I mentioned this series back when we talked about
Threshold, as "another of DC's periodic attempts to relaunch some of their classic space hero stable." This one does kill off a guy that would be central in
Threshold, but does bring back another character possibly best remembered for his
house ad, which didn't feature him in costume! From 2006,
Mystery In Space #2, featuring "A Question of Resurrection" Written by Jim Starlin, pencils by Shane Davis, inks by Matt "Batt" Banning; and "Reconnaissance" Written and penciled by Jim Starlin, inks by Al Milgrom.
Aging space hero Captain Comet gets jumped and nearly incinerated in the first issue of this series, but after an encounter on a mysterious asteroid he is resurrected--as is the Weird, from the Starlin/Wrightson miniseries
of the same name. Neither realize the other is involved for several more issues, as they work the case from different angles on the far-flung
Hardcore Station, from
the Starlin mini-series
of the same name! (I was confusing Hardcore Station with the old Chris Sprouse miniseries
Hammerlocke, another title perhaps more remembered for a house ad than anything!) On the Comet side, it's a detective story also trying to revamp and revitalize the character: I don't know if he was usually portrayed as in his sixties, but he's de-aged back to his twenties. He picks up some new powers like teleportation but loses some of his super-strength, since he remembers that didn't really kick in until his late thirties...While trying to track down what happened to his old body, Comet visits his pal, aged space detective Star Hawkins. Star is later murdered, but leaves Comet a message in his own blood: "You" That doesn't sound good!
The Weird side, is
super Jim Starlin-y, as the popeyed-oddball tries to get his bearing on his own resurrection; and there is a Pip the Troll type, and the baddie Deacon looks like a cross of Lord Papal and Monalo from
Dreadstar. It's a bad religion, the "
Eternal Light Corporation," which proclaims in a later issue that it's "the
true path to
enlightenment and
fiscal responsibility." Starlin takes a pretty dim view of organized religion, and takes the Weird on a
Warlock-like trip through it; but the Deacon is over-the-top. Still, I tend to agree with Starlin on that one; the Eternal Light Corporation just
barely feels like parody.
Note to self: I'm missing #1, #3, and #7 of this; keep an eye out. Not like the Weird's though, hopefully...
I'm definitely going to need to read this now. I was aware of it back when it came out but for some reason, just never seemed interested enough to buying it. I remember Captain Comet myself from his old 80's Who's Who entry & then his appearance as a VERY young hero in the last issue of Robinson's Golden Age mini-series, except that's not really canon, even back then. He was supposed to be a mutant who's mind evolved a few millions years into having mental powers like he does here, almost like the perfect future human. DC never really did much with him outside of having him fight the Society of Supervillains in the 70's and getting killed of in Kingdom Come. Maybe they should bring him back again.
ReplyDeleteThe Weird really is a weird character to bring back, but why not? I know DC tried it before when the GoTG movie came out, but maybe they could attempt their own GoTG movie-like team with those two?