TITLE: Mike Grell Starslayer: The Director’s Cut Issue No. 1
YEAR: June 1995
COMPANY: Windjammer
Creator/Writer/Layouts: Mike Grell
Finishes: S. Clarke Hawbaker
Lettered by Steve Haynie
Color Artist: Rob Prior
Editor: Mike Gold
1994 was a year in which the comic book industry changed. It was a time when the powerful independent companies of the early ’90s would go through significant changes and for well-loved independent publisher Valiant Comics were sold to video game publisher Acclaim Entertainment and became part of the Acclaim Comics line.
Well-loved comic book writer/artist Mike Grell best known for his ’70s and ’80s work on “Green Lantern/Green Arrow”, “Green Arrow” revamp, “The Warlord” and “Jon Sable Freelance”.
During the time when Grell was working on “Jon Sable Freelance” through First Comics, he then created “Starslayer”, a sci-fi comic book series for Pacific Comics back in 1982
“Starslayer” was conceived for DC Comics until the “DC Implosion” in which DC Comics canceled many titles in the Fall of 1978, after its three month “DC Explosion” failure of expanding its roster (also increasing page count and costs).
Originally released as a six-comic issue for Pacific Comics, issues 7-8 would be released through First Comics and a total of 34 issues would be released and completed in Nov. 1985.
A decade later, Mike Grell would release a “Director’s Cut” of “Starslayer” which ran for eight issues through Acclaim Comics “Windjammer”.
The series revolved around Torin Mac Quillon, a courageous Celt warrior who fought bravely against the Roman Empire but while he is close to death, he is transported into the future by Tamara, a descendant of Torin’s wife.
Torin is asked to join the crew of the spaceship Jolly roger to fight against the oppressive regime ruling the Earth.
To be perfectly honest, issue 1 was like watching a sci-fi TV series and being thrown into an action series with two mysterious character refilling their spaceship. No backdrop on characters or even their mission, just watching them in action for the very first time.
So, this issue is more or less a first issue with no introductions but showing that these two are not people to mess with.
I have to admit that when I began with “Starslayer”, it was more or less because I enjoy and respect Mike Grell’s work. I enjoyed what he had developed with Valiant’s “Shaman Tears” but at the same time, knowing that “Starslayer” was a long series, not sure how long it would last with this new Acclaim Comics line.
When Mike Grell released the epic “The Warlord”, fortunately DC Comics were fully invested in backing a non-super hero comic book series (and other favorites such as “Arion: Lord of Atlantis” who debuted in issue #55 of “Warlord” and “Arak: Son of Thunder” who first appeared in “The Warlord” #48) and these series were able to be completed from beginning to end.
While I appreciate the opportunity which Grell had received from Valiant and Acclaim, unfortunately the comic book industry had shifted too much for these types of storylines to last. Grell’s work was compelling, but the comic book industry was very much superhero driven.
These were challenging times and if you look at awesome adventure series “Elfquest”, even Wendy and Richard Pini had to go through numerous publishers from 1978 to the present.
But I did go looking for “Mike Grell Starslayer: The Director’s Cut” released by Windjammer for the sake that I enjoy Mike Grell’s work. Even knowing that this Director’s Cut only lasted 8 issues.