The Liberty Project

Rating:
Summary: Great stuff by Kurt Busiek
Review: The government manages to capture a quartet of super-powered criminals and offers them a choice... they can either serve their time in prison, or serve their country as superheroes. If the premise sounds familiar, it's because it is -- DC Comics used an almost identical premise in its "Suicide Squad" series that was launched just slightly earlier than "The Liberty Project." But the similar theme does not detract at all from this older work by Kurt Busiek (Marvels, Astro City) and artist James Fry.

Busiek was clearly flexing writing muscles that would ultimately make a much bigger mark for him in the comic book world -- in fact, a great deal of this series can't help but remind you of his "Thunderbolts" series for Marvel, in which a band of villains masqueraded as heroes in a plan for world domination.

Where Busiek succeeded was in creating memorable characters -- angry Burnout, confused Cimarron, repentant Crackshot and the leader/not a leader, Slick. The sad thing is that these characters got lost after just eight issues and a special, leaving a lot of questions unanswered about their pasts, present and future.

The book is a nice, compact package -- not quite as small as a CrossGen "Traveler" comic but smaller than your regular trade paperback. Also, shot in black and white, the artwork maintains a very nice quality and is not hurt at all by the miniaturization process. This book looks just about as good as it possibly could.

Check this book out if you're a fan of Busiek. Spread the word, seed new "Liberty Project" fans. Busiek still owns the characters, after all. Hopefully someday he'll bring them back and we'll have a chance to find out where they all went.

Rating:
Summary: It's A Start!
Review: This little book is a surprise. Liberty Project is the place where a lot of Kurt Busiek's later Marvel work really began. There's convicted superpowered felons being offered a second chance, bureaucratic and conflicted government agencies, people trying to do the right thing, and lots of nearly-repetitive action.

Yes, I'm someone who prefers his Astro City books.

The story is a good read - simple but interesting. The art is pretty good (even in the reduced quality reproductions here). I found myself returning to the book a couple times and enjoying it. I got a kick out of the costumes, which are pure 80s (think Duran Duran and Janet Jackson). This book is a remarkable step up from most of the books of its time. I'm glad it was collected.

Rating:
Summary: It's A Start!
Review: This little book is a surprise. Liberty Project is the place where a lot of Kurt Busiek's later Marvel work really began. There's convicted superpowered felons being offered a second chance, bureaucratic and conflicted government agencies, people trying to do the right thing, and lots of nearly-repetitive action.

Yes, I'm someone who prefers his Astro City books.

The story is a good read - simple but interesting. The art is pretty good (even in the reduced quality reproductions here). I found myself returning to the book a couple times and enjoying it. I got a kick out of the costumes, which are pure 80s (think Duran Duran and Janet Jackson). This book is a remarkable step up from most of the books of its time. I'm glad it was collected.