Rising Stars

Rising Stars 11-24

This is the kind of stuff that I’m looking for from today’s writers - A fully realized, self-contained story that’s engaging and occasionally surprising.  

The last two trades came in the mail today.  Continuing from where I left off, JM Straczynski finishes off the Chicago fight, revealing Critical Maas to be the mastermind behind the Special murders.  (She has mind control powers.) After a huge fight and a nuclear detonation, Maas dies, the remaining Specials unite, and the book enters the Squadron Supreme phase of the plot.  

Brent Anderson enters as penciller for the rest of the series, and replaces the regrettable Christian Zanier.  The poor guy was a bad choice for such a strong story.

Sigh.

For the most part, the Specials take a brute force approach to making the world a better place - Jason goes full Superman IV and starts ridding the world of all nuclear weapons.  Jerry torches all the cocaine fields in South America. Randy clears out every crack house in the northeast United States.  

Straczynski makes a nice little head fake when one of the Specials plans to solve the Israeli/Palestinian by destroying their holy sites - No icons, no conflict.  I was pleasantly surprised when she’s converts the arid Middle East to arable land instead.

The story continues to jump ahead in time.  We see the government’s attempt to kill all the Specials, and their violent response.  We see the brief golden age that results from Randy’s election to President of the United States.  We see the disgruntled military’s final shot at restoring the old status quo, and how their tragic failure brings about a startling moment of enlightenment.  It’s a bit too fairy godmother for my taste, but there’s still something commendably bold about Straczynski’s decision to bestow true world peace and understanding upon the world for 24 hours.  And then he brings the story around full circle as John brings the same meteor effect to another planet.

This was an ambitious project from start to finish, and it mostly succeeds.  I would have preferred a stronger artist across the whole thing, but any other quibbles I have are minor.  It took a number of well worn superhero devices and took them in unexpected directions. A really nice job by Straczynski.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good