Yes, we think pirates are cool!
One thing that most of us can agree on is that, at least in fiction, pirates are cool. The idea of just sailing around, hiding treasure, drinking grog, and singing sea shanties has real appeal. One of the few things cooler than being a pirate though, is being a SPACE pirate. Most things seem more exciting in space anyway, but for pirates it means freedom from scurvy, rats, and that seaweed stink that never washes out of your beard.
Someone at Marvel must think space pirates are pretty exciting too, since their latest new title, Starjammers, just happens to be about space pirates. Judging from the first issue, Starjammers is setting out to be an epic sci-fi space opera. Not too surprising, considering the writer is SF novelist Kevin J. Anderson. The art, from Ale Garza, is very clean and clear, with just a hint of manga style.
The first issue revolves mostly around young cadet Tolo Hawk. He meets a princess, becomes involved in machiavellian political machinations, and (of course) runs into space pirates. There are some brief space battles and a couple of scary aliens thrown in just to round things out.
If you are a long time X-Men reader, the name Starjammers probably sounds a little familiar. You may remember Cyclop's dad, Corsair, hanging out with them and maybe saving Xavier's bacon a time or two. Well, these are those Starjammers, sort of. This series seems to be either a prequel or a retelling. There are some familiar faces amongst the 'Jammers, but no Corsair, no Lilandra, and no X-folks. This is a sci-fi story, which seems to be completely separate from the Marvel Universe. If you like the old Starjammers, some of them are here. If you have never heard of them, you can still really enjoy this book. Everybody wins!
So, despite the complete lack of plank-walking or buried treasure, Starjammers #1 is Four Color Fantasies guaranteed Book of the Week!
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