Astro City (2005-2009) Vol. 7: The Dark Age Book Two: Brothers in Arms (Astro City: The Dark Age

Astro City #7

by Kurt Busiek

In the concluding volume of THE DARK AGE, collecting BOOK 3 #1-4 and BOOK 4 #1-4, two brothers, one good and one evil, must deal with family secrets and social upheaval, involving heroes from Jack-In-the-Box to the Blue Knight and the unsettling events leading to the final fate of the mysterious Silver Agent. Find out why this era was so troubled through the eyes of two men who survived the its depths!

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

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 26, 2010

About the author

Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.

Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.

During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).

Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.

In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.

In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.

In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.

Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.

Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dark Age 1980s of Astro City sees the African American brothers go independently after their nemesis in the background and sometimes in the foreground of this 'history lesson' of this era. Another ground breaking volume with not one, but two African American leads, one a cop, one a criminal in this volume blatantly and overtly highlighting race issues and themes. 7 out of 12, Three Star read.

2016 and 2019 read

You are now leaving Astro City, please drive carefully.

[mark monday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange that the most propulsive Astro City storyline yet - wall to wall page turning excitement that also functions as Busiek's portrait of comicdom through the 60s, 70s, and 80s - is actually the weakest installment yet. I fully appreciate his themes and his ambitions; his goal of portraying a loss of innocence as comics moved from the off-kilter, psychedelic, cosmic 60s through the hungover, conspiracy-laden 70s and into the dark and greedy, violence-for-violence's sake world of the 80s is a laudable one. It is "epic", mos def. I also appreciated his revisioning of his ongoing interest in providing a regular guy perspective as one now full of cynicism and doubt and loss of faith in the various super-powered types who battle on to save the world, but often forget collateral damage like buildings and, oh, human lives. And as always, I love the diversity: there were more black faces in this comic than I've seen in any other recently, and the black characters come from diverse professions, personality types, and walks of life.

Favorite thing: the realization that I was actually reading an origin story of two callous 80s-style mercenary-heroes. Or rather, "heroes". They are not even remotely heroic, like many so-called heroes of the 80s.

Least favorite thing: the art. I almost hate to say it. But Brent Anderson's work becomes increasingly sloppy and needlessly chaotic as the narrative progresses. Which was particularly frustrating because it made an often confusing, multi-threaded story even more confusing.

This is a very busy book and its story throbs with excitement and emotion - mainly anger. That's not a bad thing and this is very far from a bad book. It has power and it was certainly gripping. Unfortunately, Busiek is not playing to his strengths: he gets lost in his epic (as he did in Trinity); perhaps it is writ too large. He's not the ideal author for sagas. His expertise lies with the small, intimate moments and often ambiguous but calm and centered storytelling. I hope to see a return to those things in the next installment.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second half of Busiek and Anderson's most ambitious story yet. At the end of the last volume, our two brothers Charles and Royal discovered the name of the man who killed their parents when they were children. They move from the sidelines to the frontlines in their quest for revenge while Busiek tackles the dark antihero times of the 80's in the background.

[J.G. Keely · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts to feel like every modern American comic is still reaching back to Alan Moore, and Watchmen. Whether they want to or not, there is almost no escaping him. But curiously, it's been something absent in much of Busiek's excellent Astro City--a series which deconstructs superheroes in a much more sympathetic, hopeful way, hearkening back to the Silver and Golden Ages of comics.

Well, until now.

As evidenced by the title, this collection is about the difficult times: an era of violence, of hopeless, a time with no heroes, no one to look up to. For Busiek, that means the Modern Era of comic books, also known as 'The Dark Age of Comics'. Starting with Watchmen, this period opened the doors for maturity, depravity, moral relativism, and heavier themes.

Like most movements, it started out on the top, with a few visionary talents looking to break out and explore something new. Then it spread, influencing everyone from the most savvy to the lowest denominator in comics, eventually becoming a much-belabored joke, less concerned with the political ramifications of violence than with endless decapitations and giant guns. And that's what Busiek explores in this story.

When his characters talk about the increasingly violent nature of so-called 'superheroes', he's talking about the literary movement as much as his story. When he asks whether we made these new 'heroes', or whether we just got the heroes we deserved, he's talking about the progression of comics. His world physically shifts and changes, ushering in this darkness, this ravenous thing which is self-feeding, cannibalistic. The events and characters mirror the real changes in the industry that Busiek witnessed over the past thirty years.

For those of us with a background in these changes, there are a lot of references, in-jokes, parallels, and insightful observations about the nature of the industry. We see 'expies' of all sorts of familiar, Dark Age characters: Guy Gardner, Nightwing, Cloak & Dagger, Savage Dragon, Spawn, Punisher, Swamp Thing (who even looks like Alan Moore), and I'm sure many more that I didn't recognize.

We even get a brief panel of a many-armed man with a sword and sunglasses, clearly an homage to Rob Liefeld's idiomatic style, complete with reference to the hilariously unnecessary character 'Forearm' (who had the special power of possessing four arms).

It's an interesting tack for Busiek to take, breaking away from the style of his other Astro City books and coming closer to something like the deeply sarcastic satire of Marshal Law. But Busiek always retains such a sense of hope, even in the darkest moments. He is self-aware, but not cynical. For him, every heart has its redemptive place.

Yet, somehow, this doesn't overrun his stories, it doesn't turn them into cheap, hokey melodramas. But then, Moore's cynicism doesn't turn his stories into hopeless trudges, either. For both men, there is a focus on the story, and on pure character, separate from any ideal or hypocrisy those characters might hold.

But while the parallel themes of this work are interesting (using hope to deconstruct the cynical deconstruction of comics), the execution leaves something to be desired. We rush through large, complex events: the world almost ends several times an issue, which is part satire, but also a concession of a certain type of comic. Yet the character progressions are strangely plodding and straightforward, especially for Busiek, who usually reveals his characters with such deliberation.

In the end, Busiek's subversions rarely went far enough. The cliche comic elements were central to the story, and while he poked fun at them, the poignancy and gravitas of the story still relied upon them. We were asked to care about the ridiculous, which is not uncommon in comics, but it's hard to suspend disbelief for a parody. We're being pulled in two directions at once as we're asked to invest in something that is being deconstructed.

Busiek seems satisfied to relegate the Dark Age to history, to give it a start and an end and leave it at that. I would have hoped for something more: for an indication that this darkness, this cynicism has ultimately changed us. It has not made hope impossible--indeed, in some ways, it has strengthened it, since we have so much more to hope for--and it's hardly something so easily bookended.

The Dark Age is not over, because there is no author out there who is moving on to the next step (at least, not that I have seen). It's why we keep returning to Moore, even though his work, in his own words, should be out-of-date by now. The future of comics will not be defined by Cynicism vs. Hope, by Moore's Dark Age vs. Busiek's Golden Age, but by their combination, and by the new voices that rise out of it.

I had originally posted here the review for the first volume. This has been rectified.

My Suggested Readings in Comics

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this wasn't as good as the previous volume in The Dark Age storyline. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because there's less focus on the brothers, who are meant to anchor all of this. Instead, they're swept up in the super events, even becoming a part of them in an active way. Their story just becomes less compelling. That said, I still like Busiek's take on the Grim and Gritty, event-laden comics that seemed to take over after Watchmen.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another magnificent blending of plot and character. The interweaving stories of Pyramid, Apollo 11, and the Dark Energy are enthralling, but it's the story of Charles and Royal that really brings it hope, creating the most richly textured Astro City story to date (and really developing its background through the '70s and '80s).

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kurt Busiek ends his epic Astro City story of Charles and Royal as they intersect with major super hero events of the 80's in their quest to kill the man who killed their parents. The story encompasses the 70's and 80's eras of comics with both the cosmic and the street-level heroes playing roles, before everyone goes grim and gritty (although at least here there's a reason for it). While it makes for quite an epic adventure, with numerous scenes that would be the climax of most other series, I never really connected with our two protagonists, which made it harder to buy into the bigger story. But the way that they are weaved into several of the other major character arcs of Astro City (Silver Agent especially, although the Furst Family makes several appearances as well) really makes it feel like a full, cohesive world. And there are so many lesser heroes and villains that fill it out (my personal favorite is the neon Mirage), again adding to its depth and complexity. Even if you ignore the aspects of its plot paralleling the 70's/80's era comic style, it still makes for a pretty good story. But the art does suffer by trying to encompass both the period and the modern style.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have such mixed feelings- I don’t even know where to start. This story drags on all the wrong notes, the brothers join up to kind of play espionage and it feels so poorly thought out. I had hoped it would continue on the duality of man in the city- the right or the wrong BUT it kind of dissolves into plain cape stories. I was nearly going to give it a two for the whole fake-out.

THEN the last two issues (and epilogue) really brought me back, dealing with major super tragedies and cosmic battles as (mostly) regular people. I really emoted the epilogue.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this conclusion to the Dark Age storyline, but it did start to drag here and maybe ran a little longer than I'd have liked. Some of the cosmic stuff in the background confused me, but the focal point was the story of the two brothers. The ending was pretty satisfying and overall this was another good volume.

[Melissa Koser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This, and the previous book, were a little too convoluted to be as great as most of the other Astro City books. While still enjoyable to read, there was just so much always going on that it stole the focus somewhat from the characters. Still, the creators really nailed humanity's fickle reactions to events, and that's what bumped this book's rating up to four stars. An interesting read, but I like the short stories better.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how everything wrapped up for Royal and Charles, but two volumes for one story arc felt too long to me. Looking forward to a new adventure in the next volume.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sabe, eu acho que é a primeira vez que eu não me empolgo com um volume da série Astro City, de Kurt Busiek e Alex Ross, com desenhos de Brent Anderson. Para ser bem sincero o volume anterior dessa A Eradas Trevas também não me empolgou lá tanto, mas era melhor que esse. Agora eu entendi porque eu demorei tanto para investir na leitura desta segunda parte. O pior de tudo é que essas duas partes são os maiores encadernados da série Astro City, com duzentas e quarenta páginas cada uma. Pelo que pude entender, e pela história desta fase de Astro City se passarem nos anos 1980, os autores quiseram desenvolver uma crítica aos heróis grim'n'gritty, ou seja, aqueles heróis que foram ao extremos de seus atos violentos "para o bem geral, comum e irrestrito". Só que diferente de uma caralhada de quadrinhos que já fez isso e fez isso bem, esta minissérie já não se sai tão bem. É bastante confusa na verdade, ao menos do que me lembro do primeiro volume e deste segundo volume. O importante é saber que não estou sozinho nessa, porque Astro City teve um hiato de uma década antes de voltar a ser publicada, dessa vez pelo selo Vertigo. O bom disso tudo, é que quando a série voltou a ser publicada o tom incrível e inteligente retornou também. Então bora ler e comprar os volumes novos dessas sensacional série (a não ser pelos volumes 6 e 7). Afinal, toda regra tem sua exceção.

[Jacob A. Mirallegro · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Review for all of the Dark Age)
This was a really different approach to storytelling for Astro City but it didn't feel like it stood out or was a black sheep from any of the previous arcs. Despite being 4 books and 16 issues total (longer than any previous AC story) it never felt like it dragged or went on too long. The focus on such drastically important events in this world was really cool and we learned a lot of lore but what kept it as an Astro City story was that it was all presented through the perspective of two human brothers and how they reacted to the events. Despite going to crazy cosmic places it never left that human feeling and took every opportunity to show how the citizens and bystanders react to events. Which is something I truly love about all of Astro City.
My biggest complaint is that some of the character development could've been more clear, maybe I'll pick up more on that subtle stuff on reread but right now that journey of character development wasn't as satisfying as it could have been. All in all though it was really great and all the characters that are introduced feel so iconic and real despite only knowing such a small piece of them.

[Nate]

This is probably my least favorite Astro City volume. While the first “Dark Age” book does a great job exploring the complex, emotional relationship between Charles and Royal, here we follow their quest for vengeance, which just isn’t as interesting. Part of the problem is that they get swept up in too many of the superhero events of the day, ultimately distracting from their story. Don’t get me wrong, these events – especially the Apollo Eleven and Pale Horseman stuff – are cool to see. But there’s so much of it. The story really does go on too long and the ending, while satisfying, doesn’t pack the emotional punch I was hoping for.

“The Dark Age” remains the most unique Astro City story in terms of length, structure, and subject. It offers plenty of neat historical tidbits and a fairly compelling relationship between the Williams brothers. But in the end, I think Astro City simply works better on a smaller scale.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of story of Charles and Royal Williams set against the backdrop of Astro City’s “dark age” concludes here! It picks up years after Part 1, and continues to be both personal and bombastic, as we track the brothers on their quest for vengeance, and we realize that they have slowly turned into what they never thought possible: heroes.

The best way to read this now is both parts in its entirety, collected in the Astro City Metrobook Volume 3.

[Ross Alon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This contains two parts of the 4 parts story. As always Astro city is Busiek way of exploring how living in a superhero infested world will effect you, the world and politics, and as always, he tells a very human story.

Main difference between this story shows us Astro City in years past and about 20 years of it's history, which is a nice, but might frighten new readers.

If you like superheroes but never read Astro city, you should, Every story is a new surprise, and their all fun and consistant.

[Rockito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gets pretty good towars the end but I feel this was stretched too much. Still quality writing, better than anything you can find on Marvel/DC.

[Venus Maneater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, I can't even. I loved reading this so much! It's all unfolding so perfectly!! Aaaaa!!

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second half of Busiek's Dark Age epic is microcosm of what is most excellent and most frustrating about classic superhero universe stories adn continuity. Following the brothers Royal and Charles on their quest for revenge against the man who killed their parents, Busiek paints the tapestry of 30 years of a magnificently detailed and intensely wrought world that is an overlay of our mundane history and that of a fantastic, four color existence. It shows the amazing depth and entertaining melodrama of such a world that unveils itself over years of serialized stories... while at the same time, capturing the incoherence and ridiculousness of the same.

The Dark Age was Busiek's orignal story idea, that he proposed years ago... but he came to realize that the depth of detail and the relevance of events would be lost on an audience unfamiliar with the world he was imagining. So, he wrote Astro City's original stories instead. He brought us into the world, character by character, with quick, heavily stylized rewritings of classic superhero tropes, that slowly wove the web of a new and truly original world. Only after many years of this, with hints of a rich past strewn along the way, could he write the decades spanning epic of the Dark Age and have it resonate as deeply with the readers as he intended. This was supremely wise, as the complexity of the plot and characters, married to many overt deconstructions of comic book eras past and present, (Gold, Silver, Bronze and Modern Age, etc.), would have failed to have any real pathos or drama if the reader wasn't invested in this long standing mystery of an already loved setting.

Brent Anderson's pencils are as strong as ever, enhanced by top notch coloring by Broome and Sinclair that surves to capture a consistent feel throughout, while changing to reflect to the changing times and tones and themes of the book.

All in all, this is truly a masterpiece, one that works despite some major flaws (exactly what was going on with the Silver Agent? What direction was he traveling in time? After a while, every interruption of Charles and Royal's quest began to feel forced and the plot drawn out maybe one issue too long), and works in the best moments at the dramatic denoument, tying in real world heartbreak to Kurt's clear belief, that our world would be better if the true heroes of the classic comics really did exist... and if they upheld the values the old comics used to have.

This is, ultimately, a very conservative comic, but that isn't always a bad thing. It works, it entertains, and it brings to reality a strong and consistent superhero universe that the big company's (Marvel and DC) have promised, but never been able to deliver because of the productized nature of their characters.

Highly recommended.

[Aggelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Age obviously has a very thick thread of meta-narrative since it tries to explain and parallel the dark turn Super-heroes took in the 70s and 80s. Street Angel's story totally reminds me of Daredevil's sudden shift under Frank Miller's pen*. The grey assassin Elektra, gangwars, conflicted religious vigilante as opposed to a daring,quippy swashbuckler.
Its easy to pick up but so true. How did the fans, the audience in real life and "the common people" in universe, took that sudden turn. Looking back, we can easily separate and fondly remember the inventive stories, we can distance ourselves from the gimmicky gritty-thrills that came after. But what did a Daredevil fan in the early 80s think?

*Its not like I lived it but Super-hero comics history is a passion of mine.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this volume is a considerable step down from Book One, it takes a LOT of steps down for an Astro City story to become bad. Having moved past the dawn of the Bronze Age of Comics and fully entered the metaphorical and literal darkness it brings, Astro City starts to become a cynical, intensely negative place. The problem is, we no longer get to see this from the perspective of the average person. The brothers who make up the central arc of this story have started to become vigilantes themselves, working for the government and hunting down the man who killed their parents. Losing their man-on-the-street perspective during all this really hurts the story, and makes it feel like just another superhero tale, albeit a lower-stakes one.

The story often feels like a supplementary edition of a crossover event that we don't get to read, since the brothers are still engaging in battles, though none of them as important as the big stuff going on in other parts of the country. This is fine, though it kind of sucks a lot of the humanity out of the story, which is what made Book One so incredible.

That said, Busiek's use of comics history and its vast thematic shifts between Ages is still really on point here. There's a lot of symbolism at play for comics fans. For instance: a giant Swamp-Thing like tree man that looks exactly like Alan Moore appears briefly to predict that everything will be better someday. It borders on cheesy, but hey, I liked it. And even if you aren't up on the history of comics (for some reason, you monster), the mirroring of the nation's attitudes during this time will come through, as well.

Overall, The Dark Age had the potential to be the absolute best Astro City story in terms of scope and effect, but in the end it lost it a little bit. I don't think it beats Confession, but it's still a damn good read with a lot of meat to digest. I will say, though, that this is the only Astro City tale that I think requires you to have read other Astro City books to fully appreciate it. Generally, each story stands alone, but this one relies on previous details provided in earlier stories to really be fully understood. But hey, that just means you need to read some killer comic books before getting to this one. It's not much of a punishment.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think The Dark Age started out as my favorite Astro City storyline, but by the end I was kind of sick of it. On a story level, I just had no idea what was happening anymore, which is sort of par for the course with the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover that it's paying homage to.

And on a thematic level, I just got worn out by Busiek's proselytizing about the "darkness" of modern comics -- and I don't even disagree with him. It's just a really one-dimensional argument they way he tells it, that comics are only good when they're nostalgic and naive....I mean, it's just a belittlement of the entire comics form, at that point. Cranky old man territory.

I'm also not thrilled about a comic called "The Dark Age" that focuses on some of Astro City's only black characters, who constantly refer to their "darkness" and then have to leave the city in order for the storyline to resolve. Do I think Busiek is a bigot? Absolutely not. Do I think there's stigmas about the inherent criminality and violence of black people that fuel the story as a whole? I think I could make that case.

I mean, obviously The Dark Age was a storyline Busiek really needed to tell. So, kudos on that, I guess? But I prefer Astro City's moralizing in its usual more bite-sized doses -- and when it's not tied into issues of race and identity that Busiek probably doesn't have that much business talking about.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second half of an epic 16 issue storyline gets its main characters more directly tied up in the heart of a typical superhero plot than AC has before, and in the process loses some of its unique emotional impact. The focus is still on pt1’s pair of brothers, but the stakes of their story have improbably risen so they now fit alongside (instead of in contrast to) the Silver Agent’s time traveling tragedy. These two intertwining tales are still an enjoyable read though, even if they’re not quite as original or distinctive as AC has been so far.

The creeping cynicism of pt 1’s 70s has hardened into an amoral early 80s. Both the civilians and the new superheroes are increasingly characterized by fascistic anger in response to a powerlessness in the face of the seemingly careless forces shaping their lives. This grim messaging feels apt for the era, and allows the epilogue to feel all the more refreshing when it arrives. I also love its playful closing meta-commentary on the story it just finished telling.

(Oh, and the evil arch-nemesis in the book is mentioned to be from Tuscaloosa, AL, which made me laugh and think “makes sense, probably a Bama fan“ :) )

As usual by now, I loved so many of the new character designs and hope some of the unfamiliar faces in the margins get explored in a future issue or two. Either way, I can’t wait to continue the series, hopefully with some shorter anthology stories next.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the previous volume was a slow burn, this volume is relentless. In the opening, Charles now works for EAGLE and Royal works for Pyramid and feeding Charles information while they both search for Aubrey Jason, the Pyramid agent who killed their parents. The stories of the First Family and the Apollo 11 finally intersect in a big way. The heroes of Astro City are getting more callous about casualties, and this is parallelled midway through by Charles and Royal choosing to pursue Aubrey Jason rather than help in the fight with the Incarnate. They fail and Jason is alerted to their presence.

In the second half of the collection, Charles and Royal are on their own, geared up like costumed vigilantes but with one goal, pursuing Aubrey Jason. This is parallelled by other heroes being driven by revenge, rather than nobility. And now that Jason knows he's being chased, he decides to power up.

The Dark Age started at street level with two everyday brothers which developed into those two brothers in an epic superhero-world type battle. This second half is by far the most straight up adventure-y of any Astro City story.

[The_Mad_Swede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astro City: The Dark Age Book Two – Brothers in Arms collects Astro City: The Dark Age Book Three #1–4 and Astro City: The Dark Age Book Four #1–4. It is the direct follow up to The Dark Age Book One: Brothers & Other Strangers and is the conclusion of writer Kurt Busiek and artists Brent Anderson and Alex Ross' biggest Astro City epic to date.

Still following the Williams brothers (Charles and Royal), this volume sees them taking on a much more active roll in trying to avenge the violent death of their parents back in 1959.

Book Three is set in 1982, whereas the cataclysmic ending in Book Four, towards which the entire narrative builds, is set in 1984. There is also a coda of sorts at the very end, which is not temporally specified in any exact manner, but which gives the whole of The Dark Age a very nice ending.

A worthy ending to this big epic, and another very, very fine instalment in Astro City.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a 3.5, for the entire "Dark Age" series. There's so much good stuff in "Dark Age" but a lot of it is held back by the sheer length of this story. I'm not as interested in Charles and Royal's overarching story as I am in the Silver Agent's or the Apollo 11's. Not saying the heroes should have been the protagonists of the story, I like the idea of seeing this dark time in Astro City's history through the eyes of regular people. But the story of the regular people isn't nearly as interesting and is far too decompressed. This entire run could have been shrunk into ten issues and been the high water mark for "Astro City."

[Brian Koser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ditto everyone. I like the thematic intention and the "moving through the decades" approach, but it is too convoluted (including the art).

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

With every volume of Astro City I read, I find myself further in awe of Kurt Busiek. This “review” is perhaps instead an open love-letter declaration of my man-crush on Mr Busiek. I know him first as the writer teamed with Cary Nord on the Dark Horse Conan the Barbarian comics. Next came Marvels with Alex Ross (although I read this after my introduction to Astro City). I need to treat myself to his other non-Conan and non-Astro City work. Yes, I (Heart) Kurt Busiek.

But is this book good? Part one took place in the 70’s, part two in the 80’s. In both books the brothers Charels and Royal narrate how the world of Astro City grows darker. Is it society that demands darker heroes, or is it something else? The same question is repeated: are these the heroes we want, or the heroes we deserve?

The classic heroics of the 1960’s are still present, but muffled in the background perhaps over-shouted by a new breed of hero: darker and deadlier. First among the classic heroes is the aptly named Silver Agent, a thinly veiled Captain America.

This is Busiek’s exploration of how comic books changed from the Silver Age (no accident on naming his “Captain America” type the Silver Agent) to the Modern Age. Frank Miller shook up the Age with his work on Daredevil and The Dark Knight Returns; concurrently, Alan Moore changed the rules with MiracleMan, Saga of the Swamp Thing and of course, The Watchmen.

This is a smart book, penned by a smart author and illustrated with a crisp, classic style; clean with no frills or gimmicks.

It’s not my favorite Astro City collection, but if you were to read only three AC books: Volume One, then The Dark Age parts one and two would be the three books I recommend. I would then take bets that you are going to want to return to the well.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This covers volumes one and two of the complete Dark Age storyline.

Every single Astro City single issue and collection ranges from pretty good to really great, and this particular collection that spans a number of storyline decades is the longest story Busiek and his crew have ever done. It pays off a lot of threads Astro City establishes from early on in its run, most notably what ever happened to the Silver Agent and why the city's statue in his honor reads "To our eternal shame." But the focus is on Royal and Charles, two brothers on diverging paths in life following their parents death when they were very young at the hands of a Hydra-like grunt and how those paths intersect before they come together on a quest for revenge. The epilogue dovetailing nicely to where Astro City all begins is a very nice touch.

Of the two volumes this story encompasses, the second is the weaker one because it meanders its way to the conclusion, whereas the first feels intricate and more exciting. As a whole between the two, the entire story works very well and feels as sprawling as it is intended to be, taking heroes from an age of exploration to the grim and gritty period encompassed by stories like Watchmen or the Dark Knight Returns.

If ever anyone is curious about wanting to read superhero comics without all of the hang ups that come with the storied continuity of a Superman or Spider-Man, I always recommend Astro City. It's an excellent example of working through archetypes without ever making the reader feel overwhelmed because the point-of-view is almost always on the folks who have to live through the experience of superheroes instead of the caped figures themselves.

[Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurt Busiek is one of those work horses of comics who just keeps churning out quality work, but he does it with such consistency that you end up forgetting that he's really there. While Busiek has written at both Marvel and DC for decades, Astro City is his baby. And while Astro City often views superheros from the ground up (most of the stories are from the point of view of a citizenry of Astro City and not the heroes themselves) The two volume "Dark Age" story arc, consisting of four different Astro City miniseries takes this viewpoint and turns it on its head, taking two "normal" citizens of Astro City on a quest of vengeance that plunges them headlong into major events happening in the Astro City universe. The first volume sets this up...the brother Charles and Royal Williams discover who is responsible for the death of their parents. In this volume you see them put the plan for revenge into action and the consequences of that desire for vengeance. Busiek, showing his usual consistent mastery of the form manages to weave the story of essentially two mundane denizens of Astro City into a cosmic conflict, and it seems just as normal as if they headed to the local deli for a corned beef sandwich.

Mikhail Bakhtin in his "The Novel as a Literary Genre" argues that one of the strengths of "novel" literature is its ability to engage with the mundane. Astro City embodies this sort of philosophy, even if Busiek isn't consciously trying to do so. Sometimes, even the mundane rises to greatness.