DC Graphic Novel No. 1, 1983
DC decided to get into the game in 1983 by publishing a series of Graphic Novels, priced at $5.95 and consisting of 48 pages.
For its very first Graphic Novel, DC decided to release ‘Star Raiders’, based on the 1979 video game for the Atari 400 / 800 computer console. [Additional versions of the game were released in the 80s, and the most recent release, for the Xbox, PS3, and PCs, came out in May, 2011.]
Written by Elliot S (!) Mangin and illustrated by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, ‘Star Raiders’ didn’t have much more than pixels from the video game with which to develop content.
Accordingly, the book borrows quite heavily from Star Wars.
It also has a juvenile character to it, featuring plenty of cute aliens. Then there is a pretty, New Wave-ish space chick with an eyepatch and a scarlet headband (early 80s sci-fi fashion ‘musts’); and a reserved approach to showing blood and gore. These are indications that, although these graphic novels were not subject to the Comics Code Authority, DC sought to avoid the ‘adult’ themes presented in the Epic and Heavy Metal franchises.
Despite its rather conventional plotting, ‘Star Raiders’ certainly has well-done artwork by Lopez, and if it can be found for just a couple of bucks (like my copy was), and you have a fondness for the all-ages sci-fi media of the early 80s, then you may want to get a copy.
Despite its rather conventional plotting, ‘Star Raiders’ certainly has well-done artwork by Lopez, and if it can be found for just a couple of bucks (like my copy was), and you have a fondness for the all-ages sci-fi media of the early 80s, then you may want to get a copy.
Maggin's editor at DC, the late great Julius Schwartz, is responsible for the exclamation point after Maggin's middle initial. It was originally a one-time typo on a script but Schwartz liked it and ordered that all Maggin's DC work be credited that way. It is often assumed that the S! refers in some way to Superman, the character Maggin is most associated with.
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