Astro City follows an eponymous, mid-sized American metropolis that happens to be the locale with the largest concentration of superheroes and supervillains in the world. Astro City is set in a world where superheroes have existed since at least the 19th century: the first public hero, Air Ace, appeared soon after World War I. Busiek, Anderson and Ross have crafted a complex world with a huge cast of characters, many of whom have extensive backstories sketched out which are revealed as the series progresses.
The series is an anthology that focuses on different characters living within Astro City and the stories are usually narrated from a first person perspective from the story's protagonist. Some issues of the series are one- or two-part stories, while others run as many as seven issues in an extended arc.
The essential hook of Astro City is that it explores the reactions that people -- both ordinary people and the heroes and villains themselves -- have to living in their world. The world of Astro City has numerous heroes and villains in the cast, as well as normal, everyday civilians and other, sometimes stranger, entities. The influences that inspire the creation and definition of the character are rich and diverse. Kurt has delved deep into various forms of literature, spanning a broad range of history providing the characters of Astro City with structure and texture that are the very essence of myth-based storytelling.
Stories move through different perspectives, neighborhoods and eras of time.
