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Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #1
Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Edition# 7
Follows the adventures of Courtney Whitmore, the new Star-Spangled Kid, and S.T.R.I.P.E., her stepfather with a robotic suit, as they battle aliens, cults, and villains.
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First published June 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 5, 2019
This was goofy and lighthearted and pretty fun.
When I read some JSA, right away I liked Stargirl a lot. The teenager who just tries to do her best to help people. Loved the idea and the way she was. So it's nice to see her Origin story and how she was abit of a brat to a true heroic hero. This is basically her and her stepdad Pat as they begin their adventures together fighting crime. The regular classroom drama, mixed with some fighting, and a little of family meltdown, and you have this title.
Good: The art is cartoony as hell but really funny. The fights look pretty cool because of the wonky art. I really dug Courtney as a character here, even if she was a little full of herself and kind of bitchy at points. Her age shows teenagers are assholes most of the time. However, her relationship with her step father grew in a way I enjoyed.
Bad: It's goofy and so nothing feels scary or really any stakes. Also, while the dialogue is fun, it's dated as hell. Late 90's, early 2000's slang and dress code can either be a make it break it thing. I loved the design but the slang...not so much.
Overall, fun and cool to see where Stargirl came from. If anything else it made me give the earlier JSA comics another try! A 3 out of 5.
When I read some JSA, right away I liked Stargirl a lot. The teenager who just tries to do her best to help people. Loved the idea and the way she was. So it's nice to see her Origin story and how she was abit of a brat to a true heroic hero. This is basically her and her stepdad Pat as they begin their adventures together fighting crime. The regular classroom drama, mixed with some fighting, and a little of family meltdown, and you have this title.
Good: The art is cartoony as hell but really funny. The fights look pretty cool because of the wonky art. I really dug Courtney as a character here, even if she was a little full of herself and kind of bitchy at points. Her age shows teenagers are assholes most of the time. However, her relationship with her step father grew in a way I enjoyed.
Bad: It's goofy and so nothing feels scary or really any stakes. Also, while the dialogue is fun, it's dated as hell. Late 90's, early 2000's slang and dress code can either be a make it break it thing. I loved the design but the slang...not so much.
Overall, fun and cool to see where Stargirl came from. If anything else it made me give the earlier JSA comics another try! A 3 out of 5.
June 26, 2018
Brilliant and fun start by Geoff Johns in the beginnings of his takeover of the DC Universe! Expertly fuses great characterization of the new Star-Spangled Kid while also respecting the history of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Among my very favorite of that DC era...
April 27, 2020
Totally charming: and heartily recommended.
This trade paperback volume collects the first half of the short but fine run of this title. Here we get the first comics writing by Geoff Johns and some enthusiastically spirited art by Lee Moder. Johns and Moder reintroduce a young, teenage girl Star-Spangled Kid (now, Stargirl) and S.T.R.I.P.E. (formerly, Stripesy, older sidekick of the Golden Age 1940s SSK). You do not have to be a superhero fan or know DC Comics continuity to enjoy this stuff. It succeeds on at least two levels, primarily the fun level.
After twenty years +, I still see the charm.
This trade paperback volume collects the first half of the short but fine run of this title. Here we get the first comics writing by Geoff Johns and some enthusiastically spirited art by Lee Moder. Johns and Moder reintroduce a young, teenage girl Star-Spangled Kid (now, Stargirl) and S.T.R.I.P.E. (formerly, Stripesy, older sidekick of the Golden Age 1940s SSK). You do not have to be a superhero fan or know DC Comics continuity to enjoy this stuff. It succeeds on at least two levels, primarily the fun level.
After twenty years +, I still see the charm.
April 16, 2020
Great introduction to Stargirl, or The Starspangled Kid, as she's known in this comic. I'm not personally a fan of the type of art used in this series, but I can still admit that it's well done. Looking forward to the new series coming out next month.
November 19, 2015
Really good art and a great character. Light, cartoony vibe that belies how truly great this is- basically an all ages book geared towards younger teen girls. Parts are frustrating- stories about the JSA aren't included and references to them are sort of head scratching. That said, it does make me want to read them so maybe that's intended. Also- STOP MAKING COURTNEY'S RIBS A MAJOR PART OF HER DESIGN. LIKE. TF. ITS ANNOYING SND ENFORCES SOME BAD SHIT. OTHERWISE THIS TRULT IS EXCELLENT
September 14, 2015
This is Geoff Johns at his best....strong character work and plotting, and building upon DC's history while still ,paving forward. Eventually he'd begin to delve back into DC history and stop moving forward, but that's not what's happening here. The arts not quite to my taste, but the story and characters make up for any problems I have with it.
March 31, 2019
After recently finishing Geoff John's run on The Flash, I figured I would go back to where it started with Johns, before he had the massive impact on the entirety of the DC Universe--Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., which introduced the character Courtney Whitmore who becomes the new Star-Spangled Kid and eventually is the heir apparent to Jack Knight at the end of James Robinson's Starman series. Since it felt like Johns was feeling fatigue at the end of his run on The Flash, I wanted to read something that for him would be fresh--so why not the first comic book he ever wrote?
Johns himself tempers expectations for the book in the introduction, where he gives you the background as to how he started writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.. Essentially he was working for Richard Donner when he made the acquaintance from someone in DC editorial who encouraged him to submit scripts to DC. This lead to Johns getting the Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. assignment. While the book is for the most part standard superhero fare (although no one quite explains why a podunk town like Blue Valley is crawling with supervillains) Johns did make some choices with Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. that make the reader understand why James Robinson brought him on the co-write JSA and why Johns was handed the keys to the DC Kingdom so to speak. His best choice was to make his Star-Spangled Kid a teenage girl. While Courtney Whitmore may not have had the impact of Kamala Khan once G. Willow Wilson was assigned to Ms. Marvel, there had definitely not been heroes like Courtney up to this point. Yes, there had been teenage female heroes in comics, but how many of them were beholden to their hero sponsors? Wonder Girl, Batgirl, Supergirl--all there to expand the impact of their male progenitors. Courtney doesn't owe her allegiance to Sylvester Pemberton, the original Star-Spangled Kid. In fact, they are only connected via Pat Dugan, originally Stripesy and now the wearer of the S.T.R.I.P.E armor. In addition, Courtney is incredibly headstrong and Pat is only her step-dad, so she feels like he has no authority over her and Courtney exploits the fact that she knows Pat's secrets as a way of keeping him in line. From the first issue, Courtney is not your run of the mill hero and while other female heroes to that point may have broken out from the shadow of those male heroes, Courtney has no need to do so. It's refreshing.
Unfortunately, Courtney is a new kid on the block and as such, she's not going to be fighting the likes of Darkseid in this book. Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. lasted a little over a year and Courtney's character development would have to continue in the pages of JSA and Starman and Johns would move on to bigger and better things--but it's fun sometimes to take a step back and see where some of the more well known creators got their start.
Johns himself tempers expectations for the book in the introduction, where he gives you the background as to how he started writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.. Essentially he was working for Richard Donner when he made the acquaintance from someone in DC editorial who encouraged him to submit scripts to DC. This lead to Johns getting the Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. assignment. While the book is for the most part standard superhero fare (although no one quite explains why a podunk town like Blue Valley is crawling with supervillains) Johns did make some choices with Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. that make the reader understand why James Robinson brought him on the co-write JSA and why Johns was handed the keys to the DC Kingdom so to speak. His best choice was to make his Star-Spangled Kid a teenage girl. While Courtney Whitmore may not have had the impact of Kamala Khan once G. Willow Wilson was assigned to Ms. Marvel, there had definitely not been heroes like Courtney up to this point. Yes, there had been teenage female heroes in comics, but how many of them were beholden to their hero sponsors? Wonder Girl, Batgirl, Supergirl--all there to expand the impact of their male progenitors. Courtney doesn't owe her allegiance to Sylvester Pemberton, the original Star-Spangled Kid. In fact, they are only connected via Pat Dugan, originally Stripesy and now the wearer of the S.T.R.I.P.E armor. In addition, Courtney is incredibly headstrong and Pat is only her step-dad, so she feels like he has no authority over her and Courtney exploits the fact that she knows Pat's secrets as a way of keeping him in line. From the first issue, Courtney is not your run of the mill hero and while other female heroes to that point may have broken out from the shadow of those male heroes, Courtney has no need to do so. It's refreshing.
Unfortunately, Courtney is a new kid on the block and as such, she's not going to be fighting the likes of Darkseid in this book. Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. lasted a little over a year and Courtney's character development would have to continue in the pages of JSA and Starman and Johns would move on to bigger and better things--but it's fun sometimes to take a step back and see where some of the more well known creators got their start.
Read
May 20, 2019Geoff Johns first comic*, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., is a fun and goofy read. It introduces Courtney Whitmore, the new Star-Spangled Kid (later Stargirl), as she moves to Blue Valley and wades into the hero role alongside her stepfather, Pat Dugan (formerly Stripsey). This book is geared towards younger readers, what with its mix of superheroics and high school drama. I like the vibe well enough. Courtney starts off a little frosty, but soon becomes likable in her determination and enthusiasm. This book has some nice cameos from the Marvel family and Young Justice, among others. Like Johns’ other comics, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. boasts strong attention to continuity while fitting snugly into the larger DC universe. That said, it’s amateurish in parts, with too many villains, most of which don’t stand out. Overall, though, a likable and entertaining book.
*I believe Johns’ first comic was actually Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. 0, co-written with James Robinson and not included here. I previously read it in Starman Omnibus Vol. 5.
*I believe Johns’ first comic was actually Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. 0, co-written with James Robinson and not included here. I previously read it in Starman Omnibus Vol. 5.
May 21, 2020
So I began reading this after watching the new DC Universe show Stargirl (not to be confused with the Disney Plus film based on Jerry Spinelli's book of the same name). I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy the show nor did I expect to read the comic books Stargirl comes from. I know the character was created by Geoff Johns in the beginning of his career in honor of his late sister which I found touching. It's been a while since I've finished a comic book or any book for that matter because I have a tendency to start reading books and then start another. This was a good way to start what I hope will be a habit of me finishing more books. I could tell from this first issue that the pilot episode of the show follows it pretty closely. That's probably bc both were written by Geoff. He has a huge piece of his heart into this character and her storylines so I'm very excited and interested in continuing the series.
December 12, 2017
Surprisingly good read. I was fascinated by the attention to history in the character as well as to the golden age heroes. Fun characters and clever plot lines make this a wonderful read.
May 12, 2020
I think there's a good story to tell here, but I just hate the look of it. I find the washed out colors coupled with the disproportioned, inarticulate art to be all-around unpleasant.
December 15, 2009
Cute little series that mixes super heroes with the humor and attitude of 'Buffy the vampire slayer'.
Annoying teen girl Courtney has to move from the big city to the small town of Blue Valley, when her mom remarries. She doesn't get along with her new step Dad and is less than impressed when she finds out he used to be prt of the super hero duo 'The Star Spangled kid and Stripes'.
As a stunt to mess with her step dad, she 'borrows' some of his old crime fighting girl and when an actual super villain strikes, Courtney discovers she has a talent for butt kicking.
Her step Dad getsa suit of robotic armor out of moth balls to help, and keep an eye on the new Star Spangled kid' and this very reluctant hero duo has to learn to stop fighting with each other long enough to deal with al the weird stuff that keeps happening in this 'quiet little town.
Cute, harmless series. Would have made a fun cartoon. Nice mix of knew stuff with some nice bits of DC history.
Annoying teen girl Courtney has to move from the big city to the small town of Blue Valley, when her mom remarries. She doesn't get along with her new step Dad and is less than impressed when she finds out he used to be prt of the super hero duo 'The Star Spangled kid and Stripes'.
As a stunt to mess with her step dad, she 'borrows' some of his old crime fighting girl and when an actual super villain strikes, Courtney discovers she has a talent for butt kicking.
Her step Dad getsa suit of robotic armor out of moth balls to help, and keep an eye on the new Star Spangled kid' and this very reluctant hero duo has to learn to stop fighting with each other long enough to deal with al the weird stuff that keeps happening in this 'quiet little town.
Cute, harmless series. Would have made a fun cartoon. Nice mix of knew stuff with some nice bits of DC history.
February 25, 2013
Geoff Johns' first comics work is somewhat what one might expect. Tones and voices that are now familiar but a little rough around the edges. Having read Courtney's adventures in JSA before, I already knew the character but seeing her origin was fun. The plotlines were pretty campy but decent. The art by Lee Moder was bubby and alright but got too cartoony at times. Overall its what it is, an origin book for Courtney and Geoff.
July 1, 2016
This caught me off-guard with how much I enjoyed it. It has charm on charm on more charm.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews