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Starman (1994) Omnibus #4-6

Starman Compendium Two

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It is suposed to contain:
All-Star Comics 80-Page Giant #1, Batman/Hellboy/Starman #1-2, JSA All-Stars #4, Starman #43-81, Starman #1 (1998), Starman/Congorilla #1, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0, and The Shade #1-12!

1480 pages, Paperback

Published December 13, 2022

14 people are currently reading
125 people want to read

About the author

James Robinson

1,269 books236 followers
James Dale Robinson is a British writer of American comic books and screenplays.

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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Benji's Books.
563 reviews6 followers
February 5, 2026
What a wonderful series.

Every question I had was answered, every character I got to know had closure and I guess my only ounce of criticism was that the book was--dare I say it, a bit wordy at times.

But that's okay. I believe the series was meant to feel like you were sitting down in a coffee shop and having a long conversation and even then, that's something this book did really well.

This series also had the some of the most consistent covers of any other comic I've read. The artist didn't change every other issue and the quality of such covers was fantastic.

Jack Knight Starman may not be very well known today in the comic book community, but for good reason and this book sets that up perfectly. In the highest regards, this book was a product of its time: the 1990s. There was a beginning, middle and an end and that's not something I can say for a lot of comics.

Everything in this was just...wow.

Highly recommended.
351 reviews1 follower
July 3, 2024
They do not make comics like this anymore. Literally. This is so dense, so intricate, and yet self-contained. Jack is such a uniquely 90s character (a Kevin Smith nerd mixed with Speilberg-esque doe-eyed optimism) that they've actually kept him retired for 20+ years, which almost never happens in comics (DC won't even let Watchmen characters rest). The writing itself mixes third-person prose (basically non-existent in modern comics) with first person narration - sometimes within the same panel. While it can feel verbose - it seems like James Robinson was trying to write the last comic book ever - it definitely dares to be great.
16 reviews
January 14, 2025
Simply one of the best comic book runs of all-time. It manages to capture what life was truly like in the last days of the 20th century, while remaining accessible and engrossing to readers from any era. There's plenty of action and super-heroics throughout, but the book is always focused on the characters, their relationships, and their growth at its heart. Robinson took one of the most convoluted, obscure, and frayed legacies in comics history, and weaved it all into a grand tapestry that honors every past "Star Man" character and writer, as well as those yet to come. Every set-up is satisfyingly paid off. If you put in the time to read the whole saga, you'll be rewarded with one of the most satisfying and resolute endings in all of comics.
Profile Image for Alex.
34 reviews2 followers
February 21, 2023
A perfect conclusion to the saga, uniting all the disparate themes and apparently throwaway moments along the way into a powerful legacy. Part of me wishes Tony Harris had stuck around for the whole ride — but Snejbjerg finds his own inky style that suits Jack Knight’s space odyssey and return home.
Profile Image for Heather.
47 reviews
December 29, 2025
This might be the greatest superhero comic I haev ever read!!!!!! Fantastically complete story with incredible character development along the way.

I love how much we got to see Jack develop as a superhero. This half of the story in particular went into some of the darker aspects of the job like killing and fighting wars and it was super interesting to see how that affected Jack (and Mikaal too!). I also liked how the ending of this series was the ending of Jack being Starman. It's a very unconventional choice for a superhero comic, as usually the hope is that this character will be in comics for years to come, but it worked so well here. Jack making the decision to stop being Starman for his son was also very nice, and him moving to San Fran at the end to be with Sadie and their kids and to live a life in peace makes me very emotional.

Possibly my favourite aspect of this series has to be the relationships, especially the relationship between Jack and Ted. It was so complex and nuanced, there was so much built-up animosity but also so much love. They'd die for each other a thousand times over and yet they can't say I love you and constantly feel like they don't understand the other. Ted's so easily able to tell his great-grandson that he's proud of him and yet Jack spends basically the entire comic thinking the opposite. Jack can share a laugh with the hologram of his dad but struggles to have an open and emotional conversation with his actual dad. The ending of Grand Guignol RUINED ME!!!! Jack realising all too late how good their relationship could have been if they'd got over the barriers. Some incredibly profound ruminations on grief and missed opportunities, and then Superman shows up and it gets worse!!!!! The Talking with David (and Ted) had me close to tears oh my god. And then seeing how Jack thinks of Teddy, and how he's going to be a father ugh its so good!!!! Jack's relationship with David is also really interesting. I don't think I'd realised quite how much it had developed until the Starman of '51 time travel shenanigans when Jack's confronted with David before his death. Also incredibly heartbreaking but I'm glad they both got a chance to have a more positive relationship before the end.

Another thing I really loved about this comic was how much it was about anyone who has ever been and who ever will be Starman. Even people like Doris Lee, who only put on the suit once get a mention. It isn't just about Jack, but about being Starman, and what that means to all these different people. I do really appreciate how James Robinson manages to create a coherent link between all the different Starmen even though that likely wasn't the plan when all these different characters were given this shared moniker. Similarly, I really appreciated the stuff with Culp and The Shade. Not just because Grand Guignol was great to read but also because of how much it helps to give a plausible reason for his somewhat inconsistent characterisation prior to this and leaves us with a super interesting and concrete character to use in the future.

The ensemble cast were great fun, though I would have liked to see more of Charity in this second half. I liked how characters kept coming back if there was an opportunity to do so and also how immersed it made us feel in Opal City life! Hope was definitely a stand-out favourite so I was happy to see more of her and The Shade in the bonus issues. It was also great to see bigger name characters that I was familiar with like Ralph and Sue, Adam Strange, Wesley Dodds, Rex Tyler, Kyle Rayner, Superman etc. make appearances. Jack and the gang felt very entrenched in the DC universe despite the comic feeling very unconventional (and almost Vertigo-esque) from time to time.

I liked the art a lot!!! Peter Snejbjerg was a good successor to Tony Harris as a main artist. The first few panels after Opal City was bombed and we see Jack's eyes in his glasses overlain over the destruction was a great way of conveying how personal this was to him. I also thought there was a lot of great stuff with light and shadows (which is fitting given how central they are to the powers of the various Starmen and The Shade). The fight between Ted and Doctor Phosphorus which was only visible from the outside of the house was phenomenal. Each character had a distinct colour of light so you were easily able to follow the fight despite the unusual perspective.

The bonus issues were fun, I liked how they weren't just all about Jack! Mikaal got one too, and Courtney featured heavily which was great fun because I love her and she seems to have a fun dynamic with Jack. I'll need to do some more reading of them together. I'll also need to fill in the gaps about Mik and Tony because finding out about Tony's death in an issue with a giant talking gorilla was not something I was prepared for. Really, I'm never quite as prepared as I should be as a comic book fan for giant talking gorillas to show up... The Shade vol. 2 was not as good as vol. 1. The story was kind of all over the place and there were far too many Times Past issues for a 12-issue series. La Sangre was fun though and I can't say that as a fan of The Shade I didn't enjoy the lore.

I think this is definitely a series I will be coming back to because it was wonderful to read for so many reasons. It was so intrinsically about being a superhero but also about so many other different things that made it such a joy to read: family, fatherhood, grief, love, reincarnation, taking control of your own destiny despite knowing the dangers of the future, failure and learning from your mistakes, the trauma of killing a man, the horrors of war, loving the city in which you live, revenge detective stories, legacy, collecting random nerd shit, the fact that life is worth living etc. etc. etc. But most importantly it's about practically illegible narration boxes <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Christian Smith.
69 reviews2 followers
February 21, 2023
While this has my favourite story which brings all the prior Starmans back, including Will Payton, this is not as good as vol 1 (it’s still amazing) but includes all the Blackest Night one off, and Shade mini as well as Batman, Starman and Hellboy
Still wish they’d done these in hardback omnibus editions though.
Profile Image for Rhys Dylan.
9 reviews
October 5, 2025
Dipped a bit when the artist changed during the space arc but soared right back up again afterwards wow. Just perfection! How has this never been adapted!!!!
Profile Image for Sebastian Lauterbach.
243 reviews4 followers
February 6, 2024
Wow!!!
This is now my favourite comic run just after Sandman. Highly recommended.

I'm not even bothered it's a big paperback, since the quality is really good; no creases in the spine after reading or leaving the book open.

Everything is connected and comes together at the end in a perfect way. Every single story matters, even the ones that didn't seem important at the time.

I still love all of the cast here. I'm sad the story ends, but it is a very good ending.

Only issue I have, once issue 80# of the main run is concluded, the rest of the volume (#81 + The Shade #1-12) is less interesting. Still happy it's in this volume though.
Profile Image for John.
1,793 reviews5 followers
March 8, 2024
Truly loved this series. Discovered the compendium. Which got me thought many a cold winter’s night along with a cup of coffee. Time to pick up colume 1 and start again
628 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2025
My review here will focus primarily on the main Starman story rather than the ancillary pieces. The crossover with Hellboy is fun, the miscellaneous issues that add to the main story help complete the already very built-out series, and through the Shade story to conclude the book takes a minute to find its footing, its overall a decent read. I don't have anything positive to say about that Congorilla crossover one-shot.

Besides all that, this tome brings a close to the Starman story of Jack Knight. It does so very well! As the end approached I started to get a little worried about dangling plot threads, how characters like Ted and Sadie were handled, and was really hoping the ending wouldn't fall flat. It doesn't. In the last handful of issues, everything is brought to a wonderful close, and the story ends as one great, well-written adventure. Long-running series like this one aren't really published too often anymore, especially from Marvel and DC, so this presents as a nice breath of fresh air, full of robust characters and well-balanced emotion and action.

If I had *any* complaints, it would be that, at times, this story can be very slow. I thinking reading it all together helps in some sense, as it makes keeping track of characters and events easier. However, it can result in a bit of a slog sometimes, just because there is *so much* material that isn't always fast paced. Besides that, and despite all the length, I do feel like Jack actually lacked some characterization. The book gets away from him, sometimes for long periods of times, and I just wish the reader got a bit more of his thoughts and feelings at certain points. For example, he never seems to spend much time grappling with the events that resulted in him getting a son -- I wish this reflection was in there somewhere.
198 reviews2 followers
May 22, 2025
Here we have the second half, and conclusion, of maybe my favorite comic series of all time.

And I'm going to quantify that statement. The reason this is probably my favorite is because of the time I read it. I discovered it at the end of my teenage years and followed the adventures of Jack Knight into my early twenties. These were formative times for me that I could see things I was dealing with echoed in some of the stuff in this series. It allowed me to maybe relate to Jack Knight more than any other hero I've ever read.

However I am now, a little, older than that. Does it still stand up? Yes and no. It is still over all fantastic. But I think I can spot some of the wrinkles easier now. There are things about Jack Knight that now drive me a little nuts in the same way there are things about my 20 year old self that would drive me nuts. But that nostalgia is still a very real thing for me and I did enjoy going back and revisiting this series.

The only thing that kind of stunk about this collection is Starman ends and there is still a lot of pages left and really nothing that came after the end of that series was better than that series finale. So as you are reading this, you reach the panicle of the story and then still have a couple hundred pages to slog through. And some of the Shade max-series that finishes up this book was in fact a slog. Next time I get an itch to reread this, I am most definitely stopping after Starman #80.
Profile Image for Martin Alfaya.
30 reviews
January 30, 2025
I have a lot to say about this volume. The art shift is jarring and a little radical, but in the end it shakes out for the better. (I still prefer Tony Harris’ impressionist style) The back half of this series focuses more on legacy, and I think Robinson understood that all of the Starmen are characters who pass through, a reflection of their era: a groovy space man for the ‘70’s, a prince from outer space in the ‘60’s, Men (or victims) of Science for the ‘40’s and 80’s but ultimately all but players. When we see the future, Jack Knight is largely a footnote but Ted Knight is remembered not for his heroics but for his contributions to science. That’s what this series thesis is, what kind of person is the hero under the mask (or googles in this case)? The Knights, even poor dead Davey, understand that being a good person and being connected to your community is what makes the best hero, and everything else comes after. The best example of this is the ongoing redemption of the Shade throughout the series, culminating in him being the Opal’s hero in Blackest Night. These characters should evolve and be dynamic, something that feels forgotten in today’s comic book world but Robinson pulls it off in a special way. Ending with Ted’s funeral Jack passing along the legacy sums up the legacy arc perfectly.
Profile Image for jcw3-john.
147 reviews
July 14, 2025
Largely the same exact strengths as the contents of the first compendium. A family-oriented love letter to the DC Universe as a whole, with a lot to say on legacy and the zaniness of superhero settings. Hellboy shows up, love that guy. This comic was a major contributor to my becoming a massive fan of the JLA - excellent stuff all in all. Some truly excellent character work, beautiful art, a lot to praise.

Its strengths are so good that I can... mostly... ignore the truly mediocre 2011 Shade run, a few one shots that don't contribute much and feel editorially mandated, and some pacing issues - the 94 Starman run probably could have been 10-25% shorter. There's a good deal of repetition in there.

It's a recommend from me - although I'd probably advise other readers to skip the Starman/Congorilla one-shot and the 2011 Shade run - both feel like they were just tacked on to pad out the compendium. Only tangentially related to the meat and potatoes of the compendiums, the 94 run.
Profile Image for Eric Burton.
241 reviews2 followers
September 25, 2025
Robinson continues his stellar story and wraps it all up in an incredibly satisfying finale that is worthy of being considered as one of the all-time great comic runs, alongside Moore's Swamp Thing and Gaiman's Sandman.

I loved everything about this series. The meticulous and detailed lore. The intricate cast of characters that all felt distinct and worth reading about. The heroics, the villains, the family.

Robinson also amplifies the city of Opal into its own character. Much like Gotham is essential for Batman, Opal is the same for Starman. Seeing the city and its impact on so many characters in so many different time periods made the world feel lived in, timeless, and exciting. I'd recommend this series to anyone and everyone who loves good storytelling.
Profile Image for Rex Hurst.
Author 22 books38 followers
September 12, 2023
It has an ending, a rare ending for a series which does not result in the death of the main character. The only drawback is James Robinson's disjointed storytelling style. He will end on a cliffhanger and then not go back to the scene until two or three issues later. However there are no loose ends to the series. The follow up series, The Shade, is all right, but Robinson has difficulty making a story about a near-immortal overpowered character gripping. Sandman managed this by having the main character of certain arcs be someone other than Dream. Often we in this tale we simply have The Shade showing up, killing everyone, without breaking a sweat. It does get a little samey.
Profile Image for Kapitol Tank.
776 reviews4 followers
Want to read
May 21, 2025
Rejunta como 60 capítulos en total del Starman de Robinson, Harris y demás (All-Star Comics 80-Page Giant #1, Batman/Hellboy/Starman #1-2, JSA All-Stars #4, Starman #43-81, Starman #1 (1998), Starman/Congorilla #1, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0, and The Shade #1-12!) incluyendo crossovers seleccionados e incluso otras versiones de Starman.
Profile Image for Communist Mimikyu.
43 reviews
October 14, 2025
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man." -Heraclitus

For me, this book and its previous volume are great explorations of mans confrontation with forced change and how they confront it.

It was fun going on this journey with Jack from Snarky Little Shit to Thoughtful Hero of Opal.
43 reviews
January 28, 2026
Readers that started with issue #1 and kept on reading are rewarded with an incredibly crafted final arc. Just excellent.
The shade maxiseries was unfortunately underwhelming.
Profile Image for Amritesh.
497 reviews34 followers
May 9, 2025
(This review covers the complete run)

A thoughtful, character-driven superhero series, following Jack Knight, the reluctant son of a Golden Age hero, as he takes up the Starman mantle on his own terms. The tone is reflective and emotionally grounded, mixing street-level action with time travel, cosmic weirdness, and deep DC lore. The artwork brings personality and atmosphere to every panel.
Profile Image for Canario Cimarrón.
157 reviews1 follower
November 14, 2024
Muchos lo definen como el sandman de los súper héroes y lo cierto es que es una definición muy acertada.

Uno de los mejores cómics de DC, a caballo entre el pulp, el policial, la space opera, el homenaje y la revisión moderna, todos en su justa medida. También es una muy buena introducción al mundo de DC, sobre todo al DC más clásico, el de capas y pijamas.

Como pasa con sandman, el elenco de coloridos personajes secundarios acaban siendo más interesantes que el protagonista.

Hazte un favor y lee Starman. merece cada segundo de tu tiempo.
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