Back Issue Box: Darkstars #34

In her own title, Supergirl is heading into space to investigate Rogol Zaar.

Here at Comic Box Commentary, I have been informally reviewing past stories of Supergirl heading into space. Last month I reviewed Green Lantern #65, the second part of the crossover storyline The Siege of Zi Charam.

As luck would have it, I also have Darkstars #34, the middle chapter of the same arc. While Supergirl doesn't have much to do here, she is part of the Titans/Darkstar team-up trying to stop the Progenitors from overwhelming another system. For good or ill, these are the only two chapters I have of this arc. My sense we get much more Supergirl-centric action in chapter four. I also have heard from people who have read the whole story that I am not missing much. I always am looking though.

Writer Jan Michael Friedman and artist Mike Collins accomplish just what a middle chapter should do. They push the story forward, filling in some information with exposition, throwing in some action to keep people engaged, and setting up the finale. Friedman tries to include some character moments but the bulk of the story is told by aliens enmeshed in the action rather than the team. I buy this book for the Darkstars and these guest stars, not to see three alien races I know nothing about debate what to do. And pages are devoted to the other subplots within this title; I suppose for those collecting the title, this should happen.

Mike Collins art is cartoonish in places. It is muddy in others. In particular, his alien races are rather bland and flat.

But Supergirl is in space and she is trying to solve problems. So off we go.

Strangers in a Strange Land starts out right where Green Lantern #65 ended. The Progenitor ships hover over the Kolion planet.

Should the Progenitors land, they will exterminate all life on the world, taking over. Then they will move on to the next.

Faced with this decision, the Titans do the right thing. They try to disable to Progenitor ships.

But can even this team of stop them?

I suppose the purpose of the Darkstars and the Green Lantern Corps is to stop interstellar crime. The Progenitors are, in essence, a genocidal race. They will threaten more worlds. So stepping in seems like the heroic thing to do here.

Each of the members try their best. Blasts from Green Lantern and Donna Troy do no damage to the existing shields. Terra throws meteors harmlessly against them.

And even direct damage done by the fists of Supergirl and Minion are meaningless.

I always like the idea of Supergirl being the muscle on a super-hero team. The best example of that is probably the James Robinson legacy-led Justice League book.

It is clear that the Titans need to retreat and think of a better plan.

Using their powers strategically, the pierce through the Kolian force shield to meet with the natives in peril.

The Kolians are large greenish aliens who at first think the Titans are a vanguard for the Progenitors. But luckily, one in the leadership court recognizes them as possible allies.

It is clear the Kolians are sort of paralyzed. They know they can't fight the Progenitors. So they are in hiding awaiting the inevitable.

Odd that in this team of some heavy hitters, it is clear that Arsenal in running things. He seems the de facto leader, even over Donna.

Despite the need for allies, the Kolian rulers are against accepting help from the Titans. It goes against their culture.

Thankfully, one of their numbers rises and says that the Kolians will fall if they don't accept help. Not only can the Titans help, but they can bring along more allies. He asks the Titans to take him to the Council of Planets on Gon'aa. There he will plead for help from all the system's worlds. After all, the Progenitors will eventually turn their eyes towards someone else.

I guess the Titans are pretty lucky that this one progressive thinker was around on the day they hit the planet.

In the ship, the accrued aliens all bicker. They might hate the Progenitors a lot; they still hate each other. But remember, the enemy of my enemy is my frenemy.

Here Supergirl has to hold back an Uruumite from fighting with the Kolian. Both accuse the other of back-dealings and ill wishes.

Hooray, a Supergirl sighting!

She does seem pretty cartoony here with those big eyes and lips.

At the Congress, another alien race is able to convince the participants that the Progenitors are a threat to them all. His race have been developing an biological warfare weapon that will end the Progenitor threat. The problem is the final pieces are scattered to the wind and dangerous to proceed. Maybe only our heroes can help.

In a trope classic since the earliest days of the JLA, the team split into pairs to hunt down the 4 pieces.

Supergirl gets paired with Mirage. Hmmm ... I guess Supergirl will be doing the heavy lifting here.

Terra and Donna Troy pretty easily round up their piece, an animal on the frigid planet of Pyria.

What is the weapon? What does it do? Why do they need this varmint? I guess someone else will need to tell me.

So maybe I do need to work harder to track these other issues down. In the meantime, it was good to see Supergirl as a team member and in space. This is of the least importance to a Supergirl collection.

Overall grade: C-