Grooviest Covers of All Time: A Jim Starlin Sampler
Greetings, Groove-ophiles! When's the last time we sat down and grooved to a cataclysmic collection of Jim Starlin covers? Too long! Right on, baby! Then, verily I say unto thee...feast thine peepers 'pon yon masterworks!
Huh, I just noticed something. I love Starling, I really do, but I noticed before that his work in DC isn't as strong as it is in Marvel. Am I crazy? Yeah, probably.
Hey Groovy one! I think Starlin is one of the all time cover artist of the 70's just behind the late great Gil Kane. Loved his powerful like Kirby's art, yet alot more detailed. I always loved his Hulk, Thing & Adam Warlock especially. I think when starlin went over to DC in the late 70's. His work did lack the detail of his earlier work at Marvel. I think because at Marvel, he had some great inkers. I think at DC he was rushing & was inking his own work as well.
The only thing at Dc I really hated he drew. Was changing Jack Kirby's original OMAC costume!! If it isn't broken, why change it! I don't know why DC just didn't give OMAC his own mini-series back then. Like they did in the early 90's by John Byrne. I'm with you, I loved & loved OMAC!! Even if it was Jack's greatest work. It's a real shame, DC kept canceling Jack's books!! OMAC was decades ahead of it's time. Did you ever think OMAC was kinda of a SF version of Billy Batson/CM? I mean BB, Buddy Blank,Billy Batson, Old scientist/ old Wizard, Brother EYE power beams/ The Gods/Elders/Zeus magical lighting bolts. OMAC futurist warrior/ Captain Marvel/Miltary name/ mythical warrior? HHHmmmmm.... I think DC really blew it in 1971 when they had Jack "KING" Kirby. They should've had him bring back Billy Batson/CM, making it sort of a cross blend of News Boy Legion/ Thor/ & Superman. Just think Darkseid would've been CM's new arch nemsis. Making the series a much more mythiclogical & gods book. Or if Barry Windsor Smith had a CM series! Holy Moley!! Any way, sorry to go off topic! Starlin Rocks!!
His wraparound cover for Batman Family #20, his JLA/JSA/New Gods covers and the few he did for DC Comics Presents (especially the Martian Manhunter and Ditko-version Starman team-ups -- and did marvelous interior art on those two issues as well) were some of his best DC covers. I loved the two-part Batman/gorilla story he did for Detective Comics in '79 inked by Craig Russell, too. I share his love of Kirby's DC work but I really must say I hate what he did recently with the New Gods (and Adam Strange, Captain Comet, etc). Not only has his art slid in quality dramatically but he appeared to take perverse pleasure in brutally murdering off all of Jack's characters! Still love his 70s work, though.
Hey Groove! A nice collection there of the Jaunty One's covers.
Did you know Starlin did some work for Marvel UK early in his career? He produced a few covers for British reprint title The Mighty World Of Marvel, around 1972/3.
And I have to agree with Wilfredo about Starlin's DC work: it never seemed to have the passion he brought to the Marvel characters, particularly the "cosmic" ones.
Even though I know Starlin wasn't happy with his work on Legion of Super-Heroes (due to editorial interference, hence the 'Steve Apollo' pseudonym on some of it), I really enjoyed those books, particularly the one where Ultra Boy is on the run.
Huh, I just noticed something. I love Starling, I really do, but I noticed before that his work in DC isn't as strong as it is in Marvel. Am I crazy?
ReplyDeleteYeah, probably.
Hey Groovy one!
ReplyDeleteI think Starlin is one of the all time cover artist of the 70's just behind the late great Gil Kane. Loved his powerful like Kirby's art, yet alot more detailed. I always loved his Hulk, Thing & Adam Warlock especially. I think when starlin went over to DC in the late 70's. His work did lack the detail of his earlier work at Marvel. I think because at Marvel, he had some great inkers. I think at DC he was rushing & was inking his own work as well.
The only thing at Dc I really hated he drew. Was changing Jack Kirby's original OMAC costume!! If it isn't broken, why change it! I don't know why DC just didn't give OMAC his own mini-series back then. Like they did in the early 90's by John Byrne. I'm with you, I loved & loved OMAC!! Even if it was Jack's greatest work. It's a real shame, DC kept canceling Jack's books!! OMAC was decades ahead of it's time. Did you ever think OMAC was kinda of a SF version of Billy Batson/CM? I mean BB, Buddy Blank,Billy Batson, Old scientist/ old Wizard, Brother EYE power beams/ The Gods/Elders/Zeus magical lighting bolts. OMAC futurist warrior/ Captain Marvel/Miltary name/ mythical warrior? HHHmmmmm.... I think DC really blew it in 1971 when they had Jack "KING" Kirby. They should've had him bring back Billy Batson/CM, making it sort of a cross blend of News Boy Legion/ Thor/ & Superman. Just think Darkseid would've been CM's new arch nemsis. Making the series a much more mythiclogical & gods book. Or if Barry Windsor Smith had a CM series! Holy Moley!! Any way, sorry to go off topic! Starlin Rocks!!
Love the JLA and Weird War covers!
ReplyDeleteHis wraparound cover for Batman Family #20, his JLA/JSA/New Gods covers and the few he did for DC Comics Presents (especially the Martian Manhunter and Ditko-version Starman team-ups -- and did marvelous interior art on those two issues as well) were some of his best DC covers. I loved the two-part Batman/gorilla story he did for Detective Comics in '79 inked by Craig Russell, too. I share his love of Kirby's DC work but I really must say I hate what he did recently with the New Gods (and Adam Strange, Captain Comet, etc). Not only has his art slid in quality dramatically but he appeared to take perverse pleasure in brutally murdering off all of Jack's characters! Still love his 70s work, though.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's a bias of mine, since I saw him in Marvel first. It's like Wrightson drawing for Marvel and not DC.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I mean?
Hey Groove! A nice collection there of the Jaunty One's covers.
ReplyDeleteDid you know Starlin did some work for Marvel UK early in his career? He produced a few covers for British reprint title The Mighty World Of Marvel, around 1972/3.
And I have to agree with Wilfredo about Starlin's DC work: it never seemed to have the passion he brought to the Marvel characters, particularly the "cosmic" ones.
Even though I know Starlin wasn't happy with his work on Legion of Super-Heroes (due to editorial interference, hence the 'Steve Apollo' pseudonym on some of it), I really enjoyed those books, particularly the one where Ultra Boy is on the run.
ReplyDeleteHey Groove, looking back through your archives I found that you've already covered Starlin's UK Marvel art.
ReplyDeleteDoes nothing get past you? :-)
Nope.;D
ReplyDelete