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Starlight #1-6
Starlight
Forty years ago, Duke McQueen was the space hero who saved the universe. But then he came back home, got married, had kids, and grew old. Now his children have left and his wife has passed away, leaving him alone with nothing except his memories...until a call comes from a distant world asking him back for his final and greatest adventure. Collects Starlight #1-6.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2015
23 people are currently reading
745 people want to read
About the author
Mark Millar
1,514 books2,561 followersMark Millar is the New York Times best-selling writer of Wanted, the Kick-Ass series, The Secret Service, Jupiter’s Legacy, Jupiter’s Circle, Nemesis, Superior, Super Crooks, American Jesus, MPH, Starlight, and Chrononauts. Wanted, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, and The Secret Service (as Kingsman: The Secret Service) have been adapted into feature films, and Nemesis, Superior, Starlight, War Heroes, Jupiter’s Legacy and Chrononauts are in development at major studios.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
November 24, 2025
(A-) 83% | Very Good
Notes: A sparkling start, just full of heart, on loss and fighting back, can feel cliché but charm for days and art is crackerjack.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #1-2 ◦ Issues #3-4 ◦ Issues #5-6
Notes: A sparkling start, just full of heart, on loss and fighting back, can feel cliché but charm for days and art is crackerjack.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #1-2 ◦ Issues #3-4 ◦ Issues #5-6
October 29, 2017
Millar writes a good comic, and that's why I picked this one up. It was based on his name alone, I didn't need to know anything else.
Normally in my stories, I like realism. It's what I strive for in my own writing, and I appreciate it when I find it in other work. What's more, I'm often bothered by the lack of realism in stories, whether they be comics, books, or movies and TV shows.
But there are different types of realism, and some of them I care about more than others. I don't care as much if some abstract piece of quantum physics isn't perfect in a book. Similarly, I don't mind if a book isn't perfectly historically accurate. (So long as it's not being willfully deceptive.)
The most important type of realism for me is... I don't know what you might call it. Personal realism? Psychological realism? Character Realism?
What I mean is this. The most important type of realism for me, is that people have to act like real people. Humans have to behave with humanity.
This book does that. It starts with the premise of, "What if a man actually went out and had some two-fisted 1950's pulp-style adventures on another planet, then came home and nobody believed him?" We meet that character decades later, after his wife and love of his life has died.
If you accept that these sort of one-man-against-the-world adventures are possible, this story feels very real because the emotional arc of the characters works. And what happens through this self-contained book works very well, playing off a familiar but favorite trope: One Good Man Willing to Die for a Good Cause can be a nearly unstoppable force.
It's nice to read a story like that these days. It's nice to think that being good, and brave, and stubborn is enough to triumph against Tyranny and Evil. I need a little bit of that in my life every now and then.
Normally in my stories, I like realism. It's what I strive for in my own writing, and I appreciate it when I find it in other work. What's more, I'm often bothered by the lack of realism in stories, whether they be comics, books, or movies and TV shows.
But there are different types of realism, and some of them I care about more than others. I don't care as much if some abstract piece of quantum physics isn't perfect in a book. Similarly, I don't mind if a book isn't perfectly historically accurate. (So long as it's not being willfully deceptive.)
The most important type of realism for me is... I don't know what you might call it. Personal realism? Psychological realism? Character Realism?
What I mean is this. The most important type of realism for me, is that people have to act like real people. Humans have to behave with humanity.
This book does that. It starts with the premise of, "What if a man actually went out and had some two-fisted 1950's pulp-style adventures on another planet, then came home and nobody believed him?" We meet that character decades later, after his wife and love of his life has died.
If you accept that these sort of one-man-against-the-world adventures are possible, this story feels very real because the emotional arc of the characters works. And what happens through this self-contained book works very well, playing off a familiar but favorite trope: One Good Man Willing to Die for a Good Cause can be a nearly unstoppable force.
It's nice to read a story like that these days. It's nice to think that being good, and brave, and stubborn is enough to triumph against Tyranny and Evil. I need a little bit of that in my life every now and then.
July 16, 2018
a very strong 4 stars for issue #1. a story both melancholy and wondrous. Millar parallels the current life of an old man in the prosaic here & now, mourning his beloved wife and missing his self-absorbed sons, with that old man's fabulous earlier life as a Flash Gordon type hero, saving a brightly hued fairy tale planet from its oppressor, having amazing adventures, and then leaving it all to travel back to Earth, to his girl. I loved how Starlight shows that those amazing adventures were equal to the loving relationship our hero had with his wife. and the story has just enough irony and cheekiness to save it from being a tragic one. instead, issue #1 is wistful and entirely moving. the art by Goran Parlov is beautiful, the perfect accompaniment to a sublime tale.
if only it had ended there! the arrival of a space boy seeking help was amusing, and the art stayed beautiful. and so I was looking forward to Flash Gordon type adventures in the remaining 5 issues - adventures experienced by a wiser, more mournful hero; told with a similar cheek and irony, empathy and intelligence. alas! 'twas not to be. instead we have 5 issues of corny, unimaginative 1 star bullshit. I don't mind retro adventures in the least, but this sure was some disappointing stupidity.
an excellent opportunity, unbelievably squandered. but that first issue though! not sure it made the whole experience worthwhile, but at least it gave this catastrophe an extra star? let's make some lemonade.
if only it had ended there! the arrival of a space boy seeking help was amusing, and the art stayed beautiful. and so I was looking forward to Flash Gordon type adventures in the remaining 5 issues - adventures experienced by a wiser, more mournful hero; told with a similar cheek and irony, empathy and intelligence. alas! 'twas not to be. instead we have 5 issues of corny, unimaginative 1 star bullshit. I don't mind retro adventures in the least, but this sure was some disappointing stupidity.
an excellent opportunity, unbelievably squandered. but that first issue though! not sure it made the whole experience worthwhile, but at least it gave this catastrophe an extra star? let's make some lemonade.
March 7, 2015
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews
I’ve always loved swashbuckling sci-fi adventures – stories in the mold of Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter, Robert E. Howard’s Almuric, or Michael Kane as penned by Michael Moorcock. These tales about earthmen being swept across the galaxy, deposited upon alien worlds, and having to vanquish all the evil natives in sight has always entertained me.
Now, before anyone says it, I know these type of stories are sugar-coated testosterone fantasies with large than life men and scantily-clad females. But every once in a while, there isn’t anything wrong with indulging in that, is there?
As I’ve gotten older (Yeah, it happens to all of us no matter how hard we resist) the charm of these young swashbuckling supermen has diminished somewhat. (Guess, I just do not relate to them as much since I’m not a young, would-be superman anymore.) But when I stumbled upon Mark Millar’s quirky twist on this old favorite, I had to give it a try.
Starlight tells the tale of Duke McQueen; a one time astronaut who forty years ago found himself cast across the universe to an alien world. Once there, he became a swashbuckling legend, helping the adoring natives cast off the chains of slavery, vanquish a vile overlord, and earn a place at the side of a beautiful queen. But guess what?
Duke McQueen gave up all the fame and adoration to return home to earth. There he found no one believed his stories. Instead, he was labeled a delusional nut-job and exited stage right to a small town and an invisible job with his loving wife.
Years have passed. Duke McQueen isn’t a young guy anymore. His kids have grown up, married and have kids of their own. His wife has recently passed away. In fact, Duke is beginning to feel that life has nothing left for him . . . . until a spaceship piloted by a strange boy from the world he once saved comes begging the hero McQueen to save his home once again!
Will the elder Duke McQueen go back to the alien world where he was once a savior?
What will he find there?
And can he be the hero that he once was?
From this great premise, Mark Millar crafts an outstanding homage to those old sci-fi swashbuckling tales, showing Duke McQueen as a John Carter-type hero and then revealing what forty years of life have done to the once superman. And as he does it, a solid story develops that makes you understand Duke, empathize with his life choices, and dare to hope that somehow an older guy can still find a way to remain a hero and ride off into the sunset one last time.
As for the artwork, Goran Parlov has a unique style that really works here. While it might not be the most spectacular art I’ve ever seen, it still draws the eyes, seamlessly advances the story, and clearly delineates the real world of earth from the alien vistas that Duke McQueen has seen before and now has returned to.
Obviously, I enjoyed Starlight. It was a great twist on the old sci-fi swashbuckling tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs and others that delivered an exciting narrative that anyone can enjoy and appreciate – especially middle aged guys who wish they could relive their glory days.
Image Comics and Netgalley provided this book to me for free in return for an honest review. The review above was not paid for or influenced in any way by any person, entity or organization, but is my own personal opinions.
I’ve always loved swashbuckling sci-fi adventures – stories in the mold of Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter, Robert E. Howard’s Almuric, or Michael Kane as penned by Michael Moorcock. These tales about earthmen being swept across the galaxy, deposited upon alien worlds, and having to vanquish all the evil natives in sight has always entertained me.
Now, before anyone says it, I know these type of stories are sugar-coated testosterone fantasies with large than life men and scantily-clad females. But every once in a while, there isn’t anything wrong with indulging in that, is there?
As I’ve gotten older (Yeah, it happens to all of us no matter how hard we resist) the charm of these young swashbuckling supermen has diminished somewhat. (Guess, I just do not relate to them as much since I’m not a young, would-be superman anymore.) But when I stumbled upon Mark Millar’s quirky twist on this old favorite, I had to give it a try.
Starlight tells the tale of Duke McQueen; a one time astronaut who forty years ago found himself cast across the universe to an alien world. Once there, he became a swashbuckling legend, helping the adoring natives cast off the chains of slavery, vanquish a vile overlord, and earn a place at the side of a beautiful queen. But guess what?
Duke McQueen gave up all the fame and adoration to return home to earth. There he found no one believed his stories. Instead, he was labeled a delusional nut-job and exited stage right to a small town and an invisible job with his loving wife.
Years have passed. Duke McQueen isn’t a young guy anymore. His kids have grown up, married and have kids of their own. His wife has recently passed away. In fact, Duke is beginning to feel that life has nothing left for him . . . . until a spaceship piloted by a strange boy from the world he once saved comes begging the hero McQueen to save his home once again!
Will the elder Duke McQueen go back to the alien world where he was once a savior?
What will he find there?
And can he be the hero that he once was?
From this great premise, Mark Millar crafts an outstanding homage to those old sci-fi swashbuckling tales, showing Duke McQueen as a John Carter-type hero and then revealing what forty years of life have done to the once superman. And as he does it, a solid story develops that makes you understand Duke, empathize with his life choices, and dare to hope that somehow an older guy can still find a way to remain a hero and ride off into the sunset one last time.
As for the artwork, Goran Parlov has a unique style that really works here. While it might not be the most spectacular art I’ve ever seen, it still draws the eyes, seamlessly advances the story, and clearly delineates the real world of earth from the alien vistas that Duke McQueen has seen before and now has returned to.
Obviously, I enjoyed Starlight. It was a great twist on the old sci-fi swashbuckling tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs and others that delivered an exciting narrative that anyone can enjoy and appreciate – especially middle aged guys who wish they could relive their glory days.
Image Comics and Netgalley provided this book to me for free in return for an honest review. The review above was not paid for or influenced in any way by any person, entity or organization, but is my own personal opinions.
October 24, 2014
As a much younger man, Duke McQueen saved an alien world called Tantalus from the baddies and became their hero. Then he returned to Earth and no-one believed him, not even his own family. Today, Duke’s a grandfather whose wife has passed away and his kids have grown up and started families of their own. Then a spaceship arrives on his front lawn and a young boy from Tantalus steps out – they need Duke McQueen to help them again.
I quite like the setup, which is a twist on the adventure pulps of the early 20th century but, wow, Mark Millar’s script is pure faecal matter! He completely trashes what could’ve been a half-decent story with his lazy horseshit writing.
I mean, the influences are so obvious – Buck Rogers, Star Wars, to name a couple – as to be almost cut’n’pasted into this comic wholesale! Here’s a female Han Solo-type, behaving just like Han Solo! Here’s the rebel base on Endor! Here’s Buck Rogers aka Duke McQueen!
The characters couldn’t be more one-dimensional. Duke is the hero, Starboy is his sidekick, the Kingfisher is the villain, that’s it. Their motivations are equally simple – hero wants to stop villain who in turn just wants to enslave everyone to get boringly rich. And Duke is so invincible – even as an old man – that there’s zero tension in watching him demolish hordes of alien soldiers. He’s never in any danger because he’s the hero. Can you get more contrived?
The “plot” is so horribly predictable it’s insulting to the reader. Duke arrives on the planet to save everyone – guess what happens in the end? Starboy’s parents were killed by some sneering villain, and he promises that he’ll avenge his parents and kill their killer - guess what happens in the end? When Duke and Starboy get thrown into an alien cell, they meet an unusually friendly character who plies them for information on the rebels – duh, d’you think he’s a spy working for the bad guys?
There isn’t a single redeeming feature to Millar’s writing on this book. It is straight up cold-hearted and brazenly cynical all the way through. The only quality about the book I liked was Goran Parlov’s art. His work with Garth Ennis on Fury MAX and The Punisher was excellent and the art in this book is no less brilliant. The comic looks like an 80s space opera, in the best possible way. Fresh, exciting, a bit simplistic but no less compelling to look at, though, like I said, some of the designs are unashamedly pulled straight out of Star Wars.
In the lead up to this series, Millar said Starlight would be the book that unites his many Millarworld books – and it totally doesn’t. More fool me, I know, given that Millar is the PT Barnum of comics, but still, does this man have any integrity at all?
The latest Millarworld releases have been exceedingly sub-par: The Secret Service was woeful, Kick Ass 3 was a helluva disappointment, as was Jupiter’s Legacy (which is plagued with delays, though that’s down to Frank Quitely rather than Millar), and MPH is arguably the worst thing Millar’s written, though Starlight comes close to claiming that title! What a miserable place the Millarworld is.
Mark Millar could not have written a more bland, generic space adventure comic than Starlight. I’m flabbergasted that anyone could have anything remotely positive to say about something this void of originality, imagination or soul.
Oh god, why am I still talking about this shitty book!? Fuck Mark Millar and fuck Starlight!
I quite like the setup, which is a twist on the adventure pulps of the early 20th century but, wow, Mark Millar’s script is pure faecal matter! He completely trashes what could’ve been a half-decent story with his lazy horseshit writing.
I mean, the influences are so obvious – Buck Rogers, Star Wars, to name a couple – as to be almost cut’n’pasted into this comic wholesale! Here’s a female Han Solo-type, behaving just like Han Solo! Here’s the rebel base on Endor! Here’s Buck Rogers aka Duke McQueen!
The characters couldn’t be more one-dimensional. Duke is the hero, Starboy is his sidekick, the Kingfisher is the villain, that’s it. Their motivations are equally simple – hero wants to stop villain who in turn just wants to enslave everyone to get boringly rich. And Duke is so invincible – even as an old man – that there’s zero tension in watching him demolish hordes of alien soldiers. He’s never in any danger because he’s the hero. Can you get more contrived?
The “plot” is so horribly predictable it’s insulting to the reader. Duke arrives on the planet to save everyone – guess what happens in the end? Starboy’s parents were killed by some sneering villain, and he promises that he’ll avenge his parents and kill their killer - guess what happens in the end? When Duke and Starboy get thrown into an alien cell, they meet an unusually friendly character who plies them for information on the rebels – duh, d’you think he’s a spy working for the bad guys?
There isn’t a single redeeming feature to Millar’s writing on this book. It is straight up cold-hearted and brazenly cynical all the way through. The only quality about the book I liked was Goran Parlov’s art. His work with Garth Ennis on Fury MAX and The Punisher was excellent and the art in this book is no less brilliant. The comic looks like an 80s space opera, in the best possible way. Fresh, exciting, a bit simplistic but no less compelling to look at, though, like I said, some of the designs are unashamedly pulled straight out of Star Wars.
In the lead up to this series, Millar said Starlight would be the book that unites his many Millarworld books – and it totally doesn’t. More fool me, I know, given that Millar is the PT Barnum of comics, but still, does this man have any integrity at all?
The latest Millarworld releases have been exceedingly sub-par: The Secret Service was woeful, Kick Ass 3 was a helluva disappointment, as was Jupiter’s Legacy (which is plagued with delays, though that’s down to Frank Quitely rather than Millar), and MPH is arguably the worst thing Millar’s written, though Starlight comes close to claiming that title! What a miserable place the Millarworld is.
Mark Millar could not have written a more bland, generic space adventure comic than Starlight. I’m flabbergasted that anyone could have anything remotely positive to say about something this void of originality, imagination or soul.
Oh god, why am I still talking about this shitty book!? Fuck Mark Millar and fuck Starlight!
February 22, 2015
The dining table scene from issue 1 broke me.
May 16, 2015
3.5 stars if I could.
Above everything - this was a fun story to read. No, the story wasn't original, and yes, it was all very predictable. Despite those two glaring flaws, however, it was still a heck of a fun romp through a pulpy universe that throws us back to the Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers days.
I loved the whole premise of the aging hero having to stand up to his adversaries. I loved the complexities of Duke McQueen struggling to regain the glory from his youth.
Really, I just flat out loved the whole thing. It didn't bring anything new to the table - and I don't even care. It was fun. And really fun is why I read comic books.
September 19, 2025
The book reads like an homage to early sci-fi pulp of the Flash Gordon era, and it works, even when it tries to subvert expectations. For me, Millar's writing tends to skew towards cruelty and dehumanisation, almost to a nihilistic degree, but Starlight is full of heart and in some ways, even wholesome.
The art is delightful, bordering on Moebius-like.
One of Millar's better works.
(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)
The art is delightful, bordering on Moebius-like.
One of Millar's better works.
(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)
November 7, 2015
Bullet Review:
I think the strongest elements of this were in the first 2 issues. The rest is just kinda cheesy and by-the-books (particularly the traitor - that was weird).
That said, I did enjoy myself immensely; it was a lot of fun to read, as long as you turned off your brain and didn't think too hard.
I think the strongest elements of this were in the first 2 issues. The rest is just kinda cheesy and by-the-books (particularly the traitor - that was weird).
That said, I did enjoy myself immensely; it was a lot of fun to read, as long as you turned off your brain and didn't think too hard.
September 18, 2019
This comic doesn't get nearly all it could out of its main gimmick.
It takes an old-fashioned two-fisted planetary romance hero into another heroic outing when he's old and washed up and a legend of the people he saved... but in spite of numerous reassurings of such, he doesn't feel old. He's precisely as capable as any young hero of a story like this would be, physically fit, not remotely forgotten his old skills or instinct, and the character shield is still fully active all around him. I wish I could age this gracefully.
It is still nice to see such a hero deal with the aftermath of his heroics, having established himself a legend in one world yet no one believing him in the other, but even so it went only half as far as I'd have liked it to go. It could've done so much more.
It takes an old-fashioned two-fisted planetary romance hero into another heroic outing when he's old and washed up and a legend of the people he saved... but in spite of numerous reassurings of such, he doesn't feel old. He's precisely as capable as any young hero of a story like this would be, physically fit, not remotely forgotten his old skills or instinct, and the character shield is still fully active all around him. I wish I could age this gracefully.
It is still nice to see such a hero deal with the aftermath of his heroics, having established himself a legend in one world yet no one believing him in the other, but even so it went only half as far as I'd have liked it to go. It could've done so much more.
April 14, 2021
Its one of the best reads I have had, its about this guy named Duke Mcquinn who in his younger years went to a planet called Tantalus, a very Flash gordon like adventure and when he came home and told others this, how he saved that world and was hailed a hero, and no one believed him except his wife and 40 years later we have him with his wife passing, his sons busy with their life and until one day when he is feeling down, he goes on one last adventure to fight this new threat on Tantalus vs a guy named Kingfisher and his army and its about him saving the world again and how he rallies people up to believe in themselves and how he gets a second lease on life after that! Its such a great book and deals with concepts like second chances, redemption, unending crazy adventures, get together, importance of forgiveness and all! And the art is just freaking gorgeous! High recommend!
August 28, 2022
Un precioso homenaje a historias como “Una princesa de Marte” de la saga de John Carter, Flash Gordon, Star Wars y definitivamente al género de la espada y planeta. Que siempre me ha parecido muy atractivo por contar aventuras fantasiosas en lugares exóticos con un héroe llegado allí por la casualidad o las circunstancias. Pues algo parecido le ocurre a nuestro protagonista Duke McQueen, que al llegar a un lejano planeta, se convierte en un héroe al derrocar al dictador de dicho planeta. El problema es que al regresar a la Tierra, nadie le cree, ni siquiera sus hijos. Hasta que cuando pasen los años y llegue a la vejez, el planeta que salvó, vuelva a necesitar de su valía.
Una historia encantadora, el mejor Mark Millar, que al igual que lo critique en mi última reseña de Hit Girl, aquí debo agradecerle haberme trasportado a una historia simple, sí, pero muy entretenida y con corazón. Del dibujo que decir, me encanta Goran Parlov, aquí veo reminiscencias a Moebius y a un estilo más europeo que yanqui. Para que luego digan que Mark Millar es todo violencia y cachondeo.
Una historia encantadora, el mejor Mark Millar, que al igual que lo critique en mi última reseña de Hit Girl, aquí debo agradecerle haberme trasportado a una historia simple, sí, pero muy entretenida y con corazón. Del dibujo que decir, me encanta Goran Parlov, aquí veo reminiscencias a Moebius y a un estilo más europeo que yanqui. Para que luego digan que Mark Millar es todo violencia y cachondeo.
March 13, 2015
4.5*
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Duke McQueen is a disgraced ex fighter pilot who in his 20's told a tale of travelling to another world, Tantalus, and battling evil forces to save an alien race from destruction. Only his wife believed his story and he has spent the last 40 years being ridiculed. After losing his wife to cancer he finds his children have no time or respect for him and he is left pondering what life has left for him.
This question is answered when a spaceship from Tantalus brings a young boy with a request that he return and again help save the alien planet. With nothing for him on earth, Duke decides to go and have one last adventure.
I really enjoyed this, it was a fun story and had some nice messages about growing old and how the ageing population are viewed. The beginning was particularly poignant as Duke loses the one person who seemed to believe in him, he is gradually ignored by his kids who are now busy with their own lives and don't want to make time for him anymore. There's a great scene in the beginning where Duke wants to celebrate the first year of his wife's death. As it becomes clear his sons have no interest in coming to the celebration we find that Duke has gone to huge efforts to make the day special. To see Duke sitting dejected amongst his empty dinner party pulled on my heartstrings a little.
The rest of the story is great fun, Duke is full of snappy dialogue and although it doesn't really offer up anything new I liked that the story was about an ageing hero who still wanted to do the right thing.
Artwise it looks pretty nice, the panels are consistent, clean and detailed enough to complement the story, on this one it was more about the story for me than the art.
Overall this was highly enjoyable, a great tale of how age is no barrier to life's adventures. Highly recommended.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Duke McQueen is a disgraced ex fighter pilot who in his 20's told a tale of travelling to another world, Tantalus, and battling evil forces to save an alien race from destruction. Only his wife believed his story and he has spent the last 40 years being ridiculed. After losing his wife to cancer he finds his children have no time or respect for him and he is left pondering what life has left for him.
This question is answered when a spaceship from Tantalus brings a young boy with a request that he return and again help save the alien planet. With nothing for him on earth, Duke decides to go and have one last adventure.
I really enjoyed this, it was a fun story and had some nice messages about growing old and how the ageing population are viewed. The beginning was particularly poignant as Duke loses the one person who seemed to believe in him, he is gradually ignored by his kids who are now busy with their own lives and don't want to make time for him anymore. There's a great scene in the beginning where Duke wants to celebrate the first year of his wife's death. As it becomes clear his sons have no interest in coming to the celebration we find that Duke has gone to huge efforts to make the day special. To see Duke sitting dejected amongst his empty dinner party pulled on my heartstrings a little.
The rest of the story is great fun, Duke is full of snappy dialogue and although it doesn't really offer up anything new I liked that the story was about an ageing hero who still wanted to do the right thing.
Artwise it looks pretty nice, the panels are consistent, clean and detailed enough to complement the story, on this one it was more about the story for me than the art.
Overall this was highly enjoyable, a great tale of how age is no barrier to life's adventures. Highly recommended.
September 23, 2021
It's nice to read something from the days, when Millar could actually write, and was able to deliver story with point. It has everything that it should - action, emotions, good guys saving the world, bad guys getting their ass kicked in cool ways, small boys getting their revenge and oppressed people back their freedom. Partially it was homage to the old stories from 50'-60' but also swift and modern enough for today's readers craving for some space adventure. All in simple but beautiful and colorful art. Great one-piece!
May 8, 2015
This graphic novel is Mark Millar's love song to Edgar Rice Burroughs' pulp science-fantasy adventures of a century ago. It was as inventive and subversive as Millar's past successes Kick-Ass, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and Superman: Red Son, which all took familiar tropes and shook them upside-down to see what would shake out.
I was engaged right from the start of the story. A fighter pilot named Duke McQueen is transported to another world, where he saves them from a tyrant in a series of swashbuckling adventures. When he returns home, nobody except his wife believes him and he is considered a bit of a crackpot. Years later, Duke, now an old man and a widower, is visited by someone from the world he saved, pleading him to return and help them again. And thus begins Starlight...
I won't say more about the plot as not to spoil it, but I will add that while the focus is on action, there are a lot of moments where the reader is reminded of how human -- and past his prime -- the protagonist is, which makes him quite sympathetic. This is definitely a must-read for fans of throwbacks like John Carter, Buck Rogers, and especially of creator Mark Millar.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
I was engaged right from the start of the story. A fighter pilot named Duke McQueen is transported to another world, where he saves them from a tyrant in a series of swashbuckling adventures. When he returns home, nobody except his wife believes him and he is considered a bit of a crackpot. Years later, Duke, now an old man and a widower, is visited by someone from the world he saved, pleading him to return and help them again. And thus begins Starlight...
I won't say more about the plot as not to spoil it, but I will add that while the focus is on action, there are a lot of moments where the reader is reminded of how human -- and past his prime -- the protagonist is, which makes him quite sympathetic. This is definitely a must-read for fans of throwbacks like John Carter, Buck Rogers, and especially of creator Mark Millar.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
August 12, 2017
The art looks like it was drawn using Microsoft Paint and the story is dull. I'm not sure if I have to say much more.
The plot concerns an old man who no one believes went on a crazy space odyssey to save a distant planet. Then one day a young boy from that planet comes to find him - that planet is in danger again from a tyrant ruler! So off we go to save a planet... and then a bunch of random, dull things happen and nothing not totally predictable happens.
The art does have it's moments of beauty. I find that most of it just looks rushed and sketchy. He's a really low grade Moebius. I'd be willing to give him another chance and read another of his books though, so that says something.
For fans of a melodramatic good guy versus bad guy space adventure.
Also, for those of you that have played the popular video game Last of Us, I'm sure you'll recognize Starlight as sharing the name of the comic book featured in that videogame. The comic in the game is called 'Savage Starlight' (Which sounds cooler). One of the main characters reads the comic and the comic is featured in advertisements in the cities (such as on busstops). I'm sure this is just a coincidence, but maybe Millar wrote this script while busy playing video games.
The plot concerns an old man who no one believes went on a crazy space odyssey to save a distant planet. Then one day a young boy from that planet comes to find him - that planet is in danger again from a tyrant ruler! So off we go to save a planet... and then a bunch of random, dull things happen and nothing not totally predictable happens.
The art does have it's moments of beauty. I find that most of it just looks rushed and sketchy. He's a really low grade Moebius. I'd be willing to give him another chance and read another of his books though, so that says something.
For fans of a melodramatic good guy versus bad guy space adventure.
Also, for those of you that have played the popular video game Last of Us, I'm sure you'll recognize Starlight as sharing the name of the comic book featured in that videogame. The comic in the game is called 'Savage Starlight' (Which sounds cooler). One of the main characters reads the comic and the comic is featured in advertisements in the cities (such as on busstops). I'm sure this is just a coincidence, but maybe Millar wrote this script while busy playing video games.
November 21, 2016
Enorme. Conmovedora, èpica, fantàstica...
Des de l'inici (quines quatre vinyetes per narrar la mort de Joanne) fins a les aventures a Tantalus, on l'expressió sense of wonder agafa tot el seu significat.
Una espècie de Buck Rogers (o qualsevol altre heroi pulp a l'estil Flash Gordon) a qui ningú no creu que va salvar una civilització alienígena de jove, ha de tornar al planeta on és un heroi per tornar-lo a rescatar de les mans d'una nova invasió alienígena. Però ara ja no té l'edat d'aleshores...
Tot funciona a la meravella en aquesta novel·la gràfica. Tot. El guió de Millar i les il·lustracions de Parlov aporten un dinamisme que fa que t'enganxis a les aventures de McQueen com un nen petit entrant al cine per primera vegada.
Des de l'inici (quines quatre vinyetes per narrar la mort de Joanne) fins a les aventures a Tantalus, on l'expressió sense of wonder agafa tot el seu significat.
Una espècie de Buck Rogers (o qualsevol altre heroi pulp a l'estil Flash Gordon) a qui ningú no creu que va salvar una civilització alienígena de jove, ha de tornar al planeta on és un heroi per tornar-lo a rescatar de les mans d'una nova invasió alienígena. Però ara ja no té l'edat d'aleshores...
Tot funciona a la meravella en aquesta novel·la gràfica. Tot. El guió de Millar i les il·lustracions de Parlov aporten un dinamisme que fa que t'enganxis a les aventures de McQueen com un nen petit entrant al cine per primera vegada.
January 8, 2016
This was another recommendation from Omnibus collectors group.
A quick short read, and wish it extended beyond the six issues.
Essentially we have Duke McQueen, who 40 years go saved a planet, a was asked to stay as a hero. However, he returns to Earth, and is scorned, as no one believes his story. Now an old man who has just lost his wife, and is alone, as his children are grown and preoccupied with life.
Well all of a sudden , a spaceship shows up and then....
This one had a wonderful old fashioned pulp feel to it.
Enjoy.
A quick short read, and wish it extended beyond the six issues.
Essentially we have Duke McQueen, who 40 years go saved a planet, a was asked to stay as a hero. However, he returns to Earth, and is scorned, as no one believes his story. Now an old man who has just lost his wife, and is alone, as his children are grown and preoccupied with life.
Well all of a sudden , a spaceship shows up and then....
This one had a wonderful old fashioned pulp feel to it.
Enjoy.
June 15, 2015
I will freely admit that there is a certain kind of adventure story for which I am a sucker, and this is in every way, that kind of story. This could actually be that story's grandpa. The art in this was fun and broad and expressive, and Millar's writing - which can go fucking anywhere - went to the most satisfying place it could go. Read this and hand it then to someone younger, which is what I just did.
February 20, 2015
Something very different for Millar. Such a sweet ode to classic swashbuckling space opera. It's a classic story, honestly not all that original made extra lovely by the striking art of Goran Parlov. A perfect little SF tale. Could be one of the year's best collections.
October 16, 2023
4.25 stars. A great change of pace for a Millar book. This one was hopeful, heartwarming, and very thought provoking about ideas in life such as love, heroism, family, and mostly legacy. Really good book!
February 23, 2015
Starlight is Mark Millar’s love letter to Space Age adventure stories.
Starlight introduces readers to Duke McQueen, a one-time air force test pilot. 40 years earlier, Duke flew through a worm hole and wound up on the planet Tantalus. After months of adventures, he overthrew the tyrant ruling the world and then returned home. Duke told his story to the world, only to be branded a liar and a lunatic. His beloved wife Joanne was the only person to believe him.
Following Joanne’s death, Duke is at a crossroads. His sons have drifted away from him and the people in his small Vermont town regard him as some kind of local eccentric. Enter purple-haired space boy Krish Moor. Krish brings the news that Tantalus has once again fallen under the control of a brutal conqueror, a tyrant from a neighboring world covetous of its natural resources. With the resistance movement on the ropes, Krish stole a spaceship and came to Earth to recruit the help of Duke, Tantalus’s most revered and legendary hero.
Reluctant at first, Duke nevertheless returns to Tantalus with Krish. He immediately runs afoul of the new regime and faces an instant death sentence, before hooking up with the resistance. Treachery threatens to break the rebels once and for all, but Duke digs deep, rediscovers the hero he once was and sets about liberating Tantalus for a second time.
Since stepping away from Marvel to focus on creator-owned projects, Millar has covered a lot of stylistic ground. Starlight is a giddy dive into Silver Age adventure comics. Duke’s youthful exploits mirror the kind of wild concepts that populated a lot of comics in the ‘50s and ‘60s, before superheroes retook the focus. But Millar puts some interesting twists on the concept.
Focusing on an older Duke (he’s in his early 60s) is a canny move. The contrast between the dashing young hero and the adrift widower provides the emotional thrust of the plot. Millar injects a real world sensibility into the direction of Duke’s life after he returned from Tantalus and revealed his exploits to the world. Starlight provides a subtle riff on how the real world might have regarded Flash Gordon or Adam Strange and their tales of romantic adventure on distant planets.
Starlight doesn’t ignore the passage of time. Jokes about the older Duke remembering his cholesterol pills and eyeglasses before rocketing back into space would be amusing on their own. But Millar deploys that sort of observation to sharpen the contrast to the younger Duke seen in flashbacks. Once back on Tantalus, Duke’s advanced age catches up with him fairly quickly and puts him in peril. Millar does a nice job of showing Duke rise to the occasion, but more importantly, inspire others to do the same.
Duke is a fascinating creation. He’s gruff and damaged, but also retains an irrepressible spark of hope. The Duke/Joanne relationship receives only a few panels, but Millar makes the most of them and they have real impact. Starlight makes the reader feel Duke’s loss and how it propels his decision to return to Tantalus. It’s very skilled, subtle character work. If none of the supporting players are quite as fully formed as Duke, they mostly don’t need to be. Still, Krish makes for a first rate sidekick and rebel leader Tilda Starr makes a fairly strong impression.
Goran Parlov takes just the right approach for the “retro-future” feel of Starlight. Duke is an imposing bull of a man. Even belittling domestic scenes don’t diminish Duke’s inner nobility. His space uniform is a spot on homage to Silver Age designs, but still retains a modern flair. Parlov does a great job with the contrasting visions of Tantalus, both the exotic paradise of Duke’s youthful adventures and the ground down dystopia of the modern story. Parlov crafts some beautiful one- and two-page spreads and choreographs the action scenes with a real sense of kinetic dynamism. Ive Svorcina is a strong asset on colors. He nails the contrast between the bright, bold action sequences on Tantalus and the more somber, ashen aspects of Duke’s life as a widower. With such strong conception and execution, Starlight is more than just a retro homage, it’s a dreamy, dazzling visual gem.
As Millar continues to expand the horizons of modern comic book storytelling, fans can only hope his other projects are as dynamic and impactful as Starlight.
This review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
Starlight introduces readers to Duke McQueen, a one-time air force test pilot. 40 years earlier, Duke flew through a worm hole and wound up on the planet Tantalus. After months of adventures, he overthrew the tyrant ruling the world and then returned home. Duke told his story to the world, only to be branded a liar and a lunatic. His beloved wife Joanne was the only person to believe him.
Following Joanne’s death, Duke is at a crossroads. His sons have drifted away from him and the people in his small Vermont town regard him as some kind of local eccentric. Enter purple-haired space boy Krish Moor. Krish brings the news that Tantalus has once again fallen under the control of a brutal conqueror, a tyrant from a neighboring world covetous of its natural resources. With the resistance movement on the ropes, Krish stole a spaceship and came to Earth to recruit the help of Duke, Tantalus’s most revered and legendary hero.
Reluctant at first, Duke nevertheless returns to Tantalus with Krish. He immediately runs afoul of the new regime and faces an instant death sentence, before hooking up with the resistance. Treachery threatens to break the rebels once and for all, but Duke digs deep, rediscovers the hero he once was and sets about liberating Tantalus for a second time.
Since stepping away from Marvel to focus on creator-owned projects, Millar has covered a lot of stylistic ground. Starlight is a giddy dive into Silver Age adventure comics. Duke’s youthful exploits mirror the kind of wild concepts that populated a lot of comics in the ‘50s and ‘60s, before superheroes retook the focus. But Millar puts some interesting twists on the concept.
Focusing on an older Duke (he’s in his early 60s) is a canny move. The contrast between the dashing young hero and the adrift widower provides the emotional thrust of the plot. Millar injects a real world sensibility into the direction of Duke’s life after he returned from Tantalus and revealed his exploits to the world. Starlight provides a subtle riff on how the real world might have regarded Flash Gordon or Adam Strange and their tales of romantic adventure on distant planets.
Starlight doesn’t ignore the passage of time. Jokes about the older Duke remembering his cholesterol pills and eyeglasses before rocketing back into space would be amusing on their own. But Millar deploys that sort of observation to sharpen the contrast to the younger Duke seen in flashbacks. Once back on Tantalus, Duke’s advanced age catches up with him fairly quickly and puts him in peril. Millar does a nice job of showing Duke rise to the occasion, but more importantly, inspire others to do the same.
Duke is a fascinating creation. He’s gruff and damaged, but also retains an irrepressible spark of hope. The Duke/Joanne relationship receives only a few panels, but Millar makes the most of them and they have real impact. Starlight makes the reader feel Duke’s loss and how it propels his decision to return to Tantalus. It’s very skilled, subtle character work. If none of the supporting players are quite as fully formed as Duke, they mostly don’t need to be. Still, Krish makes for a first rate sidekick and rebel leader Tilda Starr makes a fairly strong impression.
Goran Parlov takes just the right approach for the “retro-future” feel of Starlight. Duke is an imposing bull of a man. Even belittling domestic scenes don’t diminish Duke’s inner nobility. His space uniform is a spot on homage to Silver Age designs, but still retains a modern flair. Parlov does a great job with the contrasting visions of Tantalus, both the exotic paradise of Duke’s youthful adventures and the ground down dystopia of the modern story. Parlov crafts some beautiful one- and two-page spreads and choreographs the action scenes with a real sense of kinetic dynamism. Ive Svorcina is a strong asset on colors. He nails the contrast between the bright, bold action sequences on Tantalus and the more somber, ashen aspects of Duke’s life as a widower. With such strong conception and execution, Starlight is more than just a retro homage, it’s a dreamy, dazzling visual gem.
As Millar continues to expand the horizons of modern comic book storytelling, fans can only hope his other projects are as dynamic and impactful as Starlight.
This review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
November 7, 2017
I love Millar but this one didn't really grab me.
February 10, 2015
I'm honestly kind of surprised I liked this one, because Mark Millar's shtick tends to grate on me, but this had Goran Parlov art and a premise (Unforgiven, but with Buck Rogers, more or less) that I liked. Basically, Duke McQueen, now in his 70s, was once a test pilot who became a hero on an alien world. He returned home and nobody, except his wife, who has just died, believed him. Now he's left alone with two ungrateful sons and bratty neighborhood kids who taunt him for his "delusions." Until a young boy shows up in a rocketship, telling Duke that he's needed once again. (That's the first issue... I haven't spoiled anything, I promise.)
The execution of it is pretty damn good. Oh, sure, Millar's annoying tics like horrific violence by the bad guys and a cynical outlook on people in general are in full effect, but this is not about a good guy succumbing to the temptations of being bad.
Instead, it's about realizing you're not as used up as you thought you were, becoming an inspiration and getting to be the hero again. I kept waiting for the cynical twist where our hero, Duke McQueen, would be revealed to be terrible, or would just be shot in the face by the cackling bad guy, but it never came. In fact, the ending is so sweet and lovely it actually brought a tear to my eye.
As did the art throughout. Man, Parlov is good. In order for this to work, you needed to buy both McQueen's mundane retiree life *and* the splendor and scope of the alien world equally, and Parlov more than delivers the goods.
The execution of it is pretty damn good. Oh, sure, Millar's annoying tics like horrific violence by the bad guys and a cynical outlook on people in general are in full effect, but this is not about a good guy succumbing to the temptations of being bad.
Instead, it's about realizing you're not as used up as you thought you were, becoming an inspiration and getting to be the hero again. I kept waiting for the cynical twist where our hero, Duke McQueen, would be revealed to be terrible, or would just be shot in the face by the cackling bad guy, but it never came. In fact, the ending is so sweet and lovely it actually brought a tear to my eye.
As did the art throughout. Man, Parlov is good. In order for this to work, you needed to buy both McQueen's mundane retiree life *and* the splendor and scope of the alien world equally, and Parlov more than delivers the goods.
November 7, 2014
Millar's Starlight has a great start, a hero that no one recognizes for his glory and he's at the end of his time. Got me digging through the pages instantly. As the story went, it reminded so much of Miller's DK1 and DK2, all jumbled up in John Carter's world. It's a fun book but less expected from Millar. It's lazy and there's no depth. I never imagined Millar would write something like this, using cliche storyline and cheesy lines. It's even rated mature however there's nothing explicit in the book. Millar should have made this a children's story, it's awesome for that age, with all the adventure and all. The cartoon-like simple artwork suits the story.
March 30, 2015
Brilliant. I really enjoyed this. They really packed a hell of a lot of story into only six short issues. I loved that the Hero was an ex-air-force captain turned family man now in his sixties and still able to kick ass.
March 8, 2019
El cohete de Tintín, la venganza de Hasta que llegó su hora, los rebeldes de Star Wars o la ropa de Han Solo aparecen trasuntados en la historia mediante un dibujo que a ratos huele a Moebius, a ratos a Manara y siempre al cómic europeo. Millar y Parlov dan lo mejor de sí en un festival pulp que rescata la vieja fascinación del subgénero más inocente, divertido y nostálgico de la ciencia ficción. Una historia indisimulada de John Carter cuyo tono crepuscular y carácter referencial ha hecho las delicias de este lector. Toda una sorpresa.
December 16, 2018
UP: a versão interestelar e em BD.
September 30, 2023
4.5/5
One thing I love about Mark Millar is how he can take wild stories that are outrageous and unrealistic but still make the story feel human and full of heart. A great story centered around sacrifice.
One thing I love about Mark Millar is how he can take wild stories that are outrageous and unrealistic but still make the story feel human and full of heart. A great story centered around sacrifice.
June 21, 2022
Yeah, I admit to binge reading what I consider Millar's homage to comics/characters of old. In this instance I would call this a modernized version of Flash Gordon (despite being more of a Buck Rogers person myself).
Instead of Flash Gordon we get Duke McQueen a man who disappeared and re-appeared over 40 years ago. The now retired USAF captain has gotten used to the fact that one believes that he was somehow transported to another planet, saved it from a tyrant, and returned home to marry the love of his life.
I mean it does sound like a bit much.
Now, Duke is having to come to terms with his wife's passing and his children thinking he's well at least a little crazy.
Then a child from the planet he saved shows up to take him back, because they need saving from a new menace.
Sure most of this is a fun filled roller coaster ride. There are also musings on age, society becoming complacent, and what the really important people in our lives mean to us.
Hell, I'll admit it was even a bit of a tear jerker for me.
Instead of Flash Gordon we get Duke McQueen a man who disappeared and re-appeared over 40 years ago. The now retired USAF captain has gotten used to the fact that one believes that he was somehow transported to another planet, saved it from a tyrant, and returned home to marry the love of his life.
I mean it does sound like a bit much.
Now, Duke is having to come to terms with his wife's passing and his children thinking he's well at least a little crazy.
Then a child from the planet he saved shows up to take him back, because they need saving from a new menace.
Sure most of this is a fun filled roller coaster ride. There are also musings on age, society becoming complacent, and what the really important people in our lives mean to us.
Hell, I'll admit it was even a bit of a tear jerker for me.
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