Astro City
 

I've just gotten back into comics this past year and I am a big fan of Astro City. Is there any comics out there you can recommend that are along the same lines? I am a fan of the DC characters, but they have way too many titles and company wide crossovers for me to afford. I am a completionist, so if I get one title, I am going to want them all.

I loved that series when I was still collecting. Great stuff.

Can't think of anything that resembles it (short of Marvels), but if you're looking for a title that finished its run and didn't have any crossovers, I can't recommend enough Preacher.

Other stuff I was buying when I was picking up AC: Transmet and Starman.

I agree, one aspect of why Astro City is so good is because there isn't really anything else like it out there.

Meaning, I got nothin' as a suggestion for you. :p

try Marvel's New Universal.

Speaking of Astro City, anyone have a good list or link for it?

I loved the first 3 issues, and think I have all the trades, but want to make sure that:
- I have everything
- everything has been collected in trade
- I read them in proper order

I would pick up a few of Alan Moore's America's Best Comics from DC through it's Wildstorm imprint. Top 10, Promethea, Tom Strong and Tomorrow Stories are all great reads and always had a little of that Astro City feel to me. Of course The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is also a ABC book, but that one was a little bit different from Astro City in my opinion. I know you can pick up several TPB collections.

Volume 1 of Astro City ran 6 issues. Each issue was a stand-alone story. It was collected in a single trade called Life in the Big City.

Volume 2 of Astro City ran 22 issues. Issues 4 through 9 were a single story and were collected in the second trade, which is called Confessions. This trade also includes a "half" issue that ran in Wizard.

A third trade was then released which collects issues 1-3 and 10-13 of volume 2. This is called Family Album. These were all 1 or 2 issue stories.

There was then another long story arc -- issues 14-20 -- which were collected in a trade called Tarnished Angel.

When volume 2 ended, the title became "Astro City: Local Heroes," which ran for 5 issues. The last 2 issues of volume 2 (21-22) and all 5 issues of Local Heroes are collected in a trade called Local Heroes. The collection also includes an Astro City Special and a short story that ran in a 9-11 benefit book. These are all standalone stories.

So those five trades -- Life in the Big City, Confession, Fmaily Album, Tarnished Angel, and Local Heroes -- encompass everything that has been collected.

So what hasn't been collected?

After Local Heroes ended, there was a flip-book that contained an Astro City story on one side and an Arrowsmith story on the other.

(Arrowsmith is another Busiek book that is very different from Astro City but also very good. The one line description is "World War I in a world where magic exists." There is a trade collecting the entire 6-issue Arroswmith mini and the flip-book story. Art is by Carlos Pacheco. But I digress).

After the flip book, Astro City began a storyline called "The Dark Age." That story is broken into 4 "books." Each book is 4 issues long. Between each book, there will be a special. So far, the first book has been published, as has the first special. The first two issues of the second book have been published. I would expect all of this (including the story from the flip book, which was a prologue to The Dark Age) will be collected eventually.

There was also something called "The Visitor's Guide to Astro City, which contained a lot of character sketches, Who's Who type entries, etc. I don't know if that will be included in collections -- time will tell.

Moore's line is a great suggestion. Just finished reading the Terra Obscura spinoff books, which was a cool read.

While not exactly like Astro City, if you enjoy different takes on popular comic book mythos may I suggest Planetary? It recently finished its run, though I'm not sure if it has all been collected yet... it was one book I was willing to not only collect single issues of, but I persisted through all the long delays.

Thanks for the run down JasonF! I'm in the process of organizing my two bookcase full TPB collection, and want to read these soon.

There is a Top Cow graphic novel you should read entitled Common Grounds. It was written by Troy Hickman and every time I feel like reading through Astro City but don't have the time, I read through Common Grounds - very good stuff.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will give the Moore stuff a try and probably Common Grounds to start.

I'm also an Astro Crazy fan. If you like Busiek, read his stand alone graphic novel, Secret Identity. Yep, Top 10 is also good. Especially the first issue which was set in past. Try also The Ultimates. I also liked Empire

http://www.comics.org/graphics/cover...6792_2_001.jpg

and Supreme Power

http://www.comics.org/graphics/cover...1985_2_001.jpg