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Sympathy For The Spoiled Super-Brat? Star #1 Takes On The Challenge

The new comic book Star has quite a challenge as a superhero comic book goes. Take a character introduced in Captain Marvel as a duplicitous, conniving schemer, who powered up and then took down the person who gave her a chance and treated her well, all on a personal narcissistic tantrum. Then make that character the lead of their own comic book. And somehow get the audience on their side.

It's more of an American problem in such fiction. The desire to give the audience someone to root for because the audience empathises with them has been challenged in recent years. Moral complexities of novels moved into crime movies, but it took the Brits to bring that sense and sensibility into mainstream comics, and even on American television, Breaking Bad's Walter White was an exercise in keeping the froggy audience simmering for five years. Something like Succession could have only come from someone who also created Peep Show.

But how do you solve a problem like supervillain Star? Who isn't even sure she wants to be a supervillain anymore. How about a heady mix of empathy and pity? I mean, sure she's killed a few, caused damage, and did it all very publically but now no one wants to give her any work.

And sure, she has power but she doesn't even know how to use it properly and having an Infinity Stone in your chest attracts all sorts of attention as well that she could really live without.

I mean, she should be able to control everything and everyone.

Poor little rich white girl with the power to take apart stars, poor her. It is to Kelly Thompson and Javier Pina's credit that they actually make you give a shit.

Star #1 is out this week from Marvel Comics… I bought mine from Piranha Comics in Kingston-Upon-Thames. Piranha Comics is a small south London comic store chain with a small south-east store in Kingston-Upon Thames's market centre, which runs Magic The Gathering nights on Fridays, and a larger south-west store in Bromley, which also runs Magic nights and has an extensive back issue collection and online store. If you are in the neighbourhood, check them out.

STAR #1 (OF 5)
(W) Kelly Thompson (A) Javier Pina (CA) Carmen Nunez Carnero
BORN OF THE REALITY STONE, THE BREAKOUT CHARACTER FROM CAPTAIN MARVEL FLIES SOLO!
Ambitious reporter Ripley Ryan rocked New York City when she became the hero STAR, adored by everyone. But in truth she was Dr. Minerva's attempt at a Kree-human Super-Soldier. Desperate for the strength to control her own destiny, she tried to kill Captain Marvel – and failed. Ripley was left, defeated and powerless, in the Raft…or so she thought. The Reality Stone has found her, and now no prison can hold her. You thought you knew what the Infinity Stones were capable of. Think again.
Rated T+ In Shops: Jan 08, 2020 SRP: $3.99

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