Broken Frontier

A year ago, writer Mark Waid bucked his reputation as a classic superhero aficionado by delivering one of the most twisted take on capes and cowls in recent memory, Irredeemable. From this dark vision, a new world was created. It’s a full and populated world, not just with avatars of DC and Marvel properties, but real and complex characters. This fact alone elevates the title beyond satire or Elseworlds type storytelling. There are real consequences and emotion on display.

Irredeemable Special #1 doubles as both a celebration of these characters and a journey deeper down the rabbit hole of this Plutonian ravaged landscape. Structured as three separate origins or behind the scenes stories of characters that will become more important as the series moves forward. These are the DVD deleted scenes that add to the story, but were cut for time.

The first story is the meatiest, focusing on the already dead hero, Hornet. We met Hornet in the very first scene in the first issue as he was rushing home to warn his family. We then got to witness the merciless massacre of him, his wife, and their two children. At first glance, he was cannon fodder, set in place only to show us how evil the Plutonian had become. In this eight page story, with art by Paul Azaceta (Amazing Spider-Man), we get to see his humble beginnings, his first rocky encounters with the Plutonian, their eventual teamwork, and then finally, the frantic moments before his death.

Waid takes time before the stories to tell us that these three characters will have major impact in the coming months. It’s easy to see in this first section what he was referring to. Within each, there is a puzzle piece. Half the fun of this special is fishing them out.

The second story, with Emma Rios (Strange with Waid), focuses on Kaidan, a hero whose ghost stories spring true when recited. It is a great character piece illustrating the sacrificial and selfless nature of this hero. On the day of her coming of age party, Keiko is forced by her mother to perform a ritual that will decide her fate and the fate of her bloodline. Her capacity for love is demonstrated and obviously foreshadowed for issues to come.

Both short stories added depth, heart, and real danger to the main title, which is the purpose of a good annual. They are side stories that add to the central plot’s forward momentum. The third tale sadly doesn’t leave as much of an impression.

Illustrated by Howard Chaykin (decades worth of awesome), the last section focuses on Max Damage, the center of Irredeemable’s sister title, Incorruptible. The story takes place before the Plutonian’s snap with reality and merely shows us Damage running an errand. If you guessed this story had anything to do with brothels for the super powered, you deserve a cookie.

The five-page story offers little in the form of plot or secrets to be revealed but does show us the meeting of Max and his sidekick/former concubine, Jailbait. This section of the issue read the most like filler, but it was hard to lose interest due to Chaykin’s fantastic pencils. He has an uncanny ability to make his grizzled heroes look like they were carved out of rock. His women are curvy and porcelain, but evoke an uncertain danger. It’s as if he can represent pulp, noir, and super-heroics in the same brush stroke.

All in all, this is a fun special that’s deserving of the title’s reliable name. Irredeemable has proven to be a story with legs, where things happen and the status quo is obsolete. It’s an exciting place to visit for a comic lover. Irredeemable Special #1 is just another welcome visit into this world and could easily be a new reader’s jumping on point. If you’ve been hearing about this book and are willing to give it a try, pick up this special. It captures the tone and style of the main book while maintaining accessibility. You won’t be disappointed.