Writer: James RobinsonPublisher: DC Comics
Collects: Starman #0-16
What kind of music does Batman like to listen to? What's Wonder Woman's favourite food? What hobbies does Superman have?
I bet, even with over seventy years of stories, nobody can answer any of those questions. Yet, in just 17 issues, I feel like Jack Knight (Starman) is a lifelong friend.
Nineties superhero comics are often dismissed too quickly. People assume it was all clones and armour without any depth or gravitas, and a lot of it was. But occasionally you find a bright shining star in an otherwise dark sky, and like some ancient explorer, you are lured towards it.
While reading James Robinson's Starman series, I could not help comparing him to Grant Morrison. Both UK writers are huge just now, but both started out with obscure titles (such as Morrison's runs on Animal Man and Doom Patrol) which they could have done poorly and DC would not have suffered. Instead, they proved their worth, excelling in their small corners of the DC Universe, and standing out amongst the noisy and hyperactive 90's mainstream.
