Irredeemable Premier Vol. 2

Irredeemable #3-4

by Mark Waid, Diego Barreto (Illustrator), Emma Ríos (Illustrator)

The Plutonian, once the world's greatest hero, now the world's most terrifying supervillain, has violently devastated millions of lives. The Plutonian's former teammates, the Paradigm, have been forced to turn toward a savage former enemy and a slim chance for survival. But with little time and less options the Paradigm have no other shot at stopping the vengeful Plutonian. Have they unleashed something they cannot control?

The apocalyptic superhero tale continues, from the author of multiple Eisner Award winner KINGDOM COME and EMPIRE!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

208 pages, Hardcover

Published May 24, 2016

About the author

Mark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collecting Irredeemable, Vol. 3 and Irredeemable, Vol. 4 after multiple mass global murder event by the Superman-like The Plutonium, a fight back of sorts has began with the remaining seeking answers and solutions, and the scientist and US Govt. seeking a drastic solution... bringing on the super villains! Although a great concept of omega powered being run wild, I don't think there's enough of his impact on humanity with it's primary focus on super beings, although the digging into the Plutonium's past is pretty neat. A 7 .5 out of 12. firm Three Star read.

2023 and 2011 read

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one basically deals with the whole Bette Did Something Bad plotline.



But to be quite honest, I can't say she did anything all that bad. It sort of read like a white-bread husband's worst fear that had somehow been blown waaaaaaaay out of proportion by both the men.
So, she had a fling with Plutonian. A one night stand while she and Gil were dating but not yet married.
Was he better than me?!
Seriously, Gil? You're a thousand years old and you've never fucked up?
And of course, there was Plutionian's reaction to the affair, which was to build a shrine to Bette and then do rapey (or just plain weird!) stuff with other women while making them dress up as his teammate.



After all the buildup, I kind of thought there would be a bit more to the story.



Of course, what Bette didn't do was the actual bad thing.
Yes. The dumbass should have fessed up immediately & shown them the bullet, but given how both of those douchebags overreacted to the affair, I sort of understand her hesitation.
But not really.
Because dead people! Billions of dead people!

Also notable: The government calls in a mother-fucking demon!



I'm loving this title!

[The Lion's Share · Rating 4 out of 5]

It lives up to the hype still.

This is one of those comic book series that is very entertaining and very easy to read. It’s filled with eye candy to help you through the dull bits. More characters are introduced every now and then to keep you on your toes.

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essentially this is a what-if a Superman like hero became a villain. He's more powerful than pretty much any other hero. He has the trust of the general populace and the superhero community. But, what if years of not fitting in and frustration finally exploded into rage and violence?

I've been waiting a long time to finish reading this story. I bought the definitive edition 5 to 7 years ago. This book only has 2 to 3 issues that are not included in the previous book so the story does advance a little past what I've read before.

I'm looking forward to seeing how everything shakes out. Without know more I still think this is one of Mark Waid's best stories (but Kingdom Come is my favorite).

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Irredeemable epic continues here as we get deeper insight into the post-Plutonian world and what his destruction has caused and we also learn more about the Paradigm heroes who are not only struggling to stop him but struggling with their role in his madness. Suffice it to say, deep secrets are revealed.

What I loved most about this is the exploration that maybe the Plutonians turn to a villain wasn't simply a sudden thing that manifested out of nowhere, that this dark side might have been under the surface for a while and the constant pressure and mistakes caused it all to bubble to the surface. It's important to remember that like Superman, the Plutonian isn't of this world and probably struggled everyday to conform, a struggle that can take it's toll. This story highlights the fact that the most important and compelling part of the Superman concept is his human upbringing, and the series shows what could've happened if that upbringing wasn't there.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a lot of individual scenes here that are interesting in an apocalyptic superhero story sort of way, but like the first volume, it all sort of feels hollow as the characters have little depth beyond the avatar they represent: similar to Superman, sort of like Black Lightning, kind of like Black Canary, reminiscent of Brainiac, almost like Hawkman.

The last chapter introduces Max Damage and his Harley Quinn-esque sidekick, Jailbait. I'm also starting their spin-off series with Incorruptible, Vol. 1.

[Blindzider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding! A real page turner for sure. I can't decide if I'm more interested in how they will deal with the Plutonian, or if the interpersonal secrets and dynamics are more fascinating. I wish there was maybe a prequel to where you could become more familiar with each character before all of this happened, because some of their actions now would be more surprising and/or shocking. Waid does an excellent job of filling in the backgrounds to give you enough understanding and perspective to see where they are coming from in the here and now, but I think if we had spent some time with them before it would have helped. The other thing I like is I'm really not sure what's going to happen next. Can't wait for the final volume.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irredeemable Premier Vol. 2 collects issues 9-15 and Irredeemable Special 1 written by Mark Waid with art by Peter Krause.

The heroes have turned to an old nemesis of Plutonian in hopes to end his villainous reign.

Another great volume of Irredeemable. This book has some great character development and twists and turns along the way. I am really enjoying it so far!

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The is is my first time reading Mark Waid’s Irredeemable, and while the story and themes and over-all deconstruction of superhero archetypes is holding up very well to time, there is an underlying heterosexism and misogyny that probably would have been par-for-the-course in 2009, but today feels a bit uncomfortable.

In this volume, we are given a lot more backstory to the Paradigm. For me, looking backwards is always a compelling forwarding device in storytelling, and Waid is doing a great job pulling me along for the ride.

Occasional cringes aside, this is a very good comic.
3.5/5

[Michael Emond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay - so the premise has been established - where does the writer go from there? Can they keep up the interest? My verdict - it was good but not as thrilling as the first volume. We know the plot - Plutonium is out of control, so when we see him do some more out of control stuff, it isn't as novel. We see the army work hard to capture the remaining good heroes and also let loose a super villain alien onto the world in the hope it will stop Plutonium. Those two things made me roll my eyes. I'm not saying the US army isn't stupid enough to do those two things but it is laughable how stupid those two actions are. Let's capture the heroes trying to stop the out of control hero. Because, if one is bad they could all go bad. Do we use that reasoning with cops? If one is bad, throw them all in jail because they are all the same? No. Dumb.
And letting super villains loose to stop the out of control ex-hero? Come on. Even a 5 year old knows how that will play out.
So those two elements made me wince. Also...wow, the Plutonium seems to have been screwed up since he was a kid. How did he reign it in for so long?

Is it still fun? Yes. Did I feel the writer managed to up the ante in the second volume? Not really. I'll stay for the end, but at this point I am thinking "you're stretching a 2 hour movie into a trilogy".

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man, this series started off really strong, but all the bizarre blame transferring that goes on in the last half of this volume is a bummer. Specifically the reasons behind why it all happened. Hard to really discuss without spoilers. I'll finish the series but I am decidedly less enthusiastic about it, right now.

[Robert Timmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Mark Waid, Irredeemable follows The Plutonian, the world's greatest hero who has gone dark. In the second volume, the Paradigm (a Justice League knock off) are forced to turn to a former enemy for help in stopping the Plutonian. Still really enjoying the series and give this volume 4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Surly Gliffs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Krazy Komics reviews! I'm reviewing the first two premier volumes (which collected the first four trade paperback volumes) as a unitary work. I found my impression this time around was very much like the last time: the opening issues were awesome but the action did not hold up.

Waid is a national treasure and a fine but underrated writer. I've followed his work since the Flash and Kingdom Come in the 90s, and it seemed like his Boom titles would free him from the strict limits of his editorial overseers. Sure enough, Irredeemable is the forbidden JLA story Waid could never write at DC, with a Superman analogue gone insane and a team riven by awful psychosexual dynamics. That said, Waid doesn't back away from a bit of tongue-in-cheek cheesiness: for instance the femme fatale, deployed more as plot device than actualized character, is named "Bette Noir" (groans).

Setting those warts aside, the first premier volume is a rollicking adventure, offering plenty of intrigue, detection, and slam-bam action with a high body count. The plotting is fast-paced and the suspense feels dire. But the second premier volume just can't keep the pace: Waid withdraws into the antecedent action and the story loses its immediacy. That was what led me to stop buying the story in single issues, and the same flaw discouraged me from hitting up my local library for the remaining trades now.

Setting aside the plot failings, Irredeemable offers solid widescreen action with strong art from Peter Krause. Generally recommended for uncritical adult fans of superhero superteams.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as strong as the previous volume, and that's probably because the first volume escalated the story rather fast. This set of issues leans more into worldbuilding and giving insight into the Plutonian and the Paradigm after the Plutonian's insanity is revealed. It's still pretty fun I suppose, but a lot of this kind of reads like generic superheroics with all style and limited intimacy or substance and that's not really all that appealing to me. Krause's artwork has a cinematic feel to it, which largely makes me think a lot of this was conceived in the hopes of a big budget adaptation in mind.

Probably won't continue on for now, but I'm glad I gave it a shot.

[Adam Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume two of the Irredeemable series (or volumes 3 and 4, if you're reading the trades, as I am) should probably be subtitled: The Blame Game. We keep discovering new events that led to Plutonian's actions at the beginning of the series, and they don't make anyone look good.

While the villain does continue to do heinous things, the focus of this arc is that Everyone Makes Mistakes.

I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys superhero comics that aren't clear cut morality plays, people who like to point fingers, and fans of X-Men comics where Magneto tries to be good.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second volume was a fantastic follow-up to the strong first outing, but it definitely feels like a middle volume. This series probably could have been a bit shorter - one of the arcs this volume spends a lot of time setting up feels like it's about to play out in an extremely redundant way - but as a superhero deconstruction this thing really soars. The Plutonian - Waid's Superman - is a fascinating character. All of the characterization here really goes a long way in showing how and why he snapped. Looking forward to the next volumes.

[John Mendiola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such intricate plottimg

The pacing of this book is insane. Things just come left and right. It feels like a hundred layers and connections have been woven into the story and they're told in the perfect order. There seems to be another wrinkle to the story that keeps you on your toes.

One other thing is I'd like to note, the darkness and drama behind the dynamics of Superman and a Justice League is in full display here. And it is delicious.

[Eastham Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simply a continuation of volume one. Not much progress in the story here with the exception of learning of a sexual affair and a possible means to stop plutonium.

As such, no further review needed. Please see the review for Volume one.

[Christopher Wolbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheesey rip-off heroes, but a great story premise. Awesome writing and plot development with twists and turns. It's getting much better. Is this going to be a great series that isn't from the big boys of graphic novels?

[Paxton Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing saga of the Plutonian. Worlds most powerful super hero who goes on a murderous rampage. This is pretty good. However some of the interteam melodrama from the Paradigm is getting to be a little much.

[Mauricio Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of an obligatory fill-in-the-gaps part of the whole Irredeemable story arc until it gets to the part it wants to tell. It does however ramps up the parallelisms with Superman and how idyllic his mythos sounds compared to a more realistic approach.

[Krystl Louwagie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a very new idea (Invincible, The Boys, etc.) but it was still interesting and moved quickly, while still being easy to understand. I can't say there are any characters I love or that the art style is anything unique, but I enjoy seeing how the plot is unfolding.

[D'Argo Agathon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much stronger than volume 1. Backstories, context, better dialogue, more interesting motivations.

[Michael Louis Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series

[Lucas O · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.9

[William Hawthorne · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you took a shot every time someone said “I have a secret” and that was the only thing pushing the plot forward you would pass out like halfway through, which would be a blessing

[Cristhian · Rating 3 out of 5]

dragging

[Joseph R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a mad rampage of destroying things and people, including some of his ex-teammates (they were called the Paradigm), the Plutonian is laying low because one of those ex-teammates, Cary, had his power boosted when his brother was killed. He's now a seeming equal to the Plutonian, so the team is making plans to take the Plutonian down. Unfortunately, the U. S. Government is initiating a panic-driven plan to take down both the Plutonian and the other superheroes since they clearly can't be trusted. They teleport in a demon who gave the Paradigm a very hard time in the past. Judging by his behavior, he's still a villain. More of the Plutonian's dark secrets come out in this issue, showing just how delicate his mental state was.

The plot developments are interesting but I can't help feeling the Plutonian is clueless about human psychology at some very basic levels. The backstory in this issue describes him as always trying to contain and suppress his powers, though he is also clearly dishonest with himself about how he uses his powers and what impact they have. No wonder he eventually cracked under the pressure. The rest of the team is not faring well--Cary is developing a monomaniacal stance very similar to the Plutonian's; Bette Noir admits she had an affair and she knew of a way to take down the Plutonian but didn't mention it because of the affair; other team members wind up in jail or banished to other dimensions. A lot of action is shown but also a lot of pessimism.

My interest is waning but I will continue with another book to see where the story goes.

[J A SPONG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal and uncompromising storytelling