Star Slammers: The Complete Collection

Star Slammers #1-8

by Walter Simonson

Before Walter Simonson's work with Marvel and DC, there was Star Slammers, a series first devised by Simonson during his college days. The Slammers would later be resurrected as a Marvel graphic novel, and then a miniseries. Simonson describes it thus: "Once upon a time, there was a race of men who could out-shoot, out-fight, and out-kill anybody. They were paid fabulous sums to act as mercenaries. The practice became so lucrative, they decided to go into business. They became the most successful businessmen in history, and they called themselves...The Star Slammers!"
The collected Star Slammers also features-published here for the very first time-Simonson's earliest version of the Slammers created for his college thesis at the Rhode Island School of Design. These stories predate his first professional comics work but strongly show the artist's keen sense of composition and design.
The first printing of this book will contain a bound-in signature plate, signed by Walter Simonson! Included in every copy of the book at no extra charge, and strictly limited to the first printing!

Genres: Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Fiction

300 pages, Hardcover

First published June 3, 2015

About the author

Walt Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' Thor from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned work Star Slammers, which he inaugurated in 1972 as a Rhode Island School of Design thesis. He has also worked on other Marvel titles such as X-Factor and Fantastic Four, on DC Comics books including Detective Comics, Manhunter, Metal Men and Orion, and on licensed properties such as Star Wars, Alien, Battlestar Galactica and Robocop vs. Terminator.

He is married to comics writer Louise Simonson, with whom he collaborated as penciller on X-Factor from 1988 to 1989, and with whom he made a cameo appearance in the 2011 Thor feature film.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Didn't really like this one; it didn't keep my attention much. Maybe because it felt like it dropped into the middle of a story without any inkling of what was going on or why.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This was some of the best artwork I've ever seen from Walt Simonson. I think that's partly due to the remastering, but more because this is material close to his heart. The stories do sort of drop you in middle and you have to pick things up as you go along, but if you stick with it you get a great space opera.

[Santiago L. Moreno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una de esas "joyas" de juventud cuya lectura defrauda un tanto. Esta edición integral contiene aquella novela gráfica del pasado, también la miniserie posterior de cinco capítulos titulada "Las agendas minoanas", algún pequeño añadido en blanco y negro y, de nuevo sin color, la creación original que ayudó a que Washington ganara para su ciudad la World SciFi Con de 1974.
La novela gráfica presenta a la estirpe de los Star Slammers, guerreros galácticos de alquiler con fuerza y maneras de superhéroe. Se trata de una space opera de exterminio y venganza con un elemento de ciencia ficción, la omnimente, que no siendo original es, quizás, lo más interesante.
La miniserie es bastante mejor, aunque la presencia de los Star Slammers se limite a uno de sus miembros. Mejor trama, mejores personajes (la coronel Phaedra es todo un descubrimiento) e incluso mejor dibujo, que al fin y al cabo es el aspecto más reseñable, con diferencia, de este volumen. Junto a la historia amateur fundacional que viene tras esta serie, se añade, como extra, una selección de ilustraciones de altura.
Walter Simonson demuestra con creces en este tomo por qué es uno de los grandes dibujantes del cómic americano. El apartado gráfico es una pasada, suficiente por sí mismo para arrojar un resultado satisfactorio.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful Simonson art and a very good story. Very recommended

[Scott wachter · Rating 3 out of 5]

what the hell did i just read?

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great artwork. The stories are all a bit thin, but not without some charm.

[Devero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walt Simonson è uno dei miei disegnatori preferiti, ed anche come scrittore non è affato male.
Questo volume pertanto ha una duplice valenza: in coda ci sono le storielle di 5 pagine sugli Star Slammers che lui scrisse quando era studente, per pubblicizzare la candidatura di Washington per la convention SF del 1972, più un altro paio di storielle precedenti, frutto di un programma scolastico.
Vediamo che già da ragazzo aveva una mano discreta e una certa grezza inventiva. Dopo che iniziò la carriera, prima come disegnatore e poi come autore completo, osserviamo svilupparsi questo concept degli Star Slammers: una razza di mercenari, abilissimi, avvolti da un'aura di invincibilità e con lo scopo ben preciso di accumulare armamenti di ogni tipo. Quanto è narrato nella GN a loro dedicata è la storia delle loro origini come popolo, un mito fondativo, magari non sviluppato in modo profondo, ma decisamente concreto. Ci dice tra l'altro che gli Slammers non sono invincibili, ma fanno di tutto per apparire tali.
Quindi viene la mini che scrisse e disegnò per l'etichetta Bravura della Malibu. Qui il tratto è decisamente maturo e la storia di Rojas e delle congiure Minoane è ben orchestrata, anche se non tutto viene spiegato. C'è molta fantascienza in questa storia, più che nelle altre.
L'unica pecca a mio parere è la colorazione troppo carica di molte pagine, che tende a coprire il tratto di Simonson.
4 stelle e mezza.

[Julian]

This is a beautiful volume collecting the first story (1983 I guess) and the second (mid 90s). I never read the originals. The reproductions here are great and there is a solid intro by Walt discussing the Slammers' origins as a promo comic for the effort to win Washington DC as a spot for a 1974 SF convention (they did.) He then matured and brought his work to another level for work at RISD, which is reproduced (B&W). The latter stuff I found mostly interesting to see where his composition and design evolve into the great Goodwin/Walt Manhunter stuff in Detective. (not that much further in the future.)

As SF stories, they probably won't rock your world, but for those who love Walt's art, they are a must + the stories are pulpy and enjoyable fun.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amalgama de space opera y ciencia ficción militarista, el proyecto más personal en la carrera de Walter Simonson refleja tanto sus intereses personales (la escuela europea de historieta, la novela "Dune" que firma Frank Herbert) como su propia evolución artística y narrativa. Tres historias intensas, dinámicas y muy bien relatadas sobre una raza de temibles mercenarios espaciales donde el autor atestigua su legado profesional.

[Erik Deckers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Slammer stories I never knew

I read the original Star Slammers graphic novel in the 80s and loved it. I recently went looking for the book and found it on Kindle. I liked the new story and the look back at Walt's original drawings and stories in 1971. The second story was harder to follow, so I'll have to re-read it.

[Peter Holz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably enjoyed this a lot more than I should have, considering it is fairly standard meat and potatoes space adventure fare. However, the stories were told with flair, plenty of witty repartee between characters and a solid use of technical jargon. I am also a huge fan of Walter Simonson's art, and this did not disappoint with terrific attention to detail and some truly epic panels.

[Bryan Variell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hidden gem 💎

Look if you love old school comics then this is for you form the art to the story. I loved it.

[Maik Krüger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The collection shows off Simonson's skill developing from art school up into his professional career. The stories are well written and the characters awesome, just as you want it in a comic book.

[Dast Cover]

Muy buena edición.

[Zintulo Deyuno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Masterworks of Comic: Star Slammers La colección completa.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Star Slammers: The Complete Collection' is exactly as advertised. This is a series that Walter Simonson created before some of his more famous works, like his legendary run on The Mighty Thor.

The Star Slammers are a bunch of amazing warriors who take on mercenary jobs for huge pay. They are the very best fighters and there are a whole planet full of them. The problem is that the planet, which has been secret, has become known to a group of hunters now and the the Star Slammers are in danger. But they've got some secret weapons like the Silver Mind which they can use to link themselves together to become even stronger. We learn some of the backstories of some of the main Star Slammers featured in this story arc. We also learn there are probably more stories that could be told in this universe.

The series began life as a black and white ashcan from the early 1970s, which is not included in this collection. What you do get is the Marvel graphic novel from the 1980s and the miniseries that Walt did in the mid-90s. It's a lot of material. And the art is very much what we expect from Mr. Simonson. It's great stuff. The story is very cosmic, so if you like Guardians of the Galaxy, this is right up your alley. There have been hints of more stories in this series coming, so stay tuned.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two separate tales in this volume. The first provides a glimpse at early Star Slammer history with the final confrontation with the Orions. The second tale involves the capture of a Star Slammer by the Minoan Empire. There is skullduggery by one of the races of the Empire against the Emperor that is partially foiled when the Star Slammer and Col. Phaeora make common cause against the conspirator. Plenty of action and intrigue makes this a fun read!

[Britt Wisenbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walt Simonson has produced many great works of graphic fiction. This is my favorite. The notion of a race of super warriors who hire themselves out as the ultimate mercenaries in order to acquire the skills, material and income to afford to go to war with an empire is an engaging one. We get to meet more than one generation of these people, as they struggle to survive and to overcome.

[Peter Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

STAR SLAMMERS is still a favorite of mine of Mr. Simonson's work. It expresses so much energy on every page!! It is a great inspiration to me, and belongs on or propped nearby every artist's art board, never mind the bookshelf!!!

[Albert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost gave this a one-star (the writing is very lacking), but Simonson's artwork is just fantastic.

[Rahadyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part of this book was reading the original work Mr. Simonson created while at Rhode Island School of Design.

[Desire Manara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edición mexicana de la colección Masterworks of Comic.

[Dony Grayman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colección Masterworks of Comics con la historia completa. Edición mexicana importada oficialmente, creo.

[Vincent Stoessel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The slammers stories are no match for the original graphic novel that kick off this collection but, it's Simonson, so it's still pretty good. Nice treat to see the original 1974 version of the slammers that Simonson created in art school as well.