Star Rovers
Encyclopedia
"Star Rovers" was an short, science fiction
, American comic book
feature published by DC Comics
between 1961 and 1964. The feature first appeared in seven issues of DC's science-fiction anthology comic Mystery in Space
, followed by two issues of DC's companion science-fiction title Strange Adventures
. The characters were created by writer Gardner Fox
and artist Sid Greene
, who were responsible for all nine stories.
was an anthology comic book that featured short science fiction stories together with a number of ongoing features. The first Star Rovers story, "Who Caught the Loborilla?" (Mystery in Space #66, March 1961) is not bannered as a Star Rovers story as such. In an editorial in the reprint title DC Super-Stars '#8 (Oct. 1976), titled DC Super-Stars Of Space, DC editor Jack C. Harris states that the Star Rovers were not at that point designed as a series, and "Who Caught the Loborilla?" was written as a standalone story. However, the characters returned three issues later in "What Happened on Sirius-4?" (Mystery In Space #69, Aug. 1961), and then due to public demand became a regular series under the "Star Rovers" title. The team appeared a further five times in Mystery In Space, every third issue, before switching to DC's other science-fiction anthology title, Strange Adventures
, for "Will the Star Rovers Abandon Earth?" (Strange Adventures #159, Dec. 1963) and one last appearance in that title, "How Can Time Be Stopped?" (Strange Adventures #163, April 1964), after which the series ended. The first two stories were eight-page tales; this was extended to 10 pages from the third story onward.
DC later reprinted the first four Star Rovers stories in [Strange Adventures #232-236 (Oct. 1971 - June 1972). The last five stories were reprinted in DC's science-fiction reprint title From Beyond the Unknown
#18-22 Sept. 1972 - May 1973). The third story, "Where is the Paradise of Space?", from Mystery in Space #74, was later issued in another reprint title, DC Super-Stars '#8.
The characters played a critical part in the three-part comic-book miniseries
Twilight by Howard Chaykin
and José Luis García-López
(Twilight, Books I-III, Dec. 1990 - Feb. 1991) and the associated graphic novel
Ironwolf, Fires Of The Revolution (1992). The team has since made only one further appearance, in Starman
vol. 2, #55 (July 1999), by writers James Robinson and David S. Goyer, with penciler Peter Snejbjerg
.
Sorensen is unusual in early 1960s comics as she is depicted as a strong, intelligent female on an equal footing with the male characters. Otherwiswe, there is little character development in the stories, with the exception of "Where Was I Born - Venus? Mars? Jupiter?", in Mystery in Space #77 (Aug. 1962), which gives some information on the Star Rovers' individual backgrounds.
Twilight by Howard Chaykin
and José Luis García-López
(Twilight, Books I-III, Dec. 1990 - Feb. 1991).
A makeover for most of DC's 1950s and 1960s science-fiction characters, Twilight depicts a savage, relentlessly militaristic universe for these hapless characters, far removed from their simple 1960s universes. The characters are significantly twisted (physically and psychologically) from their heroic earlier incarnations. Beginning with the wars between humans and a resistance formed by robotics
-augmented animals and mutant cyborgs, man's future history is narrated (in framing sequences for each issue) by an ancient Homer Gint, once of the Star Rovers, who is quickly established as a former spin-doctor for the human government. Gint tells how Rick Purvis double-crossed and beheaded a gorilla leader of the animal/automaton matrix live on an intergalactic broadcast, and, through Gint's engineering of the story, became a figurehead for massed human hatred of the non-human alliance. We also discover Gint worked for an intergalactic news agency. Furthermore, we discover he also manipulated the image of the fascist military ruler Tommy Tomorrow
image in a similar way earlier during the war, and that Purvis and Karel Sorenson also worked as journalists.
was fond of drawing DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz
into his stories whenever he could. The following is a list of the Star Rovers tales in which Schwartz is identifiable:
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, American comic book
American comic book
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
feature published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
between 1961 and 1964. The feature first appeared in seven issues of DC's science-fiction anthology comic Mystery in Space
Mystery in Space
Mystery in Space is the name of two science fiction comic book series published in the United States by DC Comics, then known as National Comics. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 - 1966, with a further 7 issues continuing the numbering during a 1980s revival of the title...
, followed by two issues of DC's companion science-fiction title Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures was the title of several American comic books published by DC Comics, most notably a long-running science fiction anthology that began in 1950.-Original series:...
. The characters were created by writer Gardner Fox
Gardner Fox
Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer best known for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories....
and artist Sid Greene
Sid Greene
Sidney "Sid" Greene was an American comic book artist known for his work for a host of publishers from the 1940s to 1970s, most prominently DC Comics, where as an inker on series including Batman, Green Lantern, Justice League of America and The Atom he helped to define the company's house style...
, who were responsible for all nine stories.
Publication history
Mystery in SpaceMystery in Space
Mystery in Space is the name of two science fiction comic book series published in the United States by DC Comics, then known as National Comics. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 - 1966, with a further 7 issues continuing the numbering during a 1980s revival of the title...
was an anthology comic book that featured short science fiction stories together with a number of ongoing features. The first Star Rovers story, "Who Caught the Loborilla?" (Mystery in Space #66, March 1961) is not bannered as a Star Rovers story as such. In an editorial in the reprint title DC Super-Stars '#8 (Oct. 1976), titled DC Super-Stars Of Space, DC editor Jack C. Harris states that the Star Rovers were not at that point designed as a series, and "Who Caught the Loborilla?" was written as a standalone story. However, the characters returned three issues later in "What Happened on Sirius-4?" (Mystery In Space #69, Aug. 1961), and then due to public demand became a regular series under the "Star Rovers" title. The team appeared a further five times in Mystery In Space, every third issue, before switching to DC's other science-fiction anthology title, Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures was the title of several American comic books published by DC Comics, most notably a long-running science fiction anthology that began in 1950.-Original series:...
, for "Will the Star Rovers Abandon Earth?" (Strange Adventures #159, Dec. 1963) and one last appearance in that title, "How Can Time Be Stopped?" (Strange Adventures #163, April 1964), after which the series ended. The first two stories were eight-page tales; this was extended to 10 pages from the third story onward.
DC later reprinted the first four Star Rovers stories in [Strange Adventures #232-236 (Oct. 1971 - June 1972). The last five stories were reprinted in DC's science-fiction reprint title From Beyond the Unknown
From Beyond the Unknown
From Beyond the Unknown was the title of a science-fiction comic book series published by DC Comics. It ran as a bi-monthly for 25 issues, from October 1969 to December 1973...
#18-22 Sept. 1972 - May 1973). The third story, "Where is the Paradise of Space?", from Mystery in Space #74, was later issued in another reprint title, DC Super-Stars '#8.
The characters played a critical part in the three-part comic-book miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Twilight by Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
and José Luis García-López
José Luis García-López
José Luis García-López is a Spanish comic book artist who works in the United States of America, mostly for DC Comics. He has most recently penciled an arc in Batman Confidential, the Metal Men storyline in the 2009 Wednesday Comics weekly anthology, and, in 2011, one of the stories in The Spirit...
(Twilight, Books I-III, Dec. 1990 - Feb. 1991) and the associated graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
Ironwolf, Fires Of The Revolution (1992). The team has since made only one further appearance, in Starman
Starman (Jack Knight)
Starman is fictional character, a comic book superhero in the , and a member of the Justice Society of America. He is the son of the original Starman, Ted Knight...
vol. 2, #55 (July 1999), by writers James Robinson and David S. Goyer, with penciler Peter Snejbjerg
Peter Snejbjerg
Peter Snejbjerg Nielsen is a Danish comic book artist. He was educated at the Kolding Kunsthåndværkerskole from 1983 to 1987. Some of his major works include the epic science-fiction/fantasy series Hypernauten, the adventure story The Hidden Protocol , the DC Comics title Starman, and various...
.
Characters
The lead characters in Star Rovers were three 22nd century adventurers, Homer Gint a novelist and sportsman, Karel Sorensen, a former Miss Solar System winner now a space-adventurer and playboy Rick Purvis. These three characters were not depicted as a team as such; instead, they would meet under varied circumstances, normally to vie for a prize or award, and encounter individual difficulties. The hook of most of the Star Rover stories was that each character would have a different viewpoint on the problem and come up with his or her own solution; sometimes none of them were right, sometimes they all were. Normally the characters would then have to get together and pool their experiences and resources to win the day, often saving Earth or some other planet or civilization as a result.Sorensen is unusual in early 1960s comics as she is depicted as a strong, intelligent female on an equal footing with the male characters. Otherwiswe, there is little character development in the stories, with the exception of "Where Was I Born - Venus? Mars? Jupiter?", in Mystery in Space #77 (Aug. 1962), which gives some information on the Star Rovers' individual backgrounds.
Other appearances
After 1964, other than a one-panel appearance in The History of the DC Universe (Book 2, 1986), and an entry in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory Of The DC Universe #22 (Dec. 1986), no further mention of the Star Rovers was made until a new reading of the trio played a critical part in the three-part comic-book miniseriesMiniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Twilight by Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
and José Luis García-López
José Luis García-López
José Luis García-López is a Spanish comic book artist who works in the United States of America, mostly for DC Comics. He has most recently penciled an arc in Batman Confidential, the Metal Men storyline in the 2009 Wednesday Comics weekly anthology, and, in 2011, one of the stories in The Spirit...
(Twilight, Books I-III, Dec. 1990 - Feb. 1991).
A makeover for most of DC's 1950s and 1960s science-fiction characters, Twilight depicts a savage, relentlessly militaristic universe for these hapless characters, far removed from their simple 1960s universes. The characters are significantly twisted (physically and psychologically) from their heroic earlier incarnations. Beginning with the wars between humans and a resistance formed by robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
-augmented animals and mutant cyborgs, man's future history is narrated (in framing sequences for each issue) by an ancient Homer Gint, once of the Star Rovers, who is quickly established as a former spin-doctor for the human government. Gint tells how Rick Purvis double-crossed and beheaded a gorilla leader of the animal/automaton matrix live on an intergalactic broadcast, and, through Gint's engineering of the story, became a figurehead for massed human hatred of the non-human alliance. We also discover Gint worked for an intergalactic news agency. Furthermore, we discover he also manipulated the image of the fascist military ruler Tommy Tomorrow
Tommy Tomorrow
Tommy Tomorrow was a long-running science fiction hero published by DC Comics in several of their titles from 1947 to 1963. He first appeared in Real Fact Comics #6...
image in a similar way earlier during the war, and that Purvis and Karel Sorenson also worked as journalists.
Julius Schwartz cameos
Artist Sid GreeneSid Greene
Sidney "Sid" Greene was an American comic book artist known for his work for a host of publishers from the 1940s to 1970s, most prominently DC Comics, where as an inker on series including Batman, Green Lantern, Justice League of America and The Atom he helped to define the company's house style...
was fond of drawing DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz
Julius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
into his stories whenever he could. The following is a list of the Star Rovers tales in which Schwartz is identifiable:
- "Who Caught the Loborilla?" (Mystery in Space #66) - page 2, panel 5, p7, panel 5 (observer)
- "What Happened on Sirius-4?" (Mystery in Space #69) - page 2, panels 3/4 (radio astronomer)
- "Where is the Paradise of Space?" (Mystery in Space #74) - page 2, panel 2 (in restaurant)
- "Where Was I Born - Venus? Mars? Jupiter?" (Mystery in Space ) - pages 4/5 (man in green hat)
- "Who went where -- and why?" (Mystery in Space) - page 2, panel 3 (in restaurant)
- "When Did Earth Vanish?" (Mystery in Space #86,) - page 7, panel 1 (in crowd)
- "Will the Star Rovers Abandon Earth?" (Strange Adventures #159) - page 8, panel 5 ("specialist")
External links
- DC Database (wikia): Star Rovers
- http://www.dcindexes.com/database/character-details.php?storycharid=99Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics