Starman is Coming

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

The first volume, in particular, is very exciting.

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=137087

-Augie

[torippu]

This is one book that a friend of mine has been recommending I read for 10+ years now.

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

I don't think I've ever read the last year or so of the series, but the first couple of years were gold.

-Augie

[goman]

I have most of the trades except for the last three I think, although I've only read about half of them. I enjoyed the first half though, enough that I may think about picking these up. $300 bucks for the whole series though may price it out for me, but should be able to get it cheaper through amazon or DCBS. The fact that they're releasing every issue along with the associated minis interests me though, since the trades are a bit out of order and I think there are a few issues not reprinted.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I don't think I've ever read the last year or so of the series, but the first couple of years were gold.

-Augie

You didn't get into the Grand Guignol storyline?

It was annoying in monthlies when one issue was current and one was the past in that storyline, but the story itself, and the remaining issues dealing with the fall out were gold.

Best superhero book of the 90's.

[torippu]

Best superhero book of the 90's.
That is the exact same thing that my friend has been telling me for years.

How does the Tony Harris art compare to his Ex Machina stuff?

[De Carabas]

This is because I finally tracked down a copy of the out-of-print volume 5, Infernal Devices trade paperback, isn't it? :rolleyes:

Joking aside, I'm am loving this! There is nothing I can write about this series that won't end up sounding like exaggerated dialogue scripted for the Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons.

Now if these collections don't include the text pieces from Shade's journal, then I shall be most disappointed.

Trip, I remember loving Harris's pencils on this series. Now, his work was far, far less photo referenced in those days, so it is less polished, but more exciting. A lot heavier on the inks, too.

EM

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

That is the exact same thing that my friend has been telling me for years.

How does the Tony Harris art compare to his Ex Machina stuff?

It depends really - he knows who he is as an artist now, where as in Starman he was finding his way.
So you may prefer the Ex Machina stuff, but I love it when artists are trying new things and finding their way - there's an air of experimentation that is missing once they lock down.
The early stuff might seem a bit more standard stuff (although it was wild at the time), but by the 20's on he'd sort of hit where he was heading.
Also he gave Opal City, where the book is set, an art deco vibe that is just great.
There are however a lot of fill in artists, usually all good - and often the story itself lends to guest artists, (if they knew it was going to be a guest artist, the issue is a 'times past' story, that tells of an event in one of the many characters lives, set before the start of the series (a Ted Knight story, or the Shade etc), so this works out.
The guest artists are there though because Harris hadn't quite yet learnt not to put so much detail into everything (less is more etc), so the actual pages are quite chock full of detail - I think it's the only book where I've stopped to admire the background so much.

I'm really keen as my collection is spotty from early in the book - I only jumped on when they did the jump on issue, which had a text piece (written by the shade) explaining everything that had happened up till that point, and then told the story that unleashed Bobo Bennetti on the world - Starman fans love him like X-Statix fans loved Doop, like Sandman fans loved Merv Pumpkinhead, like Preacher fans loved Arseface etc.(Bobo was so cool he managed to insert 'jive' and 'skeedaddle' into my vocabulary for a few years in my teens).

Like De Carabas said, for fans of Starman it's hard to talk about this series without raving so much it drives people away - it was really good.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I hope the Omnibus collects the Shazam! parts of the crossover with the Marvel family.
Probably too much to dream that it will also have the Sandman Mystery Theater story with Ted Knight in it.

[torippu]

It depends really - he knows who he is as an artist now, where as in Starman he was finding his way.
So you may prefer the Ex Machina stuff, but I love it when artists are trying new things and finding their way - there's an air of experimentation that is missing once they lock down.
The early stuff might seem a bit more standard stuff (although it was wild at the time), but by the 20's on he'd sort of hit where he was heading.
Also he gave Opal City, where the book is set, an art deco vibe that is just great.
There are however a lot of fill in artists, usually all good - and often the story itself lends to guest artists, (if they knew it was going to be a guest artist, the issue is a 'times past' story, that tells of an event in one of the many characters lives, set before the start of the series (a Ted Knight story, or the Shade etc), so this works out.
The guest artists are there though because Harris hadn't quite yet learnt not to put so much detail into everything (less is more etc), so the actual pages are quite chock full of detail - I think it's the only book where I've stopped to admire the background so much.

I'm really keen as my collection is spotty from early in the book - I only jumped on when they did the jump on issue, which had a text piece (written by the shade) explaining everything that had happened up till that point, and then told the story that unleashed Bobo Bennetti on the world - Starman fans love him like X-Statix fans loved Doop, like Sandman fans loved Merv Pumpkinhead, like Preacher fans loved Arseface etc.(Bobo was so cool he managed to insert 'jive' and 'skeedaddle' into my vocabulary for a few years in my teens).

Like De Carabas said, for fans of Starman it's hard to talk about this series without raving so much it drives people away - it was really good.

Thanks for the information. My one fear about Tony Harris on Ex Machina was that I wasn't sure he could keep up the monthly schedule and this was based solely on my memory of seeing a bunch of artists names attached to Starman during the course of its run.

Maybe I can talk/request/ask kindly for my local library to get these books? :D

[torippu]

Trip, I remember loving Harris's pencils on this series. Now, his work was far, far less photo referenced in those days, so it is less polished, but more exciting. A lot heavier on the inks, too.

EM

I think the way he uses photo references for Ex Machina is quite interesting - skips the thumbnail stage and pulls out the digital camera.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I think the way he uses photo references for Ex Machina is quite interesting - skips the thumbnail stage and pulls out the digital camera.

It actually detracts from the book, I find.

They all look too stiff and too posed. Robs the book of a fluid feel.

[dancj]

How does the Tony Harris art compare to his Ex Machina stuff?
I think I prefer his Starman stuff.

Now his work looks very much like Gary Erskine's art - only stiffer.

[pmpknface]

I have most of the trades except for the last three I think, although I've only read about half of them. I enjoyed the first half though, enough that I may think about picking these up. $300 bucks for the whole series though may price it out for me, but should be able to get it cheaper through amazon or DCBS. The fact that they're releasing every issue along with the associated minis interests me though, since the trades are a bit out of order and I think there are a few issues not reprinted.

Yeah, I think I'm down for this. I'll be done with the Kirby Omni's by then, and I'm sure these won't come out more than 1 every 3-4 months.

And does ANY of us here actually pay retail cost for any comic on purpose? I mean, I forget a book and may have to hunt it down, but as far as pre-ordering it there's no way I'm ever paying full price for books anymore. Especially a $50 collection.

FYI - Here's the PR:

STARMAN, the acclaimed DC Universe series created by writer James Robinson and artist Tony Harris, will be collected for the first time in hardcover, on high-quality paper, in THE STARMAN OMNIBUS, a series of six volumes beginning in May.

This series will feature new covers by Harris, and will measure 6.75” x 10.25”. Collecting the entire STARMAN series, plus the STARMAN ANNUALS, SECRET FILES, 80-PAGE GIANT, THE SHADE miniseries and much more, these volumes include stories illustrated by Harris, Peter Snejbjerg, Chris Sprouse, J.H. Williams III, Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, Guy Davis, Teddy Kristiansen, Lee Weeks and many others, as well as several stories co-written by David Goyer.

Scheduled to reach stores in May, THE STARMAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC is a 448 page title collecting STARMAN #0 and 1-16, with a cover price of $49.99 U.S.

[torippu]

It actually detracts from the book, I find.

They all look too stiff and too posed. Robs the book of a fluid feel.

It's a little stiff but I think that it works fine for the book.

Here's a question that came to mind - why does Greg Land get so much shit online for photo reference in his artwork and Tony Harris seems to get a free pass? Is it because Land tends to use famous swimsuit models/actors/athletes and Harris uses his real life friends?

Let me also point out that this postis is in no way endorsing Greg Land's art style these days - the photo reference is way too distracting for me to really enjoy any book that he works one now.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

It's a little stiff but I think that it works fine for the book.

Here's a question that came to mind - why does Greg Land get so much shit online for photo reference in his artwork and Tony Harris seems to get a free pass? Is it because Land tends to use famous swimsuit models/actors/athletes and Harris uses his real life friends?

Let me also point out that this postis is in no way endorsing Greg Land's art style these days - the photo reference is way too distracting for me to really enjoy any book that he works one now.

Land copies from photo's that he doesn't have rights to (copyright belongs to photographer), Harris however, takes the photos himself, so he's both legally and morally in the clear.

[torippu]

Land copies from photo's that he doesn't have rights to (copyright belongs to photographer), Harris however, takes the photos himself, so he's both legally and morally in the clear.

Aha - that makes perfect sense. Thanks.

[Loren]

With this series, and especially with Harris contributing new covers, I wonder if there's a possibility that this might finally spur the production of the two long-promised but never-delivered Starman side projects. Namely:

the "Jack in the Orient" mini-series, with painted Harris art

and

the Shade origin one-shot

I mean, we've only been waiting ten years for these things.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

With this series, and especially with Harris contributing new covers, I wonder if there's a possibility that this might finally spur the production of the two long-promised but never-delivered Starman side projects. Namely:

the "Jack in the Orient" mini-series, with painted Harris art

and

the Shade origin one-shot

I mean, we've only been waiting ten years for these things.

Wasn't there rumours of Robinson doing some more with Jack after the book finished, like Gaiman with Sandman?

(That said, the ending was pretty darn good, so I'm cool if I never see Jack again, except in flash backs or such).

[Loren]

Wasn't there rumours of Robinson doing some more with Jack after the book finished, like Gaiman with Sandman?

Yep. The painted mini-series gets name-checked now and again. For a long time, I believe Harris himself was the sticking point, since he and Robinson hadn't exactly parted ways on Starman on the best of terms.

(That said, the ending was pretty darn good, so I'm cool if I never see Jack again, except in flash backs or such).

Yeah, same here. Which is why if I had to choose between the two projects, I'd definitely rather see the Shade special. Preferably with Gene Ha art. It fills a void in the series that the Orient mini-series doesn't. And although it was hard to imagine that DC would have any reason to release such a one-shot nowadays, the hardcover series gives them the perfect opportunity to do so now.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Yep. The painted mini-series gets name-checked now and again. For a long time, I believe Harris himself was the sticking point, since he and Robinson hadn't exactly parted ways on Starman on the best of terms.

What was the problem there?

Robinson got annoyed by deadline issues or Harris didn't like the change in direction?
He got a hell of a good send off issue though, both in terms of what he got to do artistically, as well as it being the end of a chapter in Jack's life thematically.



Yeah, same here. Which is why if I had to choose between the two projects, I'd definitely rather see the Shade special. Preferably with Gene Ha art. It fills a void in the series that the Orient mini-series doesn't. And although it was hard to imagine that DC would have any reason to release such a one-shot nowadays, the hardcover series gives them the perfect opportunity to do so now.

So the Orient series was supposed to be set after the final issue?

I'd be more excited if it was meant to be a 'lost adventure' or something.

[Loren]

What was the problem there?

Robinson got annoyed by deadline issues or Harris didn't like the change in direction?

IIRC, Harris was irked that Robinson didn't give him greater input into the storytelling and direction of the series. Harris saw himself as a co-creator on the series, and felt that Robinson was ignoring any of his contributions outside of the art.

I've long suspected that the tension between the two is what led to Robinson destroying Jack's body in space, and giving him a new body that lacked Harris' tattoos. Robinson mentioned in an interview once that Snebjerg was going to be designing new tattoos, but I don't think that part ever happened.

So the Orient series was supposed to be set after the final issue?

I'd be more excited if it was meant to be a 'lost adventure' or something.

A 'lost adventure' was exactly what it was supposed to be. What I meant by filling a void was that the Shade's origin was something that was referenced on several occasions, even playing a significant role in the plot near the end. Finally seeing that origin would answer specific questions that the series raised.

Jack's trip to the Orient, on the other hand, isn't a dangling plot thread from the series. It's just a lost adventure, never referenced in the series (aside from a predition early on). But even as a flashback story, I'm not sure what Robinson could say about Jack that would be worth telling such a story now.

[dancj]

Land copies from photo's that he doesn't have rights to (copyright belongs to photographer), Harris however, takes the photos himself, so he's both legally and morally in the clear.
That covers the legal and moral side. The artistic side is that firstly Harris uses the one model for each character and sticks to them. Land on the other hand has the same character with a different face from panel to panel within a page. He's also been known to use the same shot of the same model for two different characters within a single issue. Of course the other thing is that Harris doesn't get his models to pose like porn stars.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I've long suspected that the tension between the two is what led to Robinson destroying Jack's body in space, and giving him a new body that lacked Harris' tattoos. Robinson mentioned in an interview once that Snebjerg was going to be designing new tattoos, but I don't think that part ever happened.


It did make sense for Jack to start over though, it was a new point in his life, and a new body kinda represents that.
(As opposed to his body got changed for no particular reason)


A 'lost adventure' was exactly what it was supposed to be. What I meant by filling a void was that the Shade's origin was something that was referenced on several occasions, even playing a significant role in the plot near the end. Finally seeing that origin would answer specific questions that the series raised.

He did mention he would tell it one day, several times.
(In fact I'm pretty certain I was expecting it after, or even during, Grand Guignol).


Jack's trip to the Orient, on the other hand, isn't a dangling plot thread from the series. It's just a lost adventure, never referenced in the series (aside from a predition early on). But even as a flashback story, I'm not sure what Robinson could say about Jack that would be worth telling such a story now.

As much as I normally despise nostalgia for nostalgia sake, I wouldn't mind some new Starman, if only to show the rest of the industry how it's meant to be done.