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Rising Stars is a comic book series by J. Michael Straczynski about 113 children (called specials) who are born with special abilities following a mysterious light in the sky. The comic explores how a society may react to the introduction of superpowers, and how those specials may react towards society and themselves. Rising Stars was one of the first comics produced under JMS's own Joe's Comics imprint for Top Cow.
The story is narrated by the last living special in the future, Poet. The story starts when the specials are all grown up, but it constantly flashes back to when they were kids. Through these flashbacks it shows the development of these 113 specials, starting with the government's monitoring and handling of the events, to the manifestation of the powers, to the impact of the abilities on the afflicted children and the world. Some of the specials use their powers for the good of the world, others for personal benefit and fame, whilst others simply wish to forget about them and live a normal life.
Graphic novels
Typical of JMS, the entire story was planned before he wrote the first issue. It was set to span 24 issues, and neatly divide up into three acts. Each graphic novel collects one of those acts.
- Born in Fire collects issues #1-8.
- Power collects issues #9-16.
- Fire and Ash collect issues #17-24, Forcoming soon.
- Visitations collects all of the one-shots and special issues that aren't in the main line.
History
The comic was published monthly at first by Top Cow / Image Comics, and then under the Joe's Comics imprint. Within a few months, however, there were unscheduled artist changes and unexplained delays by Top Cow in shipping the comics - sometimes lasting months.
The comic itself came to an unexpected halt after issue 21 due to internal arguments between JMS and Top Cow. JMS claimed he was cut out of the loop on the potential Rising Stars movie. After communication broke down between them, he held back the scripts for the last three issues, and the entire comic was put on hold. In addition to an apology for the way JMS was treated in regards to the possible film, Top Cow relented by giving JMS the full rights to an anthology comic he had written for them, "Dream Police" (which will now be published by Marvel Comics), as well as the rights to the name and logo for the Joe's Comics imprint.
The last issue of Rising Stars will have been published in January 2005. During the intervening time, JMS has since gone on to write a similarly themed comic for Marvel Comics, Supreme Power.
Characters
- Matthew Bright - Police officer - Flight, strength.
- Elizabeth Chandra - Former model - Appears to everyone as their ideal woman, strength.
- Randy Fisk (Ravenshadow) - Artist - Flight, strength, can see things nobody else can, can follow anyone.
- Stephanie Maas (Critical Maas) - Multiple personality with shapeshift, strength, flight, telepathic mind control over Specials she has been in physical contact with, broadcast telepathy.
- Jason Miller (Formerly Patriot, before that Flagg) - Corporate superhero - Flight, strength
- Jerry Montrose (Pyre) - Fire, flight.
- Paula Ramirez - Singer
- Paula Rodriquez -
- John Simon (Poet) - Poet and writer - Has a knack with electronics, can avoid security systems and is sensitive to electrical impulses. Also, the force that created the Specials resides in him, making him the most powerful of all the Specials.
- Willie Smith - Flight, strength, can feel the location of other Specials.
- Laurel Darkhaven - Telekinetic Government assassin
- Joshua Kane (Sanctuary) - Televangelist
- Lioena Zerd - Seer of the dead people.
- Cathy Jean - Can resurrect the dead by laying of hands.
- Brody Kempler - Supergenius.
- Clarence Mack (Dreamwalker) - Telepathically visits other people's dreams.
- Peter Dawson - Invulnerable - a microthin shield protects his body from all injury and sensation.
Issues
Issues #1-8: Born in Fire
- Issue #1: Nova Placenta - After a strange, explosive flash, 113 children were born in Pederson, Illinois. These children later developed special abilities that would make them heroes or villains, outstanding or forgettable. In this first issue, we meet our narrator Poet as he begins to record for posterity the story of what happened to the Pederson Specials.
- Issue #2: Can't Touch This - This issue explores the life, and untimely death, of Peter Dawson. Who was he? Who would want to kill him and who could even know how to kill an "invulnerable" man? It's a real-life look at what being superhuman would really be like and how sometimes, what you see isn't what you'd normally expect!
- Issue #3: Whatever Happened to Lee Jackson? - After killing a counselor in the camp for super-powered youths, Lee Jackson must embark on a life on the runevading the government that is now cracking down on he and all of the other "gifted ones". This story explores Jackson's life only to find it all fall apart ... and how he becomes an avenging figure at the end.
- Issue #4: Masques - A young woman who was born as a Special doesn't manifest any powers or abilities. Or does she? Sometimes in life, the right circumstance just needs to present itself. We get to see through another set of eyes, what is was like growing up in Pederson. We also get more information from her on some of the others, most especially Matthew Bright and Jason Miller (Flagg).
- Issue #5:The World Between - Poet has a discussion with Clarence Mack, one of the specials who had the ability to enter the dreams of another and share it. John (Poet) figures he may know secrets which the specials have never shared with anyone else, and/or may be able to find out such secrets if need be. Clarence admits he knows something to help John ... he knows who the killer is!
- Issue #6: Things Fall Apart (Part 1 of 3) - Patriot (Flagg) and Matthew Bright star in the next incredible chapter of the acclaimed Rising Stars story line! Also, Poet begins to confront the man responsible for the murders, and a dark alliance starts to form between the killer and other specials interested in self-preservation.
- Issue #7: Things Fall Apart (Part 2 of 3) - Sides are taken, lines drawn, alliances formed. Now that the identity of the one responsible for killing the Specials is known, the close family unit that was their life until now begins to shatter into mistrust, suspicion and violence.
Issues #9 -16: Power
- Issue #8: Things Fall Apart (Part 3 of 3) - This conclusion of the three-part story sets the stage for all out warfare between various factions of the Specials, as the world looks on with horror at what they have created.
- Issue #9: Choices Made - The story arc jumps ahead in time to see the effects of full-scale conflict between many of the Specials. In the first act of this series, the world shaped our characters ... now, our characters begin to shape the world, and the world may not be very happy about those changes.
- Issue #10: Reversal of Fortune - A group of Specials (the "good guys") heads to Chicago to kick out another group of Specials (the "bad guys") who have taken up residence there. This issue kicks the story into high gear. The impossible ending is a complete surprise and leaves the reader in desperate need of the next issue.
- Issue #11: What Goes Around ... - Well now we have seen it all! That's right Poet is back! Find out how and what it means ... Apparently killing him just made him mad. One has to wonder how much of the world will be destroyed by the war between the Specials. The way it's going it doesn't look like there's gonna much left to fight for.
- Issue #12: A, B, C, and D. - Critical Maas gains more and more power as the Specials die. Randy (Ravenshadow) learns the secret of his and Poet's close friendship. Maas sends a nuke at Chicago and only one Special can save them all ... who will it be?
- Issue #13: Stalingrad - Patriot and Matthew Bright are called in to take control of the deadly situation in Chicago ... by any means necessary. Soon, it's the fight everybody's been waiting for ... Patriot versus Matthew Bright. Critical Maas looses it and the final truth behind the murders is revealed at last.
- Issue #14: Things Change - The best of all the Specials passes away and it brings them all together to mourn. John (Poet) finally realizes what their powers were meant for and is ashamed it took them this long to figure it out. This realization will change the world ... but how?
- Issue #15:Power - The acts the Specials take to "improve" the world continue and not everyone is happy about them. Someone comes forward with the news that there is something that can destroy the Specials ... even Jason (Patriot)!
- Issue #16: Selah - In the final issue of the second arc story in this series, the Specials find themselves with a difficult task at hand. Having realized they abused their powers, the Specials take responsibility for their actions and now want to clean up the mess they made of the world. Have they learned their lesson, or will one of the Special succumb to the temptations that come with such great power?
Issues #17-24: Fire and Ash
- Issue #17: Time Passes - The final act begins in the story of the Specials. This issue marks the start of the arc that will follow the remaining Specials through their later adulthood and eventual deaths. We jump forward another dozen years, and see the effects that the Specials have had in their campaign to change the world, whether the world wants to be changed or not. But now the world has the tools to begin fighting back...
- Issue #18: Fire and Ash -
- Issue #19: Terminal Error - The government has come up with a weapon to stop the Specials in their tracks. How can they continue their mission to change the world when they are no longer invulnerable?
- Issue #20: Blood Calls Out for Blood - They've tried to change to world for the better...but people don't like to be told what's good for them. How can a few extraordinary individuals stand against the very ordinary masses?
- Issue #21:Conversations on the Hill of Dreams - The government has developed a weapon capable of destroying the Specials, causing them to go into hiding. Will the government be able to systematically hunt them down and destroy them as it did to Pyre? And with the Specials hidden, what will happen to the order they put in place
- Issue #22: Phoenix in Ascension -1 of 3 - Randy Fisk aka Ravenshadow at 48 ran for president of the US in 2008 and lost and again in 2012 and lost. But in 2016 at 56 he won. Randy Fisk has rebuilt America in the example it should have always been. But shadowy powers in the US have other plans.
- Issue #23: Phoenix in Ascension -2 of 3 - Now less than 58 remain and shadowy powers in the US have plans to kill all of them. Then at a new liberty center opening all the "specials" show up. Then the unthinkable happened, the Force that was in the "specials" was freed in the Nuclear fire.
- Issue #24: Phoenix in Ascension -3 of 3 -
Spinoffs
- All story are by writer Fiona Avery
Rising Stars: Bright
- Rising Stars: Bright takes a look at Matthew Bright and his rookie years as a police officer in the NYPD.
- A three-issue mini-series:
- Mercy: Matthew Bright ran away from Pederson and change his name. Too became a member of normal a police officer. Join us as Matthew tells this story in his memoirs and learn how a Special can shine brightest when they're just being human.
- Authority: Matthew Bright is still living under the assumed name of Brendan Miller. Matthew's secret identity as Brendan Miller is about to be ripped from him and his true nature as a special is revealed as a serial killer has Specials in mind whenever he causes new carnage in the streets of suburban New York.
- Civilian Casualties: Matthew Bright has been set-up by The Shepherd of Death, the serial bomber terrorizing the streets of New York. But his precinct isn't ready to turn their back on him yet, and in a surprising show of unity, they reinstate Matthew to the ranks of Police Officer.
Rising Stars: Untouchable
Rising Stars: Untouchable features Laurel Darkhaven, the telekinetic who became a CIA assassin who was featured in issue #16.
- A five-issue mini-series.
Rising Stars: Vocies Of The Dead
To Be Determined (TBD)
Lioena Zerd is a Specials who can see dead people.
http://abyss.hubbe.net/comics/rs/index.html
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