Astro City: The Dark Age #1

This collected volume launches *Astro City: The Dark Age* with a cover by Alex Ross that commands immediate attention — a scale-armored hero surges upward through a roiling wall of fire and smoke, one fist raised defiantly against an orange-and-black inferno that fills the frame with raw, elemental force. The subtitle "Brothers & Other Strangers" hints at the layered human relationships at the heart of Kurt Busiek and Brent Eric Anderson's storytelling, with an introduction by Marc Guggenheim adding extra context for readers diving in. If you've been looking for a corner of the superhero genre that takes its world seriously, this 2009 trade paperback is a genuinely satisfying place to start.