First issues can be a challenge. You have to cover a lot of ground to get your reader invested while giving them a compelling story and setting up what’s coming next. It’s no small feat, but, Starsigns #1 manages to do it with an exciting hook, dynamic characters, and a good old-fashioned last-page teaser.
The zodiacs have disappeared from our skies. That’s the premise Starsigns #1 opens with. The stars are gone, and people are more or less… cool with it? Our protagonist, part-time caterer Rana Fawaaz, notes it’s like hearing the bees are dying. It’s distant. However, it doesn’t stay distant as threads tying the disappearing zodiac to the newfound powers Rana begins to develop.
Rana is a compellingly human lead. When she discovers her powers, the first thing she does is… keep working. I don’t know if there is anything more human than being bestowed otherworldly power and still being worried about getting fired. There are hints at a deeper past behind Rana, but for issue #1, she is simply the classic comic every-person struggling to get by—a tried-and-true recipe for a relatable hero for our story.
While we don’t get too many of the supporting cast, Rana’s musician father is bursting with personality in the two pages we meet him. Whatever his role is moving forward, I can’t wait to see more from Baba.
The issue opens with a strong hook in the Canadian Northwest Territories and ends with a bang (technically a ‘CRASH’). While there isn’t much plot during issue #1, writer Saladin Ahmed gives readers enough information to understand where things are heading, a compelling lead and mysterious antagonist, and many questions open for further discovery.
Megan Levens is on art and does a terrific job of creating dynamic yet simple layouts and images. The action is easy to follow but never dull. With her is colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick, who brings incredible lighting and color to this world without stars. Together the pair create an incredible opening northern scene that immediately grabs the reader’s attention.
Rounding out the creative team is letterer Shawn Lee, who gets funky with the words on the page. He plays around with the word bubbles and style that bring the mood Ahmed is creating to life. The entire creative team works with tremendous synergy for the series debut.
Starsigns #1 is a solid opening that does everything it needs to keep readers engaged. It gives readers a compelling lead, a mystery to solve, some beautiful artwork, and an ending worth continuing for. With solid writing and great art, Starsigns #1 is as good of an opening issue as possible.
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