Astro City #3: A Little Knowledge Review
Medium: Comic
Release date: 10/1/1995
Review date: 10/14/2024
Score: 8/10
I really like this series’ focus on one location, I really do; emphasizing just Astro City cuts down on so much of the “hey where is this plot line even taking place” noise that can be present in Marvel or DC. “A Little Knowledge” choosing to center its story on the Chesler “Sweatshop” neighborhood of the city is a fun decision and not only helps to make Astro City feel more alive by even bringing up its different areas, but tries to ground it more as the comic attempts to give some sort of explanation why people in one part of the city might behave differently than those living in another neighborhood. In fact, I think this issue really just drives home how much “Astro City” (the series) wants to focus on the everyday people of its metropolis, not just its shiny superheroes and villains. “A Little Knowledge” follows the character of Eisenstein, a poor resident of Chesler who decided to help rob a warehouse so he could finally make a quick buck and get ahead. The robbery is stopped by the clown-like hero Jack-N-the-Box, but Eisenstein manages to escape, and during that escape, manages to catch a glimpse of the Jack-N-the-box’s real face, something apparently nobody in Astro City has ever managed to do. The rest of the issue then follows Eisenstein as he tries to ID Jack-N-the-box and the paranoia that sets in once he starts to believe the hero is hunting him down because of what he knows. This issue was another solid outing for “Astro City” - the concept of trying to make it quick by fingering the Jack-N-the-Box was believable handled, especially with all the day dreaming that Eisenstein engages in as he fantasizes how this is finally going to be his big break. Likewise, I thought Eisenstein’s method of actually identifying Jack-N-the-Box was realistically handled too, nothing felt too far fetched, just mildly far fetched at worst. I liked hearing all the different hero and villain names being thrown around the bar (Boilermaker, the Confessor, the Middleman); trying to imagine what those guys look like or what their powers are is always a fun exercise for me. I also thought the decision to make Jack-N-the-Box a clown based super hero instead of a super villain was a pretty deliberate choice - there are plenty of evil clowns in comics, but not too many hero clowns. A good issue all around; solid concept, solid art, solid execution.