Cody Starbuck
Published by Star*Reach and © by Howard Chaykin, July 1978
Title: Untitled
Synopsis: An amnesiac knight of the Third Reformation holds the key to a galactic empire’s expansion – or its downfall.
Writer: Howard Chaykin
Artist: Chaykin
Review: Damn, this is one dark comic book. At first, Cody Starbuck seems to be an early sci-fi iteration of Howard Chaykin’s morally ambiguous protagonist template (see: Moro Frost, Dominic Fortune, Rueben Flagg and several others). But Starbuck’s story takes a much darker turn, with a jarring leap from anti-hero to full on self-centered nihilist. This book’s tonal trouble may be a side effect of rushed pacing: There are a ton of concepts and world-building wedged into this one-shot. Chaykin’s art and color work here are quite striking, though both get muddy and confusing in places. A challenging-but-worthwhile read.
Grade: B+
Cool factor: A young Howard Chaykin unleashed.
Not-so-cool factor: Again, the darkness is deep in this one.
Character quotable: “Men well fed care little about the difference in faith … Christ or Antichrist… it’s all the same.” – Sister Margaret of the Third Reformation
A word from the publisher: “Don’t be fooled by the professional graphics, this is a punk comic.” – Mike Friedrich, from the introduction to this issue
Editor’s note: This review was written March 15, 2026.
