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Irredeemable #1-2
Irredeemable Premier Vol. 1
What's to Love: Mark Waid is not only our former editor-in-chief, but is also one of our favorite storytellers in comics, having amassed a long list of critically acclaimed hits in his 20-year career and writing such iconic characters as Superman, Captain America, Batman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman. Waid earned a legion of fans because his stories tended to ground seemingly infallible heroes, and in titles like DC's Kingdom Come, Gorilla Comics' Empire, and our own Irredeemable, he showed the other side of what it's like to wear the capes and tights. We are proud to present Waid's award-nominated Irredeemable in a new collection of oversized, deluxe hardcovers for existing and new fans to enjoy!What It Is: When the Plutonian, the world's greatest superhero, snaps and turns into the world's greatest villain, only his former teammates have a chance at stopping his rampage. But while on the run from the world's most powerful and angry being, will these former teammates discover his secrets in time? How did he come to this? What became of the hope and promise once inside him? What happens to the world when its savior betrays it? What makes a hero irredeemable? An apocalyptic superhero tale by the author of Empire and multiple Eisner Award winner Kingdom Come! Collects issues #1-8 of Irredeemable.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2015
63 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Mark Waid
3,181 books1,271 followersMark 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 6, 2023
The Plutonium is a Superman/The Sentry/Hyperion omega type superhero that goes rogue, and when I say rogue, I am talking mass indiscriminate murder on an industrial scale; his first act wipes an entire city! This is the story of how the other heroes, the villains and humanity deals with an omega level player appearing to be going insane, or just really evil?
On the familiar ground set by the likes of Watchmen and The Boys Mark Waid takes a more conventional look at a world ravaged by a rogue super being by telling the story mostly by the point of view of the heroes. The special gem in this one, is that we really get insight into the The Plutonium himself, something missing in the other 'rogue hero' books, looking at the mind of the rogue hero himself? Full of twists, turns, tension and a definite sense of jeopardy throughout, on second reading I found this far more compelling than my first read. A page turning 8 out of 12 end of days Four Star read.
2023 and 2011 read
On the familiar ground set by the likes of Watchmen and The Boys Mark Waid takes a more conventional look at a world ravaged by a rogue super being by telling the story mostly by the point of view of the heroes. The special gem in this one, is that we really get insight into the The Plutonium himself, something missing in the other 'rogue hero' books, looking at the mind of the rogue hero himself? Full of twists, turns, tension and a definite sense of jeopardy throughout, on second reading I found this far more compelling than my first read. A page turning 8 out of 12 end of days Four Star read.
2023 and 2011 read
August 6, 2019
After seeing the movie Brightburn and finally finishing the Injustice series recently, I’ve been increasingly interested in reading more stories that show the world’s greatest hero break bad. And this story is considered one of the best. It's a fairly contained, non Marvel/DC comic book, and it definitely doesn't have the widespread popularity that it deserves.
Created and written by superstar scribe Mark Waid, this series tells the story of how the Plutonian, the world’s most powerful and beloved superhero (and an obvious Superman analog), goes crazy, destroying his home city and decimating millions of people. We follow his former teammates in the the super team The Paradigm as they struggle with figuring out why the Plutonian did what he did, reckon with their roles in it, and desperately search for some way of defeating their old friend, a near god.
Mark Waid does such a great job here, by introducing the thing that so many major superhero books lack, a sense of true stakes. There is a palpable sense of danger, heroes die, and we see how dire the situation is. There's also a real humanity to these heroes that makes everything feel strangely realistic and relatable even in the midst of all this fantasy. It has a great structure as well, as it begins by dropping us into the middle of the action as the Plutonian tracks down all of his friends, and throughout the story we discover the crucial backstory. It's such a great concept and goes deeper into exploring what would be behind the villainous turn of a hero even more than Injustice did. This is a superhero comic like no other. Highly recommended.
Created and written by superstar scribe Mark Waid, this series tells the story of how the Plutonian, the world’s most powerful and beloved superhero (and an obvious Superman analog), goes crazy, destroying his home city and decimating millions of people. We follow his former teammates in the the super team The Paradigm as they struggle with figuring out why the Plutonian did what he did, reckon with their roles in it, and desperately search for some way of defeating their old friend, a near god.
Mark Waid does such a great job here, by introducing the thing that so many major superhero books lack, a sense of true stakes. There is a palpable sense of danger, heroes die, and we see how dire the situation is. There's also a real humanity to these heroes that makes everything feel strangely realistic and relatable even in the midst of all this fantasy. It has a great structure as well, as it begins by dropping us into the middle of the action as the Plutonian tracks down all of his friends, and throughout the story we discover the crucial backstory. It's such a great concept and goes deeper into exploring what would be behind the villainous turn of a hero even more than Injustice did. This is a superhero comic like no other. Highly recommended.
June 25, 2019
Просто ковток свіжого повітря. Чув дуже багато відгуків про цей комікс, але ніяк руки й очі не доходили. Історія така: Плутоніум, найсильніший супергерой усіх часів, сходить із розуму й починає (як і кожен божевільний) робити непередбачувані речі. Наприклад, нищить цілий Сінгапур. Або інших героїв. Зрозуміло, що із цим треба щось робити. Однак як зупинити такого собі супермена, у якого зовсім злетіли гальма? Правильно, треба знайти колишнього суперзлодія, суперника. Ворог мого ворога - мій друг.
Корені цієї історії ростуть із Алана Мура, далі Гранта Моррісона й власне фантазії Марка Вейда, який розігрався тут добряче. Хоча найбільш помітними є «Хлопаки» Гарта Енніса та «Здібності» Бендіса, де також обігрується тема злих чи нещасних героїв. Чим же комікс Вейда кращий або цікавіший? Що мене вразило в цій історії. Перше - це неймовірний людський вимір. Перед нами живі характери, але із суперздібностями, тому це додає драматургії. Ми завжди приймаємо здібності як даність, а якщо це нестримна річ? Щось таке, що може вийти з-під контролю? Як невдалий науковий експеримент. Як цунамі. Що тоді робити із жертвами, особливо дітьми? Ми ж бо не знаємо про темний, драматичний бік супергероіки. Розгортання природи зла у фокусі супергероя у Вейда не подається як даність, а як комплексна, суперечлива етична дилема. Особливо в кінці релятивізм зла підсилюється тим, що один із «добрих» перемикається у протилежний бік, тому зло - не константа, і не навіть не вибір, а часто сукупність обставин, у які ми потрапляємо. Тоді хто винен і кого судити (та ще й до того ж як, зважаючи невмирущість окремих персонажів)?
Друге - стильна супергероіка. Тут нема крутих костюмів чи авто, але є гарна кооперація, незвичні локації та комбінації здібностей. Тобто тим, хто хоче свіжого погляду на мейнстрім, буде дуже цікаво. Не скажу, що малюнок є особливим. Навіть більше, композиція і розбиття панелей бажає кращого, бо інколи не бачу логіки робити три панелі на сторінку із мінімальним візуальним і наративним рядом. Проте тут малюнок лише допоміжний засіб, він працює як обгортка, часто оманлива, транспортуючи складні, часто небезпечні, але нестримно актуальні сюжети.
Нарешті - блискуче цитування класики й інших міфів масової та елітарної культур. Уейд не такий надуманий, закручений як Моррісон, і в цьому його перевага. Тут добре відчитуються ключові референси, а більш складні (як-от відсилання на міфологію буддизму чи квантову фізику) можна відчитати завдяки базовим гуманітарним знанням.
Але основне тут те, що все це читається швидко й цікаво, проте не поверхнево. Як і кожна хороша історія, тут більше при нас: нашу слабкість і силу, ціну наших помилок, неможливість впоратись із собою, несподівану силу й ціну людського життя.
Корені цієї історії ростуть із Алана Мура, далі Гранта Моррісона й власне фантазії Марка Вейда, який розігрався тут добряче. Хоча найбільш помітними є «Хлопаки» Гарта Енніса та «Здібності» Бендіса, де також обігрується тема злих чи нещасних героїв. Чим же комікс Вейда кращий або цікавіший? Що мене вразило в цій історії. Перше - це неймовірний людський вимір. Перед нами живі характери, але із суперздібностями, тому це додає драматургії. Ми завжди приймаємо здібності як даність, а якщо це нестримна річ? Щось таке, що може вийти з-під контролю? Як невдалий науковий експеримент. Як цунамі. Що тоді робити із жертвами, особливо дітьми? Ми ж бо не знаємо про темний, драматичний бік супергероіки. Розгортання природи зла у фокусі супергероя у Вейда не подається як даність, а як комплексна, суперечлива етична дилема. Особливо в кінці релятивізм зла підсилюється тим, що один із «добрих» перемикається у протилежний бік, тому зло - не константа, і не навіть не вибір, а часто сукупність обставин, у які ми потрапляємо. Тоді хто винен і кого судити (та ще й до того ж як, зважаючи невмирущість окремих персонажів)?
Друге - стильна супергероіка. Тут нема крутих костюмів чи авто, але є гарна кооперація, незвичні локації та комбінації здібностей. Тобто тим, хто хоче свіжого погляду на мейнстрім, буде дуже цікаво. Не скажу, що малюнок є особливим. Навіть більше, композиція і розбиття панелей бажає кращого, бо інколи не бачу логіки робити три панелі на сторінку із мінімальним візуальним і наративним рядом. Проте тут малюнок лише допоміжний засіб, він працює як обгортка, часто оманлива, транспортуючи складні, часто небезпечні, але нестримно актуальні сюжети.
Нарешті - блискуче цитування класики й інших міфів масової та елітарної культур. Уейд не такий надуманий, закручений як Моррісон, і в цьому його перевага. Тут добре відчитуються ключові референси, а більш складні (як-от відсилання на міфологію буддизму чи квантову фізику) можна відчитати завдяки базовим гуманітарним знанням.
Але основне тут те, що все це читається швидко й цікаво, проте не поверхнево. Як і кожна хороша історія, тут більше при нас: нашу слабкість і силу, ціну наших помилок, неможливість впоратись із собою, несподівану силу й ціну людського життя.
July 2, 2024
I started reading this in individual comic book form when it first came out in 2009 but had to stop buying comics a year or so later and never got to read the conclusion. I'm happy to see that my local library has a full set of collections for the series, so I'm finally going to see how the story turns out.
The concept is simple: a Superman avatar named the Plutonian is finally fed up with the stress and lack of gratitude of saving everyone's lives 24/7 and snaps, killing his fellow superheroes and anyone who annoys him for even the littlest reason.
I trust Waid will do interesting things with the story down the road, but this opening chunk of story is a little lukewarm. There's lots of violence and death, but since we know so little about the cast, it's sort of hard to care. All the shocks and twists are muted without attachment to the characters. The surviving group of heroes who are working to take down the Plutonian are so busy plotting and running that they've no time to display anything except the shallowest personalities.
The concept is simple: a Superman avatar named the Plutonian is finally fed up with the stress and lack of gratitude of saving everyone's lives 24/7 and snaps, killing his fellow superheroes and anyone who annoys him for even the littlest reason.
I trust Waid will do interesting things with the story down the road, but this opening chunk of story is a little lukewarm. There's lots of violence and death, but since we know so little about the cast, it's sort of hard to care. All the shocks and twists are muted without attachment to the characters. The surviving group of heroes who are working to take down the Plutonian are so busy plotting and running that they've no time to display anything except the shallowest personalities.
February 9, 2016
I love the fact that this series is so unpredictable.
A great series!
A great series!
May 23, 2021
Irredeemable Premier Vol. 1 collects issues 1-8 of the series Irredeemable written by Mark Waid with art by Peter Krause and Diego Barreto.
Plutonian is the world's strongest hero until one he snaps. He has been on a murder spree and has completely destroyed one of the country's biggest cities. Paradigm, a group of heroes who used to partner with Plutonian, now must find a way to take him down before he destroys the world.
I've read a few series lately where heroes have snapped but this one has some interesting twists so far. You join the story where Plutonian has already committed mass violence and murder and heroes are actively trying to control the situation. As the story progresses you learn more about the characters and what has driven them to this point. Not everything is lining and some hidden motives come to play. So far this series has really caught my attention and I hope it can continue to bring some twists to what. Is quickly becoming its own sub-volume of superhero comics.
Plutonian is the world's strongest hero until one he snaps. He has been on a murder spree and has completely destroyed one of the country's biggest cities. Paradigm, a group of heroes who used to partner with Plutonian, now must find a way to take him down before he destroys the world.
I've read a few series lately where heroes have snapped but this one has some interesting twists so far. You join the story where Plutonian has already committed mass violence and murder and heroes are actively trying to control the situation. As the story progresses you learn more about the characters and what has driven them to this point. Not everything is lining and some hidden motives come to play. So far this series has really caught my attention and I hope it can continue to bring some twists to what. Is quickly becoming its own sub-volume of superhero comics.
July 26, 2019
4.5. "What if Superman got sick of the pressure and snapped" isn't the most novel concept, but to set it in a standalone superhero universe free from the baggage of decades of stories sets this above any of DCs What If scenarios. Waid's writing is terrific and this is jam packed with creativity. Essential.
February 27, 2016
Irredeemable Premier Edition Volume One by Mark Waid is a stirring and powerful comic book series collection. The storyline focuses on a Superman like superhero who has become a monstrous villain. The Plutonian, the name of this focal character, commits crimes of varying sorts revealing a deep and dark propensity for violence and control. Despite his horrible actions, the creative team manages to inject some humanity to the character. He is a tragic figure, a man who went from the purest of good to the vilest of evil due to his inability to maturely handle all of the responsibilities of being the most powerful man alive. However, none of the superheroes who serve on the team trying to take down The Plutonian are nearly as interesting and complex. They all seem like power sets instead of real people. The writing and art are very well-done. The frequent use of older comic book storytelling conventions to tell a such a disturbing, modern, and gripping narrative is intriguing. In some ways it works because it effectively creates a broader contrast and greater sense of true horror. On the other hand it can also make the work more cornball when it is really a serious tale. Overall, I would recommend this graphic novel even though I do have some reservations about it.
March 16, 2018
Stan Lee is credited with saying "Write every issue as if it's someone's first issue."
These days, most comics are written in four to eight issue arcs, making it somewhat difficult to get into a series as it comes out in issues. Luckily, most series, even if they're not successful, get collected into graphic novel length collections.
The rare beauty of Mark Waid's Irredeemable is that each of the first seven issues of the comic make a good entryway into the story. This makes its flow within the graphic novel format feel a bit choppy but it's entirely worth it.
Early 21st century superhero comics were dominated with the idea of What Happens When A Superhero Goes Rogue (and I don't mean that they dye a white streak in their hair and start calling everyone "sugah"). DC had a great miniseries called The Mighty, Vol. 1 which dealt with it, Marvel constantly examines the theme with the various Avenger and X-titles, series like Garth Ennis's The Boys, Volume 1: The Name of the Game and Brian Michael Bendis's Powers, Vol. 1: Who Killed Retro Girl? take drastically different tones on how heroes police themselves. In many ways, the Superhero Goes Rogue trope became supersaturated at precisely the time Waid was created Irredeemable, and yet, to me, it stands out as the best of the trope.
The question the first collection poses is not just Why Did The Hero Become Evil, but When Did The Hero Become Evil, How Did The Hero Become Evil, Did The Hero Become Evil. The first collection offers a variety of interesting adventures that Might explain what's happened, but really pose more questions. But unlike in the TV show Lost, the questions on't appear to be spiraling out into nothingness, but rather they seem to be getting us to examine the situation from every possible angle.
This is the first time I've reread the series. And knowing the ending hasn't changed my reading experience so far. This wasn't a mystery filled with Easter Eggs for sleuthy readers. This was more about examining things from multiple angles simply because there are always multiple angles for a story, and they often contradict each other and don't offer an easy solution to a person's problem.
I recommend this book to superhero comic fans looking for a well-crafted finite series, people who wonder what would happen if Superman became evil not because of mind control or possession or any cheap plot points but merely because he Had Enough Of Humans' Bullshit, fans of Mark Waid's Marvel work who are curious about his creator owned ideas, and anyone who likes morally ambiguous stories about heroes or gods.
These days, most comics are written in four to eight issue arcs, making it somewhat difficult to get into a series as it comes out in issues. Luckily, most series, even if they're not successful, get collected into graphic novel length collections.
The rare beauty of Mark Waid's Irredeemable is that each of the first seven issues of the comic make a good entryway into the story. This makes its flow within the graphic novel format feel a bit choppy but it's entirely worth it.
Early 21st century superhero comics were dominated with the idea of What Happens When A Superhero Goes Rogue (and I don't mean that they dye a white streak in their hair and start calling everyone "sugah"). DC had a great miniseries called The Mighty, Vol. 1 which dealt with it, Marvel constantly examines the theme with the various Avenger and X-titles, series like Garth Ennis's The Boys, Volume 1: The Name of the Game and Brian Michael Bendis's Powers, Vol. 1: Who Killed Retro Girl? take drastically different tones on how heroes police themselves. In many ways, the Superhero Goes Rogue trope became supersaturated at precisely the time Waid was created Irredeemable, and yet, to me, it stands out as the best of the trope.
The question the first collection poses is not just Why Did The Hero Become Evil, but When Did The Hero Become Evil, How Did The Hero Become Evil, Did The Hero Become Evil. The first collection offers a variety of interesting adventures that Might explain what's happened, but really pose more questions. But unlike in the TV show Lost, the questions on't appear to be spiraling out into nothingness, but rather they seem to be getting us to examine the situation from every possible angle.
This is the first time I've reread the series. And knowing the ending hasn't changed my reading experience so far. This wasn't a mystery filled with Easter Eggs for sleuthy readers. This was more about examining things from multiple angles simply because there are always multiple angles for a story, and they often contradict each other and don't offer an easy solution to a person's problem.
I recommend this book to superhero comic fans looking for a well-crafted finite series, people who wonder what would happen if Superman became evil not because of mind control or possession or any cheap plot points but merely because he Had Enough Of Humans' Bullshit, fans of Mark Waid's Marvel work who are curious about his creator owned ideas, and anyone who likes morally ambiguous stories about heroes or gods.
February 22, 2021
Про те, як супергерой скочується на дно і перетворюється на суперпоганця з мегаломанією, бо його все дістало, а вага кривди, яку він колись викоїв, стала непідйомною. Сеттінг - самостійна супергеройщина, яка виглядає досить поверхнево, хоча і намагається переконати читача в своїй довготривалості та монументальності. Тут навіть є свій постійний антагоніст, аби головному героєві не було так просто.
Подоба Супермена, яка не витримує морального тиску, бо може, як Брюс Всемогутній, чути всі заклики на допомогу, прохання чи крики відчаю. А коли чужі проблеми вдається розрулити, то адекватної винагороди не дочекаєшся. Та й простіше стати богом через залякування, чим бути хлопчиком-подавайлом на службі у всіх і кожного. Плутонійця це звело з розуму, і він помчав наводити свої порядки, паралельно ліквідуючи старих супертоваришів, які втілюють архетипи мальописних персонажів (хоча є і цікаві варіанти, а відсилка до “Вартових” чудова). Був ще один мотив, більш серйозніший - вага власної помилки. Тобто якщо вже вирішив змінити сторону, то причина завжди знайдеться.
Це щонайменше цікаво. Прочитайте хоча б через переробку історії Кларка Кента з дуже реалістичною реакцією дівчини на те, що він весь час був Суперменом і просто сталкерив її.
Подоба Супермена, яка не витримує морального тиску, бо може, як Брюс Всемогутній, чути всі заклики на допомогу, прохання чи крики відчаю. А коли чужі проблеми вдається розрулити, то адекватної винагороди не дочекаєшся. Та й простіше стати богом через залякування, чим бути хлопчиком-подавайлом на службі у всіх і кожного. Плутонійця це звело з розуму, і він помчав наводити свої порядки, паралельно ліквідуючи старих супертоваришів, які втілюють архетипи мальописних персонажів (хоча є і цікаві варіанти, а відсилка до “Вартових” чудова). Був ще один мотив, більш серйозніший - вага власної помилки. Тобто якщо вже вирішив змінити сторону, то причина завжди знайдеться.
Це щонайменше цікаво. Прочитайте хоча б через переробку історії Кларка Кента з дуже реалістичною реакцією дівчини на те, що він весь час був Суперменом і просто сталкерив її.
January 5, 2018
If good reads would allow half stars, I'd have given it a 3.5.
Irredeemable is a superhero comic book that tells the story of "What If Superman Snapped and Went Off the Deep End;" superman being in this book The Plutonian. The book slowly reveals the weight of responsibility the Plutonian feels he has to protect the whole world and the feeling of being taken for granted . . . that and possibly being responsible for a plague that killed many children, the plutonian eventually snaps and starts to kill millions upon millions of people, with no one but his former team mates (akin to the JLA) to stop him.
Most comic book readers fawn over this story, volume one is simply OK. That being said, most comic book runs take several issues to find their rhythm and volume one only covers eight issues. I believe it's eight issues, the book itself refers to them as chapters. Many hardcover compilations will include twelve; I think Irredeemable volume one would have benefited from this practice. Chapters 7 & 8 do start to make the story interesting, so the reader will likely have some interest in venturing into volume 2.
Irredeemable is a superhero comic book that tells the story of "What If Superman Snapped and Went Off the Deep End;" superman being in this book The Plutonian. The book slowly reveals the weight of responsibility the Plutonian feels he has to protect the whole world and the feeling of being taken for granted . . . that and possibly being responsible for a plague that killed many children, the plutonian eventually snaps and starts to kill millions upon millions of people, with no one but his former team mates (akin to the JLA) to stop him.
Most comic book readers fawn over this story, volume one is simply OK. That being said, most comic book runs take several issues to find their rhythm and volume one only covers eight issues. I believe it's eight issues, the book itself refers to them as chapters. Many hardcover compilations will include twelve; I think Irredeemable volume one would have benefited from this practice. Chapters 7 & 8 do start to make the story interesting, so the reader will likely have some interest in venturing into volume 2.
November 8, 2020
If I had to do a quick summary: Astro City written by a pessimist.
So - Waid takes the super hero tropes and says "what if Superman was emotionally immature and if everyone close to him were asses". I say that last part because one of the things that turns the Plutonian (the Superman) from a hero to bad, is his Lois Lane is a complete jerk. His Clark Kent comes out to her and says "I'm the Plutonian" and she (someone who loves the Plutonian) runs immediately to the newsroom and tells everyone and the newsroom (his friends) immediately without any hesitation broadcast that information. Wow. It is an awkward scene which didn't make me love this book because there are a few "come on!" moments like that. But, taken as a Twilight Zone episode of "What if Superman didn't get enough hugs as a kid" this was a fun ride with enough little twists it kept me entertained.
I'll see where it goes from here and if it can keep its momentum for 30+ issues but I did like it. I mean I hate how pessimistic it is but I still liked the "horror story" atmosphere.
So - Waid takes the super hero tropes and says "what if Superman was emotionally immature and if everyone close to him were asses". I say that last part because one of the things that turns the Plutonian (the Superman) from a hero to bad, is his Lois Lane is a complete jerk. His Clark Kent comes out to her and says "I'm the Plutonian" and she (someone who loves the Plutonian) runs immediately to the newsroom and tells everyone and the newsroom (his friends) immediately without any hesitation broadcast that information. Wow. It is an awkward scene which didn't make me love this book because there are a few "come on!" moments like that. But, taken as a Twilight Zone episode of "What if Superman didn't get enough hugs as a kid" this was a fun ride with enough little twists it kept me entertained.
I'll see where it goes from here and if it can keep its momentum for 30+ issues but I did like it. I mean I hate how pessimistic it is but I still liked the "horror story" atmosphere.
March 22, 2023
The corrupted superhero trope can be fun when done right, and Waid's Irredeemable is executed quite well despite the contrived style of storytelling. The Plutonian has gone mad, and now levies cities and entire countries in his fury. Only his former team, the Paradigm, stands in the way of total annihilation. The story across these first 8 issues moves at a brisk and entertaining pace. The artwork by Krause and Barreto is appealing with an appropriate level of soberness and devastation based on the story. This isn't high fiction by any means, but Irredeemable is fun superhero comics for the most part. The characters aren't all that fleshed out across these first couple arcs and while the artwork is competent, it doesn't offer anything too memorable for the scale of the story.
July 3, 2023
3.5 This story is basically, "What if Superman had a psychotic break?" It's heavy on atrocity, light on what's actually happening. This kind of makes sense, as most of the story is told from the POV of the Justice League analog that is trying to figure out a way to stop "The Plutonian" (a.k.a. "Tony") while also trying to avoid being captured and/or killed by him. This requires lots of jumping around (literally, as they teleport away from places to avoid being captured or killed). They are also working with the handicap that they know nothing about Tony except that he was a hero for a long while before his switch flipped, so they have to try to carry out an investigation while avoiding death.
I'm curious to see where the story goes, but at 8 issues in, the "good guys" haven't accomplished much.
I'm curious to see where the story goes, but at 8 issues in, the "good guys" haven't accomplished much.
March 6, 2020
Definitely not worth the 4+ star rating avg, but it's not the worst thing I've read, either. Some negatives: dialogue is all exposition (a fairly common issue in comics) that slows the story; Plutonian isn't given any real backstory or depth, and while this may change in future volumes, it prevents the audience from feeling anything like pity for his change in this volume; side characters are weak and lack team-iness and coherence (what even is Scylla/Charybdis' power?). Some positives: art is thoughtful and clear with a good focus on appropriate shadow; worldbuilding concepts like the sonic virus and Kaidan's powers are unique and interesting; overall plot works well. IMO, not a good start, but I'm intrigued enough to borrow the next volume or two from a friend.
November 30, 2018
A hot take on Superman
Frankly, I don't want to write a long review since I want to keep reading Irredeemable. There were maybe 10 minutes of the Justice League movie that seemed like they wanted to answer the question of what happens when Superman goes bad? But, alas, that movie was a wreck. And this book is nothing like it.
It feels like a really honest look at how am invincible, for-like alien would form from a young kid to an adult. The balance of helping with the pettiness of humanity. This book should be read by all Superhero fans.
Frankly, I don't want to write a long review since I want to keep reading Irredeemable. There were maybe 10 minutes of the Justice League movie that seemed like they wanted to answer the question of what happens when Superman goes bad? But, alas, that movie was a wreck. And this book is nothing like it.
It feels like a really honest look at how am invincible, for-like alien would form from a young kid to an adult. The balance of helping with the pettiness of humanity. This book should be read by all Superhero fans.
February 2, 2019
I'm not usually a fan of superhero stories, but this one is engaging. I enjoyed the different characters in the team, Paradigm, and there were some nice twists thrown in for them. The idea of a good-guy-gone-bad isn't earth-shattering... except, I guess, in this story is pretty much is literally just that?
May 17, 2017
To what degree is one considered irredeemable? If the Christian faith is one of redemption, this fictional piece will ask all the right questions about our falliability even if we live a life trying to be a do-gooder. What the world sees as irredeemable, God pursue otherwise.
January 8, 2019
I've read this story several times and it still catches me off guard, the way Mark Waid portrays the protagonist is masterful. I know its a graphic novel, but the emotion relayed is better than a lot of prose.
May 27, 2019
What if Superman turned psychotic? Compelling story by Mark Waid.
March 8, 2021
Quite fun deconstruction of the superhero genre focusing mainly on a superman who has just had enough!
June 5, 2022
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.
September 23, 2022
Absolutely fantastic!
August 11, 2023
best comic I've read this year. beautiful.
June 11, 2024
Interesting but feels very The Boys - esque (derogatory) in its violence and characters
April 1, 2021
Plutonian, the Superman of this world, snaps one day and kills everyone and everything in his path. He has the capability of leveling cities and decimating the population with ease. This is a superhero story turned into a supervillain story and no one knows why he’s doing this. A team of superheroes try to gather as much information as they can about him and his past in the hopes of stopping him. I think this story is compelling because of how it is written. Plutonian’s story is told by other people. So it becomes this mystery of piecing together other people’s memories and accounts on this absolutely terrifying figure. The story just draws you in. It’s a solid start to a series. But, I think I need to read a bit more into the series to see where it goes. Kirkman’s Invincible recently came out on Amazon prime and the concept is similar, so it’s interesting for me because I happen to be consuming very similar yet different stories. I may backtrack and read Invincible as well to make that comparison. Overall, I enjoyed this enough to keep reading the run.
January 19, 2017
Superman-like hero The Plutonian flips from being the greatest superhero on Earth to a murderous psychopath. He is slowly killing off members of his superhero team the Paradigm. They are hiding out and searching for any information that will give them an edge in stopping him. The leads are slim--an ex-girlfriend and vague details about his family. As a hero, he's kept his private life a secret even from his teammates. Can they maintain the balance of being in hiding and getting one step ahead of him?
The Plutonian is also destroying cities across the globe with complete disregard for human life. Millions of people are dying and governments have no idea what to do. Should they band together to stop him? Should they recruit him as leader of their own country before anyone else snags him? The Plutonian's combination of bad mood and overwhelming superpowers makes the response especially tricky.
The set-up is slow but intriguing. Readers don't see much of the situation from the Plutonian's point of view till at least half-way through this volume. The flip from boy scout to megalomaniac is extreme and not entirely convincing on the surface. The story presents many dark secrets and obsessions along the way, revealing the Plutonian's heroic character as more facade than fact. By the end it's not so surprising that he'd turn.
When this series first came out, I wasn't interested in it. The "superhero turns evil" story has been done before and those haven't been my favorites. This story does have more depth than I expected, so I may continue. The story also has a limited arc (37 issues, of which this volume includes the first eight), making it more appealing to me. It's nice to read the beginning of something that will have an end.
The Plutonian is also destroying cities across the globe with complete disregard for human life. Millions of people are dying and governments have no idea what to do. Should they band together to stop him? Should they recruit him as leader of their own country before anyone else snags him? The Plutonian's combination of bad mood and overwhelming superpowers makes the response especially tricky.
The set-up is slow but intriguing. Readers don't see much of the situation from the Plutonian's point of view till at least half-way through this volume. The flip from boy scout to megalomaniac is extreme and not entirely convincing on the surface. The story presents many dark secrets and obsessions along the way, revealing the Plutonian's heroic character as more facade than fact. By the end it's not so surprising that he'd turn.
When this series first came out, I wasn't interested in it. The "superhero turns evil" story has been done before and those haven't been my favorites. This story does have more depth than I expected, so I may continue. The story also has a limited arc (37 issues, of which this volume includes the first eight), making it more appealing to me. It's nice to read the beginning of something that will have an end.
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