McKay's came through for me in a big way today with The Authority: Relentless and The Authority: Under New Management, the first two books in what is widely considered to be the best superhero comic today. The Authority is playing off the WildStorm superhero world, which I'm only barely familiar with -- but you don't need to have read StormWatch or anything else to know what's going on.

Basically, it's the true story of seven superpowered strangers picked to live together on a transdimensional Carrier to find out what happens when superheroes stop being polite and start being real. The Authority isn't content to restore the status quo. It wants to change the world. Remake the world -- in its own image.

Great stuff. From what I hear, the series doesn't always live up to its promise, but these two early books have been great.

Because traditional superhero teams always put the flag back on top of the White House, don't they? They always dust down the statues and repair the highways and everything ends up just the way it was before...

But what if? What if the superheroes really decided to make a few changes according to a higher moral authority?
-- Grant Morrison, from the forward

There's a world of great comics it's time I caught up on; I'm years behind the times. And it looks like I'll be starting with The Authority and Planetary.

WildStorm graphic novel homepage.