“Yesterday’s” Comic> Starlite #1

That’s some dandruff.

Starlite #1

Emerald Star Comics (January, 2016)

“In The Beginning”

CREATOR/WRITER: Lennit

PENCILER: Pedro Pimentão

INKER: Scott Shriver

COLORIST: Pablo Yerro

LETTERER: Tomas Marijanovic

EDITOR: Matt Kelley

A young girl is surprised when a new(ish) superhero, Starlite, comes into her window asking about her father. She then takes the kid to the roof and tells the girl her life story, including her name I think. Starla was the daughter of superhero Judge Jury And Justice, but to her he was a bad father. So the one night she saw him in action turned out to be his last. Due to his life, Starla, her sister, and her mother were dirt poor, the mother turning to prostitution to feed her children. When her sister was raped and put in the hospital, it was as Starla’s powers began to develop. She started fighting crime before then, but a new gang in the city managed to beat her down. While her mom wanted to talk to the rapist, Starla had other plans, and after gathering the courage went to confront him, only to see her mom going to have that conversation. In rage, she killed them all and adopted her new name, Starlite. But is she a hero? And what are her plans for the girl’s dad?

We’ll never know because this is the only issue, at least at Drive Thru Comics. Since my format’s been toast all week, note that my positives are mostly critical and most of my negatives are personal. With that…

What they got right: As an origin, we do get a good look at Starla’s history and the events that led to her becoming the hero (or antihero at least) that she is today. I do like the art.

What they got wrong: I’m guessing the next issue would have explained why she was there, but why is Starlite telling this child (maybe 13) her backstory? Did we need a scene where a bunch of punk kids were trying to get a girl to take her shirt off so they could molest her, with her sister trying to volunteer to take her place? I can see killing the rapist, but why her mom? That doesn’t make her a hero. Finally, one critical complaint I’ll make: Judge Jury And Justice. That’s the best superhero name you could come up with?

What I think overall: I’d have to see how this origin story ended before I could tell you if I would have read further, but from what I saw, this wasn’t the type of comic I usually go for.