Starman #5

"Talking with David, '95"
written by James Robinson
pencils by Tony Harris
inks by Wade Von Grawbadger

David's a difficult Starman to like.  No doubt, it's partly because most of what we've seen of David is through the eyes of his younger brother, but even when it's not, he's proven to be petty, hostile, and belligerent with Jack.  Robinson doesn't yet illuminate the circumstances of Jacks' graveyard visit with his dead brother, but he takes the opportunity to humanize the elder brother.  David is insecure, unsure of who he actually is, and envious of Jack because he knows, and probably because he's still alive.  But that doesn't keep him from still being an ass.

David taunts and antagonizes Jack from the beginning, steadfastly refusing to tell him exactly where they are—dream and afterlife excluded—just "'cause," though he subsequently tells Jack that it's not his secret to tell, and jumping Jack because he's now Starman, despite Jack being reluctant to assume the role.  Between the two of them, they wreak some havoc on the graveyard, upturning graves and breaking headstones, and they spend most the night trying to repair some of the damage they cause, which unlike destruction, as most superheroes find out, is usually unable to be accomplished with superpowers or extra-special superhero gadgets.  Eventually, the two make enough peace to last a year.  David makes some minor amends, but more importantly he clears the air for Jack to more openly and confidently embrace the hero that he wants to be without the oppressive expectations of what his father and his father's tradition demand him to be. 

The decision to make this a black-and-white issue, aside from David's gaudy Starman costume, is a bold one that pays off in both the general unearthly mood it strikes and the impact that the first full-page, full-color panel of David flying away with the rising sun provides.  Whether or not this coloring choice is indicative of just where they are is provocative but ultimately irrelevant.

[March 1995]