Starman Omnibus (Spoilers)

[Ultimate Houde]

Well.

That was awesome.

Let me set up why I bought this in the first place. I have an online friend outside of the UC (GASP!) and when he found out I posted at a comics book website, he got excited, and told me I should check out Robinson's Starman. This was years ago.

On Saturday, I was checking out the local LCS for something new to read. I stumble across some gems, Alan Moore's Tom Strong, the DC Tangent Universe, a Hellboy collection that rivals the Absolute Vertigo collections, but then I came across this and I decided to go with my friend's recommendation. I bought the Omnibus, fifty green ones, on a recommendation (Granted this kid gave me some awesome book recommendations before, so I wasn't going in here blind and all, but fifty bucks is still fifty bucks).

I started reading.

In the first issue, Starman gets sniped and killed. Dead.

I knew I was in for a ride.

The way the story pans out, you can tell that the story isn't about one person, but the legacy of Starman. Anyone who had the name is represented within the story.

It starts with an old Starman villain taking out the current Starman, then going after the family of the old Starman Ted Knight. Three issues in, and you can tell that the writer has a huge plan for the story. Five issues in, and you can tell Tony Harris has the art down for the series.

The story, so far, has centered on Jack, Ted's artistic junk selling son. Who doesn't want to take the name, but keeps finding himself in the weird situations in which he needs to take up the Cosmic Rod and fight as a hero.

Lurking in the background is the ever present Shade. Shade is a villain. But not in this story, instead, Shade acts more of a tutor. He teaches Jack about the history of Opal City, and how he simply wants to protect it. Also, so far, Grundy shows up. He lacks a purpose at the moment, acting as a sort of Gentle Giant, hanging out with a blue alien that Jack rescued.

This story reminds me of Sandman, in the way that you know the writer is telling you this huge tapestry. And the story has a beginning, the Omnibus shgowing how Jack takes on the mantle of Starman, and you know this story will have a proper ending. I personally can't wait till I read the next Omnibus, which comes out in March.

Anyone else read these stories? You all should, especially if you enjoyed Gaiman's Sandman.

Best line so far?

From Ted, "Jack, the weird stuff will find you, don't worry, it comes with the job."

 

[mike3717]

Well.

That was awesome.

Let me set up why I bought this in the first place. I have an online friend outside of the UC (GASP!) and when he found out I posted at a comics book website, he got excited, and told me I should check out Robinson's Starman. This was years ago.

On Saturday, I was checking out the local LCS for something new to read. I stumble across some gems, Alan Moore's Tom Strong, the DC Tangent Universe, a Hellboy collection that rivals the Absolute Vertigo collections, but then I came across this and I decided to go with my friend's recommendation. I bought the Omnibus, fifty green ones, on a recommendation (Granted this kid gave me some awesome book recommendations before, so I wasn't going in here blind and all, but fifty bucks is still fifty bucks).

I started reading.

In the first issue, Starman gets sniped and killed. Dead.

I knew I was in for a ride.

The way the story pans out, you can tell that the story isn't about one person, but the legacy of Starman. Anyone who had the name is represented within the story.

It starts with an old Starman villain taking out the current Starman, then going after the family of the old Starman Ted Knight. Three issues in, and you can tell that the writer has a huge plan for the story. Five issues in, and you can tell Tony Harris has the art down for the series.

The story, so far, has centered on Jack, Ted's artistic junk selling son. Who doesn't want to take the name, but keeps finding himself in the weird situations in which he needs to take up the Cosmic Rod and fight as a hero.

Lurking in the background is the ever present Shade. Shade is a villain. But not in this story, instead, Shade acts more of a tutor. He teaches Jack about the history of Opal City, and how he simply wants to protect it. Also, so far, Grundy shows up. He lacks a purpose at the moment, acting as a sort of Gentle Giant, hanging out with a blue alien that Jack rescued.

This story reminds me of Sandman, in the way that you know the writer is telling you this huge tapestry. And the story has a beginning, the Omnibus shgowing how Jack takes on the mantle of Starman, and you know this story will have a proper ending. I personally can't wait till I read the next Omnibus, which comes out in March.

Anyone else read these stories? You all should, especially if you enjoyed Gaiman's Sandman.

Best line so far?

From Ted, "Jack, the weird stuff will find you, don't worry, it comes with the job."

I'd love to purchase this in some format. (omnibus seems kinda pricey) I had started reading this book when the issues were coming out cuz a friend of mine was buying them and he said they were awesome. He let me borrow a stack of them and he was right, it was awesome. I haven't read any of this story since then and would love to get back to it. Especially with Robinson now writing Superman.

 

[Friday]

I'd love to purchase this in some format. (omnibus seems kinda pricey) I had started reading this book when the issues were coming out cuz a friend of mine was buying them and he said they were awesome. He let me borrow a stack of them and he was right, it was awesome. I haven't read any of this story since then and would love to get back to it. Especially with Robinson now writing Superman.

The Omnibus is probably the best way to go anymore. The trades are notoriously hard to find and missing some key information. Singles are good if you can find them.

And yeah, its a very good series. It reminded me of The Sandman but much more mainstream, but definatly just as meticulously plotted and well developed.

 

[thee great one]

I've been planning on giving this a try.

 

[Joe Kalicki]

It's great.

But Tony Harris leaves after about 40 issues.

 

[Friday]

It's great.

But Tony Harris leaves after about 40 issues.

Yeah, but his replacement wasn't bad at all.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

And it's still forty issues of awesomeness.

The next Omnibus comes out in March. I can't wait.

And I hope that Hawaiian Shirt comes back. It seemed like an important plot point and no reason why a whole issue was dedicated to it without it meaning something in the greater scheme of things.

 

[Friday]

And it's still forty issues of awesomeness.

The next Omnibus comes out in March. I can't wait.

And I hope that Hawaiian Shirt comes back. It seemed like an important plot point and no reason why a whole issue was dedicated to it without it meaning something in the greater scheme of things.

Man, I loved that issue.

 

[ProjectX2]

I liked the issue with the ghosts and the pirates or something. I can't remember it much.

I really need to read this entire series in order. My library only has a couple of the trades and the omnibuses are too expensive for me.

 

[Ninja4peace]

I read a fair bit of this. I love it, prefer it to sandman. It's the extreme of all this pop culture reference pop culture that's going about these days. There are so many references in each issue you can't help but learn stuff....rubbish stuff mostly. I would love to find a fansite where someone has listed and explained all the references - it's one of those comics, like watchman or whatever where you can read it again and there's something new you never noticed or realised.

that said it can be a little stupid- like there's a torture scene where the villain goes on and on about his fave woody allen film, and it seems really out of place (but then i suppose that's the point).

As far as i remember that T-shirt doesn't come into it again - but it was cool. This series did so much for grundy and shade. And it uses some of the mythology of swamp thing too....which i liked.

Edit: I tihnk I will buy this - 40 issues! that's half the series, amazon has it for £22.50!
Edit: no of course the omnibus isn't 40 issues - that's tony harris run. How many issues?

 

[Ultimate Houde]

The first Omnibus is 18 issues, Issue number 0 to issue number 17.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

Just ordered the second omnibus.

Going to get it March 9th.

Boom shaka

 

[Ultimate Houde]

The second Omnibus has a series of very good stories in them. It runs from issues 18 to issue 29, with an annual, and what seems to be three shorts about Shade and Dr. Fate.

There is alot of Golden age mythology in this series, which usually bores me to death, but Robinson makes these stories seem fresh and new. This time he pulls out several different guest stars, like an Old Sandman, a former superpowered robber named Bobo, two new villains that I've never heard before Nobody and Faceless, and a hobo named Santa.

The O'Dare Police Family gets some huge character development here, along with Shade and his motivations for helping out Starman in the earlier issues. Other huge plot developments occur in this long reaching story, Michael gets his memory back, sort of, Grundy disappears, and Charity let's loose with some fortune telling muju, and meets the love of her life.

Mason remains to me my favorite of the O'Dare family, a superb cop who will never get promoted because he hardly ever talks and takes huge risks. Though Matt O'Dare is a close second.

The Omnibus included some entries (which totaled around five pages of text) in Shade's journals, which show his reasoning for helping out Jack Knight along with some other little tidbits.

The Omnibus ends with Jack getting a letter from the New Mist, who tells him she raped him at the end of the last Omnibus, and recently his son has been born. She plans to raise the son to hate Jack. That plot point I found very contrived, and I hope is an actual lie, though I doubt it. She was naked when he woke up from being drugged in the issue that is referenced.

I hope some of you other people who are looking for something new to read purchase these. They are worth the money.

 

[ProjectX2]

Someone buy me these.

 

[Iceshadow]

Someone buy me these.

No! Me first!

 

[Zombipanda]

Honestly? Starman may be my favorite superhero series ever. It's beyond good. It's so good that I'll blindly buy anything Robinson puts out. There's a lot of cool stuff coming up, Houde. Jack's growth as a character is phenomenal. His treatment of Opal City is fleshed out brilliantly. And all the supporting cast has ample time to shine.

I've got to get this.

 

[Ninja4peace]

Mason remains to me my favorite of the O'Dare family, a superb cop who will never get promoted because he hardly ever talks and takes huge risks.

yeah he's the best, and the stuff with shade and the poster...i think that's my fave starman story.

The Omnibus included some entries (which totaled around five pages of text) in Shade's journals, which show his reasoning for helping out Jack Knight along with some other little tidbits.

I could never bring myself to read this 2 pages at a time as it was in the issues. I'll get this and try to read again hopefully will be easier now it's all together....yeah i know i'm lazy, i had the same problem with the appendices with the watchmen comics.

The Omnibus ends with Jack getting a letter from the New Mist, who tells him she raped him at the end of the last Omnibus, and recently his son has been born. She plans to raise the son to hate Jack. That plot point I found very contrived, and I hope is an actual lie, though I doubt it.

I didn't think it was too contrived, perhaps there just wasn't that much development of the mist at this point. not killing him was an awsome move on her part. I remember the scene where jack is on the balcony talking to his dad...it just showed how close they had come since the start of the series. perhaps the act itself was contrived but the characterisation that followed let me suspend disbelief.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

Honestly? Starman may be my favorite superhero series ever. It's beyond good. It's so good that I'll blindly buy anything Robinson puts out. There's a lot of cool stuff coming up, Houde. Jack's growth as a character is phenomenal. His treatment of Opal City is fleshed out brilliantly. And all the supporting cast has ample time to shine.

I've got to get this.

I'm excited for what comes next, and the characterization is what drives this comic.

yeah he's the best, and the stuff with shade and the poster...i think that's my fave starman story.

Mine still has to be the Hawaiian shirt at the moment, and I really liked the Christmas one as well.

Matt O'Dare as Scapelhunter is pretty freaking cool though

I could never bring myself to read this 2 pages at a time as it was in the issues. I'll get this and try to read again hopefully will be easier now it's all together....yeah i know i'm lazy, i had the same problem with the appendices with the watchmen comics.

I tend to skip them too, but these caught my eye. They really explain why Shade is acting like a good guy in this series.

I didn't think it was too contrived, perhaps there just wasn't that much development of the mist at this point. not killing him was an awsome move on her part. I remember the scene where jack is on the balcony talking to his dad...it just showed how close they had come since the start of the series. perhaps the act itself was contrived but the characterisation that followed let me suspend disbelief.

That scene was great, which didn't make me question the fact until after I wrote it down.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

Volume 3 comes out later in the month, already preordered.

So I'm in the process of rereading vol 1 and 2 to refresh my memories, and I've noticed something I'm ashamed for never realizing before.

Opal City is Boston.

Robinson basically says it in his foreword too. I'm mad I never caught that before.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

It was bound to happen, and it did, this volume was mainly fallout from the nonstop ride of the previous two volumes, and sets up story for the remaining volumes, while beginning to bring the concept of this everyday man going into space to save his girlfriend's brother.

They also had the Shade mini here, showing how a family did nothing but try to kill him down to the last one in their life.

And how they failed.

Loved it too.

No idea when Volume four is coming out.