Beautiful Alex Ross artwork has been unveiled on social media, adding to the anticipation of Image Comics' publication of further Astro City comics. The fan-favorite series from Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson - which famously gorgeous cover art from Ross - is returning, starting with a one-shot in March 2022 that sets up the new status quo of the universe. This recently revealed artwork features two beloved characters from the world of Astro City, Samaritan and Confessor.
Astro City is one of many books brought back to Image Comics by Kurt Busiek, a well-known voice in the comic book industry who previously worked for Marvel Comics on series such Avengers, Thunderbolts, and The Marvels as well as for DC Comics on series like Action Comics, Superman, and JLA. Details of his return to Image Comics were recently released, and he has plenty of upcoming projects in the works, including a continuation of his fantasy comic Arrowsmith, a return to the ongoing The Autumnlands title, and the premiere of his new series Fear Agents. In addition to re-releases from his other beloved series, Astro City will continue the superhero world set up by Busiek and Anderson, which began back in 1995.
On his official Twitter account, Kurt Busiek shared the gorgeous painted Alex Ross art featuring some fan-favorite Astro City characters, Asa Martin (aka Samaritan) and Jeremiah Parrish/Brian Kinney (aka Confessor). Each serves as a Superman and Batman analog respectively. Samaritan is arguably the perfect version of Superman, who never stops helping others. He first appeared back in Kurt Busiek's Astro City #1 and achieved his powers by traveling back in time from the future.
Astro City takes the Elseworlds story of Batman being a vampire and turns him into the first Confessor, former priest Jeremiah Parrish. Alongside his sidekick Altar Boy, he fights crime as a superhero in Astro City. However, through circumstances best experienced by readers through actually reading Astro City's 'The Gathering Dark' arc (along with the entire densely interwoven, award-winning series as a whole), Altar Boy eventually becomes the new Confessor. Seeing the characters of Confessor and Samaritan reunite in Ross' gorgeous artwork just amps up the anticipation of the new Astro City material and will no doubt make fans want to dig into back issues of the series.
Fans eager to get new Astro City content will be able to pick up the new one-shot, which Busiek will be collaborating on with other Astro City mainstays including Brent Anderson (Ka-Zar the Savage), Alex Sinclair (Green Lantern), and Alex Ross (MARVEL).
Source: Kurt Busiek