A couple of weeks ago, I came across a link to a new comic that Mark Waid was working on. I loved his work on Kingdom Come and Secret Origins, and the lead-in mentioned Kingdom Come, so I clicked and took a look. What I saw was “Irredeemable”, a new monthly series from Mark Waid. I love the premise, and I think it’s just a fantastic story to tell. The story tells of the world’s greatest superhero, and his transformation into the world’s greatest supervillain. Yes, there have been superhero to supervillain turns in comics before. I haven’t read Mark Waid’s work on Empire, but I’ve heard that there are some similarities. However, I think the thing that I like most about the premise is…well, read the next bit first.
Mark Waid describes the comic in this way:
“In superhero comics, pretty much everyone who’s called upon to put on a cape is, at heart, emotionally equipped for the job. I reject that premise. Irredeemable is…a pulp adventure tale of horror exploring how the lessons we learn about right and wrong as children can become warped and twisted when challenged by the realities of the adult world.”
The hero isn’t under a magic spell, being brainwashed by a supervillain, or being coerced due to hostages, etc. The hero has genuinely become twisted by, I assume, his responsibility, and the simple meaning of right and wrong. This is the hero’s CHOICE to become a villain, in the truest sense of the word.
I can’t wait.
-Because I said so
