What do you think?
Rate this book
Dreadstar Omnibus #1
Dreadstar Omnibus, Vol. 1
Jim Starlin's Dreadstar is now available in the Omnibus format! The first and complete arc (made up of the first 12 issues) from Starlin's epic saga is collected in one place! The pages in this new edition have been produced by digitally scanning from the original film! Also featuring the original covers and character art! Dreadstar features the adventures of Vanth Dreadstar and his crew! Dreadstar, the last survivor of the destroyed Milky Way Galaxy, found himself transported to the Empirical Galaxy! There, recruited by the sorcerer Syzygy Darklock, Dreadstar helped bring an end to a two-hundred-year-old war between the corrupt Monarchy and the fanatical Instrumentality. Containing close to 400 pages of story, art and more!
376 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Jim Starlin
1,345 books447 followersJames P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters Thanos and Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. Death and suicide are recurring themes in Starlin's work: Personifications of Death appeared in his Captain Marvel series and in a fill-in story for Ghost Rider; Warlock commits suicide by killing his future self; and suicide is a theme in a story he plotted and drew for The Rampaging Hulk magazine.
In the mid-1970s, Starlin contributed a cache of stories to the independently published science-fiction anthology Star Reach. Here he developed his ideas of God, death, and infinity, free of the restrictions of mainstream comics publishers' self-censorship arm, the Comics Code Authority. Starlin also drew "The Secret of Skull River", inked by frequent collaborator Al Milgrom, for Savage Tales #5 (July 1974).
When Marvel Comics wished to use the name of Captain Marvel for a new, different character,[citation needed] Starlin was given the rare opportunity to produce a one-shot story in which to kill off a main character. The Death of Captain Marvel became the first graphic novel published by the company itself. (
In the late 1980s, Starlin began working more for DC Comics, writing a number of Batman stories, including the four-issue miniseries Batman: The Cult (Aug.-Nov. 1988), and the storyline "Batman: A Death in the Family", in Batman #426-429 (Dec. 1988 – Jan. 1989), in which Jason Todd, the second of Batman's Robin sidekicks, was killed. The death was decided by fans, as DC Comics set up a hotline for readers to vote on as to whether or not Jason Todd should survive a potentially fatal situation. For DC he created Hardcore Station.
In the mid-1970s, Starlin contributed a cache of stories to the independently published science-fiction anthology Star Reach. Here he developed his ideas of God, death, and infinity, free of the restrictions of mainstream comics publishers' self-censorship arm, the Comics Code Authority. Starlin also drew "The Secret of Skull River", inked by frequent collaborator Al Milgrom, for Savage Tales #5 (July 1974).
When Marvel Comics wished to use the name of Captain Marvel for a new, different character,[citation needed] Starlin was given the rare opportunity to produce a one-shot story in which to kill off a main character. The Death of Captain Marvel became the first graphic novel published by the company itself. (
In the late 1980s, Starlin began working more for DC Comics, writing a number of Batman stories, including the four-issue miniseries Batman: The Cult (Aug.-Nov. 1988), and the storyline "Batman: A Death in the Family", in Batman #426-429 (Dec. 1988 – Jan. 1989), in which Jason Todd, the second of Batman's Robin sidekicks, was killed. The death was decided by fans, as DC Comics set up a hotline for readers to vote on as to whether or not Jason Todd should survive a potentially fatal situation. For DC he created Hardcore Station.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 12, 2017
I enjoyed a lot this comic book. A very good space opera by the great Jim Starlin.
June 10, 2022
Un gustazo. Y esta compilación es como hacer un viaje por el tiempo a través de una parte de la historia del cómic. Genial space opera. Quiero más.
December 5, 2018
No por nada Starlin es quien es dentro de la industria del cómic. Una gran guerra galáctica y épica a descubrir, sin desperdicio
August 2, 2016
Dreadstar reads like the storyboard to the best 80s Saturday-morning cartoon never made. Vanth Dreadstar is the last survivor of the Milky Way Galaxy, enjoying his retirement several million light years from home on a planet of peace-loving cat people... until a centuries-long war ruins his idyllic life and he becomes the leader of a rebellion against two warring empires. The story is great, if you can get past the first chapter which contains a metric f#$&ton of exposition. Starlin picks up Dreadstar's story in what is basically the "third act" of his life, and spends the entire first issue of the series filling the reader in on his backstory. It's clumsy storytelling, but Starlin gets the hang of it pretty quickly.
I've read Starlin's "cosmic" stuff that's come out of the Big Two comics universes, but I really enjoy his creator-owned stuff more, in which he's not locked in to maintaining DC or Marvel's status quo. There's actually a major game-changing move towards the end of this omnibus, a ballsy shift in the state of the story that's only possible in a comic that's not twisted into a story knot with twenty other ongoing titles.
Two quibbles: One, since Omnibus Vol. 1 collects the first twelve issues of the series, it ends at kind of an arbitrary point in the story, not the overall climax to an arc. It might have made more sense to wrap up this volume with only the first 10 issues. It would have been less comic for my money, but it would have concluded at a more logical stopping point in the story.
Quibble two: The character designs don't really hold up. Everyone wears tights that, even with Starlin's art, are about as appealing as Adam West's Batman get-up. Seriously, does everyone in this comic need to dress like a 70s superhero? I felt embarrassed for all these people just looking at them.
I've read Starlin's "cosmic" stuff that's come out of the Big Two comics universes, but I really enjoy his creator-owned stuff more, in which he's not locked in to maintaining DC or Marvel's status quo. There's actually a major game-changing move towards the end of this omnibus, a ballsy shift in the state of the story that's only possible in a comic that's not twisted into a story knot with twenty other ongoing titles.
Two quibbles: One, since Omnibus Vol. 1 collects the first twelve issues of the series, it ends at kind of an arbitrary point in the story, not the overall climax to an arc. It might have made more sense to wrap up this volume with only the first 10 issues. It would have been less comic for my money, but it would have concluded at a more logical stopping point in the story.
Quibble two: The character designs don't really hold up. Everyone wears tights that, even with Starlin's art, are about as appealing as Adam West's Batman get-up. Seriously, does everyone in this comic need to dress like a 70s superhero? I felt embarrassed for all these people just looking at them.
September 27, 2022
This was a fun romp with excellent art... the writing is pure space opera channeled through comic books so don't look for Alan Moore or Jack Vance... think more like Star Wars meets the Xmen. The usual animosity toward organized religion is there along with the de rigueur lazer-sword! As a fan of the acid-stained 70s Starlin Captain Mar-Vell and Adam Warlock, I enjoyed it and I'll read more.
June 12, 2014
Para mí la mejor Space Opera que ha dado el comic. Insuperable.
Read
June 12, 2015Comics' creator-driven 1980s flowering could often be a grim business, and in some senses Jim Starlin's creation is no different: genocide, child abuse and general inhumanity are all present and correct. But tone it down ever so slightly and this ragtag band of rebels, engaging in daring gambits as they strive to end a galaxy-wide war, could have starred in the greatest Saturday morning kids' cartoon that never was. Vanth Dreadstar, the heroic caucasian leader! Syzygy, the sarcastic cyborg who's so powerful he has to get knocked out every other episode! Willow, the token girl, with spooky mind powers and a pet! And the two non-humans, who are quite tough and also the comic relief! The villainous Lord High Papal has just the right Skeletor vibe, too - though you might have to change the bit where he became evil because his mum was brutally murdered by a chap called Bollocus.
July 6, 2021
I don't know what it is about Starlin's writing and art that makes this work. If you tried to explain it to someone (and use the character names), they'd laugh at you. Any "message" is heavyhanded. The whole thing seems to be spinning its wheels for a long time until a reveal that relies on backstory that quickly spills out at the end. (Although now that I go to the Wikipedia to look up character names, apparently someone would have had to pick up specific back issues in the 1980s. People, please number volume 1 correctly and only once).
The head of the Church is a duplicate of Thanos minus some cunning. The main character is like Adam Warlock with a He-Man sword. One of the crew is a giant blue Pip the Troll.
Still, it's captivating. It might just be a confidence game.
The head of the Church is a duplicate of Thanos minus some cunning. The main character is like Adam Warlock with a He-Man sword. One of the crew is a giant blue Pip the Troll.
Still, it's captivating. It might just be a confidence game.
November 20, 2017
So very cheesy. The exposition is constant and clunky. It reads like a middle schooler wrote it when they had this awesome idea for a space opera. There are several problems with the characterization of the sole female character (not intentionally, just annoyingly), although every character is really a walking stereotype of a personality. Difficult to get through when there are so many better space operas.
February 25, 2015
Can't say I much enjoyed it. Seemed a bit half baked and juvenile. Generally like the idea of Sword & Sorcery merged with Space Opera. Lacking sophistication of any kind.
May 2, 2021
Jim Starlin é o criador do Thanos, o vilão que ganhou maior notoriedade por causa dos mais recentes filmes do universo Marvel. Então a força de Starlin no universo da Marvel está realmente em aperfeiçoar muito daquela "psicodelia espacial", aprimorando e levando a novos níveis o que havia sido feito na década de 60.
A série do Dreadstar saiu no início dos anos 80, portanto quase 10 anos antes da Guerra Infinita que cunhou na criação do Thanos. Muitos dos temas levados para os super-heróis já apareceram nessa obra, uma Space Opera de enredo cativante, protagonizada por personagens multidimensionais e parábolas pertinentes para nosso mundo capitalista, belicoso e preconceituoso.
O cerne de Dreadstar gira em torno de uma guerra mantida pelas duas maiores potências conhecidas do universo, mas não para dar vitória a um lado, e sim para manter o status quo das classes dominante, que se tornam cada vez mais milionárias. E isso ocorre em ambos os lados. Os planetas mais periféricos e de populações mais vulneráveis e empobrecidas que acabam pagando o preço. Mortes, genocídios e a destruição de planetas inteiros. Dá para ver muita similaridade com Star Wars, mas com essa dualidade política melhor empregada, mais próxima da série clássica de Star Trek.
Dreadstar foi escrito e desenhado por Jim Starlin para o selo Marvel Epic, que tinha a intenção de trazer quadrinhos com temáticas mais adultas. Uma espécie de concorrente do selo Vertigo, da DC (que acabou produzindo obras bem mais impressionantes no geral). Nesse caso aqui, não deixa nada a desejar para a qualidade do que vimos em Vertigo. Eu ainda sou certamente mais maravilhado com Sandman e Monstro do Pântano, por exemplo, mas acho que Dreadstar possui um ritmo de leitura mais cativante. É uma leitura muito gostosa para se fazer nos finais de semana. Estou pronto para ler os outros 2 volumes do omnibus.
Nesse volume 1, temos duas séries prequels de Dreadstar, mas que foram feitas depois pelo Jim Starlin. Por mais que elas contem realmente a origem da coisa toda, TALVEZ seja mais interessante começar direto pela série clássica do Dreadstar, e voltar para ler as prequels. Eu não fiz assim, mas talvez tivesse apreciado mais.
A série do Dreadstar saiu no início dos anos 80, portanto quase 10 anos antes da Guerra Infinita que cunhou na criação do Thanos. Muitos dos temas levados para os super-heróis já apareceram nessa obra, uma Space Opera de enredo cativante, protagonizada por personagens multidimensionais e parábolas pertinentes para nosso mundo capitalista, belicoso e preconceituoso.
O cerne de Dreadstar gira em torno de uma guerra mantida pelas duas maiores potências conhecidas do universo, mas não para dar vitória a um lado, e sim para manter o status quo das classes dominante, que se tornam cada vez mais milionárias. E isso ocorre em ambos os lados. Os planetas mais periféricos e de populações mais vulneráveis e empobrecidas que acabam pagando o preço. Mortes, genocídios e a destruição de planetas inteiros. Dá para ver muita similaridade com Star Wars, mas com essa dualidade política melhor empregada, mais próxima da série clássica de Star Trek.
Dreadstar foi escrito e desenhado por Jim Starlin para o selo Marvel Epic, que tinha a intenção de trazer quadrinhos com temáticas mais adultas. Uma espécie de concorrente do selo Vertigo, da DC (que acabou produzindo obras bem mais impressionantes no geral). Nesse caso aqui, não deixa nada a desejar para a qualidade do que vimos em Vertigo. Eu ainda sou certamente mais maravilhado com Sandman e Monstro do Pântano, por exemplo, mas acho que Dreadstar possui um ritmo de leitura mais cativante. É uma leitura muito gostosa para se fazer nos finais de semana. Estou pronto para ler os outros 2 volumes do omnibus.
Nesse volume 1, temos duas séries prequels de Dreadstar, mas que foram feitas depois pelo Jim Starlin. Por mais que elas contem realmente a origem da coisa toda, TALVEZ seja mais interessante começar direto pela série clássica do Dreadstar, e voltar para ler as prequels. Eu não fiz assim, mas talvez tivesse apreciado mais.
April 25, 2020
A 200 year old war between two warring superpowers has torn apart a galaxy leading to indescribable death and destruction. Into this comes the last survivor of the long destroyed Milky Way Galaxy, Vanth Dreadstar. Leading a small band of rebels, he's determined to end the war that has cost so many their lives. The stakes are simultaneously universal in scale and very personal.
Writer and artist Jim Starlin is probably best known for creating Thanos for Marvel Comics, but for my money, Dreadstar is his best work. A high concept space opera, he tells an amazing story in Volume 1, which collects the first 12 issues of the Dreadstar series.
In this volume, you are introduced to each of the main characters and learn the individual stories that brought them to the collective point they have reached. There's an incredible amount of action in these stories, some timely sly humor and an exploration of the horrors of ceaseless war.
Dreadstar and his crew are a fantastic grouping of characters. The ex-priest Syzygy Darklock, the cybernetic telepath Willow, the feline Oedi who was once a peaceful farmer turned death-dealing soldier, the smuggler Skeevo who might be seen as comic relief but can be counted on in a pinch.
I suppose those familiar with Thanos might find a little bit of him in the villain of this piece, the Lord High Papal. The head of the Instrumentality, the religious zealots who rule half the galaxy and keep their power through intimidation and mass inquisitions, Papal is every bit the evil madman you'd expect him to be.
The storytelling and art are just great. I've been a fan of this series since first discovering it so long ago. The entire run by Jim Starlin was recently collected into three massive hardcover omnibus collections. I'd love to get them but they are a bit pricey. However, it would be good to have them and re-read the entire legacy. It is one of the best comics I've ever read and this first collection will leave you wanting more.
Writer and artist Jim Starlin is probably best known for creating Thanos for Marvel Comics, but for my money, Dreadstar is his best work. A high concept space opera, he tells an amazing story in Volume 1, which collects the first 12 issues of the Dreadstar series.
In this volume, you are introduced to each of the main characters and learn the individual stories that brought them to the collective point they have reached. There's an incredible amount of action in these stories, some timely sly humor and an exploration of the horrors of ceaseless war.
Dreadstar and his crew are a fantastic grouping of characters. The ex-priest Syzygy Darklock, the cybernetic telepath Willow, the feline Oedi who was once a peaceful farmer turned death-dealing soldier, the smuggler Skeevo who might be seen as comic relief but can be counted on in a pinch.
I suppose those familiar with Thanos might find a little bit of him in the villain of this piece, the Lord High Papal. The head of the Instrumentality, the religious zealots who rule half the galaxy and keep their power through intimidation and mass inquisitions, Papal is every bit the evil madman you'd expect him to be.
The storytelling and art are just great. I've been a fan of this series since first discovering it so long ago. The entire run by Jim Starlin was recently collected into three massive hardcover omnibus collections. I'd love to get them but they are a bit pricey. However, it would be good to have them and re-read the entire legacy. It is one of the best comics I've ever read and this first collection will leave you wanting more.
March 9, 2020
I don't think I can impress upon you enough how amazing this series is. Aside from the fact it is drawn and created by Jim Starlin one of the best artists and creative writers in the history of comics (beyond creating Thanos his Warlock series is criminally underrated) it is a tightly plotted epic adventure in space. The reason this series will always be in my top 5 of best series ever (Elfquest and the start of Cerebus is also there) is because Jim took the time to plot it out in advance and little cookies planted in issue 3 pay off in issue 18. There are wins and losses in this epic and even though we feel the heroes will win there are times when their mission of bringing an end to a 200 year galactic war seems hopeless. Every character is fully realized with distinct personalities and distinct interactions with the other characters. And there is HUMOUR. I emphasize that because as dark and dramatic it gets there are touches of humour that humanize these characters.
The biggest shame is that Dynamite published this first collection but the second one seems impossible to find (not sure if it ever got printed) but Starlin did independently publish three Omnibuses of this series recently and those Omnibuses are now trickling into the main market for sale (they were originally only for sale through a kickstarter campaign).
Do these stories hold up 40 years later? I sure think so. If I only had 5 comic book stories to take with me for a desert island - this would be one of them.
The biggest shame is that Dynamite published this first collection but the second one seems impossible to find (not sure if it ever got printed) but Starlin did independently publish three Omnibuses of this series recently and those Omnibuses are now trickling into the main market for sale (they were originally only for sale through a kickstarter campaign).
Do these stories hold up 40 years later? I sure think so. If I only had 5 comic book stories to take with me for a desert island - this would be one of them.
February 8, 2025
Three stars of an incredible artist skill of Jim Starlin. He conquered the comic narrative very well.
My favorite character is Willow.
The worst thing is the similarities of the evil one and his church with the Catholic Church (The Lord Papal and the Church of Instrumentality.)
As a Catholic I am so tired of the subliminal attacks to my faith and the lack of criticism of Communism, Islamic Republics or Gender Ideology.
Most of the artists nowadays attack easy targets and they don't dare to go against the system.
Still I am waiting for a comic book denouncing the drama of Abortion and the Evil Machinery of Planned Parenthood.
We are full of cowards.
The Catholic Church is an easy target. I challenge comic creators to be bolder and to attack the ones who really rule the world and cause so many innocent victims. But that doesn't give profit. And Comic Book industry is a tame beast
My favorite character is Willow.
The worst thing is the similarities of the evil one and his church with the Catholic Church (The Lord Papal and the Church of Instrumentality.)
As a Catholic I am so tired of the subliminal attacks to my faith and the lack of criticism of Communism, Islamic Republics or Gender Ideology.
Most of the artists nowadays attack easy targets and they don't dare to go against the system.
Still I am waiting for a comic book denouncing the drama of Abortion and the Evil Machinery of Planned Parenthood.
We are full of cowards.
The Catholic Church is an easy target. I challenge comic creators to be bolder and to attack the ones who really rule the world and cause so many innocent victims. But that doesn't give profit. And Comic Book industry is a tame beast
May 24, 2020
4 / 5 for Dreadstar Omnibus 1
I loved this series when I first read, and have done ever since.
Dreadstar was the very first comic I'd read under Marvels new Epic imprint. I loved the future sci-fi slant of the comic, which was a breath of fresh air from the many superhero comics I'd been reading for years.
Starlin's artwork and story was, and still is fantastic,re-readable and enjoyable now, not feeling dated at all.
Highly recommended to comic fans.
I loved this series when I first read, and have done ever since.
Dreadstar was the very first comic I'd read under Marvels new Epic imprint. I loved the future sci-fi slant of the comic, which was a breath of fresh air from the many superhero comics I'd been reading for years.
Starlin's artwork and story was, and still is fantastic,re-readable and enjoyable now, not feeling dated at all.
Highly recommended to comic fans.
June 7, 2017
Starlins magnum opus
Vanth Dreadstar. Syzgzy. Willow. Oedi. The grand papal. The monarchy. The instrumentality. Original the flagship title for marvels epic, this is the comic all that Jim did before, led to.
Vanth Dreadstar. Syzgzy. Willow. Oedi. The grand papal. The monarchy. The instrumentality. Original the flagship title for marvels epic, this is the comic all that Jim did before, led to.
June 6, 2024
Jim Starlin (best known as the creator of Thanos and a go-to writer in the 70s and 80s) is just one of the best and Dreadstar is a great old school sci-fi feature. I’m really surprised this never got a tv or movie adaptation.
December 10, 2018
No importa las veces que lo relea, me sigue encantando :)
November 16, 2020
Dreadstar was the reason I started collecting comics back in 1986 rather than being just an occasional reader but having read these stories for the last time back in the early 90s as a teenager all that I could remember was that the space opera saga of Vanth Dreadstar had thrilled me somehow.
Today it is obvious that these stories have aged but they still have a great impact on me. Dreadstar and his team of freedom fighters trying to end the 200 years old war between two galactic empires, written and drawn by Jim Starlin a legendary author always known for his precious and elegant text along with his stellar art that evokes the best that Marvel and DC have ever published past and present. ( to be continued ).
Today it is obvious that these stories have aged but they still have a great impact on me. Dreadstar and his team of freedom fighters trying to end the 200 years old war between two galactic empires, written and drawn by Jim Starlin a legendary author always known for his precious and elegant text along with his stellar art that evokes the best that Marvel and DC have ever published past and present. ( to be continued ).
December 31, 2016
Classic space opera comic.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews