4 out of 5

My first step into Peter Goral’s retro toy series-turned-comic maybe erred toward the annoying end of the nostalgia spectrum, thanks to an overdose of page-filling lore which took away from the kooky potential. Perhaps that was because its lead – Count Knuckleduster – was maybe not the real star of this universe, and thus required (in Goral’s mind) more work to flesh out. 

Phantom Starkiller, Knuckleduster’s Skeletor-looking underling, who also appeared in that book, was much more interesting; and indeed, as the titled protagonist of this one-shot, we’re able to get a whole backstory – two, actually! – which informs Phantom’s Count-ordained quest for some magical stone, and the book never feels over-stuffed or slows down. I mean, it is overstuffed, but in a much more enjoyably cheeky fashion. 

There’s a bit of Darth Vader-y destiny mixed in here as well, and I’m not sure it all makes absolute sense, but Goral and artist Joseph Schmalke together sell it, with bright, toyetic colors and slick character designs keeping each page and appearance popping, with special shouts to the letters (Joel Rodriguez) for giving Starkiller a unique and fitting “voice.” 

Schmalke sticks to a pretty clear-lined, weighty style, and pages are generally very clear, but the artist does (here and in other books) struggle with establishing geography and settings – the explored planet feels rather faceless – and doing action beats. And the dialogue floats a little too casually between pulpy and modern action movie. 

But – this is the kind of book where the specifics don’t matter as much as the overall vibe, and this time, the team nails it. 

Includes some drawn ads for real toys / merch, and a couple pinups.