REVIEW: Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E

Now, I can’t quite remember if I have written a review for Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E before this. I have certainly talked about Geoff Johns and several of his stories, but not one of his earliest, such as Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. I picked up both volumes of this book and read them separately, but there is a full collection on Amazon here for $30.

When I was getting back into comics, the number one book that interested me wasn’t Batman. It was Green Lantern by Geoff Johns. I heard so many wonderful things about his run that I read it, (most of it). This is what led me towards reading Johns other works such as Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.

This was on of his first works at DC Comics and you can tell. This story is simple, but really fun and shows a respect for the world of DC. This is when Johns was at his best. Writing books like JSA ,Green Lantern, and Flash. Sure, the writing is still a little clunky and the story is simple, but that’s part of the charm. It’s not trying to be some big vigilante story taking place across the city or the world. It’s a high school girl who is learning about the Justice Society and taking inspiration from the past. It does a great job of honoring what came before and is made for fans of older comics.

The art by Lee Moder is “interesting”. It screams that 90s/00s art that I usually dislike. However it reminds me a bit of Mark Bagley’s Ultimate Spider-Man, which if I haven’t reviewed is something that I really like. It is a period of art that works really well in the high school atmosphere. So, I actually think that it works really well for this story.

The story itself is the premise for the first season of Stargirl. With old villains making their return and the older heroes mysteriously coming out of the wood work because of the introduction of this new star spangled kid. With a giant evil death laser and all the cheesy gimmicks, you could call this book lame or trash. However, if you look at it from the perspective of the story then it makes sense. Geoff Johns wrote a story for older comics fans about these older heroes. So, the story is something that befits that older generation of comics. And that is awesome.

Overall, I know that this book isn’t going to be for everyone. It is clunky, reeks of 2000s, and has a cheesy story. However, it is reminiscent of old stories and does a great job as a love letter to the heroes of old and for that I will defend it.

~~Score~~

Storytelling:     2.5

(How good is the story? Does it stand up to others?)

Art:     2.5

(Does it tell the story? Does it work well with the character?)

Importance:     4

(Does this story need to be told? Is it helping the Character?)

Character:     4

(Is the character represented well? Does the writer understand the character?)

Total:     13 / 20

~Seppin