Starborn #10

Okay, so a comic series a bit off the mainstream path today and a bit of a series review overall and not really of just issue 10.
Starborn is a series and character created by Stan Lee (most people will know him from his Marvel fame as the co-creator of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and many others). He's one of three characters created by Lee for BOOM! studios in a universe that I can only call Stan Lee's Universe :).
Starborn is a bit of a cross between the old Captain Mar-Vell of Marvel fame if he were the son of Thanos, also of Marvel fame. Starborn's real name is Benjamin Warner...well, ok, it's actually Bin Yaamin if you want to get technical. I'll explain which will explain the initial statement as well. Benjamin Warner is the last son of the last emperor of a galactic space empire known simply as The Civilization. The problem is that his father was also a tyrant and ruled with an iron fist...early on in the series, Benjamin who's given name is Bin Yaamin, refers to him as space Hitler. Bin was hidden away on Earth early on in his life during his early childhood with most of his memories erased by some high-tech process as a safeguard to maintain the imperial line (there were actually several heirs originally, but all but Bin have been hunted down and exterminated by the rebels who overthrew Bin's father). All his life, Benjamin has had these creative ideas of a peaceful, benign space civilization that ruled over many species in a semi-utopian society. These were actually the memories of his original life, although his dad only gave him the story from his perspective (all tyrants think they are doing things for the good of their empire).
In issue 1, Bin finds out about all of this because the rebel insurgents who now rule The Civilization find out about him and send some hit squads to take him out. His shapeshifting bodyguard who has been with him his whole life as a childhood friend (she's a shapeshifter after all) rescues him and starts to bring him up to speed. The action ensues from there.
Currently in issue 10, the peoples of The Civilization have decided that a whole planet full of humans that might be harboring any number of former sympathizers to the former emperor, since they harbored his last heir and kind of still are, should be destroyed. Bin ends up allying with a former general from The Civilization who has been exiled on Earth for his insurgent speech which actually ignited the rebellion that overthrew the emperor so long ago to try and stop them.
I really like this comic, it's epic in scope and just plain fun. I've followed Benjamin from mild mannered cube rat in a dead end job at the beginning of issue 1 to someone who is unleashing a power in his father's ultrapowerful high tech gauntlet (which was once known as the Hand of Glory instead of its more recent and ominous name, which I've forgotten right now) that his father had not even been able to unleash at the height of his power at the end of issue 10. Apparently, the hand was meant for those with pure hearts instead of space Hitlers.
The series is writtern by Chris Roberson, who I think does an excellent job with everything I've read by him. I haven't read any of his actual books, and I always mean to do so one day, but just never get there.
The book is currently being drawn by Matteo Scalera, who's style is not my favorite, but it works in this book.
I highly recommend this book and the other two titles in this little universe, Traveler and Soldier Zero.
Also, I recommend BOOM! Studios and their comic books in general if you prefer something outside the traditional superhero genre. They have comics licensed from Jim Henson Productions (like Fraggle Rock and Farscape), Disney (Dark Wing Duck and Cars to name two), movie and TV franchises (Die Hard, Eureka, Planet of the Apes), and plenty of original series. Recently they even brought Elric back to comics, and that's an awesome series. Besides all of this, BOOM! Studios has also gone to non-standard comic book events like L.A. Times Festival of Books to promote literacy programs using comic books.

Anyway, that's all I have for tonight. Thanks again for reading.