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By Brian K. Vaughn, Tony Harris, Tom Feister & JD Mettler (WildStorm)
ISBN 1-84576-253-3
Retired superhero and current Mayor of New York City Mitchell Hundred never ducks a controversy, but even he is surprised at the reaction when he decides to enforce the laws against fortune telling by shutting down all the city’s psychics and grifters.
A bigger problem and a clever window into our protagonist’s past is Automaton, a semi-copycat vigilante who seems to be carrying on the Mayor’s previous career. Peeking into Hundred’s boyhood as a comic fanboy – no shock there – we see the events that inspired him, and possibly the seeds of his eventual downfall.
A further revelatory complication occurs when he decides to serve on a jury rather than dodge his obligations as a citizen. Naturally, it doesn’t go according to plan, but then nothing does in this wonderful, literate, clever series, featuring some of the most human characters ever seen in a funny-book, beautiful art, stunning dialogue and a dull, empty longing once you get to end of these too, too short volumes.
This is a series you should read, and re-read and tell others to read. I mean it.
© 2006 Brian K. Vaughn & Tony Harris. All Rights Reserved.
This is actually one of those books I recommend complete strangers to read…
Whenever I see someone with one of these books, and a puzzled look on their face, at my local comics pusher I tell them to go buy the first volume, read it and then come back and buy the others.
It’s a darn good read and quite pleasing on the eyes while being it!
I totally agree.
It’s a story that just seems to work for anybody. We should be carpet-bombing comicless countries with copies to win their hearts and minds.
Oh for the old days when newspapers and foreign comics would serialise strips (Any body remember what Asterix used to be called when it first appeared in the UK in ‘Look and Learn’?).
It would benefit everyone if Time-Out, The Independent or Guardian serialised stuff like this in their lifestyles section!