“An exciting post-millennial conflict allegory, which echoes the terror of Alan Moore’s writing for Watchmen while sidestepping out of its shadow. ”
A Once Crowded Sky
A Novel
Description
What happens when the world’s greatest superheroes give up their powers—and only one man is left to pick up the pieces?
“Everything we love about comics…it’s all here. And it’s a fun read.” —Wired.com
A “masterful story about humanity.” —The Charleston Post and Courier
A Once Crowded Sky unfolds in Arcadia City, where the legendary heroes have sacrificed their abilities—and their hero, Ultimate—in order to defeat a cosmic threat. Now depowered and ordinary, they wander a world without icons…except one. PenUltimate, Ultimate’s former sidekick. who refused the sacrifice still possesses all his powers—and now the world needs him more than ever.
PenUltimate built a life beyond the game with his wife, turning his back on the superhero legacy. But when new terrorist attacks tear through Arcadia, humanity’s last powered defender is pulled unwillingly back into action. Alone, estranged, and viewed as a coward by his peers, he must decide whether duty still calls—or if heroism lies in simply walking away
With the scope of a graphic novel and the introspection of literary fiction, A Once Crowded Sky blends explosive action with a poignant meditation on legacy, identity, and the cost of greatness.
Reviews
“An original, assured debut . . . Impossible to put down.”
“Everything we love about comics — origin tales, a worthy villain, team-ups…conspiracies, super technology, disgraced heroes, redeemed villains — it’s all here. And it’s a fun read.”
“Beyond postmodern, complex in conception . . . relevant to the graphic-novel, video-gaming generation.”
