“Yesterday’s” Comic> The Darkstars #0

“I told you I don’t care how good it is I don’t want to watch Game Of Thrones!”

The Darkstars #0

DC Comics (October, 1994)

“Wayward Son”

WRITER: Michael Jan Friedman

PENCILER: Mike Collins

INKER: Ken Branch

COLORIST: Steve Mattsson

LETTERER: Bob Pinaha

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Jason Hernandez-Rosenblatt

EDITOR: Paul Kupperberg

When DC dropped the Green Lantern Corps (by killing most of them off, turning Hal evil, and making Kyle the sole Green Lantern) they created The Darkstars, who are basically the Green Lanterns except with different powers granted by their costumes. John Stewart was even a member of this team at one point.

This issue finds the first Darkstar we meet, Ferrin Colos, returning home in the hopes of seeing his grandfather’s forgiveness and removal of his exile prior to going after the current corrupt head of the Darkstars. He tells the story of how the Controllers created NEMO (Network for the Establishment and Maintenance of Order), which in turn created the Darkstars to attack the chaos at its source. Ferrin was assigned to Earth and created deputies to help him find wanted space criminals, until he learned that the head of NEMO was actually evil. However, Ferrin’s grandfather sticks by his people’s ways of pacifism (much to the regret of Ferrin’s sister, Kryya) and Ferrin and his allies return to space to confront their villainous boss.

What they got right: Dumb as it was to get rid of the Green Lanterns I do like the concept of the Darkstars, an intergalactic police force looking to establish order. The origins are also interesting. I also like that Ferrin isn’t blaming his grandfather for following tradition in sending him into exile, but against a tradition he feels is wrong.

What they got wrong: The problem is they’re supposed to have been around the same time as the Green Lanterns and even the Manhunters, the robotic predecessors to the Green Lantern Corp. Why were they not mentioned until after the Corp was destroyed? Why not have them be created in the wake of the Corp’s deaths at the hands of Parallax?And DC was already doing the corrupt leader of an intergalactic crimefighting group already with L.E.G.I.O.N., or at least did and would again. So we’ve done this idea already. At least the Guardians weren’t corrupt, just jerks.

Recommendation: This does make me curious about this series, so mission accomplished. It may be worth checking out.