Monday, July 3, 2017

ROM and Starman




I have enjoyed all of DC's different incarnations of Starman, and the Prince Gavyn version was one of my favorites.  As far as I know, there's no hero currently using the title in the DCU (although there is Stargirl, who currently wields the Cosmic Rod), but that could change with the return of the original JSA.  I can't imagine they will want to leave such an iconic name on the shelf for too long.

17 comments:

  1. Oh, yeah! The Prince Gavyn Starman has to be my favorite Ditko character this side of Spidey, himself. And Rom, Spaceknight? I bought that whole line of Marvel comics based on the first generation of mass-marketed action figures. Masterful story-telling that not even the current Hasbro-licensed incarnation (from IDW, I believe) can top!

    Thanks so much, Ross, for bringing these two, together.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would imagine that they would probably bring back Stargirl, since Jack Knight is off limits. They probably would not want to go the route of a Will Payton.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ditko taking over the penciling duties over from Sal Buscema represented a very low point in the art work for the original Rom space knight series. Sadly, there's no comfort to be taken with idw's reimagining of Rom space knight that is really an awful series it's hard to believe it was launched by old school Rom fans.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I hope that space dragon isn't M'ntrr turning out to be a Dire Wraith. :-(

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cary Comic said...
    "Oh, yeah! The Prince Gavyn Starman has to be my favorite Ditko character this side of Spidey"

    Mine is probably Killjoy, whom I saw as a back-up feature in 2 or 3 issues of 'E-Man'...

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm only marginally aware of either character here -- I'm familiar with Jack Knight as Starman, and with Sylvester Pemberton (the Star-Spangled Kid) taking over later, and that's about it -- but I certainly would find this story interesting. Nice job, Ross.

    And speaking of iconic names with the original JSA, could anyone tell this comic-absent fellow what's been up lately with Wesley (Sandman) Dodds?

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Bob Greenwade: Wesley Dodds killed himself by jumping off a cliff to prevent Mordru from prying the location of the infant Doctor Fate out of him in the 1999 revival of the JSA. Sandy Hawkins 'inherited' Wes's prophetic dream powers and eventually took up the name Sandman.
    Wes's last non-flashback appearance was as one of the Black Lantern JSA members during Blackest Night.

    The new-52 Wes Dodds had Multiple Man-type powers and provided the storm trooper types for the various authority types on Earth-2.

    ReplyDelete
  8. "Sandy Hawkins 'inherited' Wes' prophetic dream powers and eventually took up the name Sandman."

    Is that before or after he got rid of the silicon shapeshifting that might get him sued by Marvel Comics? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Rom was such a great and underrated comic back in the day. I always thought it was ironic that we'll never see an official Marvel Universe action figure of Rom because he was originally a failed action figure!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The issue that falls on Jack Kirby's birthday would be issue number 1962. That was the same year that some famous Jack Kirby creations debuted: The Hulk, Dr Doom, Ant Man, and Thor.

    ReplyDelete
  11. # my fellow Anonymice: Sandy can still become living sand. And I believe the correct spelling of Prince Gavyn's self-appointed advisor is "M'ntorr."

    ReplyDelete
  12. Just had a very evil thought: Golden Age Sandman (in the updated trenchcoat and long-faced gas mask outfit) meets Doctor Who (#9), uttering the frightening line: "Are you my mummy?"

    (I think only Whovian fans would get the reference, though.)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I thought that was a reference to the 4th Doctor adventure entitled "Pyramids of Mars."

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous said...
    "Is that before or after he got rid of the silicon shapeshifting that might get him sued by Marvel Comics? ;-)"

    It was after he lost the monstrous form; he retained the ability to shift into rocky or sandy form, however, and gained the abilities to pass through solid ground (without a tunnel) and to affect earthquakes.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for the update, Simreeve. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh and Happy 4th of July!

    ReplyDelete