Big as a boulder and strong as an ox, he's Concrete, seven-feet plus of stony celebrity. That he's a government-created cyborg is the cover story, but in truth he's the mind of one Ronald Lithgow trapped inside a rocky shell of alien origin. Possessing of powers allowing him to scale the highest mountain unaided or peel back the roof of a car like a pull tab, he is yet denied the simple human pleasures of fragile flesh. The return of Paul Chadwick's award-winning Concrete has ushered in a resurgence of interest in the acclaimed series that Harlan Ellison called ." . . P]robably the best comic being published today by anyone, anywhere."
This series got to a good start with the stories in the first volume. They showed the early days of Ronald Lithgow's transformation into Concrete. This second volume (collecting the second half of the original 10 issue series and several short stories) has Chadwick's tales becoming a bit more complex, more morally ambiguous, sadder, and just plain more human. There are several great stories collected here, but the two that focus on Concrete's mother (the final 10th issue of the series and the short story that serves as an epilogue to it) really stand out. If ever Concrete was turned into a motion picture (which almost happened several times) this storyline should be the third act.
As strong as the first volume
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
One of the best graphic series I've ever read, if not the best -- beautifully and imaginatively drawn, with deep, moving stories that contain most every characteristic people look for in storytelling (intellect, humor, pathos, adventure, sorrow, joy, awe, sex, movie parodies, and a three-legged dog). What would your life become if you were suddenly transformed into a 1,200-pound hunk of ugly, indestructible rock? Paul Chadwick answers that question from most every conceivable direction, often with unexpected, hilarious, exciting, and very touching results. The series hasn't lagged at all in quality so far -- this second volume is, overall, just as good as the first. And the way the stories are being collected is great -- chronology is preserved while at the same time presenting relevant side stories that may have originally appeared in entirely different times/places.
New Alternatives w/ substance
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Paul Chadwick's cult series "Concrete" atlast sees a new series of tpb's from Darkhorse collecting a plethora of rare stories. These are a perfect introduction to anyone unfamiliar to Concrete's universe. These stories are very grounded to our world & really show's the human character in an imperfect world. There's no super heroes, no mutants, nor even any "in your face eye popping" action. Concrete is really going away from the herd mentality. It's different & rich. It's all together another world. Highly recomended if you like comics like Flight, Negative Burn, Flaming Carrot, Ninja Turtles, The Witching Hour, A Tale of One Bad Rat, etc.
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