Marvel Graphic Novel #13 Starstruck



Creative Team: Elaine Lee-writer/creator, Mike Kaluta-gorgeous art, Todd Klein-letters, Archie Goodwin, Margaret Clark, Jo Duffy-edits

This is actually a collection of stories that were first printed in Spain, in Comix Internacional, which was then reprinted in Heavy Metal. This collects those stories, which serve as a prequel to the original stage play. Elaine Lee conceived the play, to provide meatier roles for female actors. She and her sister, Susan, formed a theater company (Wild Hair Productions) and wrote plays for the company. The sisters were at a bar/cafe, The Library, pouring over sci-fi magazines for ideas for a sci-fi-themed play. Mike Kaluta lived nearby and used to sketch there and approached them and they struck up a conversation. he gave them his card and they tapped him to help create promotional material for the play, which became Starstruck, as well as costumes and sets. The play was optioned by a producer, which barred Lee from doing further plays. however, Kaluta convinced her that she could continue to explore it, with comics. the idea was to expand on the backstory of the characters. However, Kaluta had not intended to draw it. Guess how that turned out? (Thank Kirby!)

Synopsis: Page 1 and we've got naked chicks! Already I like this play! Anyway, the narration says Anarchera, Cycle 88 and the naked lady is lounging, getting up out of some kind of bed, where her head appears to be plugged in. there are tubes with other naked ladies, seemingly asleep. they appear identical and have numbered tattoos, on their backs, between shoulder blades. from there, we get a sweet title page, with character headshots....



We move to Cycle 92, and Baron Rodrigo Sejanus Vasco D'Gama Bajar, hereafter called baron, who is trying to buy up some kind of business and is being rejected. he tells his flunkies to look for an angle. meanwhile, his less than manly son is walking around, getting pelted by a pea-shooting floating person, who looks like a possible brother. The kid arrives in pop's chambers, is shoved aside and then strikes up a conversation (one sided) with a cybernetic love doll. Eventually, Pop has enough and blasts the head off the robot!



The doll has a back tattoo like the naked ladies on page 1. Later, baron is talking to officials from the Amercadian Space Academy, to admit son Kalif, which require s a personal interview, which they think will be a formality, until Kalif wanders through, talking non-stop to the headless cybernetic love doll (noticed by his sister, Lucrezia, who chafes under gender restrictions and who writes sci-fi stories). This behavior continues until Baron sends a letter to Living Doll Cybernetics for more Erotica Annies. Kalif wakes up in a room filled with Annies, then runs off with Headless Annie...



While he is distracted, monologuing to the moonlight, the other Annies repair headless, then Kaliff tells his lover to come to him, and all jump on him. he eventually climbs out from under the pile. he freaks out and blasts the head off of one Annie, smiles and flies off with Headless Annie, still babbling.

We cut to Cycle 93, The Family Creche, where a baby is "born"



Then to Cycle 94, Kalif's playroom, where Annies are being marched into a vat of acid. One is self-aware and notices what's happening and turns the other direction, where she runs into a woman, who leads her away.

Cycle 94, Omega Disque 6, a penal agricultural colony. We see a bunch of male rubes sittin around, getting drunk and being stupid, when a young woman, with a bow and nocked arrow arrive. Well, pointy end goes into gomer and it turns into a free-for-all, with other ladies joining in. This was an initiation for the woman, Galatia 9, who has joined the Omegazons, complete with only one breast, as per Greek Mythology.



This little sorority rush continues, with blood drinking oaths and then Galatia is dropped down a shaft, to everyone's surprise and ends up in some kind of escape rocket pod, which wasn't planned. the Oegazon leader quickly adlibs a prophetic touch, as Galatia 9 rockets into space.

We move again to Cycle 132, onboard a starship. Galatia 9 docks with the ship, upchucks and interrupts a three-way. After visiting the head and getting a swig of wine, she asks about her hosts. They are an acting trio, Archeorganaapocolypsia, whose play bombed. Galatia is a bit of a theater critic and the trio is headed on a collision course with a dwarf star. Galatia decides to put a monkey wrench into the plan. Galatia talks the chuckleheads into climbing into the escape pod and rocketing to their doom, while she hot rods away with the ship...



Cycle 134, with the Bajars (minus Joy and her friends on The View) The Baron has made a bet and Kalif is putting in a fix, for some kind of attack. We move to Amercadian space and commencement, where the Space Academy Cadets face the Graduating Class of St Arnold Zaporoffsky. Bruscilla the Muscle is in the lead ship, when Kalif's buddy gives an order that ticks her off. She leads her squadron in an attack run, violating a neutral zone and ships start exploding. Bru's own ship gets blasted; but, not before getting her shot off, dumping souffle ingredients on th St Arnold marching band...



The prank angers the Mother Superior of The Cosmic Veil, of the Cloistered Order of the Goddess Uncaring, who withdraw their honorary from the Amercadian Space Academy and Bru is in deep doo-doo. her tape of the order is not entered in as evidence and she is court martialled.

Cycle 134, Neutral Zone 4, the Mother Superior seems very satisfied.

Cycle 140, Anarchera, an attempt by the Cloistered Order to recruit and ambush some Galactic Girl Guides is interrupted by Bruscilla, crashing through. The Order robots end up stripped and demolished. Elsewhere, in a bar, Galatia 9 is drinking and her peace is interrupted by a rather loud arrival....

(some mild language substitutes...)


Galatia offers Bru a job, while bru sings the Academy hymn, then runs out on her tab, leaving Bru to pay it. Bru catches up to her and accepts the offer, mainly to get her money back. they are interrupted by Galactic Girl Guides, trying to scam them with an offer of platinum (the destroyed recruiting robots), when Bru uncovers them and tells them to scram (they were under the robot shrouds). A miscreant plows through the ladies and bru whomps him on the head with a robot leg. They go off to plot a scheme, when Bru calls an audible and whistles for the Guides, identifying herself as a Hawk Class Guide, the legendary Bruscilla the Muscle. Well, the Guides want in on anything involving Bru and they agree to help in the scam.

They set up a shooting gallery, takes bets for a precision display of shooting, while the Guides pick the pockets of the spectators and bettors, then they destroy the place and hot foot it away from the crowd and authorities.



We see that the woman with the Mother Superior, who set up Baron Bajar, Kalif, and Bruscilla was Lucrezia, aka Ronnie Ellis, sci-fi author; but, she has seen her schemes hit a snag, thanks to galatia 9, Bruscilla, and the Galactic Girl Guides and receives a message from Queen Gloriana...



The Mother Superior severs her alliance with Lucrezia.

We end with a Guide, selling cookies......



The end is followed by an appendix that fills in what the hell is going on here, with tales of a military-industrial complex on Amercadia (boy, that seems familiar), the whole Galaxy's Worst Play actors, the Cloistered Order, Galactic Girl Guides, the drug Kublacaine (great name), the neutral Zones, the androids, and so on and so on.

Thoughts: i don't know what the hell is going on; but, damn it's fun! This was a series of stories, serialized first and collected here. As a result, it's kind of disjointed and, obviously, confusing, on a single read. Best way to approach it is to read the glossary, then the stories. Then, it starts to make sense. Really, this was backstory, alluded to in the original play. it introduces the central characters that operate within the production. Gloriana is Mary medea, of a once powerful family, at odds with the Bajars. The Medea's led a rebellion against the Great Dictator, a Bajar. Kalif is the grandson of the Great Dictator. Lucrezia tried to undercut the power of her father and brother, with the aid of the convent, because she was frozen out, for being a woman. That leads to the sabotage of the bet, which gets Bruscilla drummed our of the Brigade. galatia is an Omegazon, who gets rocketed from the penal colony home of her people, by accident, steals a ship and meets up with Bruscilla. they will be key players in Gloriana's machinations. The Girl Guides are basically amoral crosses between Fagin's street urchin thieves and the Girl Scouts (or Girl Guides, in the UK). The Amercadia military is a self-perpetuating organization, creating wars to sell its services, to keep the war machine going, rather like post WW2 American Foreign and defense policy, as interpreted by some (and warned by Dwight Eisenhower, in his end of term speech).

As a graphic novel, it doesn't really work, without the greater context of the play/subsequent stories. This is basically prologue. We need everything else to make sense of the grander story. As such, the IDW colelcted edition is you best bet for reading it.

Leaving that aside, there is some really funny material in here, though some of the timing would probably play better live or in film, vs the page. There is satire of modern society, as in all sci-fi, which is a commentary on the time it was written, more often than not. There are complex characters, with different sides to their personalities, making no one exactly black or white. It is rather refreshingly mature, in an era of either juvenile power fantasies, juvenile sex romps, and the rare mature or truly experimenta graphic narrative. There are feminist themes, populist themes, allegorical material, commentary on the world of entertainment, religion, politics, economics and broader aspects of life.

As for the art..................

IT'S MIKE MOTHER-@#$%^&! KALUTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gorgeous doesn't begin to describe it. Kaluta played around with sci-fi/space opera at DC, with a World of Krypton story, in Superman #240 (this was a regular back-up feature in Superman, which explored the history of Krypton, later providing the plot to the World of Krypton mini-series, which became DC's first true mini-series), during the whole "Kryptonite No More" Era. He also did covers for the short lived Dollar Comic, Timewarp, before it was axed. Then, there was a short story in Superman #400. This is Kaluta at his most glorious, with sexy android women, brawling bruiser women, sneaky ex-Omegazons, goofy mental male heirs, scheming female heirs, Barons, nuns, Girl guides and what not. You can tell Kaluta really cares about the material here, which is not surprising, since he conceived costumes and sets for the original production.

Following this there was an Epic mini-series. That was then followed by two back up stories, about Bruscilla and her time with the guides, in the Rocketeer Adventure Magazine. The long delay for the third issue prevented more from being done. These were more slapstick oriented and were my first real encounter with Starstruck, though I had seen the graphics for the GN and the mini. Dark Horse did 4 expanded issues, with the GN story and new material; but, planed future volumes fell by the wayside, as Kaluta was too busy wit other work. A deal for a Galactic Girl Guides mini was struck with Tundra, but dropped when Kitchen Sink bought the company (well, merged with Kevin Eastman, until he bowed out). IDW eventually collected and finished the expanded material.

Meanwhile, Amazing Heroes #57 has an extensive piece about the Epic material and the original play, and Kaluta discusses the project, in detail, in the Comics Journal #103 (which features Erotica Ann disrobing from the Shadow's cloak).

More about the history of Starstruck can be found here.

Here are Elaine and Susan Norfleet Lee, as Galatia 9 and Bruscilla the Muscle....



Definitely worth checking out; this is the kind of thing Epic aspired to; but, either Marvel didn't support, the market wasn't ready (or willing), or the timing was off (or all combined). Whatever; Starstruck is fun and thought-provoking and far more worthy of this kind of format, than Emperor Doom or the New Mutants. This is something reaching beyond, vs the same old thing, published in a bigger format (and stretched to fit, in many cases). This is the kind of thing you could find on European book shelves or manga vendors, while the US was still in the thrall of long underwear types, punching each other, while female characters suffered far more than male. These ladies kick butt, scheme, love, hate and have agency, without devaluing males and without making goddesses or demons; just real people.

I admit I have never been able to make heads or tails of Starstruck even though I admire the artistry behind it.

I still don't understand why they've yet to just adapt the play.

Marvel Preview #19



Oh, cool; I loved that film! The Glaive was totally awesome and the Slayers?..............

Oh, wait; Kull...............naw that movie sucked. Conan Lite! It needed a Glaive!

Creative Team: Kull-Roy Thomas-writer/adapter/editor, Sal Buscema-pencils, Tony DeZuniga-inks. Solomon Kane-Don Glut-writer, Will Meugniot-pencils, Steve-Gan-inks.

Kull- In Valusia, King Kull is being bored senseless by his advisor, who yaps on about a countess who ran off with a foreigner. Kull thinks back on his CV.......



Then basically tells the advisor to shove it and leave the woman alone, until a border guard turns up to relay a message. The foreigner cut a promo on Kull and told him to meet him at the Civic Auditorium, Wednesday night, 8pm , for a Hyborian Death Match (tickets on sale at the box office). Kull being a macho idiot, cuts a promo back and summons his Red Slayers stable, to back him up. They head to the match and swap road stories, visit some ring rats, and get some info from the motel desk clerk, about the whereabouts of the rogue warrior. They get pointed to a city, where they have a spot show, as Kull tries to sneak in and surprise the warrior, who runs away, laughing, as he is counted out of the ring. Fans are told they will have to wait for a return match. Kull heads on, heckled by an old lady...



Kull and the Red Slayers run into some hillbillies and it looks like trouble; but, they're wrasslin' fans and let them pass on to the East. kull gets a ride with a ferryman .......



He finally meets up with the warrior and ................

IT'S THULSA DOOM! THULSA DOOM HAS BLINDSIDED KULL!! WE GOT A SLOBBERKNOCKER GOIN' HERE, TONY SCHIAVONE!



Thulsa Doom kicks the crap out of Kull, until his green flame sword is knocked away and the ferryman catches it and tosses it to Kull, who turns the tables and uses it to open a 5 pound can of whoop-ass. He sticks it in Thulsa Doom's chest and he turns to dust and the ref declares Kull the winner...........

and NEW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!!!!!!

The put the belt on him and carry him out of the ring, for the celebration. The fans cheer and then head to their chariots for the ride home.



This is followed by a run down of Marvel's previous Kull comics and a portfolio of pin-ups from the Severins...





Solomon Kane-SK is out looking for a turkey, for Thanksgiving, and finds a dead girl, who had been a slave. He utters curses of retribution and heads off for some Puritan justice. He finds a band of Arab slavers and shoots one dead, then another, then goes at it with his sword and dagger...



He is brought down by weight of numbers and captured. The band is heading for a hidden temple of Sulieman (Solomon). What they find is a tomb for old demonic gods, which are unleashed and kill the Arabs, then SK gets free, grabs the staff of Solomon and drives out the demons and everyone left goes home happy.

The next issue announcement says issue 20 will feature the Japanese Supaida-Man, which ain't gonna happen. Liars!

Thoughts: The Kull tale is adapted from Lin Carter work, on an REH story fragment. It's pretty thin and mostly has recap and some skullduggery; but, not a lot of meat to it. It's more like a sneak preview of better Kull stories. The Severin art, in the portfolios makes us wish they had done the story, rather than Sal and Tony (or even Big Brother John). The Solomon Kane story is okay and a bit fluff. Glut was a great writer of this kind of stuff (he did Dagar and Tragg, at Gold Key/Western); but, Will Meugniot's art is a bit green and looks kind of Underground-ish, a bit like Rick Veitch.

Kind of a let down, really. I think this is part of the problem with the writer-editor contracts, as no one could say boo to Roy Thomas and I think someone should have stepped in and said it needed a bit more to the story. The whole thing struck me as a mid-card pro wrestling angle; hence my recap. Thulsa Doom is even wearing what looks like a title belt. Roy's done better and there is much better Kull comic work out there.

Marvel Graphic Novel #14



Creative Team: Bill Mantlo-writer, Jackson "Butch" Guice-art, Ken Bruzenak-letters, Alfred ramirez-colors, Archie Goodwin & Jo Duffy-edits

Synopsis: Domino Blackthorne Drake and her cat, Cap'n Kidd, run along the beaches of South Carolina (there is a lighthouse, which there are at least 11 along the SC coast). her parents argue. Dad was researching piracy along the coast and mom is descended from Bonnie Blackthorne, a pirate queen. meanwhile, the cat has found something, washed up in last night's storm...



Domino gets whammied and she is medevaced to the mainland (which means they are on one of the barrier islands) while Jim answers questions from some military people, about whatever is in the pit that Domino discovered. meanwhile, off in space....



Pirates board a frigate (despite being massively outgunned and manned) and their captain,a female, goes with them, despite First Mate Logick's objections (why does that sound familiar?) The captain, Raader, jumps into the fray. She stops the frigate captain from jettisoning a cargo of slaves and defeats the frigate, then returns the slaves to home. there, she takes a flower as payment and blasts something that looks like the device that whammied Domino.

The pirate ship pulls into Heaven, their homeworld port and carouse a bit and brawl and Radder spends some time with her mother, as they hear about another world taken by the colonizers. Raader heads out with her ship, again. they follow a colonizer ship past the Cloudwall, a frontier of unknown space. There, they finds a sort of spacegoing Sargasso Sea and the to Earth, home of Radder's mother...



They land, trace the source of the beacon, run into the Colonizers, who attack, Domino wakes, has superpowers, destroys the colonizer ship and is rescued by raader and learns that he mother is Bonnie Blackthorne.



Thoughts: yet again, this is just a set-up for a regular series. This time, it is for Epic. As such, it doesn't really have a conclusive ending. It's got an interesting idea; but is hardly original. The afterward cites the local library, from childhood, which sparked dreams of adventure. That spirit is here; but you can pretty much tick off what has been swiped. Space pirates were nothing new, as Leiji Matsumoto had beein doing that in Japan, with Space Captain Harlock and several other series, and Mike Grell's Starslayer predated this by 2 years (not to mention Howard Chaykin's Cody Starbuck and ironwolf, by several years). The beacon thingy suggests Burroughs and his little transition points between Earth and Barsoom (Mars) in John Carter. Bonnie Blackthorne suggests real pirate queen Anne Bonny, who sailed with "Calico" Jack Rackham, in the Caribbean. Bonny and Rackam were lovers and one of their crew was Mary Read, a woman who dressed as a man. They were captured and tried, with Read and Bonny claiming to be pregnant, to avoid heavier sentence. Read died of a fever, in prison, while Bonny disappeared and no conclusive records exist of her fate or whether she was actually pregnant.

There is a sense of fun to this that kind of makes of for the lack of real weight to it. Starslayer had similar problems, though Grell had stronger characterization of his hero. Guice does a decent job on the art and with the alien crew. Too much is left unknown for this to be a truly satisfying tale. i'm not sure how strong an enticement it is to read the series. Maybe for the first series issue; but, it would need to start explaining things, quickly.

There were other female sword & adventure series hitting the comic shops, in this period, with the already in series Sisterhood of Steel, at Epic, and, later, Marada the She-Wolf.

Points for being something different, but, with some deductions for being weaker, as a stand alone piece, like a graphic novel should be.

Also the Starjammers in Cockrum's X-Men from the late 70s on.



Doctor Who had the space pirates episode "Enlightenment" around 1982.

Just a quick note to say I haven't abandoned my reviews; but, it may be a little while before I pick them up. The RIP thread, on the Community forum, will explain things.

Marvel Graphic Novel #15 The Raven Banner



Creative Team: Alan Zelenetz-writer, Charles Vess-artist, Joe Rosen-letters, Ralph Macchio-edits

Synopsis: It's the ancient past, in Asgard, as the fight giants, under the aven Banner of Odin.



Grim Magnus falls to the blade of the giant and calls for his son, Greyval, to take the banner; but, the boy is missing. Trolls turn up and take it away, proving that the internet is just a continuation of the ancient battle with trolls!

The Valkyrie come and pick up the dead guys and assume that Greyval has the banner, so they head back home for some milk and cookies, all to the strains of Wagner. meanwhile, we find Greyval in Trolltown, dancing and drinking, a bit of a conscientious objector to the whole battle. Well, maybe not, as it is more self preservation than any idealism that made him skip the battle and the future of dying under the banner. Greyval isn't a total tool, as he passes up total irresponsibility o go home, marry his intended and tend the family farm, though he is deluded in believing that the trolls sided with the Asgardians.

Greyval gets hitched and he and his friends party, as he boasts of his fictitious slayings, during the battle. Everything is hunky-dory, until the Valkyrie turn up to ruin things....



Sygnet, Greyval's new bride (and publisher) says he will get it back, no matter what, which is news to Greyval. The next day, they head into the capital, where they see Thor and the Warriors Three head out, even as Volstagg's wife follows to henpeck him. Greyval gets a bit of his own, as Sygnet is going to make a hero of him yet. They run into Greyval's cousin, Horskuld, who has been sent off by Odin to find the banner. Greyval is ready to head home, since that's sorted; but, Sygnet isn't having it. Balder drops by and she gets him to secure an interview with Odin. While he waits outside, Greyval confesses to Balder, who is understanding; but, Greyval is going to be a hero, one way or another. They go inside and Odin tells him the position has been filled; but, Balder persuades Odin to make Greyval an unpaid intern and prove himself, with Balder's aid. So, Greyval is pretty well f-ed.

Balder and Greyval are told that Greyval needs to talk with his dad, first, which means going to Valhalla, which is a place, here, rather than just a hall. Somehow, it is elsewhere, so they have to travel by Eagle. They board, after some Hobbits get out of the blasted way. They fly off and head into the wild lands, where Greyval will get his chance to show some bravery, though he sucks at it and Balder has to keep watch over him. They come to a bridge, but an ogre won't let them pass...



Balder takes a dive so that Greyval can smack the ogre in the ankle and fell him, so they can pass. On the other side, they find an otter, who was going to be supper (and a pillow) for the ogre and free him. They reach Valhalla (the otter stays outside the gates) and Greyval runs into pop, who is very disappointed. They have a stern talk and Grim Magnus sends his son to see the Norns. After he visits Hel. Alone. Gulp! So, Greyval takes a boatride that would delight Willy Wonka and sees himself dying at the hands of Hela and then is back in Valhalla, where he sets off to see the Norns.

Trolls turn up to waylay Horskuld, in his solo quest, then Greyval in his, disguised as a ferryman's widow, taking him to the Norns. Greyval catches on and does some troll skewering. Then all hell breaks loose. meanwhile, Askela, the troll witch, has kidnapped Sygnet and Horskuld has been forced to take a dive by some troll hoods. Balder is called back to Asgard, leaving Greyval on his own. I think the booker is overdoing the obstacles to the title. Greyval and the otter arrive at the norns' house and find they have three potential roads: one leads home, to an eternal life of shame, one to the banner, and one to the kidnapped Sygnet. Greyval has to choose. Greyval chooses to save Sygnet and is told he sets out on the hero's road. Odin gives him a golden boar. Didn't know Odin was an Arkansas fan.

Greyval and the otter travel by pig, to the troll realm, free Sygnet, toss Askella in a cell, then head off for the banner. Horskuld has been seduced by the trolls and made a prince and sent to get the banner and Greyval comes up behind them and they fight. The prince is unmasked and Greyval see that his cousin had turned heel and slays him. He then grabs the banner to take to Asgard. He makes it in time and turns the tide of battle, as the Asgardians beat the Giants, 15 to 12, with a field goal at the whistle. The Asgardians will go on to the Rose Bowl, where they will face Oregon. Greyval falls, as he must, and Sygnet bears him to Valhalla.

Thoughts: A nice tale of myth and heroism. This is in the fine tradition of the Eddas and other mythic tales, as Greyval falls prey to cowardice, forsaking his family role in exchange for a life, with little meaning. He marries his bride, a Valkyrie; but, she isn't going to be happy with a guy who hides from battle. So, he gets thrust into a quest, whether he likes it or not. Balder is there to give him a few moments of small courage, to help build him up for the real fight. More and more he finds that he had been duped, which is no shame, unless you never try to rectify things. Greyval learns that all heroes have fear and moments of cowardice; but the true ones are there because they are needed and they are the only ones who can do the job.

Charles Vess was still a bit of a rookie, in comics. He had done some stuff for Heavy Metal and some illustration for Klutz Books (the makers of all those game and craft books, with the accessories) and had doing some teaching as Parsons School of Design. This was an early piece from him and it looks fabulous, though it pales to some of his later work, including his reteaming with Zelenetz, on the Warriors 3 (not to mention Sandman and his own Book of Ballads and Sagas.

This is worthy of a graphic novel. It's self contained, epic in scope, and provides a perfect format for some exquisite art. In other words, it's the antithesis of the next entry in the line.