Following the announcement that DC Comics would be publishing a new Astro City ongoing title from series creators Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson, the publisher has now revealed that the new series will be published under the Vertigo imprint. DC Comics also released an early page of interior art from Anderson, and a variant cover for issue #1 by Alex Ross.Originally launched in 1995 under Image Comics, the series eventually moved under the auspices of DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint, until the publisher dissolved Wildstorm in 2010 as part of its restructuring. While there was little doubt Astro City would eventually return when Busiek and Anderson were ready, until this announcement it was unclear under which of DC Comics' remaining imprints it would fall.

Astro City centers on the citizens and heroes of a city that becomes a hub for super-powered individuals and activity after Air Ace, the first public superhero, takes up residence there. The series features characters who are clear analogies for well-established comic book icons, including Samaritan and Winged Victory being analogs for Superman and Wonder Woman, respectively.

As such, and with the fact that the DCU is currently focused almost exclusively on books that take place within its universe, Astro City seems a very good fit for Vertigo. While they may currently be back in the DC Universe proper, books like Animal Man and Swamp Thing gained notoriety during their time under Vertigo, and both titles currently exhibit obvious influences from their Vertigo eras. This announcement possibly comes as welcome news for readers who were fond of the previous superhero titles under DC Comics' mature readers imprint.

Astro City #1 will be available in June.



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