Nova and Stargirl

 

The Stargirl series was a lot of fun.  I'm not holding my breath waiting for the character to show up in the DCU, though.  I assume that it will take a few years to establish a Justice League, let alone introduce the JSA and their spin-off characters.  As for Nova, Frankie Raye will probably be considered too close to Shalla Bal to be a candidate for entry into the MCU any time soon.

Coming tomorrow:  STF #4900!

Nova and Stargirl

 

He's back and badder than ever!  That's right - Earth STF's greatest menace, Mr. Universe, returns for his 11th appearance to vex a couple of young heroes.  Let's hope that they have better luck than the rest in putting this guy away for good!

Stargirl and Dazzler

 

I've been meaning to include The Shade on a cover for a while.  Once a somewhat generic villain, James Robinson fleshed him out in the 90's Starman series into one of dc's most interesting adversaries.  The Stargirl TV show did a decent job bringing that version to live action.

Stargirl and America Chavez

 

I was sorry to see the series end, but I enjoyed the final episode of Stargirl.  I especially liked the final few minutes where some closure was given to all of the ongoing plot lines.  I was introduced to America Chavez in the last Doctor Strange movie, but I can't say that I know too much about her as she was treated more like a plot device than a fully developed character.  Hopefully future appearances will help to define her a little bit better.

Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. and Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot

 

It sounds like the Arrowverse on the CW is coming to an end.  Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow have already been cancelled, with Naomi expected to follow and The Flash will conclude after a shortened final season.  Superman and Lois is safe for now and Stargirl's fate has not been mentioned.  I believe the third season has been filming though, so hopefully we will get a solid conclusion to the series.

I am happy to use the art of the incredibly detailed Geoff Darrow here.  I was lucky enough to pick up a matching pair of sketches by him several years back:  

Stargirl and Wolverine

 

I'm looking forward to the new season of Stargirl.   Word is that Jon Wesley Shipp will be reprising his role as Jay Garrick, so we can expect more JSA action.  Jakeem Thunder will be joining the ranks of the young JSA'ers, and it will be interesting to see how Thunderbolt will be depicted.  We may even get a Green Lantern at some point in the season as I have read about some casting for Jade..  Should be fun!

Stargirl and Jolt Vs. Electro

I'm looking forward to the new Stargirl series.  From the quick glimpses that we have seen so far, the character designs are faithful to the comics, which is a good sign.  I hope for plenty of JSA action, but they may only be used in limited flashback scenes, so I'm not getting my hopes up too much for that just yet.  I'd love to see Jack Knight introduced at some point.  Hopefully, the episodes will balance personal drama and super-heroics well.  Stargirl herself and S.T.R.I.P.E. look great I can't wait to see them in action.

Stargirl and Jolt first met in STF #2283...

Jolt and Stargirl

I was a big fan of Kurt Busiek's Thunderbolts series for Marvel, with villains disguised as heroes and the effect that had on them.  When Jolt was introduced, the series got even better, as she was the first member of the team truly untarnished by a villainous past and made a big impression on the rest of them.  She was later killed off, but then got better.  I haven't kept much track of what's happened to her since that series ended, but if they ever bring it back, I hope she will be part of the team once again.

Justice League of America & The Defenders (and more!)

Welcome to STF #1600!  I hope you will indulge a non-cover-related commentary...

The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Stir Crazy... Gene Wilder starred some of my all time favorite films.  I was sorry to hear that he passed away yesterday.  I loved his performances as well as his relationship with Gilda Radner.  I hope they are reunited out there somewhere right now.  Rest in Peace, Gene Wilder  and thank you for all the laughs.

Stargirl and Captain America in "Freedom Will Ring..."

I haven't checked in with Stargirl since the New 52 reboot, but it seems like she has been getting plenty of exposure in the Justice League titles.  I really liked the legacy aspect of the character, and how she had ties to heroes like Starman, Stripesy and the Star-Spangled Kid.  With the loss of the original Earth Two characters, I wonder how much of that history is still intact in the present continuity.

Cap first met Stargirl in STF #501...

Stargirl and Captain Marvel

Ever since The Death of Captain Marvel, Marvel has wondered what to do with the name of their fallen hero, and it has gone through several characters.  Monica Rambeau, Genis Vell, and others have taken on the title, but nobody ever seemed to hold on to the name for very long.  Finally, Carol Danvers was promoted from Ms. Marvel to Captain Marvel, while passing on her moniker to a new young heroine.  This I think is my favorite solution so far, it just feels right.

Captain America and Stargirl

I first became aware of Darwyn Cooke when I read that he was behind the awesome opening title sequence for the Batman Beyond cartoon.  So when I saw that he was going to be writing and illustrating some DC comics, I was very interested to see how they would look.  I was blown away with the cinematic feel of his stories - reading comics like Batman: Ego was like looking at the coolest storyboards ever.  Then of course, there's DC: The New Frontier, where he really got a chance to flex his superhero muscles.  He's great as moody noirish tales as well, as can be seen with his work on Parker for IDW.

Silver Surfer and Stargirl

I guess it really isn't surprising that Geoff Johns decided to include his creation, Stargirl, in the line up for the new Justice League of America.  Her solo title was the first place that I took notice of Johns' writing skills.  I have to wonder though, what separating her from Earth-2 will do to her back story.  Does she still have ties to The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy?  Do they even still exist in the New 52?  Her connection to those heroes as well as others like Jack Knight was one of the things I really enjoyed about the character, and I hope that it is somehow maintained.  I am sure that Johns will flesh out her history in the pages of JLA sooner or later, so we will find out what has and has not changed soon enough.