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Irredeemable: Volume 1 |  | Author: Mark Waid
Creators: Peter Krause, John Cassaday, Grant Morrison
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Category: Book
List Price: $9.99
Buy New: $9.50
as of 7/30/2010 06:06 CDT details
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Seller: BOOM! Town
Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 16870
Media: Paperback
Pages: 128
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 10.2 x 6.6 x 0.4
ISBN: 1934506907
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN: 9781934506905
ASIN: 1934506907
Publication Date: October 6, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A comic book industry event: a new original ongoing superhero series from Mark Waid! IRREDEEMABLE dares to ask the question: what if the world's greatest hero decided to become the world's greatest villain? A "twilight of the superheroes"- style story that examines super-villains from the writer of KINGDOM COME and EMPIRE!
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 22
 Could be the next great classic September 25, 2009
Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
We all knew that this was going to be good. Mark Waid is one of the most distinguished comic writers around, involved not only in great comic "events" like 52, but one of the great comics events of all time, KINGDOM COME. Mark Waid was part of what made KINGDOM COME so extraordinary, though at least as important was the utterly astonishing art work by Alex Ross. Peter Krause is doing a fine job, but Alex Ross is irreplaceable. Still, IRREDEEMABLE has all the marks of a classic. This is furthermore a story that could never be done with Superman. We'd never believe that he had gone so far over the edge that he would be irredeemable. No one would believe that he would be so far over the edge that he couldn't come back. By inventing a completely new nearly all-powerful superhero makes this story possible.
Essentially, the story is of a Superman-like superhero, the Plutonian, who has gone bad. More precisely, the comic delves into the question of what caused the world's most beloved super hero to turn evil. And by evil, we mean killing many other super heroes and destroying major cities. Killing millions. For fans of ANGEL, it is like Angel becoming Angelus, but with the powers of a Kryptonian. Like Angelus, the Plutonian has not merely become evil, but sadistic. He takes a perverse pleasure in committing atrocities and thrills at the grief he causes others.
The Plutonian was previously part of a group of superheroes, not unlike the JLA. The difference is that the Plutonian has no fellow superhero who is in any way in his class. Superman has Green Lantern and J'onn J'onzz and Wonder Woman, who could definitely give him a battle. In the world of the Plutonian the only person who can challenge him is a genius super villain who is missing.
The narrative proceeds by shifting between the present and at various points in the past. There we see the Plutonian happy, good, and adored. And also looking very different than in the present, in which the blonde hero looks incredibly Aryan, in contrast to the past where he looked All-American. We see moments that contributed to his turn to the dark side. Hopefully there will be a big payoff when we discover the key to his flip. Meanwhile, we are getting a series of issues that are immensely enjoyable. I definitely look forward to this one each month.
More Frightening, More Disturbing, But Absolutely No Less Gripping November 2, 2009
GraphicNovelReporter.com (New York, NY)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
The Plutonian, the world's most powerful being, has always been a force for good. An inspiration to all, and a superhero so above and beyond good that he leads the way for the world. Until now. Those days are over. He's turned as viciously evil as they come, going on a mad killing spree (he knows he needs to eliminate the world's other heroes first).
Irredeemable begins in medias res with the Plutonian having already begun his killing spree. It begins with particular viciousness, a bloodiness that is so savage and impactful that you won't soon forget it. That in turn sets the tone for the entire book. What do you do when the greatest force on earth, an unstoppable powerhouse, turns against you? The best people fight back, of course, but it's hard to see it's going to do them any good.
The basis of superhero comics, Waid says, is that "pretty much everyone who's called upon to put on a cape is, at heart, emotionally equipped for the job. I reject that premise." Irredeemable does indeed. He then draws a parallel, in the introduction to this first volume, to Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and it's apt too. The Plutonian is someone who's seen too much, been called upon too many times, to still be a pure force for good. The artwork by Peter Krause is phenomenal, as well, and perfectly suited to this dark take on traditional superhero fare.
Irredeemable is an ongoing series available in comic-book form, and this first volume collects issues #1-4. Waid has been down similar roads before (most notably in the wonderful Kingdom Come), but it would be wrong to make too many comparisons to that previous work. This stands alone. Irredeemable is more frightening, it seems, even more disturbing, but absolutely no less gripping. Where Waid takes the series from here is anyone's guess--he plans to keep it going quite a while--but it will be fun to be along for the ride.
-- John Hogan
Best tpb I've read in a long time! December 3, 2009
K. S. Etheridge (Georgia, USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Two thumbs way up for this book.
I love the premise. Superman has been around for years, and we've seen several Superman knock-offs over the years, but I've never seen anything like this. What if a guy had similiar type powers to Superman but was not prepared to handle that power or the responsibility? What if he had a fragile ego, and a poor self esteem? What if he let every little snide comment bother him? What if he couldn't handle the pressure and responsibility that comes with that power? Do I save this island from a tsunami or that city from an earthquake?
Most comic book characters with god-like power seem to have it all together. Strong morals, a great sense of responsibility, and a healthy self-esteem. Not so much with the Plutonian. He started out that way, as an All-American type of guy similiar to Captain America and Superman but he fell from grace and now he's on a rampage and no one can stop him. The group that is trying to stop the Plutonian is his former team, the Paradigm. This team is lead by Mr. Qubit, a character that I quickly grew to love. The problem is that the Paradigm can't come close to matching the Plutoian's power level. No Green Lantern or Wonder Woman on this team, just a few brave heroes trying to stand up to the world's most powerful man.
The artwork is fantastic as well. Peter Krause protrays the action in a vibrant, exciting way but where he really excels is the emotion that he portrays on the faces of each character. We really feel the anger, the shock, and the fright that each character feels. Great stuff. I also enjoy the great surprises and the palpable sense of danger in this book. Top notch! Can't wait for the next tpb!
Unchained January 15, 2010
Ron (Jersey)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have always liked Mark Waid's work. When he works for DC sometimes I feel he is too restrained, except for the case of Kingdom Come. Irredeemable is set in Mark Waid's own universe and he can do whatever he wants, which is great for the reader. The Plutonian is a superman like character who was the worlds greatest hero. So strong and powerful that no other hero even comes close and rivaled only by one villain who is missing. The Plutonian though changes from a hero to an arch villain. Killing millions, doing countless destruction and hunting down his old team mates. This collects the first 4 issues from the Boom Comics series. It is a nice introduction to the world and a lot of characters. You begin to get some clues as to why the Plutonian changed, but there is a much to be learned. I am eagerly awaiting the second volume of this great series. If you enjoy this, try looking up Empire by Waid and Kitson. It also outstanding Waid writing in his own world and being very evil.
Mark Waid is Evil February 11, 2010
Charles Wulf (Columbia, MD United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is hardcore. Yes, Bendis had a similar thing going on in Powers - and Moore in Miracleman - and Kirkman at the beginning of Invincible - but the Superman-gone-rogue idea gets some really nice touches in this book. What REALLY happens when Lois finds out what Clark has been hiding? It's a short but sweet thrill ride. If you like Authority, Powers, Miracleman, or Invincible, you will enjoy this long, dark look into the one-metahuman apocalypse.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 22
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