James Robinson, Tony Harris Reportedly Returning to Starman for DC's Black Label

Writer James Robinson and artist Tony Harris will reunite for a new Starman miniseries, according to a new report. The pair, whose original Starman series ran from 1994 until 2001, will apparently team up with colorist Gregory Wright for a Black Label miniseries. The bookstore-friendly label is home to projects like Superman: Year One , Strange Adventures , and The Bat-Man: First Knight , and caters to mature readers titles that are intended as evergreen titles in the trade paperback market. That's a market where Starman -- which has been in reprints more or less constantly since it ended -- fits right in.

According to Bleeding Cool , who broke the news, fans can expect a formal announcement from DC later this month at Comic Con International in San Diego. The story was "picked up from the gossip at today's London Film And Comic Con," per Bleeding Cool boss Rich Johnston.

Robinson and Harris's Starman centered on Jack Knight, the son of the Golden Age Starman, who battled villains in Opal City with the help of his cosmic staff. First appearing in Zero Hour #1 by Dan Jurgens, the character was nevertheless created by Harris and Robinson. Starman was one of a handful of series to spin out of Zero Hour -- an event that celebrates its 30th anniversary this year -- and it became far and away the longest-running and most successful.

Part of what made Jack Knight a compelling lead was his reluctance to take on the role. In Zero Hour , fans learned that Ted Knight (the Golden Age Starman) had two sons, David and Jack. In the story, Jack, who owns an antique store -- more of a junk shop, really -- and has no interest in taking on the family business. David, however, has always wanted to succeed his father as Starman, and is delighted to get the job. Unfortunately, in Starman #0, the first issue of the series, David takes off for his first night patrol and is immediately shot by someone on the ground, and dies. Jack takes on the name and role -- but not the costume -- of Starman to try to make things right.

Starman ran for 81 issues, and returned with a Blackest Night one-shot in 2010. After 2011's The New 52 reboot, the Starman villain The Shade headlined her own title by Robinson and a variety of big-name artists, including Darwyn Cooke ( DC: The New Frontier ), Frazer Irving ( Batman & Robin ), Gene Ha ( Superman: Action Comics ) Jill Thompson ( The Sandman ), Cully Hamner ( RED ) and Javier Pulido ( Spider-Man ). Starman has been collected in standard trade paperbacks as well as paperback and hardcover omnibuses. The series is widely regarded as one of DC's best comics of the last 30 years, and DC has rarely allowed any other writer to touch Jack Knight, seemingly saving him for Robinson and Harris's return -- a day that seemed like it might never come, but now could be right around the corner.