Kurt Busiek's Astro City #1
Kurt Busiek's Astro City #1 debuted in August 1995 as the opening chapter of one of the most significant creator-owned superhero universes of the modern era, introducing Samaritan, the Honor Guard, and a large supporting cast in a single issue while deliberately steering the superhero genre away from the grim-and-gritty excess of its era. The premiere story, 'In Dreams,' reframed the archetypal all-powerful hero not through action spectacle but through the texture of his daily life — his secret identity as fact-checker Asa Martin, the relentless schedule that leaves him no time to enjoy flight except in sleep — establishing Astro City's central thesis that the interior lives of superheroes are at least as rich as their battles. The series went on to win both the Eisner and Harvey Awards for Best New Series for 1996, cementing its place as a critical touchstone for what thoughtful, character-centered superhero storytelling could achieve. Alongside Marvels, which Busiek had recently completed with Alex Ross, this issue helped define a reconstructionist countermovement to the decade's dominant deconstruction.
In "In Dreams," Kurt Busiek crafts a quiet, poignant exploration of heroism through the eyes of Samaritan, a man whose immense powers are reserved for the realm of sleep. With Brent Anderson's evocative art and Alex Ross's striking cover, the issue captures the bittersweet beauty of a hero who finds true freedom not in action, but in the quiet sanctuary of dreams.
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The series was produced by Busiek's own Juke Box Productions — a company he ran with his wife Ann — and was self-financed largely through royalties Busiek had earned from the 1994 Marvel limited series Marvels, which he had also created with Alex Ross. That earlier collaboration was a direct creative ancestor: Ross returned for Astro City as cover painter and character designer, while Brent Anderson, who co-created the series with Busiek, handled all interior art. The book was published through Image Comics under a creator-owned arrangement, with lettering and design by Richard Starkings and Comicraft, and coloring by Steve Buccellato and Electric Crayon. After the six-issue first volume concluded in January 1996, the series went on hiatus and Busiek subsequently moved it to Jim Lee's Homage Comics imprint within Image.
Trivia · 6 facts
- The lead story is titled 'In Dreams' — a single-issue, day-in-the-life portrait of Samaritan that established the anthology's signature approach of privileging inner experience over superheroic spectacle.
- First appearances in this issue: Samaritan (alter ego Asa Martin), Honor Guard (the team), Beautie, The Black Rapier, Cleopatra (Sarah Brandeis), M.P.H. (Michael Hendrie), N-Forcer, Quarrel (Jessica Darlene Taggart), Dr. Saturday, and The Living Nightmare (Pete Carney).
- Samaritan is revealed in-universe lore to be a time-traveler from the 35th century who gained powers called 'empyrean fire' during transit through the timestream; his civilian alias Asa Martin works as a fact-checker at a news magazine.
- Creative team: script by Kurt Busiek, interior art by Brent Anderson (pencils and inks), colors by Steve Buccellato/Electric Crayon, letters/design by Richard Starkings & Comicraft, and a painted cover plus back-cover Samaritan character gallery by Alex Ross.
- The issue includes a centerspread reproduction of Ross's painted cover art, plus a back-matter essay by Busiek on the genesis of the series and a preview of issue #2.
- The first volume (issues #1–6, the 'Life in the Big City' arc) won both the Eisner and Harvey Awards for Best New Series for 1996; the collected edition itself won the 1997 Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work.
Cast · 20 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Though Samaritan devotes every moment of his waking day to using his great powers to aid humanity, it is only in dreams that he can enjoy them.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).