Battling the elements.
Creative Staff:
Story: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti
Art: Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy
What They Say:
Florida is so nice this time of year…the warm weather…the beach…and Starfire beating the crud out of the bad guys! You should really try to get down there and see for yourself.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The opening issue of Starfire was a fun book overall, though I know being a longtime comics reader in general had me just trying to “place” everything and understand the context of it all. With as lengthy a history as Kori has, putting her in a kind of newly arrived state just felt weird and I wasn’t quite sure how to process some of it. This installment doesn’t have to deal with it much outside of a reference or two and a general unawareness of how big storms work in the keys, so it was a lot easier to just enjoy the story itself and the actions – and humor – that takes place within. That comes together well and makes for a smooth and fun read as a whole.
With the big once in a decade kind of hurricane hitting the keys, there’s plenty going on here as Stella is doing her best to coordinate things at the sheriff’s office and we see Sol and the others at the Coast Guard branch putting their plans in motion as well and securing what they can. Each comes across competently for the most part, though there are boneheaded actions along the way as well. In the mix of all of this is Kori as she does her best to fly about in the storm saving people and bringing them to shelters. This provides her ample opportunity to experience “unique Florida culture” as is often displayed through popular media, though it also has a strong basis in reality. Some of it makes you cringe a bit, others are just a little more focused on things than you’d think – such as the parrot, but for the most part it doesn’t go so far that you really want to just toss the book.
A good portion of the book is Kori dealing with the situation and people and that has some real fun to it, especially in coping with the weather system itself as it has her questioning whether she should really relocate here. Using skills learned from associates of hers, as she references them, she also gets to put it to the test more by going after Sol for Stella since he took a ship out to sea to rescue some stranded honeymooners. Sol’s certainly not going by the book here, even if it is the eye of the storm, but it provides a chance for Kori to shine amid the storm, and then to spend some time alone with him for a bit later after the rescue. Sol’s reactions to her are amusing as is the way Kori has to deal with both him and Stella as it goes as well. There’s the potential for a fun situation with all of them, though not in a romantic way. Just your basic kind of weird people interaction made weirder by her being an alien. Which means she should fit right in here.
In Summary:
Starfire continues to find the right mix of action and humor to work and I suspect it’ll take a few more issues to truly shake out. I’ve always liked Kori so I’m enjoying seeing her in a solo book and having fun with things through her typically innocent view of the world and simple turns of phrase as she deals with what she sees. The rest of the cast is starting to find their bearings as well, with Stella being the big one here, and the fun of she and Kori living together for awhile could be a book all on its own in a way. I was frustrated by the pacing of the first issue and how it throw us to the storm so quickly, but this issue worked a lot better for me overall and was simply fun all around. Now to see what was created from within the sinkhole next time around.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: July 9th, 2015
MSRP: $2.99
