Starlight #4

By Mark Millar, Goran Parlov & Ive Svorcina

This issue definitely feels like the start of the Empire Strikes Back portion of the story. Duke McQueen and his young companion, Krish, are imprisoned. After some key plot threads are dropped, they manage to flee to a new continent. There they join the resistance and prepare for their next move against Kingfisher and his empire.

Mark Millar’s writing seemed to be off in the first part of the comic; some the material was spoon-fed to the reader. One instance has Pindar explaining what his role as head of security for Kingfisher entails; that seems like a fairly straightforward title that didn’t need further explanation. Also, a revelation of Krish’s past was shown in one of Goran Parlov’s panels, but then dialog was used a couple more times to drive the plot point home. This may be a little too critical, but Mark is a strong writer and his reader’s have come to expect quality.

The book really kicks into high gear and lives up to expectations when everyone escapes. Parlov and Millar transport the reader to a whole new location and arc in the tale. Duke has a flashbacks of his glory days and an imitate moment with his wife.  Beats like this are what make Starlight stand out, Mark takes the archetypal space swashbuckler and puts his spin on the ethos. The comic ends with a surprise that I kicked myself for not figuring out, but this creative team really pulls one into the story of McQueen and his return to Tantalus.

Goran’s work continues to be reminiscent of Mœbius’, which works perfectly for the genre of this book! His costume designs are so imaginative, especially Kingfisher’s and his cohorts’. When McQueen and the others arrive in their new location, one can’t help but be caught off guard by how stunning the scenery is. Ive Svorcina’s use of vibrant colors without a doubt sells the artwork, especially these few pages. Their collaboration absolutely makes this such a visual joy!

This issue had a few minor bumps, but it still packs a punch! Stick with Starlight, Mark Millar and co. because they won’t steer readers wrong.