Irredeemable #1-3
Irredeemable
One of the oldest and most popular concepts in literature is that of the ‘folk hero’; a hero who has had stories told about him over many centuries, media, and settings. I’m thinking here of characters like Robin Hood, Arthur, and Hercules. These are heroes for which there is no one, true version, for they have transcended from story into myth, and as such have become eternal. A good argument could be made, I believe, that Superman has joined the ranks of those folk heroes in a lot of ways, as the archetypal form of the superhero.
The main difference, of course, between these other folk heroes and Superman is that he is currently under copyright, and as a result only certain authorized interpretations of the character have been allowed. What has arisen over the years, in response to this, is a series of pseudo-Supermen who have allowed for other less orthodox interpretations of the character. These have ranged from Fawcett’s Captain Marvel, to Robert Mayer’s Superfolks, McDuffie’s Icon, and most notably to Alan Moore’s work on titles such as Miracleman and Supreme. In fact, as great as many of those stories were, there has been so much work done with pseudo-Supermen over the years that one could argue that it’s become its own genre in danger of overexposure.
Boom Studio’s Irredeemable is the latest title to add itself to that history. The superman this time around is The Plutonian, and the story being told is one that is rarely seen in the capes-and-tights crowd: what is the process by which a hero becomes a villain? While the idea of heroes becoming villains and vice-versa is an old one in and of itself, it’s usually something that happens as the result of a single, defining moment. Waid’s thesis in Irredeemable is that it’s not so simple; while everyone seems to have their theories as to why the Plutonian turns to the dark side, it seems as though we are lead to believe that it is corruption by a thousand cuts rather than through one dramatic gesture. While that thesis may seem more in line with David Carradine’s monologue in Kill Bill about Superman, rather than any of the recent material dealing with the character himself, but a case can be made that the Superman from the Kill Bill monologue is the version of the character that more individuals would be familiar with. The Plutonian’s enhanced senses and other abilities make him exceedingly familiar with those around him, and, as often happens, that familiarity all too easily turned into contempt.
Waid has said in interviews that he felt that Irredeemable was the kind of story that could not be told within the universes of the traditional superhero publishers. In many ways he’s right; in a Marvel or DC title, the force of the events in the book would have been limited by the inevitable abandonment and retconning of the Plutonian’s actions to make them more acceptable.. Waid also seems to avoid the plot twist of the hero only pretending to be evil to serve some better purpose by showing the full extent of the Plutonian’s actions. He wantonly kills children, betrays the heroes closest to him, and commits acts of sexual violence. While the book is rather graphic and violent at times, that violence is done to cement the new status of the Plutonian, rather than to just gratuitously show that violence for its own sake.
While Irredeemable is a very story-driven book, it’s worthwhile to take a moment to mention the art, as well. Series artist Peter Krause draws characters that look like they would exist in the real world, with a realism to their costumes, postures, and facial expressions that at times is reminiscent of Dave Gibbon’s work on Watchmen, which is fitting given the content of the book. That realism is coupled, as well, with an ability to be big and epic when the script requires it.
With its central mystery being used as a wrapper to contain these character analyses of heroes, villains, and the mass of humanity that lies between those two poles, Irredeemable is going to show up on a lot of “Best Of” lists at the end of the year; if you’re a superhero fan, you owe it to yourself to check it out sooner rather than later.
