A Once Crowded Sky: A Novel
Jul 2012 · Simon and Schuster
3.3star
10 reviewsreport
Ebook
336
Pages
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About this ebook
“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) from a former CIA counter-terrorism office that fuses bombastic, comic-book-style storytelling with modern fiction. What happens when the world’s greatest superheroes give up their powers—and only one man is left to pick up the pieces?
A Once Crowded Sky unfolds in Arcadia City, where the legendary heroes have sacrificed their abilities—and the ultimate hero, Ultimate—to defeat a cosmic threat. Now depowered and ordinary, they wander a world without icons…except one. PenUltimate, the lone former sidekick who refused the sacrifice, still possesses power—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.
A “masterful story about humanity” (The Charleston Post and Courier) from a former CIA counter-terrorism office that fuses bombastic, comic-book-style storytelling with modern fiction. What happens when the world’s greatest superheroes give up their powers—and only one man is left to pick up the pieces?
A Once Crowded Sky unfolds in Arcadia City, where the legendary heroes have sacrificed their abilities—and the ultimate hero, Ultimate—to defeat a cosmic threat. Now depowered and ordinary, they wander a world without icons…except one. PenUltimate, the lone former sidekick who refused the sacrifice, still possesses power—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.
Ratings and reviews
3.3
10 reviews
Andrew Schwartz
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March 3, 2015
I enjoyed the unique take on superheroes King so effectively provides. I found the interspersed comic pages both informative and entertaining as a "primary source" of sorts. The story proved to be interestingly personal while discussing the supposedly epic nature of the comic medium. The only issue I had was that the ending seemed overdone. It seemed as if King was almost...hesitant...about bringing the novel to a close and had to build in several false endings to come, gradually, to the actual conclusion.
Tuukka Rinkinen
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October 15, 2022
This book is basically all dry dialogue, with very rarely anything moving the story forward or adding anything interesting. Couldn't finish the book, because it just didn't give anything to care about.
About the author
Tom King is the New York Times bestselling author and multiple Eisner Award winning writer of Batman, Superman, Mister Miracle, Vision, The Sheriff of Babylon, Omega Men, Strange Adventures, and many others. Prior to becoming a writer, King served in the CIA as an operation officer in the Counterterrorism Center. He lives in Washington DC with his wife and three children.
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