Irredeemable: Volume 1
by Mark Waid
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mark WaidBrand: Boom! Studios
Illustrator: Peter Krause
Illustrator: John Cassaday
Afterword: Grant Morrison
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-10-06
ISBN: 1934506907
Number of pages: 128
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Book Reviews of Irredeemable: Volume 1
Book Review: "You don't get it. The Plutonian has gone rogue. We're all going to die."
Summary: 4 Stars
- The Plutonian: "You do astonishing things for them a hundred times a day. You bring wonder to the lives of ordinary people. And in the end, you realize it's like doing magic tricks for a dog."
(Man, the Plutonian is one harsh mother.) Before comic book writer Mark Waid became INCORRUPTIBLE, dude was EVIL. Or so the promos from BOOM! Studios would have you believe. IRREDEEMABLE is threatening to become Mark Waid's greatest opus. If anything can dethrone KINGDOM COME, this looks to be it. Ah, but can Mark Waid keep it up in an ongoing monthly format? Fingers are crossed.
IRREDEEMABLE is what happens when the first and most powerful superhero on the planet goes bad, is what happens when godlike powers are bestowed on someone who, as it turns out, isn't prepared, emotionally or psychologically, to cope with all the baggage that goes with it. Only four issues collected in this first volume, but Mark Waid - and I guess I'll call him a master storyteller - delivers a hell of a stunning read. Alan Moore hit on this same premise decades ago when he briefly covered Kid Miracleman's alienation and eventual succumbing to corruption. But Waid digs deeper and, in progressive issues, peels away layer after layer and shines a light on those little signpost moments which led up to the Plutonian's turning his back on humanity. We're still waiting for that one seminal event which decisively pushed him over the edge, but it just may be that there isn't one seminal event. It could just be that all those smatterings of perceived slights, the public's constant displays of ingratitude, the pressure of carrying the mantle of the world's preeminent superhero... all those things could've just built and built and then, one day, the world's greatest hero just... snapped.
***Some SPOILERIZATION now***
The first issue grabs you by the scruff of the neck and gives you a good shake. The opening sequence establishes the series's very dark tone as we witness the Plutonian's brutal on-panel incineration of a scared-out-of-his-wits superhero called the Hornet and his wife and children. We learn that the Plutonian had already annihilated Sky City - of which he was the self-designated protector - and had murdered millions of its inhabitants. And now he's out to kill his fellow superheroes. Mark Waid is playing his cards close to the vest, and so we're left in the dark as to the Plutonian's motivations.
What we're given, though, are these flashbacks. The Plutonian used to be part of the superhero group Paradigm, and it's the surviving members of Paradigm who try to stand up to him (when they're not on the run from him). The sense of hopeless desperation is palpable; it horrifyingly dawns on these overmatched heroes just how incredibly daunting a task this is. It's a race against time, then, as the Plutonian's former teammates frantically dig into his private life and into his past (but not much is known). Hoping against hope for any clue, for any sign of weakness that might give them a fighting chance. But four issues deep, and not one weakness has been unearthed.
The Plutonian is so ridiculously powerful and so far past the point of no return that I couldn't help but feel uneasy for these "good guys." I also can't help but sense that the Plutonian is working some sort of master plan, and that every worried step the Paradigm takes is somehow falling in line with that plan. Even Qubit, a genius who manipulates machinery and who seems to be the leader of Paradigm, seems outclassed and outmaneuvered at every turn. An indication of how so very grim things look is that the world's best hope may in fact lie in finding the Plutonian's archnemesis, except that he has gone missing.
We don't get to peek into the makeup of this present perverted Plutonian, and this of course heightens the mystery; the unknowable is always more alarming. But we're along for the ride as his backstory unfolds bit by bit. And it's as if Mark Waid had snatched Superman from the Silver Age and plonked him in today's jaded, predatory culture, a culture which tears down its heroes at the slightest provocation. Waid introduces time-honored superhero conventions and then twists them up. There's that chilling thing that the Plutonian does to his sidekick, and, in a really strong piece of storytelling, there's what happens when the Plutonian reveals his secret identity to someone he thought he could trust. Waid also shines a light on man's duplicity and his at-a-drop-of-a-hat willingness to trade principles for survival. Check out that sequence in the United Nations as various representatives hasten to fawn over this god among men. But the Plutonian can listen to your heartbeat and so can detect insincerity. One lie later, and an island city-state is toast.
***Okay, done with SPOILERS***
Character development for the supporting cast comes and goes. In incremental stages, we pick up on the backstories of several of the Paradigm, and we see their interactions before and after the Plutonian's fall from grace. Waid is very good at making you feel what these frightened heroes are going thru, the palpable tension, the bleakness, and the panic barely held in check. I'm not that impressed with Peter Krause's artwork, but the guy is good enough that he's able to provide effective visuals to what Waid wants to get across. On the other hand, I'm totally on board with John Cassaday's strikingly moody covers.
Lately, BOOM! Studios is claiming that Mark Waid is now INCORRUPTIBLE. This is a new title that I don't think has come out yet, but I can't wait for its debut. INCORRUPTIBLE is a bookend title to go with IRREDEEMABLE, and its hook (a supervillain going straight) sets the stage for a really good overarching story encompassing both series. Looks like I'll be hanging out at BOOM! Studios for a bit longer. That is, if Mark Waid can keep this up. With all the stuff already on his plate, hopefully, dude doesn't need a lot of sleep. Latest from the grapevine: Mark Waid is also INSOMNIA-ABLE.
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