Star Comics: The All-Star Collection Vol. 1

January 31, 2010

Star Comics All-Star Collection Vol. 1 (Marvel Comics)
By Lenny Herman, Stan Kay, Bob Bolling, Sid Jacobson, Warren Kremer & Howard Post

Back in the 80s, Harvey Comics went on one of several publishing hiatuses that would eventually lead to the demise of the company. Marvel, noticing the gap in kids’ comics, launched Star Comics to try to fill the void. Along with licensed properties like Heathcliff, Thundercats, and ALF, the line also included several original characters. With those Star heroes returning (kind of) in the recent X-Babies miniseries, Marvel has brought back their earliest adventures in this paperback. Having read many of these comics when I was a kid, I was reluctant to pick this book up — I was afraid it would be a case of the reality not living up to my memory. I was surprised to find that many of these books, even through the prism of 20-plus years experience, aren’t that bad. Lenny Herman and Warren Kremer were behind three of the four titles presented in this issue. First there are two issues of Planet Terry, a sort of kid version of Buck Rogers. Terry roams the galaxy searching for the parents that lost him in an accident when he was a baby. The two issues here show him meeting a new crew of friends and finding a lead to his parents. It’s not bad — there’s an ongoing storyline, which helps considerably, and while Terry is a little bland, the outer space setting allows for some creativity with the villains. The two Royal Roy issues, on the other hand, are total duds. Roy is who Harvey star Richie Rich would be if he was a prince. Seriously, there’s absolutely nothing else distinctive about him. He’s got rich parents, the poor girlfriend, the rich girl who wants him for herself — it’s virtually a carbon copy. Even the money jokes are the same. Top Dog was my favorite of these books as a child, and the three issues presented here are my favorite of this book as well. Young Joey Jordan has found a talking dog, Top Dog, and convinces him to come home with him and live in the comfort of a real family. Being a talking dog, of course, Top Dog gets into some trouble now and again. This was easily the best Star original. The characters were well-developed and had full personalities, and the mystery of Top Dog’s backstory was actually a great mystery. The book finished with Wally the Wizard, the first issue of which was done by legendary Little Archie creator Bob Bolling. Wally is the apprentice of the great wizard Marlin (you may have heard of his younger brother), but Wally isn’t that good at it. He finds himself having to use his wits to compliment his lesser magical powers. The second issue, by Sid Jacobson and Howard Post, isn’t quite as good, but it’s not bad. I’m actually surprised at how well most of these comics have held up. Except for Royal Roy, they’re still pretty funny, the art is timeless, and I think kids today would enjoy this book just as much as their parents who read these comics the first time around.
Rating: 7/10 (Would have been 8 except for Roy)

Somebody’s First Comic Book: Fraggle Rock (1985 Series) #4

Wondering what Somebody’s First Comic Book is all about? The explanation is on this page!

TITLE: The Doozer Who Wanted to Be a Fraggle

CREDITS:
Writer: Stan Kay
Art/Colors: Marie Severin
Lettering: Grace Kremer
Editor: Sid Jacobson
Publisher: Marvel Comics/Star Comics

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Hey, Fraggle Rock! I loved this show when I was a kid! And now, as a result of reading the comic book, I’m going to have the theme song stuck in my head for days! Son of a bitch!

IMPRESSIONS: So this is the comic book that’s going to take me down to Fraggle Rock, eh? Let’s see, Red Fraggle wants to party, nothing unusual there. In the midst of her partying, though, she and Gobo smash up some Doozer constructions. Most of the story is actually about the Doozers and not the Fraggles, it seems. Cotterpin is a little Doozer girl who doesn’t want to build like the rest of them. She hears a legend about a Doozer who turned into a Fraggle once, sets out to do it herself, hilarity ensues.

Seems like I need to watch the show again – I don’t remember the Fraggles seeming like such jerks about the Doozer constructions. I remember they ate them, but man, they really come across as callous here. Of course, the Doozers actually like it that way – gives them the chance to keep building, and that’s all they want to do anyway. It’s a symbiotic thing, I guess.

The comic is cute enough, but not as sharp as the TV show was. It feels a little diluted, a little watered down. The artwork is kind of weird too – I’m so used to seeing the Muppet characters only from the waist-up that seeing them walking around with… y’know, legs and stuff is actually kind of weird. And Cotterpin walking around barefoot all the time really seems to hammer home the fact that – hey! The Doozers are naked! (Yes, and the Fraggles go around pantsless. AND barefoot. I don’t know why Cotterpin makes it weirder. I’m sure that if I discussed this with a therapist they’d find some sort of bizarre underpinning barefoot trauma that ties it all together. Come to think of it, I never take my socks off either. I’m rambling, aren’t I?)

Anyway, we all know the Fraggles. They’re cool, they’re fun, and this book lets us know everything we need to know about them and the Doozers. It’s good enough for a B.

GRADE: B (Told you.)