Artwork by Alex Ross of the holy trinity of Astro City, corresponding to that of DC Comis – the Samaritan, Winged Victory, and the Confessor – also used as the cover art of Astro City graphic novels (vair use)

(13) KURT BUSIEK –

ASTRO CITY (1995-PRESENT)

A long-running superhero anthology series through various imprints of Image Comics and DC – with a rotating roster of superheroes and the only truly consistent ‘protagonist’ being the titular city itself as setting. Indeed, Astro City’s superhero back story goes back at least to the nineteenth century (Astro City’s supernatural champion the Hanged Man, the Old Soldier and Ironhorse, the Human Locomotive) and probably earlier. The heroes typically resemble the superheroes of other comics with my favorites being the Superman-like Samaritan (although he’s a time-traveler rather than a space-traveler), the Amazonian Winged Victory and the Batman-like Confessor (who hides a dark secret).