Chances are you’re familiar with what writer Chuck Austen can do with major franchise characters – the X-Men, the Avengers, the Justice League, Superman. You may also have heard how Austen felt limited by the storytelling restrictions imposed by Marvel, leading to an amicable parting of the ways.
So it’s natural to wonder, “Just what would we see if Chuck Austen’s artistic vision was freed of the stifling, airless environment of corporate comics? What would I do in the face of full-frontal Chuck?”
Alas, I cannot answer this question for you, as neither of the stores in town saw fit to get copies of Worldwatch #1 by Austen Press. (Something about “community standards” or “villagers with pitchforks.” The details escape me.)
Fortunately, blogging treasure Brian Hibbs has waded into Worldwatch for those of us who can’t… or won’t. Remember, though, that Hibbs is a professional comics retailer. He’s trained in special handling procedures for this kind of material, and while he makes it look easy, there’s still a great deal of risk involved.
Is it too late to hope that Austen Press has sent a review copy to Paul O’Brien?