Starman/Stargirl Appreciation!

[Jekyll]

One of my favorite series of all time. And Jack is one of my favorite DC characters ever. I need to get my set bound so I can read it again.

Probably one of my favorites too. I’m currently re-reading and it’s still just as good.

[The Whovian]

Probably one of my favorites too. I’m currently re-reading and it’s still just as good.

One of the cool things about the series was the best letters page ever.

[MajorHoy]

from 1st Issue Special #12 (March 1976)


and from Starman Secret Files #1 (April 1998)

[Jekyll]

I will say Robinson’s Starman really made me feel for and appreciate Ted Knight. I really didn’t have a lot of exposure to him before that run but afterwards I sought out older JSA stories that he was involved in to read.

[Midnighter]

So it was confirmed by Snyder today on CBR that

spoilers:

There are plans very soon for what seems to be the Will Payton version of Starman as he accidentally refers to him as Will at first before correcting himself and saying Starman. This makes sense of why his picture appeared in Metal seemingly out of nowhere.Awesome!!! Also confirmed is David Knight as part of the upcoming JSA relaunch !

end of spoilers

Together with the upcoming show for Stargirl this seems like it's gonna be a great time to be a Starman/Starfirl fan!

[Robotman]

I always thought Will Payton Starman had a cool costume and a lot of untapped potential.

[MajorHoy]

also from Starman Secret Files #1 (April 1998):

[Raijin]

Is the Payton Series any good?

[Zero Hunter]

I liked the Payton series quite a bit. Payton to me is a lot like Nova over at Marvel in that he never really got the right kind of push to give him staying power back in the day. Both characters would have been so much better served being put on a team when their series started to run out of steam. If they would have used Payton on something like a Justice League Europe he might be a lot more popular today (of coarse then we probably never would have gotten the Jack Knight Starman but DC had no way of knowing that would be a hit when they sidelined Will Payton)

[HandofPrometheus]

I read only a bit of Payton series and I liked what I read. If he does come back that will be awesome.

[MajorHoy]

I read only a bit of Payton series and I liked what I read. If he does come back that will be awesome.

Depends on who's writing him as to how "awesome" that would be, though.
Unfortunately, some writers/efforts to revive past characters would have been better off not being done in the first place.

[Zero Hunter]

I read only a bit of Payton series and I liked what I read. If he does come back that will be awesome.

After how Will was handled in the Jack Knight Starman series it would be kind hard to bring him back unless they just ignored everything. I mean at the end of the Stars My Destination story Will Payton does not exist anymore basically and was always just Prince Gavyen. I suppose they could work it out where they split Gavyen/Will into two characters again and have a good story about Will coming back to Earth after being gone for years which could be interesting if done right.

[Robotman]

I’m curious to see if Snyder can make Will Payton Starman unique. He’s kind of just a weaker version of Superman (with some Martian Manhunter thrown in). He’s powered by a star (also known as a sun), has super strength, can fly, and shoots energy blasts, and has limited shape shifting ability.

Any suggestions on how to make him standout?

[Zero Hunter]

I think the best way to make him stand out is focus more on him being an everyman. Just so random dude who one day got superpowers. He isn't rich. He is not sucessful. He is just an every day guy on the street and not an alien or god. He still has to pay the bills and have a life.

[MajorHoy]

I’m curious to see if Snyder can make Will Payton Starman unique.

Well, we don't know for sure that it's Will that he was referring to in that interview. We just know Will was seen during Metal.
(And it was Mikaal who was with the Justice League of America prior to Flashpoint, so who knows how that could play into this.)