‘I was burned out. I needed a rest,’ wrote James Robinson in the fifth afterword of his famed Knight family saga. ‘But Starman (vol 2) was a monthly, and there is no rest where a monthly book is concerned. This was the time Tony Harris left the book – and with Jack Knight going into space, I seriously considered ending my writing of the book then too.’ Writing a monthly title for five years does take its toll emotionally and creatively, and perhaps it is no shock that Robinson felt the time for change was ripe. It was out of loyalty to the characters of the saga and readers of the comic that Robinson persevered – and thank goodness he did. But for the Stars My Destination storyline, with Jack adventuring into space in search of Will Payton’s Starman, Robinson is joined by another writer. David S. Goyer is remembered mainly as a screenwriter, and a prolific one at that. Writer of the Blade film series and collaborator with Christopher Nolan on the Dark Knight Trilogy, Goyer was a close friend of Robinson before personal drama struck. With a passion for comic books and creative plotting, Goyer worked with Robinson on Starman (vol 2) during this era to add freshness and a new perspective. It’s a great strength of a writer when they recognise the talent of those around them. Usually, space tales aren’t my love. It can often get very samey very quickly, but with good characters and a clear goal, could Stars My Destination be the height of Robinson’s run?
Starman (vol 2) 47-53 was published from October 1998 to May 1999. Written by James Robinson and David S. Goyer, with art by Steve Yeowell, Wade Von Grawbadger, Keith Champagne, and Peter Snejbjerg. Much of this era of the saga has been collected in Starman Omnibus Volume Five.
City Without Lights (A Prelude to Bad Times) --- Written by James Robinson with art by Steve Yeowell and Wade Von Grawbadger
Although Jack Knight and Mikaal launched themselves into space with the promise of many exciting adventures, we cannot forget about Opal City. After all, it is the focal point of the plots and personalities. Starman (vol 2) 47 is heavily in-keeping with its title. It is a city without a light to some extent – the main one being that Jack Knight is no longer on Earth. However, Robinson shows that Opal is still protected – the O’Dares and Bobo are there saving the city from evil and injustice. The issue is a reflective one, with a great conversation between the Shade and Ted Knight, reflecting on their fights in the past and friendship in the present. Starman (vol 2) 47 is less of an issue about moving the overall story forward, but about looking back and reflecting. However, the issue is also called ‘a prelude to bad times.’ Those ‘bad times’ may be unclear at this stage, but with a mysterious murder taking place at the end of the issue, featuring not just blood but familiar black goo belonging to a certain character readers will be familiar with. While Jack is out there adventuring, a plot is developing at home – the question is the ultimate question of the run in some ways. Has the Shade really turned a page on his evil ways? It’s a thought which dominates the latter issues of the title, and that is how it should be as the Shade is one of the best features of the saga. And also, the Black Pirate makes a shocking return as he quests for Jack Knight! I do feel as if this issue should have perhaps been placed later in the Stars My Destination saga – after all, it doesn’t feel like we have left Opal City that long ago. However, Starman (vol 2) 47 is a testament to Robinson’s creativity and how the stage is being set for the most epic of finales.
Steve Yeowell is an exceptional and creative storyteller who knows how to tell a story dramatically. But even with Von Grawbadger’s fantastic inking style, it feels as if Yeowell’s style is too smooth for the Starman (vol 2) title. So while it looks brilliant, perhaps it isn’t the best style for a title like this.
Stars My Destination/Fighting With Grundy; Talking with David ’99 --- Written by James Robinson and David S. Goyer with art by Steve Yeowell and Keith Champagne
Starman (vol 2) 48 is where the Stars My Destination storyline really begins. Jack and Mikaal – journeying through space on their cosmic ship – make for an interesting pair. It doesn’t feel as if Mikaal has had much time in the spotlight thus far, so there is a promise of some interesting moments. But joining the duo on their travels is Ted Knight himself! Or – more accurately – a hologram. The hologram of Ted makes for one of the best aspects of this storyline. With his humour and care for Jack, it is like the real man is there. Robinson also writes a sweet scene whereby the JLA, after refusing to help Jack in an earlier issue, wish him luck on his trip. It launches the quest with optimism. When readers manage to pass much of the pseudo-science of the ship and the mother-box powering it, the first outer-space story emerges. Haunted by the nightmares of his past, Mikaal destroys the controls of the ship, meaning the heroes are stranded on a small blue planet out of our galaxy. It’s a planet that is organically strange, yet satisfyingly familiar to hardened comic book readers. It all suddenly clicks into place when the heroes meet… Swamp Thing! Yes – this is the planet from Swamp Thing (vol 2) 56, a classic of Alan Moore’s brilliant run. For readers like myself, bringing back this planet may be fan-service, but it is a lovely and pleasant surprise. And then that surprise is accompanied by another two – Black Canary suddenly appears (and then vanishes), and then it’s revealed that this isn’t Swamp Thing at all. It is another creature of the Green – Jack’s best friend is back from the dead. Grundy is back!
After that flawless surprise, returning readers and the characters to the grief of Grundy’s fate in a previous issue, Starman (vol 2) 49 is a strange mixture of events. While much of it revolves around the details of Grundy’s return – a plot told very intricately and creatively by Robinson involving Moore’s story and the Green – it is also another insert in the ‘Talking with David’ series. However, this time it is Mikaal talking with the former Starman, while Jack fights Grundy. Mikaal is knocked out by Grundy and close to death, leading to a chat with David about what it means to be a hero.
It’s interesting because David and Mikaal – despite the differences in their fates – were heroes for only a short period of time. These characters provide a perspective not often heard in the run, especially because Jack rarely reflects on his own heroism or the reasons why he is a superhero. In the end, Grundy is defeated when the cosmic ship, controlled by Ted’s hologram, rescues Mikaal and Jack. Starman (vol 2) 48-49 is a good two-parter because it explores the thinking of Mikaal and his subconscious – there is still great mystery there, especially over his inner-demons which caused him to wreck the ship. But it finally feels as if we are seeing more of what lies under the surface. Robinson doesn’t delve too emotionally deep into Grundy’s return and Jack’s reaction, which may have been a missed opportunity because of just how much Jack came to value Grundy as a friend. However, much of this is made up by Robinson’s stellar writing for Grundy, who uses the Green to recreate his past life (hence the appearance of Black Canary and other JSAers) to remember who he once was. With the creative setting and plotting aided by David Goyer, this is a solid start to the space saga.
What’s more, Yeowell’s style actually works astonishingly well here. The blue alien world is a smooth place, and that appearance suits Yeowell flawlessly. His Grundy has a grimacing and devilish appearance which aptly sums up this new incarnation of the zombie, and I feel that Yeowell’s smooth style suits outer-space rather than the brick-clad world of Opal City.
Lighting The Way: Then, Now, and Yet To Be --- Written by James Robinson and David S. Goyer with art by Peter Snejbjerg, Wade Von Grawbadger and Keith Champagne
Issue fifty is always the big one. Starman (vol 2) 50 is a longer issue than normal, but it is one that places Jack well out of his usual surroundings. Somehow, the heroes find themselves in the 30th century, face-to-face with the Legionnaire Star Boy. Connecting Starman and Starboy (of the Legion of Super-Heroes) was an obvious but unexpected move. Robinson has consistently explored history and legacy as two key concepts of the run, and this issue combines them both as we see how the future looks back at Mikaal and Jack. Truthfully, they aren’t remembered by everyone, but often that is the way with history. But everyone remembers Ted Knight, still present in hologram form. The big drama of Starman (vol 2) 50 is that a gigantic black mist is spreading across the galaxy. Known as the Dark Colossus (a name to be proud of), this mass is now threatening Star Boy’s home world. While this big universe-threatening foe is commonplace in comic books, one of the most interesting features of this issue is the character of Umbra. She is of the same species of Mikaal, and the moment she meets him, she bows down to him. Mikaal is treated like a god in the future, and he is currently experiencing his ‘years of wandering’ before he returned home from Earth in 2021. Umbra is stopped before she can reveal the glorious details of Mikaal’s death. Again, Robinson toys with legacies and histories, and more of the mystery is uncovered about Mikaal’s future. Naturally, uncovering that mystery leads to more questions, but that is how it should be. The great reveal of Starman (vol 2) 50 is the source of the Dark Colossus. At its source, the heroes find the Shade. I suppose it shouldn’t have been much of a shock – after all, what else could have caused that black mass to destroy all in its wake. However, it is a pleasant surprise and it’s only right that he is in this landmark issue. By using his cosmic rod, Starman rescues the Shade from his own creation and the galaxy is saved. Why did the Shade’s power cause such havoc? It goes back to a man called Culp, a villain who infected the Shade. But that story is for another day – already Robinson is setting the stage for the big drama of the title’s latter issues. Overall, the story ends with the heroes transporting back in time from the 30th century, but to where? We will soon find out. Starman (vol 2) 50 is a great celebration of why Robinson has been writing a fantastic title. Those themes of history and legacy play an important role here, and it’s great to see the Starman bloodline extend to Star Boy. Finally, more is revealed about Mikaal, and overall it’s a fun story with nice twists and turns that certainly deserves to be a longer issue than the norm.
After Starman (vol 2) 1000000, this is Peter Snejbjerg’s first Starman story, and what a masterpiece it is. With such dramatic storytelling and the Shade’s deep shadow invading many of the pages, Snejbjerg cultivates a wonderful sense of atmosphere and drama throughout this issue. Von Grawbadger and Champagne are wonderful inkers who bring Snejbjerg’s work to life. Overall, it looks brilliant – if the art reminds you of Tony Harris’s work, then clearly it can’t be that bad.
Midnight in the House of El --- Written by James Robinson and David S. Goyer with art by Peter Snejbjerg, and Keith Champagne
Right from the start, I must say that Starman (vol 2) 51 is one of my favourite issues of the entire run. It’s an idea for a story that I am amazed previous creators never thought of. Arriving back in time, Jack and Mikaal – alongside the hologram of Ted – arrive on Krypton. This is in an era before the planet’s destruction, and the heroes meet Jor-El – the father of Superman. Already, it’s a moment which takes readers aback. It’s great to read the internalised thoughts of Jack as he meets the father of one of his personal heroes. There are some fantastic moments of comedy in this issue – like when it’s revealed that it is in fact the Knights who inform Jor-El of Earth’s existence, therefore meaning that the Starmen are the cause of Superman coming to Earth in the future. However, a darker plot emerges when the heroes are captured by Jor-El’s father, named Seyg-El. Terrified of scientific progress and the outside world, it’s fascinating to see the paranoia of a society which readers are used to viewing as modern and technologically very advanced. What makes this issue great is that the Knights encourage Jor-El to quest for knowledge and new technology. The fact that the story ends with Ted Knight giving Jor-El the location coordinates for Earth makes the Knight family the most important and impactful family in the DC Universe. The roots of DC’s greatest success now go back to Starman, and the fact that the DC editorial team allowed that is a testament to how popular and loved Robinson’s saga was and is to this day.
The alien architecture of Krypton may be primitive compared to the planet decades later, but Snejbjerg’s brilliance as a storyteller and visual artist is hard not to notice. Here, his art often reminds me of John Byrne, which is a very fitting choice for Krypton. But unlike with Byrne’s Superman tales, the inks are consistently great.
Men of Two Worlds/The Long Goodbyes --- Written by James Robinson and David S. Goyer with art by Peter Snejbjerg, Wade Von Grawbadger and Keith Champagne
When Alan Moore wrote the final issues of his Swamp Thing (vol 2) run, he had Swamp Thing encounter Adam Strange, the most science-fiction of all DC creations. Robinson and Goyer obviously re-read those Moore Swamp Thing tales, for not only does Jack step foot on the same blue planet as Swamp Thing, but in Starman (vol 2) 52-53, the heroes meet Adam Strange. Continuing their adventures in space, Mikaal senses danger below on the planet Rann. The danger is Turran Kha – an old enemy of Mikaal. The heroes are greeted literally with joy and a red carpet on Rann, but that is because the planet is home to the signing of a treaty that will create the United Planets, a peace-keeping organisation. However, the drama of Starman (vol 2) 52 is thankfully more personal. Turran Kha was responsible for killing Mikaal’s love, and his presence on the planet creates a feeling of tension. But this tension is slowly unleashed as Robinson focuses on Adam Strange. Usually, Strange is written to be a happy adventurer with a double life on Rann and Earth. Here, we witness the weight on his shoulders as Rann’s greatest hero. Again, that relevance there returns – what does it mean to be a hero. The alien atmosphere of Rann is magically conveyed by the dialogue, especially when Jack and Mikaal are dressed in ridiculous clothing when they meet various aliens of different cultures and planets. But that mood of joviality is destroyed with a fantastic reveal by Robinson, whereby Kha and his troops have been hiding in plain sight. That drama comes to a head with the ending of the first part – in Kha’s fight against Mikaal, Jack Knight is burned alive. Yes – Jack Knight dies…
It’s become a deep-rooted tradition in comic books that when a character dies, they don’t stay dead. Of course Jack Knight wasn’t going to stay dead for long at all, but his comeback in Starman (vol 2) 53 is creatively done. By using the advanced science of Rann, a skin sample is used to create Jack a new body. But this new body is void of any of his old tattoos. This change was included because Robinson felt that Jack needed a slight redesign – after all, the tattoos had been designed by Tony Harris who recently left the title. Nevertheless, this creative change and the death still does have an impact, even if readers know Jack’s death was hardly going to be long-lasting. For Starman (vol 2) 53, the drama shifts back to Kha, who has kidnapped Adam Strange’s daughter in an attempt to stop the creation of the United Planets organisation. This is where the hologram of Ted Knight plays a wonderful role. Sardarth, grandfather of Adam Strange’s daughter, is on the committee creating the organisation. He comes close to putting his pet project over the survival of his granddaughter, but behind the scenes, Ted has a role which leads to Sardarth placing his family first. Even as a hologram, Ted is made into a figure of wisdom by Robinson and that is only right. Overall, the second part is perhaps more generic than the first, but Robinson at least does something interesting with Adam Strange. He is transported back to Earth so is therefore away from the drama, and this is a little feature readers may perhaps return to. As ever, Robinson is planting the seeds of future stories. Overall, there is a lot of excitement to Starman (vol 2) 52-53. Although events may become more generic in the second half, Robinson finally reveals more about the uncomfortable past of Mikaal. Plus, it’s good that Ted is given a full-hearted role in these stories – he is treated as more than an annoying hologram who can only stray so far from the ship.
Peter Snejbjerg, Wade Von Grawbadger and Keith Champagne wonderfully bring Rann to life with both its vibrancy and its colours. The team create this wonderfully unique alien world with its range of life forms. And as you can easily see from the moment depicting Jack’s death, the art is certainly dramatic and explosive. At this rate, the artistic team may even tower over the wonders of Tony Harris!
VERDICT
Overall, the first half of the Stars My Destination storyline is very enjoyable. While Robinson brilliantly cultivates a new plot going on back in Opal City, the writing team are hugely creative in taking the heroes to the likes of Rann, Krypton, and far into the 30th century. The return of Solomon Grundy is a nice surprise, as is the spontaneous yearly meeting with David Knight. You can really see the influence of David Goyer in these creative plots – at a time when Robinson was understandably slowing down, Goyer adds some much-needed energy in terms of plotting. He – along with Peter Snejbjerg – guarantees the ongoing creative originality of the title…
Next Week: Starman: Stars My Destination Part Two (Starman (vol 2) 54-60). Written by James Robinson and David S. Goyer, with art by Craig Hamilton, Ray Snyder, Peter Snejbjerg, Wade Von Grawbadger, Keith Champagne, and Stephen Sadowski.
Comments