Jim Starlin’s Dreadstar was an epic in the making. I’m not just talking about the original run of comic books from the 1980′s. The same could be said for the two collected editions from Dynamite: Dreadstar HC (2004) and Dreadstar: The Beginning HC (2010). The Milky Way is destroyed and now the lone survivor, Vanth Dreadstar, must stop a war or another galaxy or it will suffer the same fate. Dreadstar is about a better life for all of us, even in the eyes of complete despair. Jim Starlin is, of course, a master when it comes to sci-fi comics. He has an eye for futuristic artwork while keeping his characters grounded so we, the reader, can relate – in both heroics and triumph and on the flip side mass destruction and sadness. And now for the first time the first four parts (The Metamorphosis Odyssey, The Price, Plan M and The Secret of Z) have been collected over two volumes, both painstakingly restored and overseen by Starlin himself. The books are gorgeous, and the story, itself, is a classic and should be read by any science fiction fan. Today, I take a closer look at the books and the wild publishing history. Warning: spoilers abound (which is something that I don’t usually do).
Also on the show: DC Comics for Summer 2011: Geoff John’s Green Lantern Omnibus Christmas Shopping: Tron and Percy Jackson (Disney Press) Digital Update: Graphic.ly now has 1000 comics. Big Deal or Big Yawn? Calendar: Detroit Comic Book Convention Schedule
