over, but I look forward to the OGNs. The first story with G-Dog was great, Mike Norton was probably my favourite guest artist on this title. But Brent Anderson is irreplaceable and proves it in the last four issues that comprise this collection The three part Aftermaths tale was a great way to sent the series off. Picking up on the much loved The Nearness of You story it was the perfect way to tie up the series as by acknowledging both the past and the need to move forward. Love it. Now I need to re-read the whole series.
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