|
Editorial Review Product Description
A comic book industry events continues: volume two of the new original ongoing superhero series from Mark Waid! IRREDEEMABLE dares to ask the question: what if the world's greatest hero decided to become the world's greatest villain? A "twilight of the superheros"-style story that examines super-villains from the writer of KINGDOM COME and SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT. ... Read more Customer Reviews (14) 
It's Far and Away One of the Most Interesting and Compelling Superhero Books Currently Being Published
Irredeemable is the sort of series that would seem to have a short shelf life. Reading about the world's greatest superhero running amok and torturing the planet's inhabitants should, in theory at least, get old: How long can you read about the same villain going berserk before you want to see him taken down, served justice, made to pay for his crimes?
Surprisingly, in the hands of an able storyteller like Mark Waid, the story remains fresh and vibrant, as Volume 2 of Irredeemable proves. Collecting issues 5 through 8 of the monthly series, this second volume further illustrates the Plutonian's troubled background, both as a child and as a superhero. The Plutonian is more or less a Superman figure, with somewhat similar powers, and he's been a member of a Justice League-like group known as the Paradigm. Together, this collection of superheroes saved the world many times over, but something, some case, has made the Plutonian crack. He's killed millions of people around the globe, including many of his former teammates, and he's biding his time searching for the rest. The survivors have banded together in a secret hiding place--a difficult thing, considering the vision and hearing powers and other heightened senses their pursuer possesses--as they try to formulate a plan to bring him down.
One of the treats of Irredeemable is Peter Krause's crisp, clean art, which oftentimes evokes the style of legendary comics artist Curt Swan. It adds to the overall creepiness of the ongoing story, making it truly seem as though you've stepped into an EC Comics spinoff of a Golden Age storyline.
Volume 2 is less violent and graphic than its predecessor, but that doesn't mean it's light fare. It remains a dark and twisted book with plenty of gore, so it's more suited for adults and older teens. The action is swift and intense, and Waid doesn't dawdle in the plot lines. Most interesting is the subplot involving the Plutonian's former girlfriend (the fabulously named Bette Noir), who is now married to a superhero who has no idea his wife used to be the Plutonian's flame. The storyline gives Waid opportunity to inject a little bit of humor periodically (such as the scene in which the heroes have infiltrated the Plutonian's lair: Bette opens the door on a shrine to herself in various stages of dress, and she quickly shuts the door and says, "Dead end. Keep moving!").
Perhaps a less talented writer would have devolved the series into a quick slugfest, but Waid keeps the interest piqued with Irredeemable. Where he'll keep taking the series is anyone's guess, but it's far and away one of the most interesting and compelling superhero books currently being published.
-- John Hogan
If you don't love this book then I'm not sure what to tell you.
Awesome...Great story on all fronts...love, violence, suspense, flashbacks...I mean you don't get better than this.
Make sure to pick up Incorruptable as it takes place at the same time and it kicks azz as well.
Sweet Fudgin' Monkeylover! Mark Waid's dark and delicious read.
The hero-turned-villain conceit is old hat nowadays in the comic book field, and yet writer Mark Waid keeps on exploring new territory with the stark and riveting, near apocalyptic IRREDEEMABLE. To catch up the more casual readers, at last count, the homicidal Plutonian - once the world's greatest superhero - had massacred over eight million people, what with his near leveling of Sky City and his sinking of Singapore. As this second volume opens (collecting issues #5-8) the Plutonian expands his reign of terror to playing cruel mind games with the global populace. And there's an alarming element in how he seems to know the slightest detail, the deepest secret, harbored by the most random of strangers. This man is scary to the umpteenth power.
The surviving members of his former team, the Paradigm, are running for their lives, still desperately trying to come up with a counter for the all-powerful Plutonian. The best hope still lies with Qubit's Mobiusbots. Except, really, how wise is it for Qubit to have clonedthe intellect of the most diabolically intelligent super-criminal in history, and then to clone it multiple times? This bites the Paradigm in the bum. In these four issues, even more secrets are unearthed, more sleazy betrayals sussed out, further fracturing the Paradigm's already shaky team chemistry. Waid also finally gets around to the events which directly led to the Plutonian's snapping. And I'll say that Waid's flashbacks still reek with sick foreboding, so ominous is the pervading tone.
Needless to say, the writer continues to plumb the Plutonian's troubled psyche, picking up where Alan Moore left off in MARVELMAN. I guess some guys just don't have it in them to be a hero, some just don't have that inner strength. On the inside, the Plutonian simply isn't as sound as, say, Clark Kent. For the Plutonian, it started with the little things, such as his inability to cope with sensory overload. With his super senses, the Plutonian is able to hear every plea for help on the planet, and this gradually has an eroding effect on him. It doesn't help, of course, that humanity is so ingrained with that selfish gene. The Plutonian rapidly learns just how fickle and ungrateful man can be. There's one moment in the flashback in which he refers to the world he protects as this "ant farm of a planet." At this juncture, the Plutonian was already well on his way to cracking under pressure. But this isn't what decidedly remade him into a mass murderer. This was just a signpost.
But just when things look the most bleak, an unlikely hero emerges who just may be able to stand up to the all-powerful Plutonian. Except that I suspect this to be fool's gold. This comic book, after all, isn't titled PUNKABLE or CLOBBERABLE. It's IRREDEEMABLE, baby, and I cherish its sense of menace and oppressiveness. Mark Waid keeps on deconstructing.
Don't even hesitate to start this awesome series
The Plutonian was once the world's greatest superhero-until the day he snapped and became the world's most dangerous supervillain. The death toll is stacking up as the Plutonian's history begins to be divulged. The Paradigm, once a group of Plutonian's fellow superheroes, is lost in the face of the Plutonian's wrath. However, there may yet be hope for the earth as finally one person seems able to stand toe-to-toe with the ex-superhero. Meanwhile, it becomes more and more apparent that there was-or is-something strange going on between Bette Noir and the Plutonian.
After finishing the first volume of Irredeemable (which contained comic issues #1-4), I was very worried with how the story would be continued in the second volume (issues #5-8). It wasn't that Mark Waid had really given me anything to quibble with or worry over. In fact, I think it was the distinct lack of quibbles-by which I mean the sheer awesomeness of the story-that generated my fear! I became utterly afraid that Waid would somehow plow the great story, fascinating characters, and beautiful artwork into the ground just to spite me.
Thankfully, the fear was entirely misplaced.
The first volume of Irredeemable was amazing because it was shocking, beautiful, and well-thought out. This second installment continues all of that. The Plutonian is given a lot more backstory now. And even if I don't enjoy the scenes of kid-Plutonian with foster families as much as I enjoy the present-day mayhem, I do enjoy the format Waid is using to give the backstory. The flash backs always seem to come at just the right moment for the biggest emotional payoff possible. My favorite was the bits about Volt (which almost begin the graphic novel, actually). Volt joins Paradigm, Volt befriends with Plutonian, Volt says something he shouldn't to the crazy man... Sincerely love it.
Similarly, I'm pretty fond of the developments with Bette Noir. I have a feeling that the third graphic novel (which I have actually started collecting in comic form, because I need to read more soon) will have a lot more of their relationship. I mean, it was pretty obvious in the first volume that something unhealthy was going on. This volume makes it explicitly clear that "unhealthy" doesn't even begin to cover it-which, of course, is just plain awesome.
The only problem I have with the series right now is more of a dislike for where one particular storyline. Before reading this volume I was worried that the Plutonian would continue to go unchallenged. Like all-powerful heroes, I find all-powerful villains to be boring as all hell. That worry turned out to be irrelevant. However, even though I'm fond of who is stepping up, I'm not very fond of how that's happening. Frankly, I feel that the current motivations and actions of that character are leading on a path that just isn't all that original-which is upsetting, particularly considering all the options available. No, I don't want a pure superhero to battle the `evil' one, but I do want a complex and varied look at how different people react to power. I'll even by the `absolute power corrupts absolutely for everyone` argument if I'm given just a little bit more reasoning behind it first.
Other than that, I have not a complaint with Waid and Krause's Irredeemable. And perhaps that's a very small complaint indeed when considering how many times this series sends little thrills down my spine.
Also, I love the last full page panel so much. If it didn't inherently contain a handful of spoilers, I'd share it here.
Obviously, if you're a comics fan-and particularly a fan of superhero comics that don't follow the genre rules-don't even hesitate to start this awesome series. For those who don't normally go in for comics, I'm still going to recommend it, especially if any of these keywords pique your interest: homicidal superhero; sexual creepiness and skeeviness; trying to destroy everyone because they didn't love you enough.
irredeemable
Awesome story line! what would happen if the greatest superhero just got sick of all the BS?
... Read more |
