The Starman Omnibus Vol. 1 Hardcover – Import, 10 June 2008

Schon als James Robinsons Starman zum ersten Mal erschien, bekam ich den Hype um den Titel mit und kaufte damals das erste Trade Paperback. Irgendwie ließ mich die Geschichte damals in den 90ern aber kalt, und ich verlor das Interesse.Die gelungene Omnibus Edition weckte mein Interesse jedoch erneut, zumal ich mittlerweile auch besser mit dem JSA Mythos vertraut bin, Und beim zweiten Mal lesen fast 20 Jahre später geällt mir die Serie um etliches besser. Starman baut auf Erfolgsfaktoren, die es heute kaum noch gibt: Continuity und sorgfältiger Storyaufbau, das Gegenteil von dem, was heutzutage im zigfach rebooteten DC Universum so abgeht. Robinson nimmt die Geschichte des DC Universums ernst und baut darauf neue, interessante Geschichten auf. Der Grundgedanke einer "Legacy", des Vererbens der Superheldentitel an eine neue Generation, war ebenso einfach wie genial, und es ist ein Jammer, daß DC sich nicht getraut hat, diesen Weg weiterzugehen - obwohl gut geschriebene Serien wie Starman oder später Johns JSA bewiesen, daß sie gut funktionieren und auch ein Publikum finden.Der erste Omnibus Band überzeugt durch seine Ausstattung, er liegt aber auch viel besser in der Hand als die tonnenschweren Omnibus Versionen von Marvel. Dieses Buch kann man also auch schmerzfrei lesen :-) Das Papier ist hochwertig und fühlt sich schön an, die Farben kommen gut rüber. Die Handlung nimmt einen Sammler sofort in den Bann, ist doch der Titelheld auch Sammler von schönen Dingen, verliert aber gleich im ersten Band seinen schönen Laden an das Feuer eines Schurken. Die Mischung aus neuen Figuren und gealterten Figuren aus dem DC Universum ist stimmig, gut auch das beständige Sähen neuen Storylines sehr lange im voraus. Es läuft immer mehreres gleichzeitig, ohne daß es jedoch verwirrend wird.Ein gelungener Auftakt, vor allem wenn man bedenkt, daß die Originale fast 20 Jahre alt sind - die Story liest sich noch immer prima, modern und frisch als wäre sie neu. De facto ist sie besser als das neue Zeug, das DC heute veröffentlicht...

This is a comic that can sometimes be detective like, sometimes action packed and it is always well written and is not typical superhero vs supervillain stuff. People say Tony Harris did a great job. I disliked way he draws , but James Robinson did great all the way and I got it for story.THE GREAT: Thank you DC for publishing omnibus of best written comic of it's time (if we don't count real heavy hitters like Sandman, Swamp Thing and Maxx).THE FLAW:Hardcover omnibus edition is okay, but I guess DC could have been more careful about paper and binding. I mean, having hardcover is GREAT but pages can be wrinkled if you look at them under artificial light, I mean in the evening.GET IT, esp. if you didn't buy softcovers. Trades that were published before lack few Times Past issues AND colors look better on cheap TPB paper, believe it or not.

STARMAN, the incredible comic book series by writer James Robinson (who also penned the equally incredible "JSA: The Golden Age") and artist Tony Harris ("Ex Machina", "Spider-Man: With Great Power") ran for 81 issues starting with issue #0 (although the character's 1st appearance is in ZERO HOUR #1 in 1994)and was continuously acclaimed both critically and by fans. It was as much a super-hero book as it was an exercise in family dynamics and the concepts of legacies, history, and courage.It's a comic that this reviewer completely ignored when it was being released as a monthly.Don't know why, exactly. Maybe it was because my wallet was already being emptied by a dozen or so (in retrospect, far inferior) titles at the time. Who knows. Either way, by the time I had gotten a hold of a few issues and discovered what a great series it was, it had already come and gone and were being released in trade paperback form (there are ten of them and a few of them are, to my knowledge, out of print).I was just about to start purchasing the trades when I got wind of this omnibus (which collects issues 0-16). It is the first of six hardcover books collecting every issue, special, and annual of the series (and, yes, even the Batman,/Starman,/Hellboy miniseries). It is a BIT pricey, but the paper and printing quality is excellent and the story itsself is well worth it.STARMAN is the story of Jack Knight, youngest son of Ted Knight, the original Starman. On the night of his brother's murder, Jack reluctantly takes up the mantle of Opal City's protector. During the course of the issues contained within the Omnibus, Jack meets up with the mysterious villain known as The Shade (who may not be as villainous as he seems) and does battle with his father's arch nemesis The Mist. He finds himself held captive by a bizarre circus sideshow and begins to learn more about the various men who have operated under the name of Starman.It's a fantastic series and I, for one, am glad it is available in this manner. I'm forced, however, to take one star away simply because I think the book is a bit overpriced at $49.99 (but well worth the lower price Amazon is offering).

Excellent story line with great depth to the characters. James Robinson has crafted a new world that blends in elements of the "old guard" passing the torch to a new generation. The artist's (Tony Harris) use of dark and light reflects the inner battle of the main character his world.Robinson's musings of himself and subsequent evolution and maturity are as entertaining as the stories themselves.I can't wait to read the next volumes in the series.

This was lightning in a bottle creatively, both writer and artist(s) sync up. Its 80 issues in total but this shows what happens when you let someone do what they want and not micro manage.