I’m a comic book guy, and I’m sure by the time this project is over you are going to be sick (if you aren’t already) with me saying that. Most people know about the big heroes, the ones that DC & Marvel make movies about, or at least cartoons. There are other comics out there that unless you know a comic book guy, or are a comic book guy (or gal) you may have never heard of. One of those titles is Kurt Busiek’s and Brent Anderson’s Astro City (with covers by Alex Ross). I don’t remember why I picked up my first issue, maybe it was the cover, maybe it was suggested by someone, but once I read that first story I was hooked. Here’s the thing, the arcs move around, and it’s not always a superhero that the story is about. This is a comic about world building, about taking what we already know and changing it just enough to make it new. It’s one of my favorites. Now that it seems ot be on a more regular publishing schedule makes it even better. If you can find a copy of one of the 12 collected volumes, read a few stories. I’d be curious what you think.
This MINIon is actually a character from the just completed arc, where an intelligent gorilla (sorry had to be a monkey, rules are rules) escapes from his homeland because he wants to be a drummer in a rock and roll band, and what happens. It was another great story about a character that would most likely be tossed away in a planning meeting or used as a joke.