Review: Starman #81

STARMAN #81
WRITER: JAMES ROBINSON
LAYOUTS: FERNANDO DAGNINO
FINISHES: BILL SIENKIEWICZ
COLORIST: MATT HOLLINGSWORTH
COVER BY TONY HARRIS
DC COMICS $2.99




***WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY (WILL) DISCUSS PLOT ELEMENTS OF THE STARMAN SERIES. BUT REALLY...SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE READ IT BY NOW?! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.***

"There was a city. A glorious and singular place."

With a line that echoes the opening of the very first issue, James Robinson returns to the series that he concluded nearly a decade ago...and it is great.

Opal City is normally a pretty quiet place. Street crime isn't really a problem these days, and though there is the occasional superhuman attack, Opal has always had protectors to keep her safe. Opal's usual champion is away when a fallen member of the city's most famous crime fighting family is corrupted by a black ring. Only The Shade stands in the way of the Black Lantern's murderous rampage.

Starman #81 was arguably the most anticipated "resurrected" title tying into DC's Blackest Night crossover. I was apprehensive when it was announced that James Robinson would be bringing Starman back for an issue. Not because I thought Robinson wouldn't be able to "go home again," but because the idea of bringing back my favorite comic of all time just to take part in a crossover didn't sit well with me. I'm happy to report that, while this issue is definitely zombie superhero heavy, there's quite a bit for long-time Starman fans to latch on to.

The issue begins with a revisit to the tragic death of David Knight, who was killed barely a week into his career as Starman. Robinson's choice to use David as the Black Lantern is a wise one, as the alternative (Ted) would have just seemed wrong. David was never the most likable character (not in life, at least), so seeing a twisted version of him as the villain of the story is satisfying, rather than upsetting. We quickly move to the Starman Museum, for a rundown on life in Opal City. On these pages, Robinson gives us a quick update on the Starman cast--Jack Knight is still happily retired, Bobo Bennetti and the O'Dare family are still fighting the good fight, and people still don't know what to make of The Shade. There's a strange sequence showing the zombie David stealing a cosmic rod. This rod is never seen again--David is shown shooting energy from his hands, but never the stolen weapon. Now that I'm thinking about it, why didn't he just use his Black Lantern ring to recreate his weapon like every other resurrected character? This small speed bump aside, the rest of the issue is outstanding.

As the issue progresses, even during the battle between Shade and David, Robinson reveals the fates of his Starman supporting cast--The Shade's relationship with Hope. Mason and Charity happily married with a baby on the way. The supporting cast was one of things that set Starman a cut above other comics, and Robinson lets us know that the characters have been living on since the series ended.

For me, Robinson's writing style is so tied to Opal City and the Starman family, that it sometimes seems out of place in other titles. Robinson is right at home here, and his style just feels right. The art, however, feels very, very wrong. I'm not fond of Fernando Dagnino as an artist. Bill Sienkiewicz is a fantastic artist, but his style can be...difficult at times. With Dagnino on layouts and Sienkiewicz on finishes, the artists team up with pretty decent results. The problem is that the art does not feel right for a Starman book. Though there were guest artists from time to time, Starman had a pretty consistent artistic style--Tony Harris and Peter Snejbjerg crafted the look of Opal City and her citizens for the length of the series. The art in Starman #81, while well executed, just feels...off. I know "it feels wrong" is an unusual critical response, but I think long time Starman fans will understand where I'm coming from, even if they don't agree.

I would have been happy without a new issue of Starman. The series ended so perfectly that I was content knowing that Jack Knight and his friends found their happy endings. This issue was the return to these characters that I didn't know I wanted. Robinson has hinted that he will be working on more Shade stories in the coming year and I welcome them. Though I had a couple of problems with the issue, after reading Starman #81, I'm glad that James Robinson has more Opal City stories to tell.

Review: Starman Omnibus Volume 1

I'm about to unplug and ride out the Snowpocalypse with some homemade chicken noodle soup, some bad movies, and a stack of trade paperbacks. I wanted to make sure I posted at least one bit of content before shutting it down for the night...This is a review I wrote for the guys and gals at the PseudoRadio forums--I hope they don't mind my reposting it for you guys! You should check out their site at http://PseudoRadio.blogspot.com . They're a good bunch and they deserve your support!

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STARMAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1

WRITTEN BY JAMES ROBINSON

ART BY TONY HARRIS (and various)

COVER BY TONY HARRIS

DC COMICS $49.99

"There is a city. A glorious and singular place. Old and yet pristine. Ornate and yet streamlined. A metropolis of now and then and never was.”

“With the need for a new champion…one arose. His father’s son. Pure and true.”

“And God help the bad and the wrong.”

“…I am Starman. There is NO other.”

“With his piper’s smile broadening, he steps off into space…and prepares to FLY.”

With that, two pages and a handful of sentences, James Robinson breathes life into Opal City--a place that will become an important character in its own right--and introduces the world to David Knight, the hero known as Starman.

One page later, David is shot and killed by an unseen assassin. So begins the first chapter of the Starman Omnibus.

Starman Omnibus Vol. 1 collects the first 17 issues of the DC Comics series created by James Robinson and Tony Harris. 1994 was a strange time for comics—one full of spider-clones and super-mullets. Yet Starman emerged as a bright light in a sea of grittiness and gimmicks. The series tells the story of Jack, black sheep of the Knight family and the youngest son of the Golden Age Starman. Jack is completely disinterested in his family’s heroic legacy, and is all too happy to let his brother David step into their father’s spandex. But, when his father’s greatest enemy organizes an attack that claims David’s life, Jack must take up the mantle of Starman to protect his father and his city.

Within these pages, James Robinson and Tony Harris give life to Opal City and its cast of characters: Ted Knight—the retired hero, the Shade—Jack’s immortal mentor, the O’Dares—the latest generation in a long tradition of law enforcement, Mikaal—the alien Starman of times past, and the most sympathetic incarnation of Solomon Grundy you will ever find. These characters become nearly as important a focus as Jack himself, and Robinson and Harris make them real. Robinson’s scripts paint a vivid picture of Jack Knight and the world around him—one that would be just as clear without the art to support it. The characters voiced by his dialogue are immediately recognizable and relatable. Tony Harris creates at art deco paradise with his rendition of Opal City, and each character’s distinct personality comes across through his designs. Though it has certainly improved over the past 15 years, Harris’ art still shines here. The care with which Robinson and Harris create these stories comes through on every single page.

As an individual volume in a larger series, the Starman Omnibus is a beautiful package. Its $50 price tag may seem a bit steep to a casual reader, but it holds the equivalent of three smaller trade paperbacks, providing excellent value for the money. The book has several pages of compelling back matter written by Robinson, offering a glimpse into the creation of the series. This installment ends in such a way that a reader would feel like they enjoyed a complete story, should they choose to not purchase further volumes.

As a long-time fan of Starman, it’s difficult for me to separate my feelings about volume one from what I know the rest of the series has in store. It’s a wonderful story about fathers and sons (and daughters), history, legacy, and what it takes to be a hero. As a standalone volume, Starman Omnibus Vol. 1 is a complete experience, but the true joy comes from the promise of things to come. I would not hesitate to recommend this book, and the rest of the series, to anyone--dedicated fans, casual readers, or someone who has never before had the pleasure of reading comics. I feel that this is the kind of comic that would turn ANYONE into a fan.