Books: Irredeemable

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Irredeemable
Vol 1
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Peter Krause
2009



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Irredeemable
Vol 2
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Peter Krause
2010



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Irredeemable
Vol 3
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Peter Krause
2010



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Irredeemable
Vol 4
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Peter Krause
2010



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Irredeemable
Vol 5
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Peter Krause
2011



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Irredeemable
Vol 6
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Peter Krause
2011



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Irredeemable
Vol 7
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Peter Krause
2011



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Irredeemable
Vol 8
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Peter Krause
2012



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/


There's an old saying that the English like to claim for their own but seems to be worldwide - there's a few different ways to put it but the basic gist of it is: "We like to build them up and then we like to knock them down." Because - I guess - for whatever ingrained reasons - that's the story we like best (and the one that's easiest to understand): Icarus. The Roman Empire. Jesus Christ. Michael Jackson. It's all about the rise - and then when they've got as high as they possibly can - hell - bring on the backlash - and let's see how far we can make them fall. Here's another way to say it: "What goes up must come down." 

The one person/character/icon that's always been exempt from that is Superman. Grant Morrison when he was talking up his All Star Superman liked to say that Superman represented the best in all of us: the purest expression of our highest and most noble nature and all that stuff [1]. But what happens if you apply some pressure to the idea of the sci-fi Jesus [2]? What happens if - one day -   Superman snapped? What if decided one day that instead of saving people he wanted to kill them? And what if there was no one who could stop him? And even if you whisper on the other side of the world - he can still hear you. That's the scary premise behind Mark Waid's Irredeemable - which for all intents and purposes does to the idea of the Man of Steel what Breaking Bad does for mild-mannered chemistry teachers. Starring The Plutonian - an almost god-like superhero who one day for reasons unknown becomes psychotic. Dealing with the events leading up to his mental breakdown and the ramifications that follow this is an end of the world story full of shocking twists. The artwork isn't stunning but functional enough to tell the story and the writing in top notch as we slowly explore and come to understand what happened and why. With lots of cool spins on the usual superhero clichés (and even tho I don't write superhero comics I've gotta say there's lots and lots of "Man! I wish I thought of that! moments) and a gripping mood of pervasive dread that hangs on throughout this is a smart superhero comic with lots on it's mind about what it means to be a hero.

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[1] "Superman is just this perfect human pop-culture distillation of a really basic idea. He's a good guy. He loves us. He will not stop in defending us. How beautiful is that? He's like a sci-fi Jesus. He'll never let you down. And only in fiction can that guy actually exist, because real guys will always let you down one way or another. We actually made up an idea that beautiful. That's just cool to me. We made a little paper universe where all of the above is true.”

[2] Or as Mark Waid put it in his introduction: ""In superhero comics, pretty much everyone who's called upon to put on a cape is, at heart, emotionally equipped for the job. I reject that premise." (Ha - I love it!)

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Links: Graphic Novel Reporter Interview with Mark Waid.

Further reading: Supergod, Supreme, Astro City, Powers, Kingdom Come, Crossed, Superman: Birthright, Invincible, The One, The Boys, Marvel Boy, Superman: All Star Superman, Superman: Secret Identity.

All comments welcome.