Blackest Knight - A Review of Starman # 81

 (Here there be spoilers. You have been warned).

James Robinson, at times, can be a frustrating writer. His Starman is one of my all time favorite series....yet he did such a poor job adapting Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as a motion picture. Much of his work on the Superman books is OK, but his work on Justice League: Cry for Justice was somewhat overwrought.

So I approached the upcoming "Blackest Night" crossover with very mixed feelings - I did not expect a full-on return of his past strengths, but given my mixed feelings about the previous tie-ins...it made me a little tentative.

Blackest Night: Starman # 81 isn't completely horrible, but is an ok done-in-one issue that plays to some of Robinson's strengths.

First, I just want to say - I so totally called this one. I am proud of my ability to predict which Starman took center stage.

But more importantly, this issue focuses on the Hope O'Dare/Shade relationship, which has gone beyond the "I'm going to ask the Shade out on a date!" announcement in Starman # 80. It pretty much, as the English say, does what it says on the tin - David Knight comes back, taunts the Shade and O'Dare (who are both having "issues", as they say), and it all ends on a relatively positive note.

But what strikes me about this is that, even though he hasn't written about Opal City, Robinson does play up to some of his strengths - we find Opal a slightly darker place (what with the death of the Dibnys, Black Condor, and Bobo Benetti leaving town), making it ripe for David's "return". In addition, I am glad that Robinson chose not to bring back Ted (although he may be active in the Blackest Night: JSA mini-series) - David seems a much more appropriate choice for antagonist, as his character would seem to have much more to "resent". (OK, yes, I know, he get a kind of "happy ending" towards the end of the series)

Despite the mixed bag, Starman # 81 was, for me, a good opportunity to indulge in a little nostalgia for a great, sorely missed series.

If you liked Robinson's Starman, it's a must-buy, but for everyone else, consider reading the series in trade or via Omnibus. It will make this issue much more understandable.

Turn on the Blackest Night

(Obligatory Graham Parker reference for The Comic Treadmill. Haven't given them props lately, so here you go.)

Ah, Blackest Night, you increasingly engage me so...not only with your "Zombies-who-tear-your-heart-out-metaphorically-and-physically" premise, but with the fact that it allows for the resurrection of now dead characters, armed with black rings, and basically giving us a good glimpse back into the past. With your new "one-shots" as continuations of now canceled/ended comics. With minimal spoilers, I would like to talk about the first releases - Suicide Squad # 67 and Weird Western Tales.

I was a hardcore Suicide Squad fan back in the day, so it was refreshing to see this title released...however, it read more like a "missing issue" of Secret Six. Granted, it's because Gail Simone co-wrote with John Ostrander, but in a way, this book works because the plot does involve some players from Suicide Squad (any more would be spoiling). It's an obvious "first chapter" for an upcoming storyline, but the story has some really cool moments (Bronze Tiger vs. Catman, anyone?), a wicked, dark sense of humor (which, I think, all Gail Simone books must have by law, or something), and J. Calafiore's art? Pretty darn cool. (I loved his art since his work on Exiles).

However, I wish the same could be said about Weird Western Tales # 71, written by Dan DiDio and drawn by Renato Arlem. Yes, I liked Arlem's art a lot, but DiDio....really should reconsider his writing career.

(Yes, I know he'll be writing Outsiders with Phillip Tan doing art. No, I probably won't be buying it).

Admittedly, a zombie version of DC's Western characters might have seemed rather cool...however, I kind of thought the story was a little too by-the-numbers. It seemed almost as if DiDio used a quick-and-dirty formula to write this book, involving old issues of Who's Who in The DC Universe (which is getting a facelift for DC's 75th Anniversary) and repeated viewings of The Twilight Zone.
There's a twist ending that, quite frankly, you'll see a mile away. It's not a bad book, necessarily - just one that doesn't seem to quite come together. Granted, Black Lantern Jonah Hex is cool...but this could have easily been another zombie story. The Blackest Night tie-in only seemed tangential, and it didn't seem that like solid a read.


However, both issues have cover previews of other Blackest Night tie-ins....and I think I may have called it for Blackest Night: Starman # 81, based on the cover.

Blackest Night Speculation: Black Lantern Starman

Continuing on to this week's Halloween-themed speculation...DC's solicitations for January include several Blackest Night issues of comics that were initially canceled or ended. These include The Atom and Hawkman, The Phantom Stranger, Weird Western Tales (written by Dan DiDio possibly to keep him out of trouble)....and Starman # 81.

OK, normally my cynicism would kick in, but since James Robinson is writing the issue (and I admit, I love his work on Blackest Night: Superman...a lot more than his work on Justice League: Cry For Justice), and rumors have stated that it would feature a "Black Lantern Starman".

Now granted, there aren't too many candidates, as many of the men who used the name "Starman" are still alive (and will be alive in January), including:

• Thom Kallor, aka "Danny Blaine" aka "The Kingdom Come Starman via the 1970s LSH"
• Mikal Tomas, who is part of JL:CFJ, and who will be a semi-regular player in Robinson's Justice League of America
• Will Payton, whose essence seems to be inhabiting the body of Prince Gavyn; and
• Jack Knight, who is now happily living in SF and whom Robinson states will not be coming back to the role.

Now, it's tempting to see Payton as a dark horse - after all, there's a body missing (Payton was converted to pure energy). But let's look at the two deceased Starmen candidates:

First, there's Golden Age Starman Ted Knight, who seems to be the obvious contender - he was Opal City's primary defender (meaning: since being a Black Lantern means you tear the heart of your loved ones, Ted would be the most likely to reign destruction on Opal City). In addition, his past - going nuts after helping develop cosmic ray technology, his (ahem) "relationship" with Black Canary...it seems like this is a person whose tumultous past would put him in the main lead to be a Black Lantern. However, when last seen he died in an explosion over Opal City. (Possibly few remains - however, would not put it past Robinson to throw in some kind of regenerates-the-dead-from-ashes rule into the Black Lantern rings). It would also create havoc for the JSA...but then, that's the drawback - it would bring too many characters into the fore, and to do something for only one issue seems....overstuffed.

However, my personal favorite for being the Black Lantern (Can I sound even more obnoxiously fannish?)...is Ted's eldest son, David Knight.

Why, you may ask? Here's a guy who always felt like he needed to step in his father's footsteps, and when he meets the Will Payton Starman....loses the title. Then, he manages to get shot on one of his "first nights" of patrol, and although magically becomes the Starman of 1951 (see photo at right). Granted, it's only for a few months...and then he's sling-shot back into the night he was shot. When Jack would "visit" once a year, the only consolation was that David was the only color character in a black and white realm.

(For those who don't follow comic continuity....uh, don't ask. It's rather complicated).

But here's someone who would have that little bit of resentment - the Starman that "never quite made it." Although Jack was glad he wasn't the "greatest Starman ever", David never quite had his time in the sun. He was always, at best, a third stringer (in his mind). That kind of turmoil - of never having that potential - might be more ruinous to Opal City than if his father returned as a Black Lantern.

And having written two blog posts on this, I realize....I need to get out more.

Blackest Night Speculation: The Don Hall Question

Note - the following is pure conjecture only, and will be slightly spoiling those who haven't read any of Blackest Night.

In all honesty, this was inspired by - of all things - a post-meetup conversation about comics.

Some of us after a Doctor Who meetup were talking comics, and we were discussing the merits of different series. One of them was, of course, Blackest Night, and various aspects of the series.

It was a way to introduce one of us who had not read the series into it. I had mentioned that I enjoyed it (being, obviously, zombies with power rings), and that there was not simply a "zombie eats brains" series, but that the Blackest Night was about people getting their hearts ripped out - figuratively and literally.

Then, someone asked, "Well, why wasn't Don Hall revived?"

Don Hall was half of Hawk and Dove, those ideologically-opposed brothers who fought crime (and which led to a sideline about Steve Ditko), but here's my observation.

Note this panel from Blackest Night # 1:

Note that, of all the heroes whom the black rings sought out...Don Hall was "at rest". At peace.

Another note from Blackest Night: Superman # 3 (slight spoiler) - there is the threat of reviving Jonathan Kent...but would it not make sense for the rings to automatically seek him out?

Therein, I think, lies one of the weakeness of the Black Lanterns, their color yellow, their Kryptonite - they can only seek out the "souls" of people who had very little conflict, or who had an essentially sense of "calm" about their lives.

Ralph & Sue Dibny...well, I'll just refer you to Identity Crisis. Not as tranquil as you would suggest.

Golden Age Superman (which one of us claimed could not be, because he's "the best of us") - here was a man who, during Infinite Crisis, watched powerlessly as his world had been sacrificed...for nothing. Who saw a world corrupted, and who decided (at some point) that he would work hard to bring back "his" earth.

Most (if not all) of the lives being revived had, at some point, some level of trauma and conflict in their lives. Some internal turmoil, some soap-opera level (but not quite Marvel level) dramatics.

But Don Hall? Jonathan Kent? Nowhere to be found, except at peace.

So probably, no Red Bee Black Lantern for us.