‘Every writer hopes to achieve a series that has the kind of impact Starman does, but few actually achieve it.’ These words – written by a modern legend of the medium, Geoff Johns, is a testament to James Robinson’s mind and creativity. It is one thing to write a great story, but its wholly another to construct a saga full of life and vibrancy – and then to sustain it for eighty issues. Opal City and Jack Knight became more than mere features in a comic book – the dialogue of Jack Knight spoke with a real voice, more than simply bold black words in plain white word balloons. It’s because of such greatness that sadness comes – all titles and sagas come to an end. Starman is no different. However, James Robinson gives his saga a long goodbye. It’s a farewell not drawn out or lengthened for its own sake, but a goodbye tour tying up loose ends and delivering a few surprises along the way. It is in these final issues where Robinson’s true ingenuity and creativity come to life in its most unexpected forms…
Starman (vol 2) 74-80 was published from February to August 2001. Written by James Robinson and David S. Goyer, with art by Russ Heath, Peter Snejbjerg, these last issues of the run have been reprinted in the sixth Starman hardcover omnibus. But there is also an intriguing addition! When characters from the dead returned during the Blackest Night storyline in 2010, DC revived some old titles for a singular issue. This explains the presence of Starman (vol 2) 81, written by Robinson, but drawn by Fernando Dagnino and Bill Sienkiewicz. We’ll get to that later, but first, let’s return to 2001.
1899, The Scalphunter Years: His Death and the Dying of It --- Written by James Robinson with art by Russ Heath
The Death of Matt O’Dare in Starman (vol 2) 73 felt like the end of an era. Although I often had my complaints of the lack of creative development during the saga when it came to the O’Dares, Matt was certainly the one with the most intriguing backstory and personality. Therefore, it is suitable that Matt’s first death – as Scalphunter - takes centre-stage for Starman (vol 2) 74. It is another time for the Shade to scribe his journal, looking back to the last days of the nineteenth century. Scalphunter has been the saviour of Opal for years, but he isn’t getting any younger. He looks for an heir, and the choice is one that resonates with Robinson’s connection between Scalphunter and the O’Dares. Carny O’Dare is a deputy law officer, and it is he who receives the badge, pledging his allegiance to Opal in its infancy. But Starman (vol 2) 73 is more than a handover ceremony. It explores the darkness within Opal, with its elite united in the Tuesday Club, a secret society with links to organised crime. Robinson pens an epic final battle, very much in the Western tradition, with a confrontation of intensity and blood. Many are killed in this epic fight, but the death of Scalphunter himself comes out of the blue as a surviving member shoots him dead just as the badge is handed over to the plucky young O’Dare. Sure, that may be a somewhat cliched death scene, but with this last adventure, Scalphunter dies a hero’s death. As ever, Robinson links it all through to that idea of legacy. That legacy is a means to an end, that end being the protection of Opal. Just as Jack Knight inherited his heroism from his brother and the father, the O’Dares of today owe much to Scalphunter. It’s with this final tale of the Scalphunter saga where it’s brilliance finally comes to fruition.
For Robinson, working alongside Russ Heath must have been a joy. Heath was a titan of the golden and silver ages, with his art capturing tales of the wild west and war. There was no better choice for a tale like this. With such suspenseful artwork and storytelling that oozes drama and shock, aided by a deep and dramatic style of inking, Heath creates a classic western world with all its wonders and woes.
Sons and Their Fathers --- Written by James Robinson with art by Peter Snejbjerg
Ever since Grant Morrison gave Animal Man the privilege of meeting the Man of Steel in the late-1980s, I’ve always considered it a true benchmark of success for a minor character if they meet Superman. I don’t simply mean the two characters are on the same page; I mean the two characters have a talk for more than one panel. Starman (vol 2) 75 bequeaths that honour upon Jack Knight. It’s a tough time for Jack when we return to him after Grand Guignol – Ted is gone, Sadie has left him, and he must bring up a baby on his own. Plus, he is still Starman! A prominent theme of Starman (vol 2) 75 is a sense of belonging. With the O’Dare family down two members, Mason O’Dare finally admits his love for Charity, Opal’s famed fortune-teller. This is a thread which Robinson has carefully been cultivating for some time, and it’s warming to witness this drama evolve into a true relationship. The big question for Jack is who – or what – does he belong to. His personal dialogue with Superman is a deeply touching one, especially because it’s odd to witness Superman’s vulnerability. He has become aware that – in Starman (vol 2) 51 – Jack met his father and grandfather. We witness a very human Superman, one with many questions of lives he never got to truly meet. The sense of satisfaction that Superman receives, knowing that his father had the soul of a hero, proves the importance of Jack Knight. The very fact that Jack’s actions in the past led to the discovery of Earth makes him the most important figure in the DC Universe. It’s a conversation between equals; a talk of honesty. Jack believes his time as a hero is up. Robinson – writing Superman with his humanity and generous acceptance – knows how to write such brilliant deep scenes. Both characters value one another, and in the face of Superman, readers can see that Robinson has succeeded in creating and pioneering a character worthy of speaking to the Man of Steel. On the theme of belonging, Jack’s eyes move from Opal to his son, but his retirement is not exactly instant. Starman (vol 2) 75 is the beginning of a wonderful farewell tour.
Peter Snejbjerg’s rendition of evening-time Opal creates a feeling of pathetic fallacy. Jack Knight may be retiring, but that in itself should not be sad. After all, Opal is now safe. That evening setting creates a brilliant mood of serenity, and Snejbjerg brilliantly conveys this story with smoothness and tranquillity.
Talking with David (And Ted) --- Written by James Robinson with art by Peter Snejbjerg
Talking with David has always been a classic feature of the saga, ever since Starman (vol 2) 5. Without a doubt, Starman (vol 2) 76 is the best of the lot. Not only does Jack come face-to-face once again with brother David, but for one final occasion, he can talk to his father. Their reunion is one of complete joy – although Robinson penned a flawless death for a hero like Ted, providing this final goodbye is beautiful. It’s finally revealed that Kent Nelson – Doctor Fate – has been the genius behind these Talking with David stories. His magic has allowed this to happen.
Thankfully, Robinson doesn’t bore us with the long details of how Doctor Fate’s scheme worked. Instead, the focus is on family and memories, with the three Knights reflecting on the past. Each reflection brings different emotions, some of happiness, and some of sadness. For Jack, these can be painful moments, but it is a brilliantly creative method of depicting such classic moments from the saga. One slightly odd moment is when Jack is met with the man he killed. Kyle – the son of the Mist – was killed by Jack as revenge for David’s murder. Their meeting is one of mutual forgiveness, but it does feel slightly shoe-horned in and forced. Overall, Starman (vol 2) 76 is all-the-more powerful because readers would be aware that – in reality – there were rarely moments when the three characters would all be together enjoying each other’s company. With Jack’s angsty teenage phase and David’s depression over the decaying of his relationship, the brothers never got on. But for this one moment, the family is back together. The sense of contentment among readers makes this a classic.
Peter Snejbjerg forms that monochrome world just as powerfully as Tony Harris did. Although the flashbacks are exactly what they are – mere reflections – the sense of power and drama in the art remains. It’s very easy to make a seemingly colourless world bland, but Snejbjerg gives it a heart.
1951 --- Written by James Robinson and David S. Goyer with art by Peter Snejbjerg
It’s from the safe and warm realm where Jack said farewell to his father and brother that Jack is thrown instantly back in time. Starman (vol 2) 77-79 takes us back to 1951 – the year of the mystery Starman. This incarnation – dressed in red and yellow – has been mentioned scantly, but little is known of the Starman who vanished after just one year in the role. Starman (vol 2) 77 takes Jack back the Opal of 1951, where this mysterious Starman fights the Mist. We are thrust straight into the action, and with its flair and colour, it is reminiscent of a battle from the late-golden age. Rather quicker than expected, the great mystery of the story is unveiled – this mystery Starman is David Knight! But not just any old David Knight, but one in a limbo period between his death and his dialogues with Jack in the Talking with David tales. That frostiness from David, unaware that Jack has changed so much since their last encounter, is apparent, and over the course of the story, Jack reveals all that David has missed or not aware of. It’s a lovely opportunity for the brothers to finally put their differences behind them. Robinson does go slightly on a tangent during the first part, explaining how Doctor Mid-Nite has assumed the role of Starman before passing it onto David because Ted Knight has had a nervous breakdown. Without a doubt, Ted’s scenes in this story make for the best reason. We witness not the wise and sturdy old man of the future, but a vulnerable middle-aged man riddled with anxiety. It’s intriguing because previous tales have mentioned this difficult time of Ted’s life; his work aided with the creation of the Atom bomb – he is paying an emotional price for the casualties of nuclear devastation. This story is a balance between the personal and the villainous. While the drama of the Knights is ongoing, so too is the battle with the Mist…
With the Mist breaking into Tyler Chemicals, Jack is drugged up by his father’s arch-nemesis at the start of Starman (vol 2) 78 before waking up back in Ted Knight’s home. The link to Tyler Chemicals is a clever one, because it means that Rex Tyler – better known as the drug-dependent Hourman - can feature in this golden age romp. He doesn’t feature for long, but he tags along with David and Jack on a genuine fifties-style detective tale as they hunt down the Mist. What is a pretty regular story of a hero fighting a villain is accompanied by great scenes of Jack telling David about the future, leading to some emotional scenes. It adds to the feeling that the title is nearing its conclusion.
However, the sweetest and most fulfilling aspect of the story culminates in the ending of Starman (vol 2) 79. Despite his nervous breakdown, Ted confronts the horrors of his life. With his wife Doris long dead, the truth is revealed that her father was caught up in the Mist’s scheme to chemically poison Opal; Doris became a tragic victim of her father’s villainy. We witness true – unseen – anger from Ted, but from that, his recovery – a recovery which leads him to be the character we know of the present. It’s because of this – and the energy and encouragement of David and Jack – that Ted decides to don the costume of Starman once again. That is what makes the tale of 1951 so sweet. It isn’t just because we are treated to a classic golden age tale featuring the Mist, with its classic tropes and plotting, but because in the end, Jack and David get the chance to gift new heroic life in their broken father. Some may criticise the number of goodbyes we are getting for the Knights – after Grand Guignol, it seems that we have said hello and farewell to Ted and David Knight more than once. But with 1951 – made ever more impactful by the sudden and sad way in which a sharp pain within David Knight’s chest leads him back to Opal in the present, whereby that pain was caused by the bullet that came to claim him – this is a true farewell to the golden age of Starman.
As ever with such retro storytelling and settings, Peter Snejbjerg masterfully translates the action of Opal into stunning reality. Those scenes of emotion are conveyed with drama and depth. His panels often speak a thousand words, even if Robinson supplies no dialogue. He and Tony Harris have made the Starman saga into a living and breathing title.
Arrivederci, Bon Voyage, Goodbye --- Written by James Robinson with art by Peter Snejbjerg
The last issue. It was always coming, but after the last few issues, we feel more prepared and ready to read the last adventure in Opal City. Jack arrives back in the present from 1951 with the help of Thom Kallor of the Legion of Super-Heroes. When we last saw him in Starman (vol 2) 50, he was a boy with a bright future, but now he is a battered war horse nearing the end of his days. His last act before death was to ensure that Jack returned home. Although Robinson isn’t forthcoming with the details of Kallor’s death, his thanking of Jack for the Starman legacy is a poignant moment for such an issue. Starman (vol 2) 80 is ultimately a relaxing farewell tour to some remarkable and wonderful faces. Jack receives a letter from Sadie, asking him to choose between Starman and love. His decision was always going to be obvious – it wouldn’t have made sense any other way. Jack goes on a final farewell tour. From Elongated Man and Sue Dibny to Black Condor, to Bobo, to Charity, and then the O’Dares, this is a calming selection goodbye. We see the best of these characters who have come to define the saga. However, there is one moment that feels sharply out of place. When Jack goes to say farewell to the O’Dares, an assassin shoots an arrow directly into Mason O’Dare’s chest. Panels of blood and gore follow as Mason endures the bloodiest death scene in the saga. But in all the rush, Charity – being a fortune teller and psychic – knows all that is happening and despairs. It’s that moment that the portrait of John Zatara – the golden age magician as old as Superman – speaks and uses his powers from the afterlife to reverse Mason’s death and the assassination. There are so many questions to be answered here, but perhaps Jack’s apt response to what happened – ‘Answers on a postcard, man’ – is more than enough. It’s nice to have a happy ending, but that scene is hugely out of place. Nevertheless, after beautiful farewell to his brother figure Mikaal, and then a goodbye with the Shade, before next the mantle (and rod) is passed down to Star Girl, always the natural inheritor. Jack packs his bags with his baby and leaves Opal for good. This is the last we will ever hear from Jack Knight – and that is how it should be. The story is over – for now, at least. If Robinson has proven anything with this run, it is that there will always be a Starman. The legacy continues…
As well as delivering his consistent best, Peter Snejbjerg’s final page – whereby Jack drives out of Opal for the final time – is beautiful and so full of emotion. It is a great sadness not just to leave the Knights and the city behind, but the artists too.
Blackest Night: Starman --- Written by James Robinson with art by Fernando Dagnino and Bill Sienkiewicz
For nine long years, Starman was gone. James Robinson was on the way up – and then he was on the way down. Evidently, the world of moviemaking had not been a success for him, and he returned to comics. That – alongside DC launching Blackest Night, a tale whereby deceased characters were returned as zombie Black Lanterns – meant that there was a last breath of life in Starman (vol 2). Robinson was happy to return for an additional story that – while of very little importance – is a lovely addition to the saga. Starman (vol 2) 81 returns us to Opal, but thankfully, Jack Knight isn’t crammed forcefully into this tale. His story is over. The protagonist is the Shade, now in a relationship with Hope O’Dare. This is a relationship that – while sometimes charming and funny – seems totally at odds with the conservative attitude of the Shade. Nevertheless, David Knight returns to the dead in the form of Black Lantern zombie. It isn’t exactly David Knight. It’s just his shell filled with mindless evil. It causes chaos across Opal and the Shade succeeds in defeating it. Most criticisms to be made aren’t criticisms of Robinson, but more of the overall Blackest Night story. Stories where baddies are bad for little other reason become dry quickly. Robinson does his best with what’s given, but in terms of plotting there is little imaginative. Easily, the best aspect of the issue is the Shade, a personality of such wit and colour. Robinson really ought to write him his own maxiseries…
Without a doubt, the most offensive aspect of Starman (vol 2) 81 is the artwork. While Fernando Dagnino provides some effective – albeit slightly flat – layouts, Bill Sienkiewicz comes along and ruins it with his messy inks and questionable textures. I can see the drama of the work, but it desperately requires clarity and consistency. Overall, it’s too amateur and drowns whatever drama the tale could have had.
VERDICT
Overall, James Robinson pens a delightful conclusion to the Starman saga. Finishing up Times Past and Talking with David with such brilliance and emotion ties up loose ends nicely. The tale of 1951 not only reveals more about Ted, but it harkens back that theme of legacy – this time the sons can pay back the father. Issue eighty ends the title softly – aside from a few pages of blood – and leaves us smiling and happy that such a saga could be sustained for so long with such great characters and stories. There is a lot that can be said in summary of Robinson’s greatest comic book work. Perhaps it is best to leave with the fitting words of Geoff Johns, summing up the saga in his introduction to the final omnibus. ‘Beyond the adventure, intrigue, and suspense, it has heart, like its author.’ Let those words echo for eternity – those words aptly describe Starman and James Robinson.
Next Week: TBC
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