Astro City: That Was Then... takes a journey through the series' past and examines what the future holds for both the characters and the creators.
In the new special one-shot issue Astro City: That Was Then..., writer Kurt Busiek and artist Brent Eric Anderson return to the world of Astro City to explore the series' past and look forward to what lies ahead. With the last issue being published in 2018, this marks a new beginning for the long-running series that has previously won multiple Eisner and Harvey awards. Having started at Image Comics in 1995, Astro City was then published by Homage Comics, Wildstorm, Vertigo, and is now finally back with Image Comics.
Astro City is an anthology series that explores not only the lives of superheroes in the titular city, but also how their exploits impact regular people on the ground. It is famous for playing with and subverting common tropes from superhero stories. This new story takes a step back into the past, following a group of sidekicks that have decided to set out on a road trip across the United States to try and figure out how to progress beyond their childhoods. The trip follows the death of a team of other young heroes known as the Jayhawks, prompting the surviving ones to reevaluate how they live their lives. Concerns about college, the commitment to superheroics, and simply getting older hound their thoughts as they sit around the campfire.
The plight of the protagonists is shared by Astro City itself, as it leaves behind the death of its former publisher, Vertigo. Under Image Comics, the series is set to continue with new stories. In the back pages of the issue, Busiek mentions work on a new graphic novel as well as new collected editions of previous issues such as the first Astro City MetroBook, a collection of the first 19 issues that is available now. This shows a commitment not only to the future of Astro City, but also a respect for its past. Busiek states that, despite having died, "the Jayhawks' story is just beginning," which means that the Astro City team is dedicated to bringing elements from their history into the upcoming tales.
Other teases for the future of Astro City include mentions of the Broken Man, the Oubor, and possibly even a TV show. Busiek reveals that discussions about creating an Astro City TV show have been ongoing for the past decade, but that now there is a new company interested in making it happen. There are no further details at the moment, but it could lead to more new fans of this cult classic series.
This issue's creative team also reflects the ideology of preserving the past while embracing progress. Kurt Busiek and Brent Eric Anderson are both longtime contributors to the series, as well as the colorist Alex Sinclair and cover artist/character designer Alex Ross. New additions are Tyler Smith from Comicraft on lettering and Kel Symons from Image Comics as the editor. As Samaritan states on the final page of the story, "And it never ends, does it? It never ends." For the superhero this may be a burden, but to fans it is a blessing. After four years away, it's nice to be able to come back to Astro City once again.
