Starfire 3 review

After last issue’s hurricane in the Key West, Starfire 3 explores the aftermath while also introducing this series’ first supervillain. Meanwhile Starfire continues to adjust to her life on Earth. This is a bit of a weird issue, but it’s fun.

When I say this issue’s weird, I mean that there’s maybe a bit too much going on. There’s the supervillain that I mentioned earlier, killing people. There’s Starfire finding a new place to live after her trailer was ravaged during the hurricane. The trailer she only just moved into by the way. There’s a mystery on a crashed Cruise Ship that’s only began to unravel. And then of course there’s Starfire being Starfire. The cruise ship mystery, while interesting, almost feels like a distraction at this point.

With all that said, this comic is fun. Kori’s interactions with Earthlings are always entertaining, as she frequently misunderstands common phrases. The imaged thought bubbles always emphasize this. For example, Starfire discusses covering rent for her new place, and she imagines water and electricity with hats on them for cover. There’s also an amusing moment with baking soda. When the action starts though, the comic gets more serious and explores how a peaceful race would respond to human on human violence. The cliffhanger also promises a good fight between Starfire and a monster, with the help of a surprise ally.

The art by Emanuela Lupacchino is great. Even though the island still looks like a paradise after last issue’s storm, there’s the occasional fallen tree in the background, along with people repairing buildings. Facial expressions do a great job at conveying emotions, whether it’s the sheriff’s focus while clearing the cruise ship, Starfire’s confusion while trying to figure out how to eat a watermelon or all the “friendly” smiles she receives while walking through town. There’s also the occasional visual gag, like a random cat in a restaurant toward the end of the issue. The colouring by Hi-Fi is fantastic. It’s bright, colourful and appealing to the eye.

I’ve read some comments online from people who don’t like this take on the character. Since I’ve only read her here I can’t comment on other takes on the character, but I’m personally enjoying this. Writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti are creating a fun series about a peace-loving alien trying to figure out Earth while protecting people every now and then. It’s fun, it’s often funny and it’s worth checking out.

8/10