This review contains spoilers
Starfire #12 is written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Elsa Charretier and colors by Hi-Fi.
Previously
Sol and Ravena started to admit their feelings for each other and kissed despite the fact that Sol has been dating Starfire. After realizing that she has caused more harm than good, Starfire decided to leave Key West.
Recap
Stella and Kori return home where Sol greets them. He informs them that he had to move his and Stella’s sick aunt into the pool house so Kori cannot stay there anymore. Kori is also fired because she missed too many days of work during the events of the previous issues. Sol reveals to Stella that after they kissed, they finally decided to be together so Sol has to break up with Kori. Luckily, she overheard the whole conversation and understands completely. At a beach party, Kori announces her intention to leave which upsets Atlee. Together, they stop a plane from crashing and Starfire leaves. Superman comes to Starfire to let her know that she has always been welcome among the other superheroes and he asks her to meet him in Metropolis when she’s ready. The issue ends with Starfire giving a final farewell to Stella before flying away with Syl’Khee.
Positives
This is a very bittersweet issue as endings usually are. It’s sad to see this series come to an end as it has been one of my favorite books to read over the last year. Conner and Palmiotti capture that feeling of finality combined with the unsure nature of the future. It’s like a high school graduation. Life the way you know it is over but you feel the future has limitless possibilities. I feel that this arc for Kori has been a coming of age story that has matured her into one of the best characters at DC right now and they would be foolish not take more advantage of her in the future.
Conner and Palmiotti make the right choice to keep the issue focused on the characters and not any kind of spectacle. There is an obligatory action scene but it doesn’t take away from any of the emotion. It’s a very personal book.
I was really surprised by the Superman cameo and really pleased by it. I definitely feel that there should be a stronger relationship between Superman and Starfire. I think a friendship between those two would be fun and interesting and make sense given their origins. It’s a nice touch that Clark is the one to remind her that she’s always had a place in the world and I hope to see a friendship grow in the future.
As always, the art is wonderful. As well written as this series is, the highlight has always been the art. It’s vibrant and unique that creates a really beautiful book.
The cover by Conner and Paul Mounts is also wonderful. The collection of snapshots is a really nice touch and Starfire looks great.
Negatives
I never really cared for the subplot with Sol and Ravena so I was fairly disinterested in the conclusion that they were going to end up together. I don’t hate it or anything; I just don’t care.
Verdict
This is a great finale to a great series. I am going to seriously miss this book because it was a highlight of my pull list and one of the best DC projects right now. However, I don’t think I can recommend the issue to people who haven’t been reading the series simply because I don’t know if those people would care about this particular one. It’s a farewell and thank you to the fans. I do recommend that, if you haven’t read this series, to go and buy the issues or the trade collections because it is worth every cent. Fans of this series and character should find a lot of enjoyment in this issue. I know I did.
