Warning: contains a preview of Astro City: That Was Then… #1!

The fan-favorite comic series Astro City is returning with a new one-shot story. A preview has been released for the upcoming one-shot, Astro City: That Was Then…, introducing a new story to the long-running series which is beloved by hardcore comic fans. The hit series recently moved to Image Comics, and now fans can rejoice as a mystery is headed their way.

Astro City began publishing in 1995. It began at Image Comics and went through other publishers over the next several years, including an ongoing series with DC’s Vertigo imprint that ended in 2018. The main series had three major volumes with scattered specials adding to the intricately constructed world. Famous for taking a street-level view of heroes in stories about average people in an extraordinary world – as well as its consistently stunning art from Alex Ross and Brent Anderson – Astro City is recognized as a high watermark in comic storytelling, and now a new entry is coming to continue the Eisner- and Harvey-award-winning series.

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A preview for Astro City: That Was Then… has been shared by GamesRadar. This upcoming one-shot has the creative team of Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, Alex Ross, Alex Sinclair, and Comicraft. It will release at the end of March from Image Comics, the series’ original home, and establish a mystery which will influence Astro City‘s story on its return to an ongoing series format. Numerous variant covers will also be available from several different artists. Enjoy the preview pages and summary for Astro City: That Was Then… below.

Astro City: That Was Then… features new and existing heroes and launches a mystery that will drive the forthcoming Astro City series. Who were the Jayhawks? How did they inspire five teen sidekicks looking for answers to hit the road in a rickety crime mobile in 1969? And how will this affect Astro City in the present? It all begins here. And don’t miss the Astro City Metrobook, collecting the first three years of the acclaimed series!

The preview shows a group of teen heroes who have broken down on the side of the road during a road trip. They gather up for a night of camping out and chat about their experiences. They name-drop various heroes, including Musicman and Nightflyer. This group of heroes includes Bugleboy, Majorette, Sunshrike, Rivets the Robot Kid, and Rally. Their outfits each match the theming implied by their name, bringing back a classic element of Astro City – having a broad cast of heroes who all fit into a shared history that’s only revealed over the course of tightly focused, personal stories. This one-shot will focus on the mystery of the Jayhawks, answering who they were, how they inspired the sidekicks featured above, and the impact they have on the future of Astro City – the present that fans are familiar with.

This early glimpse at Astro City: That Was Then… is a great reminder of why this series has been so impactful and beloved by fans. It plays with the stereotypes and classic elements of superheroes, while emphasizing the human aspect of each character. Astro City has managed to create a universe which feels as dense and lived-in as Marvel or DC, but by telling almost exclusively human stories that often don’t focus on its superpowered characters. With That Was Then…, there is a road trip element, a story about inspiration, plenty of new heroes to meet, and a promise of lore that will add onto the series’ modern-day stories. It also takes the story back to the end of the 1960s, bringing back Astro City’s knack for telling stories across numerous time periods. Considering Silver Agent and the Confessor were active around the time of this one-shot, it seems like it might be possible to have appearances of familiar faces – or at least mentions that connect to later events of the series. Fans can read the newest Astro City installment when Image Comics’ Astro City: That Was Then… releases on March 30.

Source: GamesRadar

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Samantha King
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Samantha King is a Comic News Writer for Screen Rant. She has a B.A. in English & American Literature with a concentration in Shakespeare and a minor in Creative Writing from UTEP. She also has a M.S. in Library Science from the University of North Texas.

Samantha used to get in trouble for reading comics in class back in high school, but she gets the last laugh. She took a graphic novel course in college and now gets paid to write about comics. She runs her own blog at: www.therealworldaccordingtosam.blogspot.com

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