by Michael Bramley
Waiting for an omnibus is strange. Sometimes you can wait for ages and then two come out at once. In this case, I’m referring to the most recent hardcover volumes of Saga of the Swamp Thing and Starman. Like everyone else, I’ve been hearing the hype about Swamp Thing for around two decades, but Starman seemed to pass me by somehow until they started releasing them in this format.
I have no idea how I missed this before (the seminal work of James Robinson’s career), but I’m glad I picked up the first book almost three years ago when they started re-releasing them in these beautiful collected editions. I don’t say this lightly, but the writing is both reminiscent of and every bit as good as Neil Gaiman’s work on Sandman, whilst remaining firmly rooted in the superhero genre (of which I am a big fan). The art is also superb, with one of the most prolific contributors being the great Tony Harris of Ex Machina fame.
With the sixth and final book on the shelves right now, there’s never been a better time to start enjoying this rich, fun, and exciting series about the oddly realistic and reluctant hero, Jack Knight, on his quest to live up to the legacy of the Starman!
-Michael’s comics work can be found on the web at www.hadroncolliderscope.com
