Astro City: The Silver Agent #2

Kurt Busiek (w), Brent Anderson (a), Alex Ross (cover)

Rating: Worth multiple reads

I've been a huge fan of Astro City since the beginning, and nothing has been done to change that. Busiek and Anderson's superhero universe combines the best of Marvel and DC into a new, grander, and brighter world. The Silver Agent was long teased as someone influential, even though he was absent from the first several volumes of stories. He was regarded as a tragic figure, but we knew not why until fairly recently.

Basically, this told the story of the Silver Agent's wrongful execution by our legal system; convicted of a crime he did not commit, he allowed himself to be executed out of respect for the rule of law. People realized - too late, of course - what they did, and the Silver Agent became an inspiration for millennia.

This tale, with all of the details filled in, is heartbreaking. It becomes easy to put ourselves in his shoes, yet hard to imagine laying down out lives as he did. Can you imagine leaving your family behind like that?

The story hinges around his travels through time, fighting alongside various Silver Agent-inspired heroes on various worlds, righting wrongs and saving lives. On each world, he becomes inspired by those he has inspired - a remarkable leadership feat, if you've studied that art. The great leaders get their motivation from their followers. His adventures through time draw him closer and closer to his execution date, even as he acquires more of the mysterious power from which he derives his name.

The heartbreaking bit comes from his conversations with his nephew, set 30 years apart for the nephew but moments for the Agent. Having to say goodbye to family like that... is unimaginable. Well and sensitively played by the creative team.

As per usual, this ends this chapter of Astro City. I enjoy this style of storytelling; instead of an ongoing series, the book is published as an individual storyline. Now that this is done, another will come soon. I can't wait to sit down and read the whole arc.