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Starstruck: Old Proldiers Never Die #1-6
Starstruck: Old Proldiers Never Die
The second volume of Elaine Lee and Michael Kaluta's classic science fiction epic narrative continues with all digitally remastered art and brand new colors, more than half of which is collected here for the very first time!
What does a guy do when his droid goes missing? And not just any droid, an extremely rare pleasure droid that's a dead ringer for his long-lost love! As bartender Harry Palmer--ex-rebel, ex-mercenary "proldier"--combs Rec 97, a perilous, planet-sized, vacation station, following clues and fending off enemies, he must also delve into his own past to do battle with his personal demons. Will Annie's abductor be an old pal, a hidden foe, or two inebriated fem-fighters that frequent his bar?
What does a guy do when his droid goes missing? And not just any droid, an extremely rare pleasure droid that's a dead ringer for his long-lost love! As bartender Harry Palmer--ex-rebel, ex-mercenary "proldier"--combs Rec 97, a perilous, planet-sized, vacation station, following clues and fending off enemies, he must also delve into his own past to do battle with his personal demons. Will Annie's abductor be an old pal, a hidden foe, or two inebriated fem-fighters that frequent his bar?
176 pages, Hardcover
First published November 29, 2017
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141 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 5, 2022
Old Proldiers Never die is the most recent limited series in the Starstruck universe, and by all accounts it holds up to the quality of the previous installments: the art is vivid, fantastic (and as always, somewhat confusing), the setting is whimsical, the characters multi-layered and complex (and potentially opaque and confusing as well). Timeline-wise, it is a side-story/sidequel to the original 1980s Starstruck comic run, taking place at approximately the start of that series, and it actually crosses over, as some of the early parts are virtually identical to the pages where Harry Palmer (and som of the villainous Verloona Ti) appears in the original series.
When Harry Palmer, ex-soldier loses his beloved android, made in the image of the woman he once loved, he has to put on his old get-up, and go out into the chaotic and treacherous environs of Rec Station 97, trying to solve the mystery of its disappearance. As the noir-like mystery progresses, he has to confront his own personal shortcomings and flaws, the decidedly bittersweet memories he tries to escape from while also clinging on to, all the while being tied into a much more wide-reaching conspiracy with much darker implications. And yet... for the first time in many years he feels a sense of purpose. Once a professional soldier, always a professional soldier. There is always a war going on. Old proldiers never die.
The main quality that sets Old Proldiers Never Die apart from the previous series' is that it is less of an ensemble piece. Old Proldiers has a much more narrow focus, staying with the character of once-war hero, once-mercenary, now-bartender Harry Palmer throughout, almost without exception. This, I think, allows it to create a more personal and resonating story. This is not to say that the story doesn't have the frantic, chaotic and wild feel of the other Starstruck stories, but the fact that it is anchored to Harry's point of view, his concerns and motivations, does make it feel more grounded and with a bit more of a sense of purpose and direction, and as such, this is probably my favorite in the series so far.
I will add to the above that reading this after having gone through the 1980s and 2000s limited series does mean that things were more understandable - I suspect a first time-reader of Starstruck that chose this as their entrypoint would still be confused. But that's the nature of Starstruck - doesn't really matter where you approach it from, it'll leave you dazed no matter.
When Harry Palmer, ex-soldier loses his beloved android, made in the image of the woman he once loved, he has to put on his old get-up, and go out into the chaotic and treacherous environs of Rec Station 97, trying to solve the mystery of its disappearance. As the noir-like mystery progresses, he has to confront his own personal shortcomings and flaws, the decidedly bittersweet memories he tries to escape from while also clinging on to, all the while being tied into a much more wide-reaching conspiracy with much darker implications. And yet... for the first time in many years he feels a sense of purpose. Once a professional soldier, always a professional soldier. There is always a war going on. Old proldiers never die.
The main quality that sets Old Proldiers Never Die apart from the previous series' is that it is less of an ensemble piece. Old Proldiers has a much more narrow focus, staying with the character of once-war hero, once-mercenary, now-bartender Harry Palmer throughout, almost without exception. This, I think, allows it to create a more personal and resonating story. This is not to say that the story doesn't have the frantic, chaotic and wild feel of the other Starstruck stories, but the fact that it is anchored to Harry's point of view, his concerns and motivations, does make it feel more grounded and with a bit more of a sense of purpose and direction, and as such, this is probably my favorite in the series so far.
I will add to the above that reading this after having gone through the 1980s and 2000s limited series does mean that things were more understandable - I suspect a first time-reader of Starstruck that chose this as their entrypoint would still be confused. But that's the nature of Starstruck - doesn't really matter where you approach it from, it'll leave you dazed no matter.
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April 23, 2025https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025...
If you ever wanted to know what a drug trip might feel like while never having done drugs, like myself, and just set it all in space...Might I suggest this? And you know what? I think I’d reread this again. It was fun, unique, the art was gorgeous, and it was just weird enough to keep me invested.
Overall it was so quirky and so fascinating that I enjoyed it but I also was like 'this is ridiculous' so be forewarned. This could very much not be your cup of tea or you will end up just sitting back and enjoying the ride. And the plot was a bit more cohesive and lol coherent in this volume to me than the first. Or maybe it seems like it cause it's a shorter volume.
Because this left me in such a 'what did I just read?' moment, I didn't give it a rating but I hope this review might help you decide to read (or not read) it! So, no cups of coffee from me, only chaos.
If you ever wanted to know what a drug trip might feel like while never having done drugs, like myself, and just set it all in space...Might I suggest this? And you know what? I think I’d reread this again. It was fun, unique, the art was gorgeous, and it was just weird enough to keep me invested.
Overall it was so quirky and so fascinating that I enjoyed it but I also was like 'this is ridiculous' so be forewarned. This could very much not be your cup of tea or you will end up just sitting back and enjoying the ride. And the plot was a bit more cohesive and lol coherent in this volume to me than the first. Or maybe it seems like it cause it's a shorter volume.
Because this left me in such a 'what did I just read?' moment, I didn't give it a rating but I hope this review might help you decide to read (or not read) it! So, no cups of coffee from me, only chaos.
October 4, 2018
I've long been a fan of Kaluta, and I read Starstruck in 1984. I also read subsequent Galactic Girl Guides comics that came out year later. I enjoyed it all. The stories are complex and have lots of depth. The magnificent art has been re-colored to great effect. I highly recommend the re-issued Starstruck and this book as well.
June 3, 2019
I really wanted to love this book, the artwork is truly stunning, detailed, and rich, but the story didn't catch me. One recommendation I'd give to the reader is to start at the back of the book with the "Ordering Anarchera" and Character Bios. Might help understanding the backstory before diving in.
August 21, 2021
Starstruck was the series that got me reading comics and this was like an odd trip with old friends. I recommend reading the earlier comics before this one so you can follow more of the story and the characters. The artwork is gorgeous, the writing is both cool and weird and this is well worth checking out.
January 17, 2022
A worthy sequel
I enjoyed this. This story posed a lot of interesting philosophical questions about AI and what it means to have a soul. I'll be excited to read the conclusion. The art in this is every bit as good as the first graphic novel. Highly recommended.
I enjoyed this. This story posed a lot of interesting philosophical questions about AI and what it means to have a soul. I'll be excited to read the conclusion. The art in this is every bit as good as the first graphic novel. Highly recommended.
April 12, 2022
Love this one. It's even better than the first one I read. It's a good story. Sometimes I wish I understood more but this makes me want to reread it again
May 23, 2023
It’s the film noir style narration for me.
April 2, 2024
~4.5. I've got to get around to reading the stage plays but they are hard to find. It's just plain fun to be able to connect the disparate plot threads while reading this and imagine what it's leading to. I wish that psychic nun had a cameo in this.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews