Kurt Busiek's Astro City is an American superhero anthology comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Created and written by Kurt Busiek, the series is mostly illustrated by Brent Anderson, with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross.
The first volume was published from 1995 to 1996 by Image Comics. In 1996, a second volume was launched under the Homage Comics imprint of Image partner studio WildStorm, which was then acquired by DC Comics, where the series later transitioned to the WildStorm Signature Series imprint and continued until 2010. During this period it switched from a regular ongoing series to a sequence of periodic mini-series and special issues. A third, ongoing volume was launched under DC's Vertigo imprint in 2013 and concluded in 2018, reverting to occasional miniseries and original graphic novels. Counting all series, mini-series and special issues, over 100 issues have been published.
Characters
Some of the more prominent personalities of Astro City are listed below:
Heroes
Samaritan – an extremely powerful hero. A time-traveler, he appeared in this era in 1985, active as a hero since 1986 and is a current member of Honor Guard. He is sometimes referred to as "Big Red". Samaritan is the first hero in the series to receive an origin story. The Confessor – a mysterious vigilante detective, apparently active from the 1950s to the mid-1990s. His history is a blur of myths and assumptions, as dark as his crime fighting methods. In the Confession arc from the second volume of the series, even his new sidekick struggles to know more about his mentor. Crackerjack – an egocentric, reckless crime-fighter, with amazing agility and a staff weapon, active since 1991. The Hanged Man – a ghostly figure who protects Shadow Hill, appearing as a floating apparition with a burlap sack over his head and a noose around his neck. He is active in Astro City since the 19th century and is rumored to have existed since at least the Middle Ages. M.P.H. a.k.a. The Acceleration Ace – super-speedster and member of Honor Guard. Besides his membership duties with Honor Guard, he operates in his home city of Detroit. Jack-in-the-Box – a clown-themed vigilante with no known powers but agility and an arsenal of clown and toy-inspired weaponry. Silver Agent – an armored vigilante who suffers a tragic fate, hinted at for years. Active from 1956 through the early 1970s, and via time travel, sporadically throughout thousands of years into the future. He is a founding member of Honor Guard. Winged Victory – a feminist Greco-Roman themed superhero, controversial due to her habit of saving women before men regardless of the situation. Beautie – a sophisticated android modeled on a popular doll.
Villains
Bridwell – an Enelsian spy who gathers intelligence on Earth's heroes; he is enamored of humanity's better instincts, but ultimately disgusted by mankind's baser ones. The Conquistador – a mysterious armored villain who hired villains from Kiefer Square as part of a grand scheme to gain back lost respect. The Deacon – a soft-spoken lord of "ordinary" organized crime in Astro City. Infidel – a slave who became an immortal mystic during the Middle Ages, and traveled through time to become a tyrant in the 36th century. Infidel became the arch-enemy of Samaritan after Samaritan's origin changed history, erasing Infidel's future empire, and Samaritan thwarting Infidel's attempts restore it. He is essentially a mad scientist who uses alchemy and magic to warp reality. The Junkman – an aged villain seeking vengeance on society for age discrimination. He recycles and enhances his weaponry from discarded trash. The Mock Turtle – a generally docile and polite man who grew up obsessed with fantasies, especially Alice in Wonderland. He eventually became a costumed criminal, employing a weaponized armor themed after the Alice character from which he drew his name.