I’ve had a remarkably pleasant year in reading, by which I mean I’ve liked almost everything I’ve read. If I haven’t liked it, I’ve understood it, so my reviews in 2024 have all been pretty positive, although mildly so. Everything’s been good, but nothing’s really knocked my socks off. (Let’s ignore The Idea of You for the moment.)
That is, until Black Star. While reading this space adventure comic, I said, out loud, several times, “Why haven’t I heard of this before? It’s so good!”
Not only is it good, it’s deceptively simple. This is a very straightforward, one episode space action story about a research ship that crash lands on the planet where the botanical samples they’re in search of are found. The crash results in the fiery destruction of the ship and the death of nearly all of the crew, leaving Harper North alone to trek across a hostile planet to the lone one-person rescue shuttle, finding the flowers her crew mates died for along the way.
It’s too bad that the only other survivor of the crash wants North dead and the shuttle for herself.
This is a survival story, a grudge match, and a list of moral quandaries, assisted by good characters, great graphics, and really inventive use of a spaceship AI. There’s something classic in this book’s story-first approach, as well as the depictions of the characters–all women, mostly of color, some queer, all drawn with loving detail. (North’s survivalist struggle fro is almost its own character.) This matters entirely but also doesn’t matter at all, because at no point does the comic act like it could ever be abnormal for a spaceship to have an all-female crew–I feel funny even pointing it out because it’s so natural in-story.
The story is straightforward but the choices and relationships it presents are messy, leading to an ending that hearkens back to old-school sci-fi film downers. (This makes sense, as this was originally a screenplay.) I wasn’t expecting quite that resolution, which pissed me off while also making perfect sense.
I had a great time reading this and don’t know why I haven’t heard more about it. Good travel weather and REVENGE!!! to Black Star.
(Fellow readers! My end of summer energy has been flagging a bit, but never fear–it’s because I’m planning to ramp up the blogging a bit more this fall. Cross your fingers for me, and remember if you want to browse through a few curated lists of diverse books for diverse readers check out the Equal Opportunity Bookshop. Just remember that anything you buy there earns us a little kickback. If you, like me, have too many books already but still want to chip in to keep these internet lights on, feel free to click on an ad or buy me a cup of coffee. Whatever you do, you have my thanks. Now, go read something good! Peace!)
Equal Opportunity Reader 