Starman by James Robinson and Tony Harris

[400yrs]

I started reading this. I have the omnis. I've only read the first 2 issues, but it's very interesting. I'm having trouble with the lettering though. Some of the words are tougher to read than they should be.

[StarBrand]

I've always heard good things about this run.

[Andy]

I loved starman. When Robinson cares about something it shows. The first universe I started reading was Ultraverse, and his Firearm will always be one of my nostalgic favorites.

[dbngaa]

I loved the 1st 35 or so issues of Starman - stuck around for a while beyond that, but eventually dropped it. May have to re-read those. Good stuff.

[siren3-4]

I started reading this. I have the omnis. I've only read the first 2 issues, but it's very interesting. I'm having trouble with the lettering though. Some of the words are tougher to read than they should be.

I love this series . . . I wish they would have released the set in Absolute form . . but I am happy to have the HC Omnibus set

[xodacia81]

The first year or two-which are all I was able to pick up back in the day-are really special. Part of that are the letter cols. Unfortunately, I have a bad association with this book, and that is that I once met Tony Harris. Not very nice that day, towards anyone.

[tarheelmarine]

The first year or two-which are all I was able to pick up back in the day-are really special. Part of that are the letter cols. Unfortunately, I have a bad association with this book, and that is that I once met Tony Harris. Not very nice that day, towards anyone.

Bummer.

I have enjoyed the series via the omnibus editions.

[vikingspawn]

I thought the Starman run was good straight through. They read alot better when skipping those "Shade & the Time's Past" standalone annuals they would stick in every 8 issues. Those would slow the pace down. I couldn't get into James Robinson's recent superhero work after that though (Superman...Justice League).

...Tony Harris. Not very nice that day, towards anyone.

Sounds like there's an interesting story behind that.



I know it always sucks when a creator/writer/artist turns out to be a turn off and the experience makes one want to never buy any books with their name on it. I know a couple of creators I won't waste money when I see their names attached on a cover.

[400yrs]

I have enjoyed the series via the omnibus editions.

I don't know if it's just this first omni, but there's more gutter loss then their should be. You really have to turn the book to see some of the inner word balloons. I really don't like this omni format. I'd rather have an Invincible / TWD / YtLM HC style any day.

[xodacia81]

I thought the Starman run was good straight through. They read alot better when skipping those "Shade & the Time's Past" standalone annuals they would stick in every 8 issues. Those would slow the pace down. I couldn't get into James Robinson's recent superhero work after that though (Superman...Justice League).

...Tony Harris. Not very nice that day, towards anyone.

Sounds like there's an interesting story behind that.



I know it always sucks when a creator/writer/artist turns out to be a turn off and the experience makes one want to never buy any books with their name on it. I know a couple of creators I won't waste money when I see their names attached on a cover.

I enjoy the art in this and other books by him, but it left a sour taste in my mouth for a while. I think he was having a bad day-or I hope it was the case-but still, he need not have sniped at everyone when he was there to DISCUSS the book and sign things. Hell, I merely said "great work" and he was like "yeah, ok, whatever. Where's the money for this sig?" I didn't even ask for a sig and literally only said "great work." Whatever.

[tarheelmarine]

I thought the Starman run was good straight through. They read alot better when skipping those "Shade & the Time's Past" standalone annuals they would stick in every 8 issues. Those would slow the pace down. I couldn't get into James Robinson's recent superhero work after that though (Superman...Justice League).

...Tony Harris. Not very nice that day, towards anyone.

Sounds like there's an interesting story behind that.



I know it always sucks when a creator/writer/artist turns out to be a turn off and the experience makes one want to never buy any books with their name on it. I know a couple of creators I won't waste money when I see their names attached on a cover.

I enjoy the art in this and other books by him, but it left a sour taste in my mouth for a while. I think he was having a bad day-or I hope it was the case-but still, he need not have sniped at everyone when he was there to DISCUSS the book and sign things. Hell, I merely said "great work" and he was like "yeah, ok, whatever. Where's the money for this sig?" I didn't even ask for a sig and literally only said "great work." Whatever.

Bummer.

Met him at HeroesCon. No one was at his booth and asked for a sig for a bound book. Promptly told "I only sign from 1300-1500."

Went back at 1330 and got the sig, told him to write "Semper Fi" then he opened up about his Dad being a Vietnam Vet, but pretty impersonal overall (I try to remember creators must get bombarded), and definitely left me disappointed in him.

[geocarr]

I also met Tony at Heroes Con the summer just before Starman hit the shelves. He had some promo material with him IIRC and was super nice and chatty asking everyone who would give him the time of day to try the book when it came out. Part of his later attitude may have been the price of his success.

[hulk181man]

I started reading this. I have the omnis. I've only read the first 2 issues, but it's very interesting. I'm having trouble with the lettering though. Some of the words are tougher to read than they should be.

I've considered picking this up - lmk what you think

[400yrs]

I started reading this. I have the omnis. I've only read the first 2 issues, but it's very interesting. I'm having trouble with the lettering though. Some of the words are tougher to read than they should be.

I've considered picking this up - lmk what you think

Will do. It's likely going to take a while. Only 3 issues in. So far, not your typical super hero book. For me, that's a good thing.

[400yrs]

I've read 0 - 8 thus far. I'm not 100% sure I'm going to make it through the end of this. It's good, but it's a bit Sandman-y for me. I enjoy the parts with the character dialogue, but I'm finding alot of the inner monologue stuff tedious. There isn't as much as in Sandman, thankfully.

My problem with stories of this sort is that while all the narrative stuff provides color and floofiness to the story, it rarely does much to progress the plot. It would be similar to watching a serialized drama on TV that was all done through narration rather than character dialogue. There's no way I want to watch The Walking Dead with James Earl Jones narrating the whole thing.

That's why I tend to not enjoy stuff like this as much as others enjoy it.


The lettering problems with the first 2 issues is gone. They seemed to fix it.

[Dr. Solar]

I've been slowly reading this. I have all the omnibi, and read it in chunks, then some time goes by, and I have to re-read half an omnibus to remember what was happening.

I like it when I read it though. It's nice and dense, and the stories aren't typical super hero stuff, as fo-hun mentioned, which I rather like also.

[400yrs]

I've been slowly reading this. I have all the omnibi, and read it in chunks, then some time goes by, and I have to re-read half an omnibus to remember what was happening.

I like it when I read it though. It's nice and dense, and the stories aren't typical super hero stuff, as fo-hun mentioned, which I rather like also.

I can see going through it slowly. It's definitely not like YtLM or Invincible or TWD or something where you feel like you HAVE to know what happens next.

I've finished the first omni and started the beginning of the second. There are things I like and dislike so far.

Like:
- Similar to my favorite book Invincible, this book has multiple little plots dropped into the story which get picked up later. I love that.
- Also similar to Invincible, it has the family super hero thing going - father, brother, son.
- Many of these stories, you can just read as a single issue. This was probably really good to read as it was coming out.

Dislike:
- The inner monologue and narration boxes are too many. Let the characters speak and tell the story. This was my problem with Sandman.
- While there are many plot pieces dropped in, Robinson lets the reader know that by saying things like "but that's a story for a different time" in several places. Your readers aren't stupid let them figure that out on their own. The reading experience would be better for it.



In a nutshell, for me, this is like a mix between Sandman and Invincible so far. At this point, I'd rather be re-reading Invincible because there is too much Sandman in here for me.

[400yrs]

I thought the Starman run was good straight through. They read alot better when skipping those "Shade & the Time's Past" standalone annuals they would stick in every 8 issues. Those would slow the pace down.

I've run across a few of the "Showcase" stories in the Omnis. Are those what you are talking about? So far, they haven't seemed essential to the story and they've slowed it down. If these are like the pirate stories in Watchmen, I'll skip them if I can.

[SJS4]

I was a big fan of this series as it came out, but I've never really gone back and read it. After seeing this thread I am going to put it on my "to read" list.

[Lightning Strike]

I started reading this. I have the omnis. I've only read the first 2 issues, but it's very interesting. I'm having trouble with the lettering though. Some of the words are tougher to read than they should be.

This is a fantastic series. I'm not sure about the omnis because I don't have them but maybe the lettering is messed up on them? The original floppies that I have there is nothing wrong with the lettering.
The one thing you will be missing out on is the letters pages from the floppies. They are really cool to read. But yeah, this is a great series.

[xodacia81]

I started reading this. I have the omnis. I've only read the first 2 issues, but it's very interesting. I'm having trouble with the lettering though. Some of the words are tougher to read than they should be.

This is a fantastic series. I'm not sure about the omnis because I don't have them but maybe the lettering is messed up on them? The original floppies that I have there is nothing wrong with the lettering.
The one thing you will be missing out on is the letters pages from the floppies. They are really cool to read. But yeah, this is a great series.

Indeed. Robinson's dialogue with the fans and even those times where he just waxed poetic about anything from breakfast to films to ancient weapons and everything in between, made those letter cols worth hunting down a complete "floppy" set of the series.

[lorddunlow]

I thought the Starman run was good straight through. They read alot better when skipping those "Shade & the Time's Past" standalone annuals they would stick in every 8 issues. Those would slow the pace down. I couldn't get into James Robinson's recent superhero work after that though (Superman...Justice League).

...Tony Harris. Not very nice that day, towards anyone.

Sounds like there's an interesting story behind that.



I know it always sucks when a creator/writer/artist turns out to be a turn off and the experience makes one want to never buy any books with their name on it. I know a couple of creators I won't waste money when I see their names attached on a cover.

I enjoy the art in this and other books by him, but it left a sour taste in my mouth for a while. I think he was having a bad day-or I hope it was the case-but still, he need not have sniped at everyone when he was there to DISCUSS the book and sign things. Hell, I merely said "great work" and he was like "yeah, ok, whatever. Where's the money for this sig?" I didn't even ask for a sig and literally only said "great work." Whatever.

Bummer.

Met him at HeroesCon. No one was at his booth and asked for a sig for a bound book. Promptly told "I only sign from 1300-1500."

Went back at 1330 and got the sig, told him to write "Semper Fi" then he opened up about his Dad being a Vietnam Vet, but pretty impersonal overall (I try to remember creators must get bombarded), and definitely left me disappointed in him.

Not trying to derail the thread, but:

He seems like a jerk to me. While I understand creators do get tired of signing and making appearances at cons, it's part of promoting themselves. They don't have to go to any cons if they don't want to. They shouldn't be jerks about people being interested in their works - it's why they have money and get to do what they love for a living. The concept of charging for a signature just floors me. Ridiculous.

As an example of how a creator should behave, I will take a moment to show my Neil Gaiman fanboy colors. I have been to 3 of his readings/signings/conventions over the years and he has always been very gracious and fun. At the first reading (my 18th birthday), I had a 3-4 minute conversation about where he thought I might be able to get a 1st printing UK version of his Neverwhere novel (as it had extra material). Everyone spent quite a bit of time with him. He only limited the signing in quantity of books (and unlimited copies of the current book he was hawking) to 3, but you could literally get anything signed. He even drew quick doodles pertinent to the book/comic in each book he signed. The event was limited in number of people at each event as well as time limits, but at each event I saw him tell the coordinators to allow anyone in line to get a signature and went well past the allotted time. He also has a relationship with a local bookstore/comic shop near his home at which he stops by occasionally and signs things (for free). You can literally place an order for any of his works with them (that they have in stock) and have him sign it, personalization and all, when he stops by, if you're willing to wait for it.

[SJS4]

I thought the Starman run was good straight through. They read alot better when skipping those "Shade & the Time's Past" standalone annuals they would stick in every 8 issues. Those would slow the pace down. I couldn't get into James Robinson's recent superhero work after that though (Superman...Justice League).

...Tony Harris. Not very nice that day, towards anyone.

Sounds like there's an interesting story behind that.



I know it always sucks when a creator/writer/artist turns out to be a turn off and the experience makes one want to never buy any books with their name on it. I know a couple of creators I won't waste money when I see their names attached on a cover.

I enjoy the art in this and other books by him, but it left a sour taste in my mouth for a while. I think he was having a bad day-or I hope it was the case-but still, he need not have sniped at everyone when he was there to DISCUSS the book and sign things. Hell, I merely said "great work" and he was like "yeah, ok, whatever. Where's the money for this sig?" I didn't even ask for a sig and literally only said "great work." Whatever.

Bummer.

Met him at HeroesCon. No one was at his booth and asked for a sig for a bound book. Promptly told "I only sign from 1300-1500."

Went back at 1330 and got the sig, told him to write "Semper Fi" then he opened up about his Dad being a Vietnam Vet, but pretty impersonal overall (I try to remember creators must get bombarded), and definitely left me disappointed in him.

Not trying to derail the thread, but:

He seems like a jerk to me. While I understand creators do get tired of signing and making appearances at cons, it's part of promoting themselves. They don't have to go to any cons if they don't want to. They shouldn't be jerks about people being interested in their works - it's why they have money and get to do what they love for a living. The concept of charging for a signature just floors me. Ridiculous.

As an example of how a creator should behave, I will take a moment to show my Neil Gaiman fanboy colors. I have been to 3 of his readings/signings/conventions over the years and he has always been very gracious and fun. At the first reading (my 18th birthday), I had a 3-4 minute conversation about where he thought I might be able to get a 1st printing UK version of his Neverwhere novel (as it had extra material). Everyone spent quite a bit of time with him. He only limited the signing in quantity of books (and unlimited copies of the current book he was hawking) to 3, but you could literally get anything signed. He even drew quick doodles pertinent to the book/comic in each book he signed. The event was limited in number of people at each event as well as time limits, but at each event I saw him tell the coordinators to allow anyone in line to get a signature and went well past the allotted time. He also has a relationship with a local bookstore/comic shop near his home at which he stops by occasionally and signs things (for free). You can literally place an order for any of his works with them (that they have in stock) and have him sign it, personalization and all, when he stops by, if you're willing to wait for it.

I think some people are simply more laid back then others. Did you see the "Simpsons" episode with Gaiman? He obviously doesn't take himself too seriously, which would make sense with your experiences. People who don't take themselves too seriously tend to be more fun to be around, in my admittedly limited experience.

[xodacia81]

I thought the Starman run was good straight through. They read alot better when skipping those "Shade & the Time's Past" standalone annuals they would stick in every 8 issues. Those would slow the pace down. I couldn't get into James Robinson's recent superhero work after that though (Superman...Justice League).

...Tony Harris. Not very nice that day, towards anyone.

Sounds like there's an interesting story behind that.



I know it always sucks when a creator/writer/artist turns out to be a turn off and the experience makes one want to never buy any books with their name on it. I know a couple of creators I won't waste money when I see their names attached on a cover.

I enjoy the art in this and other books by him, but it left a sour taste in my mouth for a while. I think he was having a bad day-or I hope it was the case-but still, he need not have sniped at everyone when he was there to DISCUSS the book and sign things. Hell, I merely said "great work" and he was like "yeah, ok, whatever. Where's the money for this sig?" I didn't even ask for a sig and literally only said "great work." Whatever.

Bummer.

Met him at HeroesCon. No one was at his booth and asked for a sig for a bound book. Promptly told "I only sign from 1300-1500."

Went back at 1330 and got the sig, told him to write "Semper Fi" then he opened up about his Dad being a Vietnam Vet, but pretty impersonal overall (I try to remember creators must get bombarded), and definitely left me disappointed in him.

Not trying to derail the thread, but:

He seems like a jerk to me. While I understand creators do get tired of signing and making appearances at cons, it's part of promoting themselves. They don't have to go to any cons if they don't want to. They shouldn't be jerks about people being interested in their works - it's why they have money and get to do what they love for a living. The concept of charging for a signature just floors me. Ridiculous.

As an example of how a creator should behave, I will take a moment to show my Neil Gaiman fanboy colors. I have been to 3 of his readings/signings/conventions over the years and he has always been very gracious and fun. At the first reading (my 18th birthday), I had a 3-4 minute conversation about where he thought I might be able to get a 1st printing UK version of his Neverwhere novel (as it had extra material). Everyone spent quite a bit of time with him. He only limited the signing in quantity of books (and unlimited copies of the current book he was hawking) to 3, but you could literally get anything signed. He even drew quick doodles pertinent to the book/comic in each book he signed. The event was limited in number of people at each event as well as time limits, but at each event I saw him tell the coordinators to allow anyone in line to get a signature and went well past the allotted time. He also has a relationship with a local bookstore/comic shop near his home at which he stops by occasionally and signs things (for free). You can literally place an order for any of his works with them (that they have in stock) and have him sign it, personalization and all, when he stops by, if you're willing to wait for it.

I think some people are simply more laid back then others. Did you see the "Simpsons" episode with Gaiman? He obviously doesn't take himself too seriously, which would make sense with your experiences. People who don't take themselves too seriously tend to be more fun to be around, in my admittedly limited experience.

Indeed. Of course, being too silly is also just as annoying and sometimes goes so far to one side as to circle back around to self importance.

[CylonSteve]

I have been reading this series, and I digg it! Tony Harris's art is okay, but it has grown on me. I like the Shade Character, he's a pretty cool guy. I like the lettering, and I own the first Omnibus(Hardcover), and I will be ordering the second one relatively soon.
I am enjoying this, however not to derail the thread, but James Robinson's work is usually hit or miss as of late. I am enjoying Earth-2 so far, but I am not digging that most the characters aren't even 30 or mentors, but I will see how it goes.