Sunday, May 29, 2011

Mark Waid's "Irredeemable 1 & 2" (You're Fired)

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.  What a great premise, and what a disappointing execution.

The idea: A generic Superman-like superhero (the 'Plutonian') makes the transition from great hero to great villain.

The fundamental flaw: Poor storytelling, poor art.

While I'm a great booster of the graphic novel as creative form, I must admit that I feel I'm starting to tap out on the best in class.  Looking for new fixes in this mode obviously involves risks in trial.  The premise of Irredeemable was a very compelling one, particularly on the heels of All Star Superman's exploration of the hero's journey in new ways.  I was curious to see what stepping stones would take a 'man of steel' to the territory of super villain.  I took a chance on the first two volumes of this open-ended series.

Waid has done classic work elsewhere, which made the cash commitment to these two volumes easier.  It provided a few moments of interest and promise, but overall, I was *very* let down by the effort.

I'll be stopping at volume two.


Said the Plutonian to the author and artist...
(Actually finished this last week, but just getting to the post now.)

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