The original Starman debuted in Adventure Comics #61 (April 1941) and was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley. Ted Knight, a brilliant scientist, developed the Gravity Rod—later upgraded to the Cosmic Rod—which allowed him to manipulate energy, fly, and generate force fields. As Starman, he became a key Golden Age superhero and a founding member of the Justice Society of America.
Decades later, in 1994, DC Comics introduced a new take on the Starman legacy with the Starman series, written by British writer James Robinson and illustrated by Tony Harris. The series, which ran from 1994 to 2001, focused on Jack Knight, Ted’s younger son, who reluctantly inherited the Starman mantle after his older brother, David, was murdered. Unlike traditional superheroes, Jack refused to wear a costume or conceal his identity. He was more interested in running his antique and collectibles store in Opal City than fighting crime.
The story begins when Ted Knight’s longtime enemy, The Mist, resurfaces, launching an attack that forces Jack into action. Despite his reluctance, he wields the Cosmic Rod and, over time, grows into the role of Starman, though on his own terms. The series explored themes of legacy, family, and personal growth, making it one of the most critically acclaimed superhero comics of the 1990s.
Robinson’s Starman is notable for its rich world-building, incorporating past Starmen from DC history and revamping the villain Shade, a morally complex former villain who becomes Jack’s unlikely ally. The series concluded in 2001 with Jack ultimately stepping away from superhero life—a rare instance of a major DC hero being allowed to retire voluntarily. He passed the mantle to the young Courtney Whitmore, aka Stargirl.
What to read before James Robinson’s Starman?
Before writing the ongoing Starman comics, James Robinson collaborated with Paul Smith on The Golden Age miniseries in which they revisited the Golden Age Justice Society. This comic book is part of the Elseworlds collection, but he still used elements of that story in his work. It’s not obligatory reading, but it gives a good insight into the old-school characters.
- JSA: The Golden Age
Collects The Golden Age #1–4
Starman by James Robinson Reading Order
The following guide goes through all of the ways available to read the Starman comics of the late 1990s, from the compendiums to the single issues.
Starman Comics Reading Order: Compendium Editions
This is the most recent and affordable way to acquire the complete run of James Robinson and Tony Harris’ Starman comics, but also the Shade spin-off series and the crossover. All is put in order. They are massive softcover books, around 1500 pages each.
- Starman Compendium One
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #0–42, Annual #1; The Shade #1-4; Starman Secret Files and Origins #1; Showcase ’95 #12, Showcase ’96 #4, Showcase ’96 #5, The Power of Shazam! #35-36 - Starman Compendium Two
Collects All-Star Comics 80-Page Giant #1, Batman/Hellboy/Starman #1-2, JSA All-Stars #4, Starman #43-81, Starman #1 (1998), Starman/Congorilla #1, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0, and The Shade #1-12.
Starman Comics Reading Order: Omnibus Editions
Unlike the Compendium editions, the Starman Omnibus comics are hardcover and around 450 pages each. Some of them may be harder to find at a good price now. They do not collect the Shade spin-off comics series (only the first 4-issue limited series).
- Starman Omnibus Volume 1
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #0–16. - Starman Omnibus Volume 2
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #17–29, Annual #1; relevant stories from Showcase ’95 #12, Showcase ’96 #4–5. - Starman Omnibus Volume 3
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #30–38, Annual #2; Starman Secret Files and Origins #1; The Shade #1–4. - Starman Omnibus Volume 4
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #39–46; Starman 80-Page Giant #1; Starman: The Mist #1; The Power of Shazam! #35–36; Batman/Hellboy/Starman #1–2. - Starman Omnibus Volume 5
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #47–60, 1,000,000; Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0; All-Star Comics 80-Page Giant #1; JSA: All Stars #4. - Starman Omnibus Volume 6
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #61–81.
Starman Comics Reading Order: Paperback Editions
Before putting out omnibuses and compendium, DC Comics already collected James Robinson’s Starman comics in simple trade paperbacks.
- Starman: Sins of the Father
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #0–5. - Starman: Night and Day
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #7–10, 12–16. - Starman: A Wicked Inclination
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #17, 19–27. - Starman: Times Past
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #6, 11, 18, 28, Annual #1; Starman Secret Files and Origins #1. - Starman: Infernal Devices
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #29–35, 37–38. - Starman: To Reach the Stars
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #39–41, 43, 45, Annual #2; The Power of Shazam! #35–36. - Starman: A Starry Knight
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #47–53. - Starman: Stars My Destination
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #55–60. - Starman: Grand Guignol
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #61–73. - Starman: Sons of the Father
Collects Starman (vol. 2) #75–80. - The Shade
Collects The Shade (vol. 2) #1–12.
Starman Reading Order: Issue by Issue
Finally, if you collect single-issue comics or read the digital version (the complete Starman comics series is available) you may need some direction to know where all the related non-Starman issues are to be read. The following guide should help you with that.
- Starman (vol. 2) #0-11
- Showcase ’95 #12
- Starman (vol. 2) #12-19
- Showcase ’96 #4-5
- Starman (vol. 2) #20-23
- Starman (vol. 2) Annual #1
- Starman (vol. 2) #24-35
- The Shade #1-4
- Starman (vol. 2) #36-37
- Starman (vol. 2) Annual #2
- Starman (vol. 2) #38-39
- Power of Shazam #35
- Starman (vol. 2) #40
- Power of Shazam #36
- Starman (vol. 2) #41
- Starman Secret Files and Origins #1
- Starman (vol. 2) #42
- Batman/Hellboy/Starman #1-2
- Starman 80-Page Giant #1
- Starman (vol. 2) #43
- Starman: The Mist #1
- Starman (vol. 2) #44-47
- Starman 1,000,000
- Starman (vol. 2) #48-60
- Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0
- All-Star Comics 80-Page Giant #1
- JSA: All Stars #4.
- JSA Secret Files #1
- JSA #1-12, Hourman #18, JSA #13-15
- Starman (vol. 2) #61-81
- The Shade #1-12
After James Robison & Tony Harris’s Starman Comics Ended
As seen in the issue-by-issue reading order of the Starman series, Jack Knight had a brief stint with the Justice Society of America (JSA by Geoff Johns) but never fully committed to the team.
By the series’ conclusion, he chose to retire from superhero life, passing his Cosmic Rod to the JSA’s young heroine, Stargirl, ensuring that the Starman legacy would live on through a new generation.