Filed under: Comic Reviews, Millarworld Comics | Tags: Captain Duke McQueen, Goran Parlov, Mark Millar, Millarworld, Starlight
Billed as the title that “launches the Millarworld Universe” it was always going to be an intriguing title to get hold of – from the mind that brought us Kick-Ass, The Secret Service and more we see Mark Millar bring us old school adventure…….but could this truly be the start of something bigger.
In short…..Yes. Thanks and good night……just kidding. Seriously though, in this first issue we are introduced to Captain Duke McQueen (great name) a former space hero who has seen strange planets that are part of a strange universe with strange inhabitants but his return to Earth years ago saw him settle down, have kids and grow old. The death of his wife eases us into a sombre tale of Duke’s reminiscing about his days following his adventures as he grows old and raises a family. Intermingled with this are flashbacks to his glory days of swashbuckling adventures across space taking down evil wherever it rears its head……and ultimately the ridicule he faced on his return with his wild stories of other worlds and alien races.
Duke’s life after the funeral are all full of failed attempts to spend time with his grown up kids and tackling the mocking from the latest generation at the supermarket who taunt him about his days in space. The twisting tale gives Duke the air of an aging war hero…..worthy of our respect for his daring deeds and the sacrifices he’s surely had to make over the years. While this could well have been a story of growing old and fading into his twilight years…….that’s flipped on its head in the last few pages as a spaceship from another land arrives in his garden as it’s pilot turns off its cloaking device.
A cliff hanger for Duke and the reader in equal measure…..it’s surely the starting point of some serious adventure and a chance to make the world see that his hero status should be reinstated and his “wild stories” be seen for the truth they contain. Sharp work from Millar as he sets off in the Millarworld Universe with style and I’m hyped to see how this and the future releases from Millar build his new universe.
Another key aspect of Millar’s work is his ability to pair up with the perfect artist on his projects and with Goran Parlov on-board for this one, he looks to have nailed it again. Parlov captures the epic worlds with a Flash-Gordon-Like flair and ties those twists and turns from adventure to sombre with ease as the facial expressions breathe life into the adventuring captain or add weight to an ageing hero. Fun, flashy and bold – it’s great to see Millarworld take this sort of direction.
8/10
G-Man
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Comics Anonymous 
Because this was out at the same time as Jupiter’s Legacy #4 it’s hard not to compare, especially the art, which falls well below the standards set by Mr Quitely.
Classic Miller. It’s now possible to pick his writing style and topics in a blind test. No bad thing either.
Still a hit, but underwhelming owing to the timing alone.
Comment by weecomicbookpage March 24, 2014 @ 1:20 pmYeah – Quitely sets the bar particularly high but I think Millar has been good at matching up artists to the projects he has on the go.
Guess that’s the danger with having more than one project out at any time. Direct comparison.
Comment by G-Man March 24, 2014 @ 6:13 pm