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Starman (1994) Omnibus
The Starman Omnibus, Vol. 2
The classic super-hero series STARMAN, starring a Gen-X super-hero, is re-presented in high quality format.
The super-heroic legacy of Starman is renewed in these stories, in which Jack Knight - antiques collector and dealer - inherits the name and powers of his father's old Starman identity from his older brother, who has been assassinated.
In this volume, Jack's disturbing dreams drive him to New York City to meet his father's old friend, Wesley Dodd, the Sandman of the 1940s, and learns of another Sandman - an alien who came to Earth as a hero of the 1970s.
Features spectacular artwork by Eisner Award winner Tony Harris, illustrator of EX MACHINA.
The super-heroic legacy of Starman is renewed in these stories, in which Jack Knight - antiques collector and dealer - inherits the name and powers of his father's old Starman identity from his older brother, who has been assassinated.
In this volume, Jack's disturbing dreams drive him to New York City to meet his father's old friend, Wesley Dodd, the Sandman of the 1940s, and learns of another Sandman - an alien who came to Earth as a hero of the 1970s.
Features spectacular artwork by Eisner Award winner Tony Harris, illustrator of EX MACHINA.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2009
13 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
About the author
James Robinson
1,265 books236 followersJames Dale Robinson is a British writer of American comic books and screenplays.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 5, 2023
This different and interesting DCX Comics book continues to be... well... different and interesting! A mainstream DC Comics' series that throws all the superhero tropes out of the window, whilst still being deep inside the DC superhero reality! This volume includes a great tie-in with the now aged 'Sandman', Wesley Dodds. 7 out of 12, Three Star read.
I read the comic books Starman (season 2) #17-29, Annual #1; relevant stories from Showcase '95 #12, Showcase '96 #4-5
2017 and 2013 read
I read the comic books Starman (season 2) #17-29, Annual #1; relevant stories from Showcase '95 #12, Showcase '96 #4-5
2017 and 2013 read
September 14, 2024
Jack Knight continues to grow into the legacy of Starman, encountering old friends and foes of his father along the way.
As I've said before, the best comics have an underlying theme. Starman has always been about family, with Jack trying to fill the shoes of both his father and dead brother. In this particular volume, Jack continues to learn what a lot of us learn as we get older, that our parents were regular people before we were born.
This, the second Omnibus, contains Starman 17-29, Showcase '95 12, Showcase '96 4-5, and Starman Annual one. It also contains two of my favorite stories in the whole series, namely the intro of Bobo Benetti, a super-powered bank robber from the 40's who inadvertently becomes a hero, and the one where Jack teams with Wesley Dodds, the Sandman of the Golden Age. Wesley Dodds handing Jack his gasmask before he goes into battle is probably my favorite sequence in the entire series and almost yanked a man-tear from my dried up ducts. Seriously, Sand and Stars is one hell of a great read.
As with the previous volume, the book has gotten even better with age. I caught way more of the references this go-round. Robinson does a wonderful job making new characters seem like they were an integral part of the DC Universe for ages. The O'Dare family, Red Bailey, and Bobo Bennetti all seem like I could dig up an issue of Adventure Comics from the 1940s and see them all alongside Ted Knight.
One thing I didn't mention in the review of the previous volume is how James Robinson played the long game in this series. Seeds are planted that won't bear fruit until years later, like Jack's inevitable trip into space and future clash with The Mist over their son. Heavyweight stuff, especially considering what everyone else was doing in the 1990s.
This is the volume where things really come together for me. Tony Harris' art seems a lot more confident and the look of the series is fully realized, a look that will carry on once Harris leaves the book. James Robinson respects the past without being handcuffed by it. Re-reading this omnibus reminds me why I regard Starman so highly. It was head and shoulders about 99% of the comics at the time and still is. Five out of five stars.
2024 Reread My 2017 thoughts are my 2024 thoughts. While this isn't labeled as a 'Mature Readers' book, I think it has some of the same spirit as the earlier Green Arrow and Question books.
As I've said before, the best comics have an underlying theme. Starman has always been about family, with Jack trying to fill the shoes of both his father and dead brother. In this particular volume, Jack continues to learn what a lot of us learn as we get older, that our parents were regular people before we were born.
This, the second Omnibus, contains Starman 17-29, Showcase '95 12, Showcase '96 4-5, and Starman Annual one. It also contains two of my favorite stories in the whole series, namely the intro of Bobo Benetti, a super-powered bank robber from the 40's who inadvertently becomes a hero, and the one where Jack teams with Wesley Dodds, the Sandman of the Golden Age. Wesley Dodds handing Jack his gasmask before he goes into battle is probably my favorite sequence in the entire series and almost yanked a man-tear from my dried up ducts. Seriously, Sand and Stars is one hell of a great read.
As with the previous volume, the book has gotten even better with age. I caught way more of the references this go-round. Robinson does a wonderful job making new characters seem like they were an integral part of the DC Universe for ages. The O'Dare family, Red Bailey, and Bobo Bennetti all seem like I could dig up an issue of Adventure Comics from the 1940s and see them all alongside Ted Knight.
One thing I didn't mention in the review of the previous volume is how James Robinson played the long game in this series. Seeds are planted that won't bear fruit until years later, like Jack's inevitable trip into space and future clash with The Mist over their son. Heavyweight stuff, especially considering what everyone else was doing in the 1990s.
This is the volume where things really come together for me. Tony Harris' art seems a lot more confident and the look of the series is fully realized, a look that will carry on once Harris leaves the book. James Robinson respects the past without being handcuffed by it. Re-reading this omnibus reminds me why I regard Starman so highly. It was head and shoulders about 99% of the comics at the time and still is. Five out of five stars.
2024 Reread My 2017 thoughts are my 2024 thoughts. While this isn't labeled as a 'Mature Readers' book, I think it has some of the same spirit as the earlier Green Arrow and Question books.
March 27, 2009
After re-reading this recently, I think that this book, only about twenty issues into the series' run, might represent the pinnacle of Starman. Which is not to say that the rest of the run is bad (although I am in the camp that views Tony Harris as the definitive Starman artist, even if he wasn't the artist for the majority of the series' run), but just that I don't know if it ever got as good as the stories in this issue.
The "Sand and Stars" arc which showed us the modern day Wesley Dodds and Dian Belmont from Sandman Mystery Theatre was a terrific conclusion, of sorts, to the romance and adventure that those two shared throughout the Wagner/Seagle series. Robinson tended to be a little too in love with the Golden Age characters in some ways, with a need to "real them up" (witness the unfortunate decision to add an extramarital affair for Ted Knight and Black Canary), but with Wes and Dian, that whole vibe really works, given that Seagle and Wagner had given them much the same treatment. "Sand and Stars" feels like a good homage to the pulp adventures of Sandman Mystery Theatre, and in many ways, Starman was the descendant of that book... hip enough to attract the more indie-minded, but knowledgeable about the superhero continuity it was working with and with an appreciation for that as well.
One of my all-time favorite stories, the Christmas story, is also in this one. It's always brought a tear to my eye, and re-reading it for the fifth or sixth time here had the same effect.
Even the Shade stories, which tended to be a little self-indulgent as they went on, were pretty good here. Shade turning down Neron's offer was a nice little snap at DC's editorial dictates and one of DC's most underwhelming crossovers (and crossover villains). Shade teaming up with Dr. Fate was a lot of fun. And Shade being the one left to tell children tales of the dead earth was a great tie-in to another mostly terrible editorial remit, the "Tales of the Dead Earth" annuals. Robinson is one of those writers who generally took an editorial idea that mostly weakened other books, acting as a straightjacket, and used it as a springboard, a writing challenge, to create something different, in line with the theme, but perfectly in line with the book.
There's also another terrific "Talking With David" issue, the "Times Past" with Mikaal in the '70s, the three-part tale of Shade, the O'Dares and Jack Knight taking on Merritt, the immortal with a demon poster... it really is like a "best of" for the series, when everyone started to hit their stride.
Though they aren't the only artists represented here, Harris and Von Grawbadger do the bulk of the art, and their work here is phenomenal.
The "Sand and Stars" arc which showed us the modern day Wesley Dodds and Dian Belmont from Sandman Mystery Theatre was a terrific conclusion, of sorts, to the romance and adventure that those two shared throughout the Wagner/Seagle series. Robinson tended to be a little too in love with the Golden Age characters in some ways, with a need to "real them up" (witness the unfortunate decision to add an extramarital affair for Ted Knight and Black Canary), but with Wes and Dian, that whole vibe really works, given that Seagle and Wagner had given them much the same treatment. "Sand and Stars" feels like a good homage to the pulp adventures of Sandman Mystery Theatre, and in many ways, Starman was the descendant of that book... hip enough to attract the more indie-minded, but knowledgeable about the superhero continuity it was working with and with an appreciation for that as well.
One of my all-time favorite stories, the Christmas story, is also in this one. It's always brought a tear to my eye, and re-reading it for the fifth or sixth time here had the same effect.
Even the Shade stories, which tended to be a little self-indulgent as they went on, were pretty good here. Shade turning down Neron's offer was a nice little snap at DC's editorial dictates and one of DC's most underwhelming crossovers (and crossover villains). Shade teaming up with Dr. Fate was a lot of fun. And Shade being the one left to tell children tales of the dead earth was a great tie-in to another mostly terrible editorial remit, the "Tales of the Dead Earth" annuals. Robinson is one of those writers who generally took an editorial idea that mostly weakened other books, acting as a straightjacket, and used it as a springboard, a writing challenge, to create something different, in line with the theme, but perfectly in line with the book.
There's also another terrific "Talking With David" issue, the "Times Past" with Mikaal in the '70s, the three-part tale of Shade, the O'Dares and Jack Knight taking on Merritt, the immortal with a demon poster... it really is like a "best of" for the series, when everyone started to hit their stride.
Though they aren't the only artists represented here, Harris and Von Grawbadger do the bulk of the art, and their work here is phenomenal.
December 21, 2021
Acceptably good. More than good.
Curious seeing how the Starman Universe and characters are being developed.
Curious seeing how the Starman Universe and characters are being developed.
February 23, 2020
The second volume of the Starman Omnibus project, this book contains the material found in the third trade edition (
Starman: A Wicked Inclination
), as well as a number of Tales of Times Past, in which the adventures of Starmen of previous eras are set out. Also included are some entries from the Shade's journal, which appear as a sort of non-illustrated appendix at the rear.
From the four installment Stars and Sand story-arc, in which Jack Knight teams up with Sandman Wesley Dodds, to the classic To Hell and Back, in which Jack, the Shade, and Matt O'Dare win free from hell through their willingness to make a selfless sacrifice, most of the material here was already familiar to me. But the genuine emotion that James Robinson manages to evoke - the warm family dynamic of the O'Dares in Christmas Knight, the bittersweet fraternal love in Talking With David, '96 - just reinforced my appreciation for this fine graphic-novel series, which has gradually become my favorite in the genre.
I look forward to the upcoming release of the third Omnibus volume, and to learning more about the fascinating Shade. And, once again, I thank my friend Michael for introducing me to the fabulous Starman!
From the four installment Stars and Sand story-arc, in which Jack Knight teams up with Sandman Wesley Dodds, to the classic To Hell and Back, in which Jack, the Shade, and Matt O'Dare win free from hell through their willingness to make a selfless sacrifice, most of the material here was already familiar to me. But the genuine emotion that James Robinson manages to evoke - the warm family dynamic of the O'Dares in Christmas Knight, the bittersweet fraternal love in Talking With David, '96 - just reinforced my appreciation for this fine graphic-novel series, which has gradually become my favorite in the genre.
I look forward to the upcoming release of the third Omnibus volume, and to learning more about the fascinating Shade. And, once again, I thank my friend Michael for introducing me to the fabulous Starman!
October 29, 2019
Starman i ve druhém volumku zůstává neskutečnou Superhrdinskou Orgií a pořád nešetří originálními nápady a zápletkami. Konečně se tu začne řešit dlouho teasové události o plakátů který do sebe unáší lidí a dozvíme se i dost z minulosti jiných postav a vy díky tomu máte pocit že Starman Univerzum žije, že postavy po sobě zanechají odkaz, že něco udělali a po jejich činech zůstává i nějaká stopa.
Některé z hlavních postav navíc dostanou prozření a nějak se jejich osobnost vyvine. Nevím jak to popsat, ale věřte mi že na stáncích nedostanete žádný takto propracovaný superhrdinský komiks.
Tady místo zbytečných bitek si dává James Robinson na čas a nimrá se v charakterech, jejich motivacích apod. Úžasný příklad je když propustí po několika letech zaporaka z vězení, toho samozřejmě hned všichni jdou sledovat. Ale místy zbytečné bitky tu máme příběh o chlápkovi který neví jestli krom vězení ve svém věku už má co dnešnímu světu co nabídnout a jestli není pro něj lepší udělat kravinu a skončit radši ve vězení.
A takhle holt Starman funguje, superhrdina za zabití zloducha jde před soud, rozhodnutí tu mají dlouhého trvání a díky výplňovím sešitům z minulosti začněte i více chápat motivace a vztahy všech postav.
Velký palec nahoru navíc patří i Tony Harrisovi který se tady rozjel a skoro každá jeho stránka je umělecké dílo. Taková hra s panely spolu s geniálním coloristou se jen tak nevidí.
Plus potěšil i pěkný Vánoční příběh o bezdomovci v Santa Claus převleku. Jestli vám Batman od Toma Kinga přijde geniální, tak jste asi nečetli ještě Starmana.
Některé z hlavních postav navíc dostanou prozření a nějak se jejich osobnost vyvine. Nevím jak to popsat, ale věřte mi že na stáncích nedostanete žádný takto propracovaný superhrdinský komiks.
Tady místo zbytečných bitek si dává James Robinson na čas a nimrá se v charakterech, jejich motivacích apod. Úžasný příklad je když propustí po několika letech zaporaka z vězení, toho samozřejmě hned všichni jdou sledovat. Ale místy zbytečné bitky tu máme příběh o chlápkovi který neví jestli krom vězení ve svém věku už má co dnešnímu světu co nabídnout a jestli není pro něj lepší udělat kravinu a skončit radši ve vězení.
A takhle holt Starman funguje, superhrdina za zabití zloducha jde před soud, rozhodnutí tu mají dlouhého trvání a díky výplňovím sešitům z minulosti začněte i více chápat motivace a vztahy všech postav.
Velký palec nahoru navíc patří i Tony Harrisovi který se tady rozjel a skoro každá jeho stránka je umělecké dílo. Taková hra s panely spolu s geniálním coloristou se jen tak nevidí.
Plus potěšil i pěkný Vánoční příběh o bezdomovci v Santa Claus převleku. Jestli vám Batman od Toma Kinga přijde geniální, tak jste asi nečetli ještě Starmana.
May 1, 2018
Just as Startastic as the last volume, plus - there's even a Christmas story.
January 18, 2013
After the strongest first year of any comic book I've ever read, Starman volume 2 flounders a bit by interrupting the continuity with a few too many interludes. Although the separate single issues that act as these interludes are themselves extremely strong, they felt completely unnecessary and made me anxious to get back to the Starman story that had been built up in the previous volume.
If that's really my only complaint, I have no complaint. This book loses none of its heart or indie feel. It is still packed full of stellar writing, great characters and brilliant dialogue. The parallel development of The Shade isn't a hindrance, but rather a welcome addition to the Opal City mythos. Seeing Robinson use the Golden Age heroes instead of any of the best-selling heavy-hitters like Superman or Batman is a wonderful thing. It shows how confident Robinson is in the writing and the book itself.
With artwork from Tony Harris and a fabulous colorist in Gregory Wright, who compliments the artwork as well as the mood of the book, this is by far the best book DC had to offer in the mid-90's, when publishers were at the height of their gimmicky hijinx.
To read it is to love it.
Writing: A
Art: A
If that's really my only complaint, I have no complaint. This book loses none of its heart or indie feel. It is still packed full of stellar writing, great characters and brilliant dialogue. The parallel development of The Shade isn't a hindrance, but rather a welcome addition to the Opal City mythos. Seeing Robinson use the Golden Age heroes instead of any of the best-selling heavy-hitters like Superman or Batman is a wonderful thing. It shows how confident Robinson is in the writing and the book itself.
With artwork from Tony Harris and a fabulous colorist in Gregory Wright, who compliments the artwork as well as the mood of the book, this is by far the best book DC had to offer in the mid-90's, when publishers were at the height of their gimmicky hijinx.
To read it is to love it.
Writing: A
Art: A
July 10, 2012
There are two major themes in Starman, as I see it: family and nostalgia. And it's used very well in this large collection, in the story with the Wesley Dodds version of Sandman, in the Christmas story that avoids cheese, even in the Shade stories. Shade threatens in every panel to go completely over the top, and he hasn't quite gotten there yet. I've seen this referred to as some of the best of Starman, and I can certainly see that.
October 3, 2018
James Robinsoni "The Starman"i on nimetetud ka superkangelaste Sandmaniks. Tõsi, nii täitsa võib öelda küll, on sarnaseid elemente, näiteks kohtumised sajandivanuste kirjanikega, salapärased kõike maailma haldavad äkkiilmuvad tegelased jms. Kirjutatud on intelligentselt, paljude vihjetega modernsele popkultuurile läbi aegade - näiteks mina sain siit raamatust konkreetse double-bill filmiõhtu ideesoovituse omale, väga lahe. Meeldib väga ka peategelase pärisamet - antikvariaadi pidamine ja eks sellega seoses need vähetuntumad kultuurifenomenide vihjed ka enamasti esile tuuakse. Kunstnikutöö on ka päris hea, õigupoolest tänu kunstnikule- Tony Harrisele ( Ex Machina ) ma The Starmani ette võtsingi ja siiamaani ei kahetse.
kehv on aind see, et pärisraamatuna DC Comics hakkas neid omnibuse taasavaldama küll aga ainult 2 esimest said reprinditud ja nüüd on juba aastaid kolmandat omnibusi oodatud aga vist on projekt canceldatud, mis tähendab, et hinnad on paberversioonide omal alates kolmandast osast suht kõrgel ja peab digitaalselt lugema...
kehv on aind see, et pärisraamatuna DC Comics hakkas neid omnibuse taasavaldama küll aga ainult 2 esimest said reprinditud ja nüüd on juba aastaid kolmandat omnibusi oodatud aga vist on projekt canceldatud, mis tähendab, et hinnad on paberversioonide omal alates kolmandast osast suht kõrgel ja peab digitaalselt lugema...
December 17, 2022
This series still doesn't disappoint on my third read-through. We get to know the cast even better and the history of Opal and the Starmen is fleshed out in the "Times Past" issues. Oh, and a great four-parter with Wesley Dodds (Sandman) and Dian Belmont. The art is by a variety of artists outside of series regular Tony Harris and most of it is great. I have a few podcast episodes of "The Starman Chronicles" to catch up on now, but should be good to start Vol. 3 in the new year.
April 1, 2020
What an exceedingly adequate series this is. I'm two (large) volumes deep and just don't understand all the hype around this series. I guess if I'd read it when it came out I might have some nostalgia for it or something, but as it stands, reading this just feels like I'm reliving someone else's nostalgia. There's lots of putting Gold- and Silver-Age DC on a pedestal, revisiting these times not with a sense of hindsight, but with a sense of reverence that feels cloying and fanboyish.
The idea of a main character who is obsessed with the past and references old movies all the time could be cool. Particularly if the point of view is centered on how clinging to the past can make you ignorant to the present, or how viewing the old with rose-colored glasses minimizes the past to an impossible ideal. But that's not what Robinson is doing here. Jack Knight is clearly meant to be interesting. He's the hero of the story. His obsession with pop culture artifacts is a defining trait of his personality, and is meant to make him relatable and arguably "cool." All it does is make me groan. I truly do not give a shit about whatever old chair he's haggling over this time.
Every character is like this: surface-level traits, no depth. There are about 9 characters that we flit between, and I couldn't tell you anything meaningful about almost any of them. The only character of any real depth is The Shade, and even his characterization is largely defined by what we don't know about him. We're 29 issues in at this point and have no idea why he suddenly decided to be a good guy. He keeps telling us how horrible of a guy he used to be, but since we never actually saw any of that in the series, we're not actually witnessing growth. He's just good now, full stop.
This kind of lack of detail, with no arcs or real measurable growth, pervades every character. Jack Knight likes old stuff and didn't want to be Starman, but now he is and he's good at it immediately. His father, Ted, was Starman in the past and now he's just kind of around to help Jack. The O'Dares are... cops. There's like 5 of them and I couldn't tell them apart if you held a gun to my head.
Also, the series mostly reads very flat. It just doesn't feel like it has anything to say. It's stuck somewhere between a character-driven indie comic like Strangers In Paradise and a classic DC superhero comic. The dialogue is overwrought and often purple, and every character speaks in the same way. They go on and on, and I find myself fully tuning out and having to re-read sections, which end up being borderline useless to the story.
The only reason I'm giving this 3 stars instead of 2 is Tony Harris's fantastic art. He's coming into his own at this point, and the stories pop off the page significantly more because of this. I think at this point he might be the only reason I'm continuing with the series.
I'm honestly kind of dreading reading volume 3, but I'm sure I'll still read it in an interest to have a full understanding of this iconic series. Also, I'm still rooting for this series to get good. I'm just not convinced it's going to end up being for me.
The idea of a main character who is obsessed with the past and references old movies all the time could be cool. Particularly if the point of view is centered on how clinging to the past can make you ignorant to the present, or how viewing the old with rose-colored glasses minimizes the past to an impossible ideal. But that's not what Robinson is doing here. Jack Knight is clearly meant to be interesting. He's the hero of the story. His obsession with pop culture artifacts is a defining trait of his personality, and is meant to make him relatable and arguably "cool." All it does is make me groan. I truly do not give a shit about whatever old chair he's haggling over this time.
Every character is like this: surface-level traits, no depth. There are about 9 characters that we flit between, and I couldn't tell you anything meaningful about almost any of them. The only character of any real depth is The Shade, and even his characterization is largely defined by what we don't know about him. We're 29 issues in at this point and have no idea why he suddenly decided to be a good guy. He keeps telling us how horrible of a guy he used to be, but since we never actually saw any of that in the series, we're not actually witnessing growth. He's just good now, full stop.
This kind of lack of detail, with no arcs or real measurable growth, pervades every character. Jack Knight likes old stuff and didn't want to be Starman, but now he is and he's good at it immediately. His father, Ted, was Starman in the past and now he's just kind of around to help Jack. The O'Dares are... cops. There's like 5 of them and I couldn't tell them apart if you held a gun to my head.
Also, the series mostly reads very flat. It just doesn't feel like it has anything to say. It's stuck somewhere between a character-driven indie comic like Strangers In Paradise and a classic DC superhero comic. The dialogue is overwrought and often purple, and every character speaks in the same way. They go on and on, and I find myself fully tuning out and having to re-read sections, which end up being borderline useless to the story.
The only reason I'm giving this 3 stars instead of 2 is Tony Harris's fantastic art. He's coming into his own at this point, and the stories pop off the page significantly more because of this. I think at this point he might be the only reason I'm continuing with the series.
I'm honestly kind of dreading reading volume 3, but I'm sure I'll still read it in an interest to have a full understanding of this iconic series. Also, I'm still rooting for this series to get good. I'm just not convinced it's going to end up being for me.
October 27, 2010
I have basically one and only one beef with this book, which is that it doesn't say "Omnibus Volume 2" on the cover, just on the inside page, so I thought I was getting volume 1. Whoops. Oh well. Otherwise, this comic is awesome, and I don't think it gets as many mad props as it deserves. If you love superheroes who are also human (but not totally screwed up in a psychotic kind of way), this might be right up your alley. (Although my favorite character is Shade, who is basically a sociopath, but hey).
Read
May 6, 2019While more scattered than the first volume, this collection continues with characteristically strong storytelling and the best arcs yet.
Odds and ends first. The Shawacse issues constitute three “Times Past” stories, two about the Shade and one highlighting Ted’s first days in Opal City. It’s nice to have these issues collected, but they’re certainly not the strongest Starman shorts. Still, the Shade two-parter is intriguing for its Doctor Fate cameo and a glimpse of the Shade’s graying morality. I don’t think the “Talking with David” issue quite measures up to the lovely first outing, though it has some nice dialogue and a great ending. Then there’s the annual: the Shade, on a distant planet far in the future, tells stories of two Starmen, Prince Gavyn and Ted. I love how Robinson integrates the lore of other Starmen. The tapestry he’s weaving only grows grander. The three standalones that close out this volume are, in order, touching, psychedelic, and redemptive. These stories serve as lovely additions to the saga, while highlighting Robinson’s skill at crafting the single issue comic. I’m noticing a lot of similarities between Starman and Astro City, one of my favorite series. I think the two had to have influenced each other back in the 90s.
The rest of the book is pretty fantastic. The five-part “Sand and Stars” is surely the high point: Jack visits Wesley Doods (the original Sandman) for a question about the Mist, only to get wrapped up in a murder mystery. This story is filled to the brim with touching and cathartic moments. Wesley and his wife, Dian, have such a strong relationship that warms my heart, and makes me want to read Sandman Mystery Theatre. There’s a small moment here, early on, that has stayed with me. As Jack approaches a silent Wesley peering out the window, he says what an an honor it is to meet him. When Wesley doesn’t respond, Dian calmly rests her hand on her husband’s shoulder and helps him turn up his hearing aid. Again, it’s a small moment, but this scene to me is emblematic of the humanity defined by Starman. All told, “Sand and Stars” is by turns an exciting mystery adventure, a tribute to friendship, and a heartwarming picture of an aging superhero.
Elsewhere, the Merritt/demon plotline is resolved (?) in spectacular fashion. Robinson does an admirable job here - and throughout the series - of rounding out side characters, particularly the O’Dares and Mikaal so far. Jack is the main character, yes, but the supporting cast is just as important to the saga, and often just as compelling.
Overall, I think Robinson really finds his stride in this volume. Gone is the clunky narration from the early issues. Now, Starman boasts compelling storytelling and good writing in every corner. Robinson also dives deeper into DC history, and I love it. Artwise, Tony Harris only gets better (“Hell and Back” is a highlight), while guests Craig Hamilton and J.H. Williams III stand out.
Odds and ends first. The Shawacse issues constitute three “Times Past” stories, two about the Shade and one highlighting Ted’s first days in Opal City. It’s nice to have these issues collected, but they’re certainly not the strongest Starman shorts. Still, the Shade two-parter is intriguing for its Doctor Fate cameo and a glimpse of the Shade’s graying morality. I don’t think the “Talking with David” issue quite measures up to the lovely first outing, though it has some nice dialogue and a great ending. Then there’s the annual: the Shade, on a distant planet far in the future, tells stories of two Starmen, Prince Gavyn and Ted. I love how Robinson integrates the lore of other Starmen. The tapestry he’s weaving only grows grander. The three standalones that close out this volume are, in order, touching, psychedelic, and redemptive. These stories serve as lovely additions to the saga, while highlighting Robinson’s skill at crafting the single issue comic. I’m noticing a lot of similarities between Starman and Astro City, one of my favorite series. I think the two had to have influenced each other back in the 90s.
The rest of the book is pretty fantastic. The five-part “Sand and Stars” is surely the high point: Jack visits Wesley Doods (the original Sandman) for a question about the Mist, only to get wrapped up in a murder mystery. This story is filled to the brim with touching and cathartic moments. Wesley and his wife, Dian, have such a strong relationship that warms my heart, and makes me want to read Sandman Mystery Theatre. There’s a small moment here, early on, that has stayed with me. As Jack approaches a silent Wesley peering out the window, he says what an an honor it is to meet him. When Wesley doesn’t respond, Dian calmly rests her hand on her husband’s shoulder and helps him turn up his hearing aid. Again, it’s a small moment, but this scene to me is emblematic of the humanity defined by Starman. All told, “Sand and Stars” is by turns an exciting mystery adventure, a tribute to friendship, and a heartwarming picture of an aging superhero.
Elsewhere, the Merritt/demon plotline is resolved (?) in spectacular fashion. Robinson does an admirable job here - and throughout the series - of rounding out side characters, particularly the O’Dares and Mikaal so far. Jack is the main character, yes, but the supporting cast is just as important to the saga, and often just as compelling.
Overall, I think Robinson really finds his stride in this volume. Gone is the clunky narration from the early issues. Now, Starman boasts compelling storytelling and good writing in every corner. Robinson also dives deeper into DC history, and I love it. Artwise, Tony Harris only gets better (“Hell and Back” is a highlight), while guests Craig Hamilton and J.H. Williams III stand out.
April 6, 2018
This book contains the only Robinson-penned Starman-related stories I think I hadn't read previously - two Shade-focused short pieces that appeared in Showcase '95 (Shade meets Neron, tied to Underworld Unleashed, I assume) and two issues of Showcase '96 (early mention of Culp and his animosity toward Shade; curious that Dr. Fate thought they would meet him - I can't recall the details of Culp's eventual emergence later in the series, but this feels like it doesn't entirely fit for some reason).
Both are solid, but not exceptional.
Also here is Annual #1, part of the Legends of the Dead Earth series. Robinson smartly uses the immortal Shade in a futuristic framing sequence, but allows him to narrate tales of the past - Prince Gavyn's death and Ted Knight's first meeting with Papa O'Dare. Both are solid pieces, filling in useful background for the series. Gavyn, of course, returns, and the Ted Knight piece gives more depth to the O'Dare clan.
The issues, #17-29, include my first issues of Starman. 17 is an aftermath issue, but finds Matt O'Dare and Shade drawn through the demon poster into Hell. A mediocre Times Past issue tells of Ted's first encounter with The Mist - unnecessary details that didn't illuminate Nash's vengeance on the supporting players in this one-off enough to merit telling. "Sands and Stars" is a solid yarn, Jack and Wesley Dodds teaming up. 24 was my first issue, part one of the demon poster - eventually Jack enters the poster, and he, Matt and Shade offer their souls to save the many, many souls already taken by the demon. I liked the arc a lot more this time - when I first read it, I almost dropped the series. The ending, that their selfless offer would let them go free, seemed too predictable. I've seen Oh God, You Devil! ;) But the character work is solid through the arc, and it resonates a little more deeply when you know the characters better than I did at the time.
A Christmas issue, solid, and a Mikaal Times Past, again solid, follow. I enjoy them now - but to a newbie reader who'd just discovered the series a few issues before these, I remember thinking the book was all over the place and only grudgingly decided to give it a sixth issue to impress me. (I tried to give a new series six issues to lay its groundwork.) The final chapter included here is the one that hooked me: Jake Benetti returns from jail, tries to figure out where he fits into modern Opal City, figures he doesn't, decides to heist a bank to get thrown back in jail, and winds up helping Jack defeat the Royal Flush Gang. Good times, fun, terrific character in Jake.
Both are solid, but not exceptional.
Also here is Annual #1, part of the Legends of the Dead Earth series. Robinson smartly uses the immortal Shade in a futuristic framing sequence, but allows him to narrate tales of the past - Prince Gavyn's death and Ted Knight's first meeting with Papa O'Dare. Both are solid pieces, filling in useful background for the series. Gavyn, of course, returns, and the Ted Knight piece gives more depth to the O'Dare clan.
The issues, #17-29, include my first issues of Starman. 17 is an aftermath issue, but finds Matt O'Dare and Shade drawn through the demon poster into Hell. A mediocre Times Past issue tells of Ted's first encounter with The Mist - unnecessary details that didn't illuminate Nash's vengeance on the supporting players in this one-off enough to merit telling. "Sands and Stars" is a solid yarn, Jack and Wesley Dodds teaming up. 24 was my first issue, part one of the demon poster - eventually Jack enters the poster, and he, Matt and Shade offer their souls to save the many, many souls already taken by the demon. I liked the arc a lot more this time - when I first read it, I almost dropped the series. The ending, that their selfless offer would let them go free, seemed too predictable. I've seen Oh God, You Devil! ;) But the character work is solid through the arc, and it resonates a little more deeply when you know the characters better than I did at the time.
A Christmas issue, solid, and a Mikaal Times Past, again solid, follow. I enjoy them now - but to a newbie reader who'd just discovered the series a few issues before these, I remember thinking the book was all over the place and only grudgingly decided to give it a sixth issue to impress me. (I tried to give a new series six issues to lay its groundwork.) The final chapter included here is the one that hooked me: Jake Benetti returns from jail, tries to figure out where he fits into modern Opal City, figures he doesn't, decides to heist a bank to get thrown back in jail, and winds up helping Jack defeat the Royal Flush Gang. Good times, fun, terrific character in Jake.
July 5, 2022
This is very much a mixed bag of stories: much less focused than the first volume with a high percentage of single issue flashbacks or focuses. (Mind you, some of those are the best issues in the collection.) The two longer stories are 1) a crossover with the modern-day Sandman (the version from the then-publishing Sandman Mystery Theatre) that features a flashback with wondrous art from SMT regular Guy Davis), and 2) a descent into Hell that I found more opaque than helpful, although we do get interesting looks into one O'Dare brother and the Shade.
Overall, it's a lot of plot advancement for the O'Dares and many servings of looks into the past, which is a Robinson forte. I especially liked two pieces with detailed art from Craig Hamilton, one with apropos day-glo coloring from Gregory Wright. (It's an astral fight set in a disco featuring the alien Starman.) Good stuff, although the story telling is now convoluted enough that you would have a hard time picking up the plot without the first volume.
Overall, it's a lot of plot advancement for the O'Dares and many servings of looks into the past, which is a Robinson forte. I especially liked two pieces with detailed art from Craig Hamilton, one with apropos day-glo coloring from Gregory Wright. (It's an astral fight set in a disco featuring the alien Starman.) Good stuff, although the story telling is now convoluted enough that you would have a hard time picking up the plot without the first volume.
November 29, 2025
Excelente volumen de una excelente colección. Para mí, el único "pero" de esta serie es su dibujante, Tony Harris, que crea buenas atmósferas, pero carece de sentido del ritmo y de la narración. No es que sea malo, pero con Snejberg el cómic ganará el artista que se merece. Harris me parece, básicamente, un diseñador bastante hábil, pero no un auténtico artista.
Por lo demás, aquí encontramos el fantástico arco argumental en el que Jack hace equipo con Wesley Dodds, el Sandman original, y los no menos fabulosos episodios en los que Starman, Shade y Matt O'Dare se enfrentan a un demonio en el Infierno. Todos estupendos. Robinson hizo en esta serie el trabajo por el que será siempre recordado. En definitiva, imprescindible para todo aficionado al cómic de súpers.
Por lo demás, aquí encontramos el fantástico arco argumental en el que Jack hace equipo con Wesley Dodds, el Sandman original, y los no menos fabulosos episodios en los que Starman, Shade y Matt O'Dare se enfrentan a un demonio en el Infierno. Todos estupendos. Robinson hizo en esta serie el trabajo por el que será siempre recordado. En definitiva, imprescindible para todo aficionado al cómic de súpers.
October 18, 2018
Here we have great developments to the blue guy story... and I really liked it.
Also, I think this is the start of the REAL magic of the Starman run: how come James Robinson transformed old and lame characters into awesome characters?
Take Wesley Dodds, the old Sandman, story arc. An old guy now, but his thought process is shown here, and his arc striked curiosity inside of me: now I want to know more about the character, and how he was when younger...
The christimas story was also fantastic and shows how Jack can be a great superhero.
10/10. Jesus. Again.
Also, I think this is the start of the REAL magic of the Starman run: how come James Robinson transformed old and lame characters into awesome characters?
Take Wesley Dodds, the old Sandman, story arc. An old guy now, but his thought process is shown here, and his arc striked curiosity inside of me: now I want to know more about the character, and how he was when younger...
The christimas story was also fantastic and shows how Jack can be a great superhero.
10/10. Jesus. Again.
October 7, 2020
This book gave me a bunch of mixed feelings. There is a lot to like here but I also disliked a large chunk of it as well. By far my favorite segment was the team-up between Jack and Wesley Dodds. Seeing this cross generational team-up was extremely fun. James Robinson still gets overly verbose at times and there are far too many one offs in this collection. Tony Harris's art was missing in quite a few issues here but the art was still decent. Overall, this collection was a step back from the previous books but still pleasant.
April 20, 2022
So, in this second collection, that Vertigo spirit is there but something is missing. I can't quite put my finger on Robinson's writing. But in this volume, I'm reminded of Astro City, Sandman, Transmetropolitan... and they all did this thing better.
But, I'm also willing to assume that I've lost some of my better reading habits when it comes to long-form comic storytelling! I mean, Immortal Hulk was 50 issues and I couldn't believe a comic could go that long anymore. So, maybe I should just relax and accept that I'm only a third of the way through in this series.
But, I'm also willing to assume that I've lost some of my better reading habits when it comes to long-form comic storytelling! I mean, Immortal Hulk was 50 issues and I couldn't believe a comic could go that long anymore. So, maybe I should just relax and accept that I'm only a third of the way through in this series.
January 6, 2024
I loved the Sand and Stars arc, as well as the Demon Poster one, the Christmas issue, and the one with Jake Benetti. I didn't really like the Times Past issues (the first was kinda boring, the second was weird), and the Annual was okay. I loved the O'Dares and Shade and Jack. The art really appeals to me because of the bold contrast between light and shadow, as well as the decorative paneling and edges, it's like how I draw (Tony Harris' art, the other art was fine but not as good). Will read volume 3!
November 30, 2025
I liked this one a little bit more than volume 1. I think I'm getting to know the characters more, but I also think the writing and artwork have gotten better. With all the tales of times past and the different characters, it does feel like it's slowly building a rich lore. If anything, I almost felt like we didn't get enough of Jack Knight in this volume. This was the last volume I had checked out, but I am interested in continuing on, if my library has copies of the further volumes.
March 2, 2024
It was okay. Not great. A lot of the issues in it felt like they were written as filler. Wonderful art, though. Very beautiful!
November 17, 2016
This wasn't a come to Jesus moment with Starman so much as it reminded me of the first time I read the first volume of Starman, which was an unmitigated slog. It was long, tedious, and James Robinson's prose was out of control.
I must admit that I still find myself drawn to the characters in this book, but it really suffered from lack of Jack. This volume had a lot more of the ensemble thing going on, especially in the back half, which I feel didn't have nearly enough Jack. There was some decent Jack in the first half, but even now upon reflection it feels mired in... Robinson's eccentricities. It's not that I don't love The Shade (I do) or that I'm not interested in the O'Dare's (I am), but those aren't the drawing points of this series. And even though Jack goes on a four issue escapade adventure with the Golden Age Sandman (which, my god did that make me want to read the Johns run on JSA), that arc felt more about exploring the nature of Golden Age Sasndman than it did about this really interesting Starman.
Yes. I get that this all feeds into the larger themes of what Robinson's going for. I get that all of this is encompassing his vision for this series and how it's about the larger universe around this one character. But three issues in this are about The Shade and nothing else. One episode is about Mikaal. One episode is a throwaway Christmas issue, which, god, he just piled on the schmaltz a bit much didn't he? One was an annual that was about two non-Jack Knight Starmen. And it all led this to feel a lot like... well... it's insular, but it felt a lot like the third trade of Preacher. The one without Jesse Custer that was basically about The Saint of Killers and featured none of the regular issues of Preacher and was all about those ancillary specials that slowed the momentum of Preacher to a dead crawl and we have to get through them because on the other side we're going to get Steve Dillon and Jesse and Tulip and Cassidy back. But until then you're kind of stuck.
And there was a LOT of Starman in this volume too. We're talking abut like... Over a year's worth of content, and the best I can say is that we had one of those dream sequences where Jack got to hang out with David on a pirate ship.
All of this compounded by the fact that this book's art felt super 90s in a way the other didn't. Sure, some of it was, but for the most part it felt very stylized and not quite so aged. But this.... This made me realize that I am not a huge fan of Tony Harris's art. I liked Ex Machina fine, but there's a way to his drawing that, because he traces it off pictures and photographs he stages, makes it feel stilted and stiff and posed. I love his use of lights and shadows, but overall I just... his art is not for me. And neither is most of the art in this volume.
So it's a slog. Three stars because it didn't put me off reading this series in the slightest. But it DID put me to sleep two hours before my bedtime on multiple nights, took me too long, and made me worried about getting my reading list done by the end of the year. At least The Fifth Season got my brain juice blood going and made me feel accomplished and like I had grown and learned something new at the end of this. This felt like the sort of vapid comic I would put down had I not already had the next/final four volumes in this series so far and a burgeoning desire to see how Robinson's story unfolds over the course of the next 50-ish issues.
2.5 stars (rounded up)
I must admit that I still find myself drawn to the characters in this book, but it really suffered from lack of Jack. This volume had a lot more of the ensemble thing going on, especially in the back half, which I feel didn't have nearly enough Jack. There was some decent Jack in the first half, but even now upon reflection it feels mired in... Robinson's eccentricities. It's not that I don't love The Shade (I do) or that I'm not interested in the O'Dare's (I am), but those aren't the drawing points of this series. And even though Jack goes on a four issue escapade adventure with the Golden Age Sandman (which, my god did that make me want to read the Johns run on JSA), that arc felt more about exploring the nature of Golden Age Sasndman than it did about this really interesting Starman.
Yes. I get that this all feeds into the larger themes of what Robinson's going for. I get that all of this is encompassing his vision for this series and how it's about the larger universe around this one character. But three issues in this are about The Shade and nothing else. One episode is about Mikaal. One episode is a throwaway Christmas issue, which, god, he just piled on the schmaltz a bit much didn't he? One was an annual that was about two non-Jack Knight Starmen. And it all led this to feel a lot like... well... it's insular, but it felt a lot like the third trade of Preacher. The one without Jesse Custer that was basically about The Saint of Killers and featured none of the regular issues of Preacher and was all about those ancillary specials that slowed the momentum of Preacher to a dead crawl and we have to get through them because on the other side we're going to get Steve Dillon and Jesse and Tulip and Cassidy back. But until then you're kind of stuck.
And there was a LOT of Starman in this volume too. We're talking abut like... Over a year's worth of content, and the best I can say is that we had one of those dream sequences where Jack got to hang out with David on a pirate ship.
All of this compounded by the fact that this book's art felt super 90s in a way the other didn't. Sure, some of it was, but for the most part it felt very stylized and not quite so aged. But this.... This made me realize that I am not a huge fan of Tony Harris's art. I liked Ex Machina fine, but there's a way to his drawing that, because he traces it off pictures and photographs he stages, makes it feel stilted and stiff and posed. I love his use of lights and shadows, but overall I just... his art is not for me. And neither is most of the art in this volume.
So it's a slog. Three stars because it didn't put me off reading this series in the slightest. But it DID put me to sleep two hours before my bedtime on multiple nights, took me too long, and made me worried about getting my reading list done by the end of the year. At least The Fifth Season got my brain juice blood going and made me feel accomplished and like I had grown and learned something new at the end of this. This felt like the sort of vapid comic I would put down had I not already had the next/final four volumes in this series so far and a burgeoning desire to see how Robinson's story unfolds over the course of the next 50-ish issues.
2.5 stars (rounded up)
May 19, 2016
This beautiful second of six hardcover volumes of James Robinson's much talked about comic Starman (the second volume of that title) from the mid-90s collects #17–29 and Annual #1 as well as Showcase '95 #12 and Showcase '96 #4–5. Once again primarily pencilled by Tony Harris, but with a lot of additional pencillers contributing, the volume certainly delivers fully on the promise of the first one.
It opens up with "Incident in an Old Haunt" from Showcase '95 #12, a brief the Shade story, which helps to further establish the character's role within the series. This is followed by issue #17's "Encounters", the first of a number of single issue stories at the beginning and ending of the volume. This one sets the scene for much that is to come, the least of which not being the Shade and Matt O'Dare's joint venture in search of the villain Merritt.
Other single issue stories include "Talking with David, '96" (#19), which is yet another issue devoted to a conversation between Jack and his dead brother; "Legends of the Dead Earth" (Annual #1, in which the Shade is telling some stories of different Starmen to a bunch of children in a distant future setting (placed between issues #23 and 24 in this volume); "Christmas Knight" (#27), which is a fine Christmas story; and "The Return of Bobo" (#29), which introduces old-time crook Jake Benetti, just out of prison.
Among the single issues are also a number "Tales of Times Past" (which are usually interesting reads as they tend to be stories that expand the Starman mythos itself). Here we find "First Joust" (#18), in which we are told the story of Ted Knight's first meeting with the original Mist; and "Super Freaks and Back Stabbers" (#28), in which we are transported back to 1976 and introduced a story from Mikaal's past; but also the two-parter "Day & Night, Night & Bright" (Showcase '96 #4–5), in which the Shade (after an altercation with two Flashes (Garrick and Allen)) is teamed up with Dr. Fate to counter an evil (placed between issues #19 and 20 in this volume).
All in all, however, the volume is dominated by two main story-arcs:
First, the four-parter "Sands and Stars" (#20–23), in which Jack teams up with his father's old colleague, the Golden Age Sandman, a.k.a. Wesley Dodds. As I understand it, this arc is also something of a crossover with issues in Matt Wagner's Sandman Mystery Theatre. The latter is a title I have never got around to reading, and I am consequently unsure of which issues (let alone volumes collecting them) make up that part of the crossover. Suffice it to say, that while I would not mind reading them, they are certainly not required reading for the arc (most likely because of being set in different time periods) and if the afterword had not mentioned it, I would be none the wiser;
And secondly, the three-parter "Hell and Back" (#24–26), which opens with an epilogue to "Sand and Stars" and then, finally, picks up the plot thread of the Shade and Matt O'Dare, and Merritt and his poster.
As if all of this was not enough to satisfy a reader, there are also extracts from the Shade's Journal, an introduction by Tony Harris and the ongoing afterword by Robinson is continued.
All of which, as I wrote in my review of the first volume, adds to the value of a volume already worth its price.
It opens up with "Incident in an Old Haunt" from Showcase '95 #12, a brief the Shade story, which helps to further establish the character's role within the series. This is followed by issue #17's "Encounters", the first of a number of single issue stories at the beginning and ending of the volume. This one sets the scene for much that is to come, the least of which not being the Shade and Matt O'Dare's joint venture in search of the villain Merritt.
Other single issue stories include "Talking with David, '96" (#19), which is yet another issue devoted to a conversation between Jack and his dead brother; "Legends of the Dead Earth" (Annual #1, in which the Shade is telling some stories of different Starmen to a bunch of children in a distant future setting (placed between issues #23 and 24 in this volume); "Christmas Knight" (#27), which is a fine Christmas story; and "The Return of Bobo" (#29), which introduces old-time crook Jake Benetti, just out of prison.
Among the single issues are also a number "Tales of Times Past" (which are usually interesting reads as they tend to be stories that expand the Starman mythos itself). Here we find "First Joust" (#18), in which we are told the story of Ted Knight's first meeting with the original Mist; and "Super Freaks and Back Stabbers" (#28), in which we are transported back to 1976 and introduced a story from Mikaal's past; but also the two-parter "Day & Night, Night & Bright" (Showcase '96 #4–5), in which the Shade (after an altercation with two Flashes (Garrick and Allen)) is teamed up with Dr. Fate to counter an evil (placed between issues #19 and 20 in this volume).
All in all, however, the volume is dominated by two main story-arcs:
First, the four-parter "Sands and Stars" (#20–23), in which Jack teams up with his father's old colleague, the Golden Age Sandman, a.k.a. Wesley Dodds. As I understand it, this arc is also something of a crossover with issues in Matt Wagner's Sandman Mystery Theatre. The latter is a title I have never got around to reading, and I am consequently unsure of which issues (let alone volumes collecting them) make up that part of the crossover. Suffice it to say, that while I would not mind reading them, they are certainly not required reading for the arc (most likely because of being set in different time periods) and if the afterword had not mentioned it, I would be none the wiser;
And secondly, the three-parter "Hell and Back" (#24–26), which opens with an epilogue to "Sand and Stars" and then, finally, picks up the plot thread of the Shade and Matt O'Dare, and Merritt and his poster.
As if all of this was not enough to satisfy a reader, there are also extracts from the Shade's Journal, an introduction by Tony Harris and the ongoing afterword by Robinson is continued.
All of which, as I wrote in my review of the first volume, adds to the value of a volume already worth its price.
February 9, 2023
Utrolig, men den var endnu mere kedelig end den første. Ellers mange elementer som jeg ellers normalt elsker, men den lod mig ganske kold.
På ene eller anden måde var den næsten fortalt i resume og ellers var det en dårlig Niel Gaman agtig efterligning.
Det var noget for nogle kan jeg forstå, men altså ikke mig.
Øv.
På ene eller anden måde var den næsten fortalt i resume og ellers var det en dårlig Niel Gaman agtig efterligning.
Det var noget for nogle kan jeg forstå, men altså ikke mig.
Øv.
March 9, 2013
Incident in an Old Haunt (Showcase ‘95 #12). A super-short Shade piece, but it’s nice both to remind us of his core nature and to contrast it with a super-demon [8/10].
Encounters (17). There’s a lot to like in this Day in the Life issue, but I think it’s the final couple of pages and Shade’s attitude therein that really make it shine [8/10].
Times past: First Joust (18). This is interesting mostly for showing how Ted interacted with Opal City in his time. We didn’t *really* need a full issue to see why these five people met their doom in Sins of the Child, nor was it that interesting to see Ted and the original Mist “joust”. But it was an enjoyable story [6.5/10].
Talking with David ‘96 (19). Like the previous Talking, this one has moments of touching characterization and long dull bits (here, the pirate fight) [6/10].
Day & Night, Dark & Bright (Showcase ‘96 4-5). Nice to get some backstory on Shade’s changing character and some more insight into Culp, but beyond that, there’s not a lot of depth in this short two-part story [6/10].
(Though I’m very pleased to have the Showcase stories, all said the overall arc really grinds to a halt in the first 100 pages of this volume, because of all the diversions.)
Sand and Stars (20-24). This is a spectacularly good arc, which is nice after some disappointments. Robinson captures the essence of Wagner’s Sandman Mystery Theatre beautifully, and also does a great job of capturing the characters of the protagonists decades later. Wesley’s arc of courage refound is the best part of the story; Jack is almost an afterthought. The epilogue with Jack and the Mist in #24 is every bit as good because it humanizes the Mist and says a lot about Jack’s character, not necessarily all good [10/10].
Legends of the Dead Earth (Annual 1). Robinson totally subverts the Dead Earth’s concept by telling stories of *our* past, and as a result this annual is great, rather than worthless like most of the Dead Annuals Annuals from this year. Gavin’s story is terrific, especially with its twist at the end, and it’s a nice setup for the future. The story of the first Starman and O’Dare is quite enjoyable too. And Robinson even manages to get great mileage out of the frame itself [8+/10].
To Hell and Back (24-26). This is a fine adventure, though not up to the level of some of the more amazing arcs. The last issue is the best, with Matt, Shade, and Jack meeting their temptations in Hell, even if the end is a bit obvious. A nice ending too [7.5/10]
Christmas Knight (27). A sappy story, but an enjoyable one [8/10].
Times Past: 1976 (28). A nice look at Mikaal’s origins, and a really cool integration of him into the ‘70s scene. However, the main plotline doesn’t hold up to the trappings [6.5/10].
The Return of Bobo (29). There’s not a lot to this story, but it introducing an interesting new character, has some nice continuity, and has a few great moments [8/10].
Overall, this volume is a bit more scattered than its predecessor, but it’s still pretty great and holds up quite well.
Encounters (17). There’s a lot to like in this Day in the Life issue, but I think it’s the final couple of pages and Shade’s attitude therein that really make it shine [8/10].
Times past: First Joust (18). This is interesting mostly for showing how Ted interacted with Opal City in his time. We didn’t *really* need a full issue to see why these five people met their doom in Sins of the Child, nor was it that interesting to see Ted and the original Mist “joust”. But it was an enjoyable story [6.5/10].
Talking with David ‘96 (19). Like the previous Talking, this one has moments of touching characterization and long dull bits (here, the pirate fight) [6/10].
Day & Night, Dark & Bright (Showcase ‘96 4-5). Nice to get some backstory on Shade’s changing character and some more insight into Culp, but beyond that, there’s not a lot of depth in this short two-part story [6/10].
(Though I’m very pleased to have the Showcase stories, all said the overall arc really grinds to a halt in the first 100 pages of this volume, because of all the diversions.)
Sand and Stars (20-24). This is a spectacularly good arc, which is nice after some disappointments. Robinson captures the essence of Wagner’s Sandman Mystery Theatre beautifully, and also does a great job of capturing the characters of the protagonists decades later. Wesley’s arc of courage refound is the best part of the story; Jack is almost an afterthought. The epilogue with Jack and the Mist in #24 is every bit as good because it humanizes the Mist and says a lot about Jack’s character, not necessarily all good [10/10].
Legends of the Dead Earth (Annual 1). Robinson totally subverts the Dead Earth’s concept by telling stories of *our* past, and as a result this annual is great, rather than worthless like most of the Dead Annuals Annuals from this year. Gavin’s story is terrific, especially with its twist at the end, and it’s a nice setup for the future. The story of the first Starman and O’Dare is quite enjoyable too. And Robinson even manages to get great mileage out of the frame itself [8+/10].
To Hell and Back (24-26). This is a fine adventure, though not up to the level of some of the more amazing arcs. The last issue is the best, with Matt, Shade, and Jack meeting their temptations in Hell, even if the end is a bit obvious. A nice ending too [7.5/10]
Christmas Knight (27). A sappy story, but an enjoyable one [8/10].
Times Past: 1976 (28). A nice look at Mikaal’s origins, and a really cool integration of him into the ‘70s scene. However, the main plotline doesn’t hold up to the trappings [6.5/10].
The Return of Bobo (29). There’s not a lot to this story, but it introducing an interesting new character, has some nice continuity, and has a few great moments [8/10].
Overall, this volume is a bit more scattered than its predecessor, but it’s still pretty great and holds up quite well.
January 24, 2013
Let's start this off with a tl;dr - I don't think this collection is as good as the first collection, but I still think it's a fantastic collection, stories full of heart and reality and a consideration of what the best (and worst) in a human can be. The art continues to be vibrant and pretty awesome, with a fantastic style that really sets it apart from anything else on my shelf.
Okay, that out of the way...
Okay, that out of the way...
April 14, 2016
This Second Volume of Starman stories really finds Jack Knight coming into his own. The book collects Issues 17-29 and Annual #1 of Starman along with three stories from Showcase '95 and '96.
The book has a great amount of balance. The book has some noirish moments and a few edgy stories but at the same time offers up a big helping of nostalgia particularly with flashback stories to Ted Knight, a guest appearance by an aging Wesley Dodds who goes back into action as the Sandman and the book also includes a class Christmas issue.
At the same time, the stories have a very modern edge with well-done art (particularly for the era) as well as some fascinating characters. The Shade continues to be an eminently fascinating anti-hero. They battle some solid villains including a serial killer and an evil demonic poster (although the resolution of that plot was a bit non-sensical.) More importantly, Jack progresses as a character and begins to embrace his heroic side. Overall, a very satisfying second Volume of this series.
The book has a great amount of balance. The book has some noirish moments and a few edgy stories but at the same time offers up a big helping of nostalgia particularly with flashback stories to Ted Knight, a guest appearance by an aging Wesley Dodds who goes back into action as the Sandman and the book also includes a class Christmas issue.
At the same time, the stories have a very modern edge with well-done art (particularly for the era) as well as some fascinating characters. The Shade continues to be an eminently fascinating anti-hero. They battle some solid villains including a serial killer and an evil demonic poster (although the resolution of that plot was a bit non-sensical.) More importantly, Jack progresses as a character and begins to embrace his heroic side. Overall, a very satisfying second Volume of this series.
November 14, 2009
Reprints Starman #17-29, Annual #1, Showcase '95 #12, and Showcase '96 #4-5. Starman teams with Wesley Dodd and fights a demonic poster for the souls it has collected. The neat thing about Starman is that it feels very weighty. The character has a long history, and Robinson often dipped into the history to make the stories interesting. The cross generational story about his father's encounter with the Sandman and his encounter with an older Wesley Dodd was especially interesting at the time it was released due to the Sandman Mystery Theatre with chronicled Wesley Dodd's old adventures which ran at the same time. Robinson's Shade character also allowed more DC historical context and has fun ties to other histories (such as making Merritt the owner of the demonic poster the basis for Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray). Still a solid read.
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