Starman goes beyond a simple “superhero book” and what it means to be classified as one and so I recommend to anyone who enjoys reading and either wants to get into comic books or just wants a great read to pick up Starman.

Article by Jacob Borislow, AKSM News

I will be planning to write a comic review of my pulls from this week but they took a little longer than planned to get my hands on so I’m going to treat you to something else which is spotlighting a 90s series that has been a fantastic read and great company during these times. That series is James Robinson’s Starman which has already gained a lot of praise in the two decades since it’s release but I believe enough praise is never enough for this series so here we are. To give a really quick synopsis that understates the book’s plot as a whole: Jack Knight is the son of Ted Knight, a World War II-era superhero who went by the name Starman. Ted is obviously quite old by this time and wants to pass the mantel of Starman on to his son David. That doesn’t end up lasting and so the reluctant Jack (who thinks his dad running around in a bright red and yellow costume is a little ridiculous) is forced to take the mantel himself with the only condition he has being it is on his own terms. The overarching plot of the series is mainly Jack navigating the legacy of Starman, speaking with David for an entire issue once per publishing year, and crafting a legacy of his own. The series wouldn’t be half as good without the excellent writing by James Robinson and equally sharp visuals created by Tony Harris. Robinson takes the C-D list villain The Shade and creates one of the deepest and complicated characters in all of comics without ever needing to focus the entire series even on the character. What Robinson chooses to do instead is replace the standard letters column at the end of the issue with an excerpt from “Shade’s Journal” where the character writes about his long life starting in the 19th century where he had coffee with Oscar Wilde and other historical figures and continuing on into the 20th century. Between Shade’s journal, flashback issues, Jack’s talks with David, and the overarching story that runs throughout the series (there are arcs but characters and events definitely go beyond just their specific story lines) the series remains fresh and engaging.

I was first introduced to this series by the recommendation of the comic book guy working the shop near my Alma mater after we began talking and he found out about my love of Golden Age (1940’s-mid 1950’s) heroes. The series is a huge love letter to the era and features several flashbacks to the era which help flesh out the characters of the time as imperfect but always trying their best. Another theme that runs throughout the entire series is collecting and how the old can still be good. Jack runs a junk shop and is a firm believer in collecting and renewing old items. James Robinson himself gets in on the fun by encouraging people to write in about what they collect and reading about what some people collect surprises even me! The settings them self look like a retro art deco style at times and Jack’s shop is filled with real items from a bygone era. Jack as the reluctant hero who just wants to work his shop never gets old or annoying thanks to Robinson’s stellar writing and making sure he never leans too far into making Jack go beyond reluctant into being whiny.

Starman goes beyond a simple “superhero book” and what it means to be classified as one and so I recommend to anyone who enjoys reading and either wants to get into comic books or just wants a great read to pick up Starman. Without any particularly special first appearances in it and it just being a great story, the first issue only runs at about $8 with it only going down from there (just today I found several issues of the series in the dollar comic bin) but if you aren’t feeling the hunt in your blood then trade paperbacks are easily available at just about anywhere you would expect to find paperbacks.