Starman Omnibus

Next up in my project to read my stack of unread graphic novels and comic book collected editions is Starman by James Robinson. I'm counting the six-volume set as one story, because that's what it is in essence, albeit with some tangential stories in the mix. Those stories, however, fill in blanks and add to the interconnectedness of the whole thing. That "everything is connected" aspect is, for me, the most impressive thing about the series, which stars Jack Knight, the younger of former Starman Ted Knight's two sons ,who reluctantly takes up the Starman name and cosmic rod when his older brother is murdered during his brief tenure as Starmaan.

A lot of characters pop in and out, including old members of the JSA. And the Shade, one of my favorite villains, plays a charming, not-quite-a-villain, major role in the series. The art s nice enough if not spectacular, although the last two volumes feature art by Peter Snejbjerg which is quite lovely.

My only quibble is that Robinson is, at least here, a very wordy writer and I ended up skimming a lot  This issue was exacerbated by some hard-to-read fonts, mostly the font used for the Shade's long journal entries that serve as narration in many of the stories. But the solid character development and the realistic emotions displayed by the main characters keep the series at above average levels. The feel of "what if superheroes were real?" vibe brought to my mind one of my all-time favorite comics: Astro City. This isn't quite as good as that, but it comes close.

Catching Up

 I'm reasonably sure, as a senior citizen, I'm not a member off the intended audience for Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, mostly because they pretty much say so in their commentary. However, I enjoyed it.

The basic plot is simple. Jon and Suze are two of a group of people for whom time stops (or slows down to a near stop) when they climax sexually. I knew this when I bought the six collected volumes. The premise sounded fun and the reviews were good, so I figured I'd give it a try. It turned out to be a richer, more complex story.

From their bizarre plot, Fraction and Zdarsky wove a story about complicated characters, love in various forms, and everchanging relationships, and they delivered an ending that caught me a bit by surprise. By the end, I really cared for  most of the characters and was satisfied with how their lives turned out.

Graphic Novels

 I'm still here, reading omics. Reviewing single issues is a bit boring for me. So, since I've been reading through my stacks of unread collected  comics and graphic novels, that's what I'll be reviewing here in case anyone is interested. 

Cosmic Detective by Jeff Lemire

I read this because it was on a recommended reading list and I usually enjoy Lemire's writing, which adds to my disappointment after reading it. The 3 stars are mostly for the art, which is stunning. There are lovely pages and 2-page spreads with barely any words, or none at all. And by midpoint, the sparse script had me wondering if there was any more to the plot other than a detective working for a mysterious agency investigating the murder of a god-like being that can't be named. By the end, I couldn't help thinking this was an elaborate shaggy dog story, in the sense that it's a story with promise that ends up going nowhere.

Sentient by Jeff Lemire

Decent story about a starship from Earth bringing families to a colony world. When a terrorist attack leaves all the adults dead, Val -- the ship's AI -- must teach and protect the children. Things go wrong, as they usually do, leaving the older kids needing to save Val from a cyber attack. The art is nice, and the story moves along at a nice pace, but the end seems to come fairly abruptly. I'm realizing I prefer Lemire's longer work, such as the brilliant Descender and its sequel, Ascender, than something that fits in a single volume.

Bad Dream by Nicole Maines

This was fun. Part of DC's Graphic Novels for Young Adults, this is an origin story for Dreamer, the trans superhero played by trans actress Maines in the wonderful Supergirl TV show that was part of the Arrowverse. The art is nice, if not my preferred style, and suits the story. The basics come from the TV show, that Nia Nals' sister Maeve expected their mother's dream powers to manifest in her, only to learn that Nia is the one who inherited them. Maines takes that and weaves it into an engrossing tale about identity and acceptance., while filling in Dreamer's backstory.

Running away to Metropolis, Nia finds a group of queer girls, featuring characters from "Galaxy: The Prettiest Star," also part of DC's YA line. Hanging out with them helps Nia learn to accept herself. It's been a long time since I've read YA books -- I spent 7 of my 30 years as a public librarian specializing in YA service -- and this reminds me how enjoyable YA books can be.

I also read and loved Mike Carey's The Unwritten, about the power of stories. Highly recommended if you can find the many volumes.

Book Review

 It's not a comic and it's an old book I finally got around to reading, but it's as comic book related as they come!

Man of Two Worlds: My Life in Science Fiction and Comics by the late Julius Schwartz is a breezy tour of science fiction fandom, including Schwartz's role in birthing the first SF fanzine and his involvement in the first cons, including the first WorldCon. He covers his career as an agent for a Who's Who of SFF writers, inclduing Ray Bradbury, then his career switch to editing over at DC Comics. I knew some of the stories, but not nearly all, and though fairly lightweight as memoirs go, this is a quick, fun read.

George Perez, RIP

 The hits just keep on coming, though this one is not unexpected.  I had the thrill of meeting George when he still lived in Queens, NY, and he graciously did programs on How to Break into Comics at two library branches where I worked. The second of those times was when he had a broken arm and couldn't doodle while he talked. Older teens packed our meeting room both times and he patiently looked through portfolio after portfolio, offering tips and advice. Thanks for everything, George and rest in peace. You earned it.

Neal Adams RIP

 This poor neglected blog. I'm still reading comics, though not as many as previously. Saga is back and I'm enjoying the heck out of Nightwing. Lady Mechanika is good and Catwoman is entertaining with nice art. There was even a new Astro City! It just feels tedious to type up my 2-6 sentence reviews here. 

But some news can't be ignored. The great Neal Adams died yesterday. He was truly one of the greats. I loved his work on Batman and other books, but it was his work with Denny O'Neil on Green Lantern/Green Arrow that made the biggest impact on me, along with making me a fan of both characters. I'd read GL comics before that and I loved Speedy, but GL/GA was comics perfection. And Adams' amazing, realistic art influenced so many other artists. He'll be missed.

Ascender

 I just finished reading the final issue of Ascender. It had the emotional feel of a TV series finale, full of emotion and expectation fulfilled. Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen created an amazing and complex universe in Descender, a dystopia where technology has run amok and robots have been outlawed. The heart of that series was centered in a bot called Tim-21, the childhood friend/brother of a boy named Andy, now grown up and searching for Tim-21. A lot of other people with less than altruistic motives also wanted Tim-21 for the secrets in his programming. Ascender is the shorter sequel, focused on Andy's daughter Mila at a time when magic has replaced technology and not in a good way. This final issue is a perfect ending for the saga and moved me to (happy) tears. If you haven't read this, I highly recommend it.