Star Slammers Day!

 

Walt Simonson was born on this date in 1946. Simonson first came to my attention on the utterly fantastic run of Manhunter stories with Archie Goodwin. He also stood out on the adaptation of Alien. His later stories for both Thor and the Fantastic Four proved that he was just as fine a writer as he was an artist. One of Simonson's earliest proofs of that talent was Star Slammers. 

It only took thirty years, but I finally got around to reading Walter Simonson's Star Slammers. This Marvel Graphic Novel made an impression, even if at the time it hit the stands, I was not in a mood to sample it. It's been out there ever since, a book I was sort of curious about, but never so much so, that it pushed its way to the top and a need to buy it. It's not the price which has never been all that much, but for some reason my interest and my finding it never coincided. But some years ago, when I found it lurking in a back issue box for a mere two bucks. That was too good a price to ignore. For the price of a Coke, I could finally read this story which I'd known about for decades.

It's pretty good. The Star Slammers are a hidden race of magnificent warriors who are threatened by a much more abundant race of humans who seek to wipe them out. They have made a name for themselves by hiring out their impressive warrior skills as mercenaries, acquiring over the years an arsenal against the inevitable day when their enemies would come seeking their destruction. This is the story of that ultimate battle and of three Slammers in particular who spearhead the defense of their people.

(Thesis Version Page)

It's strange story of warriors who don't fear death, but only defeat. And it is a secret weapon they all possess but cannot use which is the key to their victory if they can only unlock its secret. Walt Simonson's artwork is impressive, and while his page layouts are at times bizarre, I never found my eye lost on the page as I strolled through the tale. Turns out, this is a revision of material he'd produced and used as a thesis at the Rhode Island School of Design. It was this material, which Simonson used as a portfolio which impressed Carmine Infantino and go him a gig at DC and eventually Manhunter. 

In the 90's Simonson dusted off the concept and produced four issues for Malibu's Bravura brand. 

There was supposed to be a fifth issue, but that had to wait a couple of years until it was published as a special by Dark Horse. 

Dark Horse also published a Star Slammers story in Dark Horse Presents #114. 

All of this material as well as Simonson's original thesis version were collected by IDW in 2015 and go for wild prices now. 

It took me thirty years to read Star Slammers. If you can find it cheap, don't let it be that long for you.

Rip Off