Astro City: Metrobook, Vol. 3

Astro City Metrobook #3

by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson (Artist), Alex Sinclair (Artist)

The longest, most sweeping epic in Astro City’s history, in one volume for the first time. Across the 1970s and 80s, Charles & Royal Williams deal with tragedy and obsession. One a cop, one a criminal, both have been shaped irrevocably by Astro City’s heroes, and as the city enters a time of darkness, it’ll take all they have to survive.   Also featuring the full story of the death ― and life ― of the Silver Agent.   Collects ASTRO THE DARK AGE BOOK ONE #1-4, ASTRO THE DARK AGE BOOK TWO #1-4, ASTRO THE DARK AGE BOOK THREE #1-4, ASTRO THE DARK AGE BOOK FOUR #1-4, ASTRO SILVER AGENT #1-2 and portions of ASTRO CITY/ THE FLIP BOOK

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Adventure

512 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2023

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

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astro City Metrobook Volume 3 collects Astro City: The Dark Age books 1-4 plus some extra material.

So Astro City has been a favorite of mine the last few years after passing on it as a foolish teenager. I've read most of it... except for the contents of this book.

Most Astro City stories up until now have been done in one or just a handful of issues. This is a sprawling saga spread across sixteen issues, starting in 1959 and going into the 1980s. Charles and Royal Williams witness their parents die at the hands of a Pyramid agent while Silver Agent pursues him through their burning apartment. Charles and Royal deal with the tragedy in their own ways over the ensuing decades.

The other thread running through the book is the fate of the Silver Agent, something only hinted at in previous volumes. Well, it was a long time coming and I was not disappointed!

Busiek, Anderson, and the others explore the shifting of comics and society in general through the sixties, seventies, and eighties. Things get darker before they get brighter. Charles and Royal grow and are transformed by the end, going through the fire and coming out the other side.

If this was the last Astro City volume, it would be a hell of a high note to go out on. For selfish reasons, I'm glad it's not, though. Five out of five stars.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The longest Astro City story is not the strongest, but it's still pretty good. Long before this, Busiek pitched a second Marvels book which would have had a POV of two brothers, one in law enforcement, and one on the other side of the law, and would have gone through the 70's marvel comics the way Marvels went through the 60's. Busiek reworks that idea into astro city, as we get to see quite a bit of the history of Astro City through two brothers from childhood through adulthood. Some of the things we have heard mentioned in previous stories are brought to light through the eyes of the brothers.

And while this collection is still pretty good, it lacks that little something that makes Astro City different then just your normal superhero/action/adventure book. I think what makes Astro City different is the different viewpoint it brings to the stories that we have grown up following. We don't see the big crossover event from the eyes of the heros, but from a random guy on the street and how he was effected by it. We don't get Superman saving the world, we get a Superman who dreams of flying. And this collection is much more a straight forward action adventure story. And it's a good one, and a good history of events in the city, but it lacks the little something that makes the other books 5 stars.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most epic Astro City story that I've read so far! This is the first part in a sprawling two-part story focused on the City during the turbulent 70's and 80's. It begins at the end of the Vietnam War when the world was filled with tumult, and to add to all of that, superheroes, powered villains, street vigilantes, and cosmic invaders seem to be popping up everyday.

But even with all of this going on, the heart of the story is focused on our two protagonists, Charles and Royal, brothers that find themselves on opposite sides of the law but both with a shared childhood trauma and love for each other that forever connects them, and ultimately transforming them into something they never thought possible: heroes.

This might also be the Astro City story with the least focus on the costumed protectors, as they are regulated to the background even more than usual, with Busiek refreshingly keeping the focus on the brothers and their relationship as it plays against the backdrop of big changes in the world and its relationship to costumed heroes and villains. This is definitely one of the best volumes of Astro City with some of the most enjoyable characters. It can be read stand-alone, but you’ll get much more reward reading it after reading the earlier Astro City stories, as it deepens and provides more context and backstory to characters introduced before. This is a key document in the history of Astro City.

[kollyflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

A generous 4 stars thanks to the last 50 pages of this volume.

This is my least favorite Astro City book- primarily because it follows two brothers for 90% of the story. I believe this story shines the best when it’s formatted as an anthology. Follow a cast of characters or plot line in a single issue or two and then be done with it. It allows for tighter writing and gives life to the “city” itself since there is so much history to it. Having this volume follow a traditional format…it’s not why I read and love this series so much. I wish the brothers’ storyline was edited down.

Nonetheless, the book turns back into the Astro City I know and love in the last two issues which is why I bumped it to 4 stars. I’m eager to get the next Metrobook and return to the series’ usual narrative.

[Joshua K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Astro City, so it pains me to say that I don’t like this book as much as I loved the first 2 volumes. AC is usually smaller stories that last one or two issues, with some of them lasting up to 6 issues, but this one tells the story of 2 brothers over the course of decades, so its more like 20 issues. What Busiek and Anderson set out to do here is ambitious, and I applaud them for it. It starts out very strong, but over time it lost me. I think my main issue lies with the direction the story goes. Most Astro City stories take place on the edges of the main super hero going ons of the city, with the characters mainly dealing with their own lives and the repercussions of what the heroes are doing. In this book, are main characters actively participate in the plot, and essentially becomes a big event book itself, which wasn’t what I wanted. Maybe I’ll come back to this in a few months and like it a lot more, but I’m currently feeling a little underwhelmed.

Two Years Later
The book clicks a lot more for me now. I kind of love the epic scope, and the themes of these brothers trying to find agency in a world where you may feel meaningless.

[Arend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the shorter pieces were my favorites. The long arcs a bit hit or miss—the endless flying and fighting and time travel gets dull (not to mention the hetero male vibe), but the ebb and flow of history in the background was interesting.

[kavreb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dark Age arc that takes up most of this book starts up compelling enough and I was quite interested in this story of two brothers on different sides of the law telling the tale of a city slowly falling into darkness over the years, seemingly inevitably in a society with superheroes who kill. Without the dark cynicism of The Boys, it still looks hard at superheroes who allow themselves to stand above the law, and asks what are the consequences - and answers with darkness (without falling quite into the same cruelty as the aforementioned The Boys - Astro City is still much more family-friendly and hopeful).

But it started running out of steam just as it starts becoming more of an epic superhero story. I prefer those Astro City stories that are concerned with the simple humanity of the people within its world and hence as it started turning more epic, I started losing interest.

That's not to say it became bad or lost connection with the humans in the centre of it, and there are some affecting moments right up to the epilogue, but it also took me months to finish the fourth part, and that has not happened to me before.

Still, I liked the characters and the world, the deepening darkness and the central story, and I just loved seeing how time passed. The only problem I had was that the story ends on an up-beat note where the optimism relies fully on a totally positive superhero and that just smells wrong to me in a series that has always been questioning the supremacy of superheroes and positing their simple humanity within.

That it then becomes extremely one-sided, losing any sense of criticism in the last two stories concerning the Silver Agent, feels somewhat disingenuous. His sense of sacrifice and the tragedy of his story is touching, but his steadfast belief in civil servants, including the police, while he himself looks like an honorary cop, is a bit uncomfortable in the age of BLM and such. It *is* in some ways an appropriate hagiography for Astro City's "greatest hero", but I prefer my Astro City stories with just a touch more cynicism and world-weariness.

But I'll still get the next Metrobook when it comes out. I just love the series too much and believe in Busiek. I might not get another Tarnished Angel, but second rate Astro City is still pretty good.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dark Age. Overall, this is a rather magnificent take on a dark and gritty '70s heroscope, full of lots of hero tropes, gang warfare, and other noir-esque motifs. As is the case with the best Astro City, it's also offers a great personal story which gains weight as it goes on. 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, especially in conjunction with the previous volume). [5/5]

The Silver Agent. I thought we didn't need to see more of his story after The Dark Age, but Busiek fills in the gaps here, both with the Agent's origin and his time in the future and what comes in-between, and it's again a fascinating and touching story ... with a great ending! Terrific to have it in the same volume as Dark Age (though I wish the Blue Knight two-parter had been here too, to really collect all the connected tales [5/5]

[Reece Lannan · Rating 3 out of 5]

(6/10)

It hasn't affected my overall enthusiasm for Astro City as a series, but this is pretty easily the weakest of the 3 Metrobooks I've read so far. It's ultimately fine, but never more than that. Astro City has worked best for me when telling short stories that give us deeper insight into characters of specific aspects of the city. This is one much longer story focusing on two pretty one dimensional characters charting their stagnant relationship across multiple decades. I don't think the core concept is a bad one necessarily, but its a little hokey. And given how little nuance we really get from either of the men at the centre of this story, it really feels as if this would have been better served as a one shot.

[Antonio Ballesteros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un tomo muy sólido dentro de la saga de Astro City. La historia de los dos hermanos del inicio es, para mí, lo mejor del volumen: un relato con tono noir, muy humano y cercano, que muestra cómo la gente corriente intenta sobrevivir en una ciudad poblada por seres extraordinarios. Por eso mismo es una lástima que, hacia la mitad del libro, el enfoque vire hacia un desenlace más típico de superhéroes algo caótico bajo mi punto de vista. Funciona bien, pero pierde parte de esa intimidad tan especial que suele caracterizar a Astro City.

Aun así, los dos últimos números dedicados al Agente de Plata son pura clase. Busiek demuestra otra vez su maestría para jugar con el paso del tiempo y construir historias brutales.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one flew under my radar as it was coming out. Due to some chronic health complications, Busiek wasn't able to stick to a regular schedule, and a story as epic as THE DARK AGE needs to be able to build momentum in order for everything to pay off. So going back and reading it in a single volume from start to finish as it was intended was a real treat.

Maybe the specific sort of superhero comics nostalgia that birthed ASTRO CITY has waned to the point where the series feels a step or two out of time, but that actually feels thematically appropriate for this criminally underappreciated story.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I love Astro City, and I very much do, this sweeping epic never quite lives up to what I think the author intended. That being said, it’s still head and shoulders above 95% of what is out there.
The huge multi-issue arc gives us an opportunity to see a sweeping history of Astro City, from the 1970’s to the present. We see it from the viewpoint of two brothers, integral to some of the events, and see just what happened to the Silver Agent, the most tragic of the heroes.
It’s certainly over-long and over-blown, but it is also very entertaining and has a nice Bronze Age feel to things.
Not the best of the Metrobooks, but still fine entertainment.

[Seb · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is often with the longer Astro City stories, I found the conclusion a little lame and unsatisfying, but what a journey! Impossible to dislike the Williams Brothers. And though he might be playing the same note over and over again, it's always effective when Busiek parallels American comic book and political history. Plus that Silver Agent epilogue! Wonderful! So carefully set up!

I also read a real book in the past few months. However it was so obscure that it wasn't even on Goodreads. I hope that teaches you a valuable lesson about assumptions.

[Just_An_E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this before and I'll probably read it again, but Astro City is a love letter to comic books and no one can tell me otherwise. This is probably one of the best arcs of Astro City, and it tells such a cohesive narrative. Telling two stories going in opposite directions, essentially. Two brothers seeking revenge for their parents, and a man pulled out of time trying to do his best to save what he can. There are so many things that just ooze superhero history and threads of stories that have never been told.

[Brendan Mckillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Astro City is always an entertaining and rewarding read. What stops me from giving this 5 stars? While Writer Kurt Busiek and artist Brent Anderson deliver a story that is an epic of grand adventures (including time travel) but also intimate and personal, the epic-ness (??) of the story was almost too much for this volume. The sweep of the story became so big that overall story threatened to crumble under the weight. It was a challenge at time to keep track of all the events and how they connected together. And during all that we also need to make space to follow and connect with the personal struggles and story of Augustus and Julius Furst.

But it is still Astro City, and that is always worthy of your time.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Ages is 16 parts. I read this in single issue form and lost the thread. The best Astro City arcs are just as good in single issues as read in full arcs, but I think this suffers as single issues (more as it goes on). It reads pretty well in 4 issue chunks. Maybe it should’ve been built as 80 page books?
Still, read more in a row I liked it more but even then I was ready to move on by part 4.

[Alessandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book, but I didn't like it as much as the previous ones.
I perfectly agree with the conclusion of J.G. Keely's review (Astro City, Vol.6), when he wrote: "It's still a good book, and better than 95% of the capes comics I've ever read, but it's starting to resemble them more than it exceeds them."

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This puts all of The Dark Ages epic storyline into a single very fat book - and adds so much resonance to the story of The Silver Agent. In addition, Kurt Busiek manages to comment on the nature of vigilante heroes and our obsession with revenge and a myriad of other social and historical topics.

As usual, I can't recommend this series highly enough.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recent Reads: Astro City Metrobook Vol 3. Kurt Busiek's collected superhero reinvention continues, exploring the dark days of the 70s in the lives of two brothers, one a cop, one a criminal. Finally, too, we learn the truth about the Silver Agent's life and death. Recommended.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here Busiek dedicates a lot of Astro City pages to a singular arc but it doesn't really feel like it pays off. Astro City usually shines when it takes you on a journey to different corners and introduces you to many different characters.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good edition!
This one was not a short story analogy like the other one. It primarily focuses on the Williams brothers with a bit of The Silver Agent at the end.
It was good, but it was long at times.

[andrew y · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a pretty spectacular read.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always an interesting perspective. Looking at super heroes from the bystander perspective.

[Dave Rhoden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continued excellence.

[Quinn Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Silver Agent is the GOAT and I love him and his allegory

[Brian Longtin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so damn good I can’t believe I get to keep reading more.

[Cloak88 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but a bit dark for my taste.

I suppose it is appropriate for this metro book : The Dark Age. Overall Astro City is my favorite Superhero comic series of all time. The stories are both more iconic and more complex than a first reading will reveal. The layers within, the framing of the story and the story itself are all very well done.

Thing is... as good as it is. I'm not all that much a fan of dark or grim story lines, and this very much is a very dark story. Thing go bad, people are miserable and death is not a rarity. Despite that I'll have to readily admit that Volume 3 has a good story that had me gripped tight all along its pages.

I'll likely enjoy the 4th volume better, but Vol. 3 is by no means a bad one.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third compilation of Astro City, Kurt Busiek's brilliant deconstruction and critique of the superheroic comic-book genre told through a comic-book universe at the same time unique and strangely familiar, as it is built on all the recognizable tropes of the genre. This volume finally reveals the long-awaited story of the Silver Agent, which Busiek had been teasing since the very beginning of Astro City's run. The tragedy is everything he promised! Great stuff!

[Amritesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

(This review covers the complete series)

A grounded, character-focused approach to superhero storytelling, the story introduces a city full of heroes and villains, seen mostly from the perspective of everyday people. The action takes a back seat to the smaller moments, how people live, react, and adapt in a world full of superpowered beings. The writing is sincere and occasionally heartbreaking, and the clean, traditional art helps bring a sense of realism to the larger-than-life setting.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was loving the first half of this collection. The first two Dark Age books collected here were very enjoyable but as it kept going, I lost interest hard. It just seemed to get more and more far from what has made Astro City so great to this point. Not sure if this is how the series continues from this point in but it’s definitely less interesting for me.