Comments on: Comics you should own - Dreadstar #41-64

By: Devo Phlatus

Devo Phlatus — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:40:51 +0000

I love this comic, ever since I was a Young Scuz!!!

By: Kid Kyoto

Kid Kyoto — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:57:38 +0000

Those were some jolly good comics. Quite a change in tone from the epic cosmic first half of the series, or the gritty aftermath halftime show but all in all a good time. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 23:17:12 +0000

I love Dreadstar but I do fine that people who bash PAD's run because his stories were more "goofy" tend to forget that Starlin had his moments of sheer "goofiness" in the early days of the series at Epic. In issue #5 he had Skeevo and Odei dressed up as nuns to rescue Syzygy and in issue #12 Starlin had Odei beat Teuton in a mannor straight out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
So to sit here and say that Starlin was doing a die hard serious space opera and that PAD was making the series a
comdey is not quite right.

Yes, Peter David's take on the character was different but he was making the series his own.

By: Gary

Gary — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:56:43 +0000

I have to wholeheartedly agree with rick. I loved the Starlin run, Dreadstar was my favorite comic. Peter David's goofiness just really pissed me off for some reason. Probably because I was so attached to the characters. Also, Starlin's cosmic storyline made me dread (no pun intended) the two month wait between comics when Starlin was at the helm.

By: Roland

Roland — Sun, 20 May 2007 13:41:17 +0000

I have the entire run of Dreadstar. I am actually in the process of finishing reading the Peter David issues of the title with 6 more issues to go. (Yes, believe it or not I am many years behind on my reading. I have a vast collection and so little time! Plus it took me a while finding the final back issues to complete the collection so I could start reading.)

Yes, there is an issue #64 Don! I have it in my hands. Vanth is facing off against what looks like a younger version of Junior. The cover art is pretty lame.

Having read both the Starlin, from the very beginning in the Epic days, and the Peter David stuff I have to say they are different in tone as discussed but the characters are essentially the same. Starlin is always telling "cosmic" level stories while David develops interpersonal character development.

Of course the group dynamics are different. Don't forget many of the cast members are new...Iron Angel, Izak, Junior, Cookie, and of course the villains.

From what I recall, Skeevo has always had a humorous element so you can't say Starlin didn't have any humor at all.

Bottom line is I have enjoyed both! It's just a story. Some of you are way to serious (and pretentious).

By: Don

Don — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 02:50:17 +0000

Just found this, and I have to ask a question: To my knowledge, there was never actually an issue #64 printed. I have every issue up through #63, and 63 touts itself as the last issue. I've never found cover art, nor the issue, but I find many references to #64.

Can someone please verify that this issue exists? My e-mail is don.mercer@juno.com

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:11:32 +0000

Anyone else, Rick! I'm just interested if others share your opinion, because it's a (for me, at least) good question about changing creative teams.

By: rick

rick — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:05:45 +0000

Anyone out there who has read both runs and liked one but hated the other? Anyone?

Well yeah.

Isn't that exactly what I wrote in my first post?

I'd like to point out that I'm not bashing David. I have enjoyed a few of the things he has written over the years and I don't want to make it sound like I trying to insult the man.

It's just that his work on Dreadstar was for me anyway so far removed from the initial Starlin run, that the whole series became at least for me, unreadable.

David's run may well have been as excellent as you remember it being. But I just did not like it in the least.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 01:31:56 +0000

Wow, that's harsh, Lynxara! It's interesting that you take that from both the reviews. I admit that the change in tone is significant, but I don't feel like David changed the characters all that much. As we have mentioned, David is an acquired taste, so the shift in tone is a bit jarring, but not, as I see it, enough to destroy what Starlin created.

Anyone out there who has read both runs and liked one but hated the other? Anyone?

By: Lynxara

Lynxara — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 01:20:47 +0000

Don't undervalue how a change in tone can completely change a reading experience. I haven't read the Dreadstar comics, but I have read both of your write-ups of them, and I admit that I'm a bit baffled that anyone who enjoyed the original run could find David's run enjoyable. It feels like, at best, a pale imitation studded with incredibly ill-advised jokes and near-masturbatory digressions into comedy specific to David's personality and interests. It doesn't seem to serve the characters especially well and only seems to serve the original premise superficially. And this is a conclusion I drew from a review that was basically almost nothing but praise!

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:45:30 +0000

You're certainly welcome to your opinion, Rick, and David IS an acquired taste, but I have to disagree with your assessment that "everything Starlin had built with the book was completely abandoned for what was really basic Flash Gordon space opera." I would argue that David added some humor, but basically continued the kind of stories that Starlin was telling. Starlin had a grander focus, sure, but his run was a lot of space opera as well. Which, of course, there's nothing wrong with. If you like Starlin's Dreadstar, it's a bit surprising you don't like David's, except, of course, with a change in tone. The stories are very similar. I hope you like the next selection more!

By: rick

rick — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 23:18:47 +0000

I hate to be a spoilsport, but those Peter David issues where really, really, REALLY awful.

It was like everything that Starlin had built with the book was completely abandoned for what was really basic Flash Gordon space opera.

And while I know that Peter David is an acquired taste and one that I have never really gotten, but it still surprises me to read anyone talking about how great these books are.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:31:51 +0000

I've heard of Codeflesh, but haven't read it. I just read Rock Bottom by the same guys, so I will probably have to go buy it now.

By: david

david — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 07:51:09 +0000

"Comics are full of characters like Vanth, but rarely do the writers comment on the desire and - more importantly - the need of their characters to seek out problems and throw themselves into the fray (ironically, the only character I can think of where this was addressed was Psylocke, and that only a cursory examination, as it never interfered with her fighting)." The action junkie superhero was examined to some degree in 'codeflesh' by joe casey and charlie adlard. The story concerns an adrenaline junkie bail bondsman who specializes in taking down meta-humans who have skipped out on their court date. for him the appeal of the job lies not in something good but rather a yearing for the inevitable fighting required to bring the criminals in. it's availible in a trade for ait/planetlar, and it's pretty good

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 07:50:42 +0000