Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Filipe Andrade, Javier Pina, Jay Leisten, Jesus Aburtov, Chris O’Holloran, and VC’s Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release Date: May 20, 2020
Cover Price: $3.99

I will admit that when Marvel announced this Star mini-series, I wondered if it was “must-see tv.” However, I did enjoy Star in Captain Marvel, and the first couple of issues of this book impressed me as a neat little team-up book that I could get behind. It isn’t going to set the world on fire, but I don’t think Kelly Thompson is trying for that anyway. With that said, I also was afraid it could devolve into a Captain Marvel vs. Star fight of the month club, and that’s kind of what we got the last issue. So, does this penultimate issue give us more of the neat or continue the vs.? Let’s find out…

The issue starts with the big battle between Star and Captain Marvel, and it is more of the same. Carol wants to stop Ripley from doing any more damage, and Ripley hates Carol for little things like killing her. I mean, some people hold the craziest grudges, am I right?!? We do get a good show of powers and also see the Black Order is making like Spike Lee with the front row seats. They are just waiting for the right time to ponce on Star and the reality stone, but before that, we get a flashback that was a bit jarring at first.

It’s more of a delusional flashback/vision type thing that confuses our heroes a bit, but also gives the Black Order the opening they need. However, instead of doing much, they hang out and wait until Star and Captain Marvel compare notes of who they’ve fought lately, and which trickster gods they have burned to ash (actually, that one is all Star). The Black Order is even nice enough to wait for Star and Carol to call a truce. They are really a good bunch of baddies!

With everyone settled up and ready, the fight finally begins. It’s an okay battle that seems like a shoo-in for Team Reality Stone, but Kelly Thompson has made it clear that Ripley hasn’t mastered it yet (not even close), and here we see that she is trying to do too much at once. I blame Carol for that as she is just shouting out order after order to Star.

I do like seeing the stuff Black Swan set up before this issue comes into play, even if it has screwed them… the Black Order… and maybe the whole world by the end of the issue!

This issue is the penultimate issue of the mini, and it falls into the trap that these issues tend to fall into, mainly because it is a lot of set up for the big finale. I get it, you can’t blow it all here, and I did enjoy some of the moments we got here, but it was an issue length fight scene. It did look great even with a bunch of artists, which is not usually the case.

Final Thoughts:

Star is a series that I have enjoyed enough, but this penultimate issue is a fight scene from beginning to end. It does get Captain Marvel and Star on the same side against the Black Order, and the cliffhanger has me intrigued for the finale. This issue isn’t a must-read, but if you have enjoyed Star so far, you know what to expect.

6.0/10