Kurt Busiek's Astro City

In this seven-issue DC series from 1999-2000, writer Kurt Busiek and artist Brent E. Anderson turn their acclaimed Astro City anthology into a focused, noir-tinged saga. The story follows retired supervillain Steeljack—once a minor-league thug named Carl Donewicz—as he is reluctantly drawn back into the city’s shadows to investigate a series of murders targeting former costumed criminals. Along the way, he crosses paths with figures like the regal Cleopatra, the enigmatic Asa Martin, and the weary detective Donnelly Ferguson, all navigating a metropolis where heroics and heartbreak are two sides of the same coin. This series matters for its intimate, human-scale take on superhero tropes, proving that even a broken man can find redemption in a world of gods and monsters.