NYCC ’26: Oni reveals CITIZEN: STARDUST

Oni Press has revealed Citizen: Stardust, a new 12-issue take on Fletcher Hanks‘s public domain superhero Stardust the Super Wizard. A deconstructionist take written by Dave Baker (Halloween Boy) and Malachi Ward (Black Hammer), with art by Ward, and colors by Dave Stewart, the comic follows Golden Age Hollywood actor Barclay Flagg, who portrayed Stardust on the big screen, until a fan’s assassination attempt ruined his life. That is, until he receives an offer from an arts organization that could revive his career…

The official synopsis elaborates Flagg gets invited “to join The Institute – an experimental arts retreat dedicated to advancing innovation through radical creativity. It’s here that Barclay Flagg can finally craft the long-gestating Stardust masterpiece he’s always dreamt of making. He can restore his reputation. He can rekindle his celebrity. He can finally save the day. With a near-unlimited budget and an obsessive crew of fellow Institute creators dedicated to bringing his vision to life, Flagg is about to discover that some dreams are too good to be true… and that the two-dimensional comic book hero inside him could never, ever be truly locked away.”

Baker says, “The probability of Stardust: The Super-Wizard becoming one of the most bizarre and unique comics to be published in 2027 seems extraordinarily high, to me. Malachi Ward and I are bringing a new perspective to the superhero world informed by psychogeography, cult sacrifices, and technology beyond human comprehension. If that doesn’t make you want to read it? Just know that there’s a cat of nine tails made of human skulls.”

Ward adds, “Dave’s take on Stardust, and on the work of Fletcher Hanks as a whole, is such a compelling meditation on the savagery of American pop culture and the often tragic consequences of trying to make something great. The task of bringing all of that grotesque action and sprawling imagination to the comic page is the most ambitious joy of my career so far. You are not going to believe what these pages hold.”

Created by Hanks in 1939, the surreal and surprisingly violent Stardust the Super Wizard received a new lease of life with last year’s crowdfunded Stardust the Super Wizard Anthology. The book, edited by Van Jensen, was nominated for the Eisner for Best Anthology, which caused controversy when it emerged one of the stories had been generated with AI. Jensen, who said he was unaware of how the story was created, subsequently withdrew the nomination, and the judges indicated they would implement a rule banning AI submissions in future.

Citizen: Stardust #1 will be available in April, and you can check out an uncolored four-page preview below in the meantime. Baker will also attend Oni Press’s panel at New York Comic Con on Friday, October 9, along with George Northy and Caitlin Yarsky (Prometheus Graft), Oliver Mertz (A Ghost Arm Made of Angry Ghosts), Ryan O’Sullivan (Judge Dredd/Biker Mice from Mars), Batman film producer Michael E. Uslan, and editors Karl Bollers & Bess Pallares. The talk will be held in North-Room S 406.1, between 4:30 and 5:15 pm. Follow The Beat for more updates on NYCC ’26.