By Robin Jones
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Goran Parlov
Colouring by Ive Svorcina
I don’t know about you, but as a child I loved Flash Gordon. I loved the film, the concept, the idea of a man taken to another Galaxy and tasked with saving it, defending it and bringing peace to it, all whilst wearing a rad spacesuit. But what happens after the wars are won, peace is restored and McDonalds offers the olive branch of peace whilst opening a store on deepest, darkest Mongo?
This is what writer Mark Millar and artist Goran Parlov set to find out, in Starlight #1 from Image Comics.
This book is a must for classic science fiction fans. If you like Buck Rodgers or Flash Gordon, then this book will feel like putting on a pair of your comfiest slippers. The concept within the pages of Starlight is how does a decorated, intergalactic hero adjust to normality and the regular world after all the wars are fought? Millar sets up a world which doesn’t take his hero, Duke, seriously. His sons don’t have time for him, his wife of 38 years has tragically passed away, described through scenes which invoke the heart wrenching opening to Disney’s Up, and the world at large brands him a charlatan and a fraud. Millar’s writing is aimed at an older audience, dealing with getting older and trying to figure out your own place in the world. It shows a maturity which I haven’t seen in much of his other work, and the way he weaves his story together makes for a very compelling, engaging story that most of us can relate to in someway.
We are treated to a narrative that weaves past and present as one, giving us Duke’s backstory as saviour of a different race through flashbacks, whilst also dealing with Duke’s present day issues. The scope of Millar’s storytelling is all encompassing, we can see the differences in Duke’s character and personality over the years, how he seems to have lost his spark through the loss of his wife and years of ridicule and scorn. We are given a beautifully fleshed out story which provides us with a fantastic foundation for what looks set to be a classic series.
Goran Parlov’s art really seals the deal. It is a beautiful amalgamation of Silver and Golden age comics with a modern flair. The fantasy scenes are beautifully retro, with ornate laser blasters, exotic worlds, 50′s style representations of spaceships and this is really masterfully offset with the present day. Parlov’s present world is a gritty, drab place, with darker, more washed out tones than in the flashbacks scenes. Special mention should go to Ive Svorcina’s wonderful colouring work, as with Parlov’s inking, it really captures the mixture of the two eras of comics. It’s a wonderful metaphor for the state of comics today, with characters who were initially wholesome and naïve now weighed down by the grit and darkness of the world around them.
I couldn’t pick a fault with this book, the exposition, the dialogue, the concept, the art were all stunning for me. The classic sci-fi feel really stirred a buried sense of nostalgia in me, making me want to look up to the stars and imagine what could be out there again. It’s an emotional, weighted, character driven story which leaves you wanting more. What Millar, Parlov et all deliver is a modern classic in the making and I for one cannot wait to follow the twilight adventures of Duke McQueen!
I give this book a perfect 10 out of 10!
Hit the Queen, grab Brian Blessed and DIIIIIIIIIIIIVE on over to the Inter-Comics website to order the Starlight series right HERE
For more comic views and reviews follow Robin on Twitter at @Hulksmash1985
Posted on March 6th, 2014
Category: PULP FRICTION, RESIDENT OF GOTHAM, REVIEWS
Tags: Comic Blog, Comic Reviews, Goran Parlov, Image Comics, Ive Svorcina, Mark Millar, Millarworld, Robin Jones, Sci-Fi comics, Starlight #1 Review