I recently made a joke about STAR HUNTERS and the fact that no one remembers them. But the truth is not only do I remember them but I have the complete run. Actually I'm positive two other guys here remember them too but more on that later!
The series debuted in DC Super Stars #16 (O'77) was created by David Michelinie, Don Newton and
Bob Layton. Star Hunters #1 came out the next month November 1977. In a text piece, David states that Space: 1999 and Star Trek were heavy influences, avoiding the true late-70s sci-fi juggernaut: Star Wars, probably because Marvel was already putting that out in comic form.
More to follow!
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I remember them, too -- in the sense that I bought one of their issues off the stands as I was first starting out to read comics. I don't remember a whole lot about it, but the comic involved some strange cosmic eye-in-the-pyramid thing. I think I bought the whole run on ebay about 10 years ago, and read them then... and immediately forgot any details once more.
But Don Newton is always worth a look!
It seems stupid to me that STAR HUNTERS should debut in a book titled DC SUPER-STARS one month before STAR HUNTERS #1. I mean, the series wasn't already well-known, and it couldn't be called a "try-out" issue. WTF? Just seems something designed to make it harder to collect!
Also, there IS no "complete" run of the book. It got cancelled in mid-story. And, absurdly, in ALL the DECADES since, David Michelnie & Bob Layton never found a way to finish the story. WTF!!!!!
Ironically, this is exactly the sort of situation Jim Shooter tried to eliminate when he became EIC at Marvel. Unfinished stories are messy, and they make it harder to make people WANT to read any of the story at all to begin with, after-the-fact.
The creator of THE FUGITIVE actually said he felt it was a "mistake" to do the 2-part finale for that show, since-- he believed-- it "hurt" the show in syndication. "Who wants to watch when you know the ending?" This is ASSININE. I say, WHO wants to watch when you KNOW there ISN'T an ending? Would anyone watch a feature film if it was missing the last 10 minutes?
Michelnie, Layton, and no doubt others who worked on STAR HUNTERS are still around. Someone at DC should get their ASS in gear, and get these guys back together to finish the story!
The same arguement could be made against Star Trek The Next Generation or Voyager just to name two...
The series isn't spoiled if you know that malificent Q is still conducting the trial and the jury is still out on humanity...
In the same way, the Fugitive had individually compartmentalized episodes that were complete tales in themselves, and so, if you know there's a final episode or not, you can still enjoy the ride at any point along the series.
I have every issue and loved the series too.
But I like to think that the main reason Michelinie and company never finished the series, or at least the opening story arc, is that the powers that be at DC were never interested in them doing so.
I could be wrong, but what other reason(s) is there?
I've read a few issues, and didn't really care for it too much, mainly because I didn't care for Donovan Flint's dialogue.
And sure you can own a complete run, everything that has been published has been published, and if you own it, it is complete. It may not be the complete story but it is the complete run since it only ran 7 issues, plus DC Super Stars.
I would guess it was intended as a try-out book, but the PTB decided to greenlight the ongoing anyway. It failed, so it got cancelled.
Michelinie and co probably never finished because they don't own it, DC does. Why would DC want to finish a story from the late '70s that didn't sell well back then when the comic book market was bigger? If they did anything they should try a trade and see how that sells before they asked those guys to finish it up.
Yeah, I doubt Michelinie and Layton own the property; they could only finish it up if DC wanted them to do it. Don Newton passed away in the mid-80s, so there's not the "artist showcase" reason that things like Killraven get revived. And I can't blame DC for not thinking there's any real clamor for it.
Wow! I wasn't expecting so many comments! I just got home from work and I have to be back early in the morning but I have a lot of notes and hope to make this somewhat interesting.
I was going to do one big synopsis but you want issue by issue, let me know!
Again, very pleasantly surprised!
Of course, it would take an editor who wanted to see the storyline finished for it to happen. The obvious team would be Michelinie, Rich Buckler & Layton, since all 3 are still around, and Buckler did 4 episodes (compared to Newton's 2 and 1 each by Larry Hama & Mike Nasser).
I think anytime someone decides to do a "big story"-- what my best friend and I used to call "problem-based series" (solve the problem and the series is over), there's almost a moral obligation to readers / viewers / whatever to eventually FINISH the story. It would have been more obvious if this had happened back in the 70's or 80's, but as long as these guys are still around, it could-- and should (probably) happen.
STAR HUNTERS, by the way, was one of the casualties of the infamous "DC Implosion". It wasn't just cancelled on its own for bad sales, it was one of a PILE of books that were cancelled al at once, which included FIRESTORM THE NUCLEAR MAN, STEEL THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN and ALL-STAR COMICS. (As it happens, I was buying all of these when it happened!)
One of the problems with Star Hunters was its artistic instability. While David Michelinie wrote all eight issues, Don Newton only drew the preview and #1.
Larry Hama drew #2.
Mike Nasser drew #3.
Rick Buckler drew #4-7.
Bob Layton inked the preview to #5.
Tom Sutton inked #6-7.
That's SIX different artists on an eight-issue run.
Still I give Michelinie credit. Rereading the series, I never got a Star Trek/Star Wars/Space:1999 vibe from any issue though I did get slight hints of Logan's Run and even Planet of the Apes. These people were living within a conspiracy-based society where everyone was expendable. Secret masters pulling humanity's strings trying to thwart any independent actions. They were about to get a big surprise....with an Irish brogue!
On to the cast:
Donovan Flint: He is Errol Flynn of the future with a bit of Han Solo, James Kirk and Oliver Queen. He is a Man of Action and a Soldier of Fortune. He is a ladies' man, a barroom brawler and a quick thinker. He found away to thrive in a repressive enviroment because of how incredible effective he is. He is vital, dynamic, daring, egotistical and proud. He is a young man in an old man society. His attitude is despised but his abilities are needed.
The ruling organization, the Corporation, basically shanghies him to be part of a "scientific" mission to locate the "creators of humanity" and their planet, dubbed Homeworld. He's not in charge but his skill at being able to "observe, conclude and react in the space of a microsecond" is paramount to an expedition into the unknown. He also wields two pulsar blasters that are unholstered and fired at his mental commands.
He comes across as a mercenary (like Solo) but with a sense of responsibilty. He is a natural leader (like Kirk) but he dislikes authority. He seethes against corruption (like Queen) but is no saint. They try to control him but he quickly rebels. He wants revenge against the Corporation. But in his travels, he gets a higher calling and a more garish outfit and must fill a more nobler role.
More to follow.
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