Just finished Starman- loved all 70 + issues.
I’m re reading JSA , flipping through Jonah Hex, but haven’t found a series that grabs me like Robinson’s .
Any suggestions?
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First off let me congratulate you. I LOVE Starman! It’s stayed with me for years.
I’d definitely keep going with JSA as we get more of Jack in there, but if you’re for another series that homages the heroes of the past while telling a long-form story, I highly recommend Planetary. It’s all here on DC Universe, too!
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I’d like to find another series like Starman, too! It’s gotta be hard to find. That’s why we’re still talking about it over 25 years later, I guess. Maybe I’ll give planetary a shot. I’m interested to see what everyone else recommends.
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Read the SHADE series, from 2011! It’s Robinson’s 12 issue spin-off about everyone’s favorite morally questionable shadow puppeteer, taking place after the Starman series ends.
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Yes! @HubCityQuestion is right! It’s a nice companion piece to Starman. Plus, anytime Robinson can write The Shade is a good time.
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That’s a tough one. I don’t think anything is EXACTLY like Starman. It’s a pretty special series. If you haven’t already, you could check out The Golden Age by James Robinson which explores some similar themes.
If you want the whole “punk kid takes over a superhero legacy” feel then maybe Damage or The Ray from the 90’s…?
Unfortunately, Starman reminds me the most of Vertigo’s Shade the Changing Man by Peter Milligan or… Grant Morrison’s Animal Man. Neither of those books are on DC Universe. But, even still, they’re not an exact fit.
Again, Starman was pretty special.
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Very exciting-- love Shade.
That’s what hooked me into Starman, the incredible world Building he did for Opal. Shade’s journal was a judge part of that.
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Looking forward to Planetary, thanks.
I wasn’t a DC guy until I found Flash in the 90s . Before that I just though DC comics were hokey. It was all that legacy speedster stuff that hooked me , and made me delve deeper in to DC history. And finding Starman was like free pie .
I did start Sandman Mystery Theater, but that’s not on hear.
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Other than the Shade and JSA you’re not really going to find too much. I will say that Ed Brubaker’s run on Catwoman (2002) did grab me in the way that Starman did and may be worth checking out (Co-incidentally, there’s an issue where Selina travels to Opal)
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I’d highly recommend Marc Andreyko’s Manhuter. It’s very underrated and gives me similar vibes to Starman.
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Haven’t got to Planetary yet , believe it or not, the 06 Jonah Hex is really good.
As any kid who grew up in the sixties can tell you ,it was Batman and Westerns on TV . This series does hit the western bug. I never thought I’d like a western comic though, they were what Id read if I couldn’t find a superhero book.
There is legacy and honor , and Jonah’s sense of justice is twisted and intriguing.
For what it’s worth, Josh Brolin does a good job in the movie. How many comic movies is that for him ?
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I am tempted to say there just isn’t anything like Starman.
Answering the question accurately might mean breaking down just why Starman was so good. One could certainly find another series that effectively utilizes a sense of nostalgia. One could certainly find another series that uses that everyman thrust into a world of wonder. One could certainly find a series that uses, or attempts to use, a similar sense of tone and pacing. To find one that does all of that, though, as effectively as it was done in Starman, may well be impossible, especially if you are limiting your search parameters to only the comics available through this particular service.
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You know what else is Starman-esque? Doctor Star over at Dark Horse.
It’s a mini-series that’s a spin off of Black Hammer but you can clearly see where Lemire was drawing inspiration from. I’ve only read the first issue but I really enjoyed it.
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The Shade ('11) by Written by JAMES ROBINSON Art by CULLY HAMNER
The Shade ('97) by by James Robinson, art by Gene Ha
JSA: Liberty File ('00) WRITTEN BY DAN JOLLEY, TONY HARRIS AND RAY SNYDER; ART BY HARRIS AND SNYDER
JSA: The Unholy Three ('03) WRITTEN BY DAN JOLLEY AND TONY HARRIS; ART BY HARRIS AND RAY SNYDER
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Another one that springs to mind, but it might be difficult to find…
The Green Hornet series by NOW Comics in the 90’s. Much like Starman it deals with a family legacy. The current Green Hornet is a reluctant hero, only getting involved due to the death of his brother.
It’s a wonderful run that echos many of Starman’s themes. And much like Starman it tries to tie together all the previous incarnations of the Green Hornet (the film serial and the 60’s television series) In this the Green Hornet and Kato from the serials were the originals. The television versions were the first Green Hornet’s nephew and Kato’s son. The newest incarnation are the tv version’s nephew and the TV Kato’s daughter (alternating between TV Kato himself, albeit older)
It’s a wonderful fun that doesn’t nearly get enough praise. If only NOW Comics hadn’t folded. It would be easier to reprint.
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I forgot I do have a few copies of that-- they did Johnny Quest and Real Ghost busters too didn’t they?
I have read some of that – do you mean the one with Snapper Carr and the Android ?
It was amazing that the series ran through 70 issues and 2 very different art styles yet maintained it’s quality
Yes, that is the one I mean. I think the two have many similarities, although the tone is kinda different.
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