Black Star: Star Wars Through An International Lens

Written by Ricardo Barreiro. Art by Juan Giménez. Published by Alien Books.

Sometimes, the European comics scene gets overlooked by the English-speaking world. Yes, many classic stories have been translated and celebrated. But when you zoom out, you’ll notice plenty of comics have yet to be translated. Alien Books has been plugging in the holes of the late great Argentinian artist Juan Giménez catalogue, best known for his European work such as Metabarons with Alejandro Jodorowsky. The publisher recently published I, Dragon, one of Giménez’s final works. Now they’re heading back to 1979 to one his earliest in Black Star – a richly rendered comic that will feel very familiar.

Black Star is a space opera starring a ragtag group assembled by a mysterious benefactor. We have Speed, a sneaky criminal who’s a Han Solo-type; Vran, an android; and Nadia, a talented but inexperienced pilot. Together, they are tasked with retrieving treasures on an anomalous star while dodging all kinds of dangers.

Black Star cover A by Ariel Olivetti.

With limited real estate of 48 pages, the comic keeps on moving. Apart from spending a little too much time in the group assembly phase of the story, Black Star doesn’t dwell on anything too long – moving to the next event of the adventure. There are two instances where diagrams act as a shortcut for world-building. The one on the star helps illustrate the unique aspects of the group’s destination. The other one, detailing their ship, is not as essential but one that ship nerds will dig. It might seem like a whirlwind if you’re used to modern comics’ protracted or decompressed storytelling. However, at the same time, I appreciate how much is in the pages available.

Up to this point, you might think it seems like Star Wars. You’d be right in thinking that. George Lucas’ film is in Black Star’s DNA. It appears intentional, with Giménez stating, “We were all science fiction enthusiasts with our brains turned by Star Wars. So we said: let’s stop fighting this, let’s do a Star Wars type…” There are many parallels to Star Wars. The mysterious benefactor I mentioned earlier has elements of Obi-Wan Kenobi; Speed is inspired by Han Solo; Nadia has shades of Luke Skywalker; and their destination resembles the Death Star. However, these are not facsimiles, having similarities but often subverted or taken in another direction.

Black Star page by Giménez.

Giménez takes a lot of visual cues from Star Wars as well. The world is dirty – littered with junk in the street and grime-covered surfaces. This is achieved through watercolour washes – using muted browns, greys, and greens – over fine linework. Giménez’s detailing makes the world feel lived-in and adds character to Black Star.

Other times, elements of the comic that seem like Giménez saw the film and said, “I want to draw that”. This feels most apparent in the spaceship dogfight. The artist shows readers the action from various angles, from inside the cockpit from both sides’ perspectives to ships whizzing while dodging bullets. It’s an exciting sequence of pages that will scratch an itch if it’s your thing.

Black Star is worth reading. It’s an interesting curiosity that shows Star Wars’ influence outside of the English-speaking world. At the same time, it’s a snapshot of an artistic master still in the early stages of his career.

Black Star can be found at all good comic book shops, online retailers, and eBay.