A successful action series needs to have an ebb and flow of exciting setpieces and quiet moments to breathe. Too much action and the story becomes numbing, the spectacle becomes meaningless. You need those moments to relate to the characters and help make them feel fleshed out and real, not action figures smashing together for our entertainment. The problem, however, is the pacing, doubly so when it comes to comics. Because this is a medium that requires waiting between chapters, it means that you need a driving force to keep you going. While “Starsign” #6 has a successful climax, it lacks a driving force to really keep you invested.
Written by Saladin AhmedCover by Megan Levens & Kelly Fitzpatrick
Illustrated by Megan Levens
Colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick
Lettered by Shawn Lee‘On the run and mourning one of their own, Rana and the others find refuge with an eccentric new Starsign. But when you’ve been chosen by the stars, peace is always fleeting Nothing is what it seems in the latest by SALADIN AHMED and MEGAN LEVENS!’
Like many comics, it looks like “Starsign” #6 will be better in the trade format. Again, if we’re looking at this pacing as if it were a novel or a movie, this is the perfect counterpoint to last month’s action-heavy issue. The problem, however, comes from the fact that this isn’t a novel or a trade; it’s a stand-alone issue that really doesn’t feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. Sure, we’re given some nice, quiet character-building moments between our heroes and setting up what appears to be an imminent face turn from our villains, but both times the issue starts to build momentum, it peters out. Saladin Ahmed is still solid at writing relatable characters, but this issue, in particular, was a struggle to keep the excitement up.
It’s not necessarily bad; it’s just not very engaging. A lot of the beats of “Starsigns” #6 seem to mirror last month’s issue. We have characters hiding from loved ones, getting high to avoid the reality of the situation, and continuing on the lam. The exchange between Rana and Clarence is one of the best examples of the issue losing steam as it gets to the “good stuff.” We don’t exactly learn anything new about these two characters, and when another mysterious Sign user shows up, we cut away. You just wish there was more going on in the sequence. Sure, Megan Levens does an excellent job of capturing the calm of the moment, and it is a pleasant sequence to look at, but it reads like a balloon desperately clinging on to that last moment of buoyancy.
The exchanges between Leo and Libra have a little more juice to them. The dialogue is a little punchier, and it works towards building what is almost certainly going to be a “face turn” from at least one of them, probably both. It’s just that “Starsigns” #6 doesn’t do much to “break the formula” of this particular trope. She’s an ice queen raised by the villain. He’s a smarmy rebel who is there to make her see that her dad is a fucked up individual. It’s not really doing anything special, so who knows, maybe Leo will stay bad through the end, but at the moment, it’s a tired storyline.
The real meat of the story comes from Duke’s explanation of his master plan, which is where “Starsigns” #6 really shines. This is one of those moments that is an incredible blend of art and text that reminds you what makes comics unique in the first place. In these moments, Megan Levens plays with the page layout, creating a stunning visual landscape for Duke’s malicious monologue. It’s especially effective when she starts to mess with the background, the blood ruining an otherwise noble mission of what the Starsigns mean and why they exist in the first place. In general, the Duke story is what makes the issue worth reading. His exchange with Cathy is the perfect example of a “benevolent” villain monologue and wouldn’t feel out of place from Lex Luthor or Kingpin. It’s said with a smile as the words betray a monster. It comes late in the issue and injects some serious life into the issue.
Overall, it’s a calm-before-the-storm issue that doesn’t make you that excited for the storm to arrive. It’s a balancing act that “Starsigns” #6 really doesn’t pull off in the individual issue. Again, it’s certainly possible that sandwiched in a trade or as an opening chapter, this issue will work incredibly well. Turning the page to see Duke’s cummupence or Leo staying true to the only family (no matter how evil he might be) she’s ever known could be satisfying. As a stand-alone floppy, you’re not really getting your money’s worth, and it doesn’t encourage you to come back for more. Sure, it has a stylish exposition dump, it’s vibrant, and it has the occasional momentary exciting image, but as a whole, it’s just dull. Overall, it would have benefitted from a little more action or some clever twists to a standard “cool down” story. As it stands, it leaves you wanting more, and not in a good way.
Final Verdict: 5.5 While “Starsigns” #6 features some interesting visual storytelling devices, it’s a lackluster story of the calm before the storm.
