Yesterday we discussed the first Astro City book which was a collection of one off stories. Astro City:Confession is the first multi-chapter story arc in the Astro City universe. Where in the first book we dealt with a Superman stand-in, here we deal with a Batman stand-in: The Confessor. This is the story of The Confessor’s new sidekick (and much, much more).

Brian Kinney is escaping his old life and running to Astro City. He wants to be a superhero. After a couple jobs (and a fortunate mugging) he gets brought on to be Alter Boy, sidekick to The Confessor. But there are secrets galore even when Kinney gets on the inside. There is a slew of missing people up on Shadow Hill and superheros that have gone bad. But is there a link that no one knows about? And how is The Confessor involved? Kinney has to deal with learning that what he sees isn’t always what’s really going on. And Kinney still has lessons to learn before he can come to terms with his past and his future.

Busiek has done it again. He’s taken apart the Batman and Robin relationship and put it back together with a new and fresh perspective. The story lets us see why The Confessor would want a sidekick and shows us how it changes both their lives (for better or worse). But, don’t stop reading after the final issue. There is a bonus story in the back. It deals with a man who can’t stop dreaming of a woman who doesn’t exist and ties into Astro City’s version of Crisis on Multiple Earths. The short story was originally a Wizard 1/2 giveaway and was reprinted in this collection. Even if you don’t enjoy the main storyline, the short (“The Nearness of You”) should not be missed.

Anderson does a great job with the shadows and darkness that The Confessor lives in and brings in the atmosphere needed for this storyline. His art complements Busiek’s story and makes it complete. Highly Recommended.