The Starman Omnibus, Vol. 1 by James Robinson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 0-16 of James Robinson's acclaimed 1994 Starman series, a book that starts out really strong but loses some luster as the book goes on.

The first story is Issues 0-3. Jack Knight is a seller of antiques and collectibles. He's the son of Ted Knight, the original Starman. His brother has taken on the Starman mantle but is killed off in Issue 0 and Jack is pursued by one of his father's old enemies, the Mist.

Jack is an interesting character to say the least. As he's into antiques and old stuff, you'd think he'd be the first to want to carry on the family tradition as Star Man, but he's really trying to define himself. In this book, he esches a costume beyond goggles and getting a Starman tatoo on his chest. He also makes it clear he won't go on patrol but if he decides to go into action...villains watch out. He seems like a character rife with potential with a lot of growth and not sure who he's going to be or who he's going to turn out.

The book also reintroduces the Shade, a character who was famous as a Gold and Silver Age villain who here has basically settled in Opal City and wants to keep things quiet and safe. Thus he becomes an ally of Jack Knight and is really probably a bit of an anti-hero.

Issues 4-11 are really a series of character two pieces. There's only one real two parter here. Of these eight issues, two don't even focus on Jack Knight with one being a story of the Shade meeting us with Oscar Wilde and another telling as story of his father's hunt for a dangerous Manson-like klller that ended in someone committing murder.

If the book was building up to anything, it appeared to be Issues 12-16, the sins of the Child story arch and unfortunately, that story is problematic as the story is bad. Issue 12 ends with our hero in little more than his underwear and about to be shot and then the next three issues are all told about supporting characters experience the same including some that have nothing to do with the events of our hero's predicament. And when we get back to Jack in Issue 16, we get a denouement that's far from satisfying.

The book concludes with one of the most spectacular pieces of rambling disconnected prose in which Robinson explains the source of his work on Starman and wonders off in a thousand directions.

That said, there's a reason why I gave this book four stars. Even when he was wandering off on a side trail, it was usually a pretty interesting one. The one shot stories were also solid for the most part.

Robinson has flaws and I can't help but wonder if he'd taken too much positive press to heart as some gimmicks seemed overdone, particularly the discussion of films by enemies during battles/fights.

I'm curious enough to probably pick up the second volume and see where this story is going. The characters are intriguing and I wonder who Jack Knight will become. This book left me intrigued but not sure I'd like the answer.



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