It's been awhile since I did so blatant a #SupermanAnalogue but this is definitely one I've been eagerly waiting to do. Today, I'm going to talk about Samaritan from @KurtBusiek's #AstroCity.

1st things 1st: Astro City is an amazing comic for people who love comics. It's a series about the experiences of the people living in a world that is populated with superheroes. We get stories from people on the streets as well as the inner monologues of heroes and villains.

Samaritan was the viewpoint character of the first story and has been a recurring character over the years. Most characters in the series are references to archetypes and tropes of the industry, with Samaritan obviously being a very close Superman parallel.

Samaritan was a time traveller from the future, sent back to make a subtle change that would prevent an ecological apocalypse. However, the process of going back in time charged him with energies that made him nigh-omnipotent, but made his intervention much more of a spectacle.

He's incredibly fast, measuring his response to incidents in fractions of seconds. He's got the standard strength, flight, durability. He's also got an array of energy manipulation abilities, allowing him to sheath people and things in protective webs.

Due to his speed and his origins in a dystopic future, Samaritan rarely rests. He's constantly intervening where he can. He's connected to futuristic personal assistant computer that alerts him to emergencies. However, when he does sleep, he dreams of just enjoying his powers.

He maintains a personal identity that mostly allows him to have some privacy and a personal income. As "Asa Martin" he's a proof reader that works by himself, letting his computer do the task for him while he is out as a hero.

Design-wise, the character melds a very Superman form and color scheme with his cape running across his body to look more like a robe. His chest symbol is a stylized dove. While the character has sci-fi roots, I enjoy the religious iconography.

Astro City is a great series. I highly recommend it. Each story is very different, but always touching. While Samaritan isn't the sole focus, he's a great Flagship character. Wouldn't you want that for a Good Samaritan?

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