If you are a fan of scathing self-examination disguised as a satirical comic book, then James Robinson’s take on Airboy is for you. Done in collaboration with artist Greg Hinkle, the book holds the promise of a golden age hero. Once you get past the promise, however, Robinson plumbs the depth of his soul, or at least his anger with himself. Semi-autobiographical and hopefully greatly exaggerated, the story pulls no punches in portraying the author at his lowest – not just betraying himself but his talent.
Faced with reviving the 1940s hero, Robinson would rather face another night of debauchery. With Hinkle by his side, that would’ve worked, until Airboy bursts into their trip, brightly colored and determined to inspire.
It may veer into self-indulgence from time to time, but there is no arguing that it is well-written. It’s also not for the easily offended. I am not even sure that it is really for fans of Airboy. But it is for fans of complex, challenging comics.
From Image:
Shades of Hunter S. Thompson color [amazon text=AIRBOY&asin=1632155435], starring acclaimed author James Robinson (Starman, Fantastic Four) and artist Greg Hinkle (THE RATTLER) as they attempt to reboot the Golden Age hero. When the actual Airboy suddenly shows up after a boy’s night out of debauchery, a hangover becomes the least of their trouble.
“This is me looking back at a dark time in my life…and making light of it,” said Robinson. “And like all satire, I leave it to the reader to decide what happened and what didn’t.”
Added Hinkle: “As a reader, I always enjoy bonus material, so I’m really excited to share some more process pages, preliminary work, and even a little sample of how our collaboration worked.”
AIRBOY DELUXE HARDCOVER (ISBN 9781632155436) hits comic book stores Wednesday, April 27th and bookstores Tuesday May 3rd, and will be available for $24.99. It can be ordered by Diamond Book Distributors with Diamond code FEB160620, and it can be preordered now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, and Indigo.
Praise for AIRBOY:
“Airboy is the best thing James Robinson has ever done, thanks in no small part to the outstanding artwork of Greg Hinkle. As insanely imaginative as it is cringe-inducingly honest, this is mandatory reading.”—Brian K. Vaughan
“Self-examination via public domain extra-dimensional mashup. Searingly honest and wildly funny, with a dark but mighty heart.”—Darwyn Cooke
“Airboy is the kind of comic book that keeps me reading comic books. Inventive, confessional, fun and full of character…a fearless experiment that is refreshing and purely entertaining.”—Rick Remender
