Irredeemable vol. 9

It was only a matter of time since  this title’s spinoff book, “Incorruptible,” was launched and its protagonist, reformed villain Max Damage, was introduced that the crossover between the two would happen.  Well, here it is and it proves that smaller publishers can pull a bait and switch during these things too.  That’s because this “crossover” doesn’t involve the protagonists of these books crossing paths during the present day at all.  To be honest, the four issues here don’t read like one connected story, but simply two two-issue tales from their respective titles.  So anyone going into this expecting the mother of all throw-downs between Max Damage and The Plutonian is going to be disappointed.

However, if they press on past their initial disappointment there’s still much interest to be had in the issues collected here.  Even if they don’t further the stories being told in their respective titles all that much, there’s a lot of key backstory being doled out here.  Of particular interest to the readers of “Irredeemable” is that we finally get The Plutonian’s “secret origin” and find out not only where he gets all of his issues, but why he decided to become a hero in the first place.  It’s all handled logically and does lead to a better understanding of the character, even if there’s an obviousness and lack of subtlety to how parts of it are delivered.  I was also hoping for more from the “How did he gain control of the narrative?” bit at the end of the first issue, which really doesn’t go anywhere.

The one way in which this “crossover” lives up to its billing is in the way that it shows the evolving relationship between Max Damage and The Plutonian over the years.  Writer Mark Waid does a good job of showing the influence the characters have had on each others’ lives over the years and why there’s such a lasting emnity between the two.  By the end, Max feels more like The Plutonian’s nemesis than “Lex Luthor analogue” Modeus.  The story also gave me one really good, “Wait!  I need to go back and read that again!” moment a few pages into the first “Incorruptible” issue.

Speaking of which, I was prepared for the fact that I might be lost after only having read two volumes of “Incorruptible” but as these issues don’t really advance its plot that wasn’t a problem.  Instead, the two issues collected here give us the “secret origin” of Max Damage as well.  So if you’ve been enjoying one or both of these titles, this volume winds up being an essential read thanks to the insight and background it provides into its main characters.  Just don’t expect “The crossover event that you’ve been waiting for!” that’s advertised on the back and you’ll be fine.