Another Blackest Night post

[dorksidefiker]

I've been enjoying what's been posted of Blackest Night so far, but I'm waiting for trade. But there was one thing, one tie in that I have to admit, I couldn't pass up.

Starman.

So I give you four pages from Starman 81.



We opened with the brief super-hero career of David Knight, son of Ted and Brother of Jack... and his body being brought back by a Black Lantern ring. C'mon, you all knew this would happen. This is immediately followed by two unfortunate cops/security guards/something discussing the sudden lack of heroes running around Opal City, and how most of them have died, so it's just Bobo and The Shade, who they're reluctant to classify as a hero.

Cut to the apartment of Hope O'Dare:



(next page starts with "Because the sky's gone black)

Okay, I love the art for wide shots, but in close up, it's just too messy for my tastes.

Moving right along, we go to BLDavid tearing through Opal City's cops when he comes across Mason O'Dare and taunts him about how he's going to kill Mason's wife and unborn child. Then Hope steps in.




And here we reach my posting limit, which is a shame because there's this great bit involving Shade and a BL Ring.

Okay, all and all, I like this. I'm disappointed that Jack doesn't actually make an appearance, but it's got lots of lovely Shade goodness, which mostly makes up for it.



Suggested tags: char: the shade/dickie swift, char: mason o'dare, char: hope o'dare, char: starman/david knight, creator: james robinson, creator: fernando dagnino, creator: bill sienkiewicz, publisher: dc comics

Comments

[iskander]

This was a huge letdown.......................................

[lamashtar]

Yeah...

[shadowpsykie]

what happened with the BL ring?

[dorksidefiker]

David ripped Shade's heart out, a ring tried to claim him, and Shade sent it on it's way.

[espanolbot]

So he's okay then at the end of the issue? :)

[grazzt]

The sad thing is that this is a valid question, given the nature of the Shade.

[espanolbot]

Well, the same as he was before I guess. Girlfriended, "alive" and semi-heroic.

[dorksidefiker]

Yeah, this is one that ends well.

[espanolbot]

Yay! ^^

[leikomgwtfbbq]

Don't like this art a lot, but I'll still read anything with the Shade in it, because he's so damn cool.

[espanolbot]

Darn straight. *nod*

[bradhanon]

Guy with hat: automatically cooler than guy without.

Just saying.

[leikomgwtfbbq]

I think it's kind of sad that dudes don't routinely wear hats out anymore, like they did in the early 20th century. It just looked so cool.

[lamashtar]

True story: the first time I met the man who would become my husband, he was wearing a fedora. Based on that alone, I decided he was worth dating.

[yaseen101]

Awwwwww.....

[rhythmbandit]

I'd love to wear a hat in public, but it's one of those things where people think you're "trying to be cool/different" if you do. Probably shouldn't care, but I do. Just another reason I want to have a 1930's party one day!

[levyrasputin]

I've never read this title, but I'm pretty impressed with the art. I love the sketchy, sort-of-unfinished panels.

[espanolbot]

Man, the Shade is ripped! That's unexpected. *laughs*

And now I'm disappointed I couldn't get to the comic shop this week. :( *rue*

[intertobamf]

Man, the Shade is ripped! That's unexpected. *laughs*

Well, I imagine an immortal and non-aging man can only improve his body.

[theanswer]

I like to think he goes through periods where he lets himself go, then he gets horny and has to start working out again.

[espanolbot]

The thing is that his appearence is kind of inconsistent. He looks very craggy and middle aged in Cry for Justice for example, but young (though thin) in his last JSA appearence.

[grazzt]

Minor shapeshifting, perhaps? Maybe his shadow powers make him appear like people expect to see him to a certain extent. Courtney sees the cadeverously thin villain, Jay Garrick sees an older man like himself, and Hope (in love with him) sees a hunk.

[leikomgwtfbbq]

I like this theory a lot. :D

[busterella]

This is my new head canon.

[yaseen101]

I accept.

[sailorlibra]

Shade/Hope is my new ship. They're very adorable here.

[ravenous_raven]

I have to say I rather like the art. the unfinishedness of it makes it feel dreamlike and a little organic. also noticed that Shade was drawn with many more lines (to be SHADing!) than Hope was. check out the last panel and you'll see what I mean.

[bluefall]

Sienkiewicz is a very good choice for a Shade story.

[jlroberson]

Starman goes well with artists of that level. J.H. Williams, of course, in the past.

[ninjapeps]

the art isn't really to my taste but it suits the feel of the issue. shame that Jack wasn't here but the Shade being the spotlight character made up for it.

[jlroberson]

To be honest, Shade was always the real reason I liked Starman(though I only started reading it after it was done).

[akodo_rokku]

The Shade is kinda a woobie in this.

Which is odd but adorable.

[nalanzu]

I actually really liked this - I thought it was terribly cute. Maybe not a necessary story, precisely, and I would have liked to have seen Jack, too, but Jack wanted out of the superhero business and he's getting it. Shade's determination to keep Jack alive was fantastic, too. :D

Also, am I the only one who thought it was insanely creepy for BL!David to plan to go have a chat with Jack and sneak up on him that way? Nightmare fuel, right there.

[jlroberson]

Rather liked this myself. Mainly because the Shade is so fucking charming(and Bill S. draws Hope's face very nicely, lots of warmth in it). I just wished it wasn't so short. I hate DC having so many comics made up of double-pagers. It feels like the air they fill half a chips bag with.

I haven't liked Robinson in a long time, but I always make an exception for his Starman stuff, because it seems from his heart.

[curlyjo1]

Y'know, not only has the sky turned black, but so have her undies. Her panties are white when she's sitting on the bed, and black in all the panels after. (Maybe Shade likes them better that way?)