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.

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.

One Starry Christmas Knight

There are some Christmas-oriented comic book stories that resonate with a great mix of nostalgia and holiday spirit - the Legion of Super Heroes trying to find the Star of Bethlehem; the one where Superman digs a man out of a snow-bound car; even the infamous Howard the Duck Holiday Special. But one story just grabs me right by the heartstrings...and won't let go. I always end up tearing up at one key moment.

That book is Starman # 27.

I've always talked about my fondness for this series - how James Robinson (who I still can't believe wrote the horrible League of Extraordinary Gentlemen film) balanced contemporary storytelling, a non-fannish love for continuity, and a strong literate sensibility, in the same comic. In this issue, however, he tells a done-in-one Christmas tale that, if it were a movie, would be It's a Wonderful Life.

(For those of you not wishing to scour the back issue bins, it's reprinted in the Starman: A Wicked Inclination trade paperback)

The story begins in the O'Dare household, as they await Jack Knight's return from his duties in Opal City. Jack, however, comes across a Santa, sitting in a snow-filled park, crying - he had lost his family tragically, and some thieves stole a locket. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but Jack - motivated by nothing more than his own compassion and humanity - helps Pete (aka Santa) find his locket.

The story shifts back and forth between preparations at the O'Dare household, as well as Jack and Pete hunting down the locket. Granted, there are some almost obligatory nods to Christmas - Jack is amazingly generous with money - but part of the appeal of the book is how it deftly combines superheroic action with some genuinely human moments. (Including an appearance by a villain who...well, something tells me Mr. Russell T. Davies might have read an issue or two).

But what gets me every time - what makes this story special - is page 18. Steve Yowell's art, Wade von Grawbadger's inks, and Robinson's writing combine in this page, where we think the story ends...well, let me just show you rather than tell you, or link to Flickr:
Even out of content, it pulls at the heartstrings, but just before the end of the story - which really packs some punch - brings home the overall theme. In an age where Christmas stories are either variations of old movies or classic novels, this is one of the few that never seems overly cloying, or sentimental, or even annoyingly sweet.

But this is one of those back issues that's worth hunting down - there's even a little something for the Chris Sims set:
Personally, if loving a comic featuring a guy with a big glowing stick fighting crime with a guy in a Santa suit is wrong...I just don't wanna be right.

The Ballad of Danny Blaine

I have to admit, my mind is still reeling a bit from the end of Justice Society of America # 2 - not because of the recap of Kingdom Come (which, quite frankly, has been referenced in most DC books for years), but because it resonates with one of my all-time favorite comics...and shows something of a lost opportunity for DC Comics.

We first meet our future Starman as a boy- a member of the Legion of Super Heroes, on an adventure with then-current Starman Jack Knight in the future. Jack, at the request of the woman he loves, is on a quest to learn the whereabouts of his predecessor, Will Payton. (One of the things I miss about James Robinson's Starman - it was able to delicately weave continuity into a coherent story, rather than feel the need to "reboot" the universe). In a discussion, Thom Kallor (or "Star Boy") learns that he is destined to be the Starman of the future...and is shocked. Imagine, a teenage/young adult male learning that not only is he part of history...but he is aware of how he is going to die. (This, I think, explains the "Danny Blaine" identity - it serves as an untraceable identity with no real links. Perfect for spoiling the plans of those villians who could travel in time and "prevent" Starman from happening).

But ultimately, we get our grasp of the future Starman in the final issues of the Jack Knight series. The Sons of the Father Sons of the Father trade paperback should be required learning for how to end a series - there are resolutions, revelations, and an overall sense of finality. However, when we meet Mr. Blaine, he reveals that his life has been all the richer, because he's led "two lives". Mr. Blaine (or Mr. Kallor) has returned Jack to his home time, and is off to die. His face, once he removes the mask, is scarred, his hair gray, but in essence, we see that he has fought the good fight - unlike Jack (who gets a happy ending), Danny Blaine will go off to...Armageddon.

I also have to admit that I am a little disappointed that DC chose to open the multiversal can of worms and not go with the post-Infinite Crisis Starboy-as-Starman. I can understand why, but in a way, it's a shame, especially with the way in which DC has pledged to be more "diverse". Just think of the storytelling possibilities - a man who is considered "just another" in the future goes back to a more barbaric past willingly, and who does not understand the dynamics that drive 21st century earth. Imagine conflicts with Courtney Whitmore - after all, she was given the "official" blessing from Jack Knight, and here is some unknown stranger taking over - imagine the dynamics. Yes, it would have the fanboys screaming, "But he's been portrayed as Caucasian in the past!", but what's more important - good stories that have resonance with our present, or an almost fanatical devotion to the past?

(And plus, there is precedent - having Captain Marvel, a boy-in-adult's-clothing, courting Stargirl very early on...where was the outrage? Yes, they broke up. All is well).

Maybe it's my current mood of letting go of the past, and moving back to my home city...but there's something about this new Starman that seems to have potential. I think I'll hang around awhile.

And don't forget - today is National Gorilla Suit Day.