Moonstar #5: Saving the Best for Last

Issue #5 stands as the best issue in this miniseries. Narratively and visually, this comic excels above the rest. 

The opening narration serves as an excellent opening hook that ties Dani back to her Cheyenne roots. For the first solo outing of Marvel’s premier Native American hero, this comic miniseries didn’t touch much on her cultural roots, which serve as a core aspect of the character. The opening narration rectifies that, with an incredible narration that ties the current plot to the character’s history. Furthermore, this is the best chemistry between Kian and Dani across the five issues. Ashley Allen writes the best romance seen in this series. Dani and Kian bounce off each other in combat and dialogue; the pair works very well in this issue, rewarding any readers who enjoyed the blossoming romance. They even share a surprisingly cute scene together near the end of the comic. 

The art by Edoardo Audino and the colors by Arthur Hesli looks gorgeous. Issue #5 employs a lot of contrasting colors to draw the eye to specific panels. Magical spells are bright, vibrant yellows and whites that beautifully clash with the muted red and brown background. The art gives the battle between Dani, Kian, and Kyron a truly mystical feeling, visually showing that all of these characters are apt spellcasters. Dani herself has never looked better; she’s drawn with a naive confidence that suits the character perfectly. Her yellow and black X-Men suit is distinct compared to the blue and grey costumes of Kian and Kyron, subtly telling the reader that this is her story. 

A core issue with this miniseries is that Dani Moonstar lacks a narrative arc. Dani in Issue #5 of Moonstar feels like the same Dani as Dani in Issue #1 of Moonstar. A good miniseries, especially the first ever miniseries for a character as old as Danielle Moonstar, should see the character undergo some development, some fundamental change that should alter how readers perceive the character. While Dani rediscovers herself, she rediscovers who she was in the first issue. No major status quo shift occurs, making this entire story feel irrelevant. By the end of the issue, Dani’s major change is that she lived through a situationship; it’s not a change that warranted its own story.