Star #1: Do I Belong?

Spinning out of the last Captain Marvel arc also from writer Kelly Thompson, Star #1 gives the new hero or otherwise her own limited series to help her find her place within the expansive Marvel universe. Sure, she’s had run ins with Carol Danvers, but the faces we see in just the first issue of Star is a shocker not just for her, but for us as fans too!

Before we get to all the fun cameos and kickass action, there is one fundamental aspect of Star #1 that makes this issue such a success…

Heart.

That’s right, Star #1 is a book that immediately begs you to care about Ripley and the situation she has found herself in. The ride so far has been a true roller coaster of emotions, pushing the character into dangerous territory both mentally and physically. There is no cheap gimmick at work here, just solid character drama and classic superhero antics that make for an incredibly strong first issue that will undoubtedly pull many readers back in for what’s to come.

Aside from the core heart of Star #1, it also does a magnificent job of placing the Ripley firmly in the extended Marvel Universe. In just this issue alone, we have appearances from Loki, Jessica Jones and an exciting cliffhanger revealing the Scarlet Witch. Plus, we have the always controversial Reality Stone at play granting Ripley her powers right now. All of these work as fan service, yes, but they also do a great job of fleshing the character out as someone who can stay even after Thompson isn’t writing the character anymore. The creative team seems to be setting Star up to become another powerful woman character for Marvel that won’t be taking any $&*! and I am here for it.

This character isn’t just Kelly Thompson though, the team of artists that brought Star #1 to life including Javier Pina, Filipe Andrade, Jesus Aburtov, Clayton Cowles and Carmen Carnero with Salena Johnson designing an awesome new logo all help to establish this character and make her completely unique. The expressions and backgrounds are all dynamic and the overall world building for this new character is thrilling.

It is not a perfect issue though. Star was essentially the villain of her arc in Captain Marvel and this issue really doesn’t clear up where exactly the character is at morally. It’s a grey area that is wonderful to explore narratively but it creates hesitation on behalf of the reader regarding how to approach all the developments. We’re still in a spot where a lot of uncertainty surrounds the future of the character and while I understand the mystery is the story, some nod to her inner motivations would have been nice.

Overall, Star #1 is a book that has pulled me in for more and left me truly excited for what’s to come in the next issues. It’s certain that this character is a hit for Marvel and has a bright future, regardless if she falls to villainy or rises to be a hero. With a strong start to her own series, the sky really is the limit for Star!