Random Happenstance

There is a used toy place out in the valley, aptly titled Never Enough Toys, that has come through for me more than once; and came through again with a few more Marvel Legends: two Tracksuit Mafia and the Collector! And, I also got a cheap copy of this one, saving me a lot of digging: from 1996, Starman Annual #2, written by James Robinson, pencils by Craig Hamilton, Bret Blevins, J. H. Williams III; inks by Ray Snyder, Bret Blevins, and Mick Gray.

Not unlike Preacher, I didn't read Starman from the start, but got the trades with the early run, while getting new issues. Unlike Preacher, I didn't stick with Starman all the way through; and I haven't re-read much of it in years. I know I read the Batman/Hellboy/Starman crossover, but honestly, it's not my favorite Hellboy crossover: not trying to be harsh, but I liked the Painkiller Jane and Ghost ones more. For good measure, I've said multiple times, I liked Robinson's Ultraverse book Firearm much more and remember it way more fondly; which makes me feel like I'm not enthusiastic about this book. But! It is another Legends of the Dead Earth annuals, and the artists are high-end, so let's go!

Blah blah earth is dead, blah blah credits page, then the framing sequence: a distant, distinctly art-deco world, opulent and peaceful and happy; home of the immortal Shade. I'm sure there's more of a continuity reason for this, but long ago Shade had visited, and immediately been smitten with, Opal City; kind of like that painting the Joker doesn't let Bob slash in Batman '89? He just liked it, and sort of resolved there, he wouldn't be a villain. Everywhere else, who knows, but he seems to have carried that benevolent side to this new world, as he tells stories to a bunch of kids that were probably described as "ragamuffins" in the script. The first story was of Prince Gavyn, the only Starman the Shade had never met. Gavyn had been a prince of a smallish (24 planet!) space empire, and had been a cheerful fop; but to prevent a Lion King situation, whenever the emperor died and a new one was chosen, anybody else with a claim to the throne was immediately executed. Gavyn had intended to remove that law, but he wasn't elected or chosen or whatever, his sister was, and she spaced his ass. In fairly typical superhero fashion, Gavyn was saved by his new alien mentor...Mn'torr; became a superhero, fought to defend the empire, died a couple times, eventually avenged the death of his jerk sister, dissolved the empire, and ruled over a single world. Happy ending, right? Only if you stop reading there!

Stop me if you've heard this one: a massive wave of nothingness, sweeping across the universe, headed straight for Gavyn's world. Red skies. Although given the opportunity to flee with his wife Merria, Gavyn immediately resolves to stay and defend his world. Before heading into battle, Merria tries to stop him, and Gavyn tells her how much her love made him a better person, but while afraid, he had to defend his people. And he did his best...to no avail, dying in the anti-matter wave. But, his world was saved, by the other heroes in the Crisis. If Gavyn had hesitated--done nothing at all--he would have lived.

A sad story, so the Shade's next one is perhaps a bit more upbeat, although it does involve several murders for the kiddies: back in the early 50's, Ted Knight, the original Starman, is put on the case of the Prairie Witch. She was a mysterious leader of a band of jewel thieves, with a "flying broomstick." Starman admitted, he didn't know how she did it, inspiring a bit of "professional jealousy." (I wonder if Ted felt that towards everyone he encountered that could fly, since probably 90% of them flew by magic, versus his science; even though said science was also basically magic.) In a recent robbery, three cops were killed while stumbling into the crime while staggering home from a bar, but one, Billy O'Dare, took a slug but still jumped onto their getaway truck, since they kidnapped another cop for reasons unknown. Starman's contact Bailey also lets on that O'Dare had been a big fan of his, and Ted doesn't feel like he's got enough fans that he can lose any.

Both Starman and the Witch go quiet for a few days, making their plans: Starman had figured her hit-and-run tactics, and had a plan. The Prairie Witch was very much swiping from the Wicked Witch of the West, although also with guns: she shoots Starman down with a .45; and he crashes, gravity rod shattered, and is captured. All according to plan! He wanted to be taken to the captured cops, although only Billy was left: out in the mysterious, creepy Turk County (man, I hope that name isn't racist) the Witch was leading human sacrifices; although we don't necessarily know why. Starman had concealed flat circuitry in his cape, and with Billy's nightstick recreates his gravity rod--the destroyed one had been meant to break. Teaming up, the Witch is no match for Starman, but disappears after crashing; and he's mildly dismayed that her broom...appeared to just be a broom. Billy tells Starman, he'll always be there for him, as will all of the O'Dares, as seen in the regular series; although the drink may not have done him any good. Sad, but the Shade tells the kids, that world, and the kids themselves, were the real happy ending.

OK, I might not have a lot of residual fondness for this title, but this could arguably be the best-looking of all the LotDE books. It's also one of only two--two that we've seen so far, anyway--that are in regular DC continuity; the other being the Power of Shazam Annual. If you trust the Shade's stories, of course.