Starman (1994) #28 Cover

I only read Starman for the first time within the last 6 months or so, but it left such a big impression on me. It's definitely a series that has rightfully earned the reputation it has gained over the last couple decades. The art plays a big part of that, and I loved the series so much that I decided pretty early on that it would be cool to pick up some OA. I've managed to pick up a couple of pages so far, but getting a painted cover by Tony Harris is a HUGE box to check off for me. Some people would be sad that it doesn't have Jack Knight, the titular Starman on it. I don't mind, though, as it features Mikaal Tomas, the Starman of another planet. Mikaal is an interesting, tragic character who plays a big part in the greater Starman saga. This is a flashback issue that shows an episode in Mikaal's life in the 1970s where he fights with the other only other survivor of their planet (I have the end page here: Starman #28 end page).

This issue was an artistic deviation as the interior art was by Craig Hamilton, but still sported a beautiful, fully painted cover by Tony Harris. The bright rainbow of colors surrounding the disco ball shine down on several key moments from the issue. We see Mikaal sitting at a booth in the disco with a lava lamp and some pills on the table in front of him. We see him locked in combat with Komak, the only other survivor of Mikaal's race. And in the bottom left we see Mikaal getting drugged and kidnapped. You really kind of get the whole issue in a nutshell.

Harris' bright colors and shapes speak to the trippy, drug fueled haze that Mikaal spent most of his time in during the 70s but they really make this cover image stand out. The actual image area is 13x17 but it is painted on a 16x20 piece of masonite. The white borders around the image are gesso, a layer of primer that was used to ensure the surface would hold paint.

This was an auction win that came pre-framed, but I don't really like the frame so I'm going to have to get that redone.