– Spoiler Review –
Since 2015, Sana Starros has been intermixing across various comics, often in a supporting role or co-lead role, be it coming after Han Solo for a botched job or either trying to kill or save her ex, Doctor Aphra, and now she’s taking the spotlight in this eponymous miniseries, a long overdue right for such a memorable and intriguing character. Written by Justina Ireland, with art by Pere Pérez, Sana Starros #1 explodes with a infectious energy thanks to a snappy, intriguing script and vibrant art that promises a beautiful yet wild ride across the miniseries’ 5 issues.
From the opening panel to the last, there’s an irresistible energy which permeates the panels of Sana Starros #1, from how it starts in media res on her latest job (which goes wrong in an unexpected yet funny way), the interactions with her family, to the growing reveal of the mystery brewing at home, there’s something launching readers to the final panel. Writer Justina Ireland, one of the original 5 architects of The High Republic, might be known more for her novels, but she’s slowly been dipping into comics since 2021’s War of the Bounty Hunters – Jabba the Hutt #1 one-shot, mainly with High Republic related stories beyond that, each one more confident and comfortable than the last (and she started off strong), and Sana Starros #1 feels like she’s perfected how she wants to present stories in the medium. There’s a strength to the family connections and interactions amongst the Starroses, a family she’s familiar with thanks her High Republic work, where Avon (one of my favorite characters of the era) and her mother Ghirra factor into the Phase I story. While none of those Starroses are alive now, the group Sana has around her is eclectic and full of history, as each new character quickly endures themselves to readers as little teases of past interactions and an intriguing mystery of what’s going on next for the family unravel across the first issue’s pages, delivered with witty dialogue that feels more like natural speech and less expositional than some writers can tend to get in comics. I’m already big fans of all new Starros clan we meet, as they have personalities that jumped out of the panels from the start, as headstrong and confident as Sana but even more so in some ways, and I’m eager for more time with them and therefore more of this series.
While it’s not immediately clear when in Sana’s life this miniseries is set, though it seems to be after the breakup with Chelli Lona Aphra due to a fleeting flashback/the opening crawl of the issue, she’s trying to move on and forget it, which is why we catch her on a get rich quick heist, though when it turns out to be a dud (there’s pink milk now and I want to try that at Galaxy’s Edge next), she does what she doesn’t want to: go back to her family. There’s a constant refrain, especially as the situation gets hazardous at the Starros homestead, she doesn’t want to be there and this was her last choice, speaking volumes about what type of shenanigans the family must get up to if it’s still the last place she’d go after a breakup with Aphra. It also says a lot to long time fans the brazen woman herself can’t handle her family, telling us they must be as inventive and ingenious as she can be, but at a level she doesn’t agree with. But family is family, so while she might begrudgingly be brought deeper into their compound in the seas of Hosnian Prime, there’s an ease with all the family she comes across, from her cousin Aryssha, Grammy Thea, and Aunt Mevera that shows that whatever has driven her away can’t break the bonds they already share. In the pages of Alyssa Wong’s Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2), I’ve really enjoyed the headstrong Sana leading a team of misfits to rescue Aphra, but it’s nice to have her spreading her own wings here, relying on herself alone, as Ireland finds her at a different point of her life, trying to get by and getting over heartbreak, though much of what fans come to expect from her still shines through. If the first issue is anything to go by, she’s in good hands for this miniseries.
So, how about the rest of the Starros clan?! Being an inventor runs through the Starros blood it seems, as Grammy Thea’s hodpodged droids greet Sana when it turns out they changed the family compound code and she missed the message about it. As the current matriarch, she’s quick to promote peace with Sana and the rest of the family, and for good reason as what’s going on with the Starroses becomes clear. I’m glad she’ll be along for the adventure ahead instead of being left at the compound, as the more Starroses to deal with, the better for us and the worse for Sana. As for her cousin Aryssha, she knows what buttons of Sana’s to push, though Sanisi (her nickname amongst the family) is great at deflecting, especially since there’s bigger news for Aryssha: she’s pregnant! I loved seeing them being antagonistic with one another in one panel and caring in the next, with Sana feeling the incoming twins kicking in Aryssha’s belly a sweet and unexpected highlight. As nice as it all is, hi, it’s her, Aryssha is one part of the Starros family’s problems, but we’ll get to that in a moment. Aryssha’s mom, Sana’s aunt Mevera, is a little standoffish of Sana due to her highly observant nature, as Sana quickly realizes something’s going on with the family. The stormtroopers breaking into the compound help a lot, but they are all acting a little suspicious before that, even in how the compound has sort of fallen into disrepair. While we find out Sana’s mother has passed and her father has since found a husband, the big elephant in the compound who’s not at the compound (but on a variant cover*) is Sana’s twin brother, Phel. There are hints he might’ve chosen to join the Empire, against Sana and the family’s wishes, but whatever happened with him led to the rift between Sana and the family, as overall it seems they forgave him a little quicker and easier than Sana did. Considering how long she holds a grudge against Aphra for their breakup, I’m not surprised her twin brother is getting the same treatment. Is there a reconciliation in this series’ future, as Sana has, for the most part, forgiven Aphra in the later comics?
So what exactly is the Starros clan up to that Sana finds herself an unwitting part of before the issue is through? As I mentioned, stormtroopers blast into the compound, with Sana and Aryssha making it to a safe room while Thea and Mevera are caught, and this is when we start to learn what’s all been happening while Sana was away. Aryssha met a man and got married, hence her twin-filled bump, but it’s not just any gentleman, it’s an Imperial Captain named Cerasus Ehllo…the same one leading the charge into the compound. Sana’s incredulous with Aryssha’s choices, but doesn’t get mad at her after promising not too, but Aryssha gets to explain herself, essentially saying she thought she could fix him, as second chances are what love is all about to her saying, “…love is about giving others the grace we need,” which she says without any subtlety after mentioning Phel again. Aryssha goes out to stop him from hurting their family, which is where we see how much she might’ve rushed into things due to his creepy, possessive nature, in which the usually strong Aryssha as we’ve seen here cows in his presence, making one wonder if this is really how she is with him. There has to be more right? After Sana rescues the others from the Imperials left behind as Cerasus leaves with Aryssha, Mevera is forced to tell them what’s really going on now: they are stealing a family heirloom back from the Imperials! It doesn’t seem like this was always the plan, but I’m sure after Aryssha saw the problems with Cerasus not getting better, they hatched a plan to make something worth of the union besides the incoming baby Starroses, with her hopefully getting out of things as well in the end. It’s certainly an interesting tale unfolding, unique and so small scale it’s rather refreshing in an era of comics largely connected, that I’m already eager for more, especially with the strength of writing for the Starros clan so far and the wonderful, gorgeous art!
Speaking of, Pere Pérez’s art, with colorist Jay David Ramos, and letterer Travis Lanham, is some drop-dead awesome work, for real! I really love the sense of age and history in the backgrounds of each panel, most apparent at the Starros compound, from the detailed, winding vines overtaking some of the home, both inside and out, nature slowly taking back over what the family has neglected as it gets to caught up in other schemes. It’s little details like that which give a space a life of its own, making the compound as much of a character in the opening issue as those who live in it, Sana’s room for now sparse and empty, reinforcing how the clan has been looking elsewhere but inwards. Ramos’ colors offer subdued lighting inside as well, keeping it semi-dark, as if the power’s barely on, another way of showing how the family home seems to have fallen in disrepair. But it all might be part of the Starroses scheme of gaining back their heirloom, trying to look weak so they are underestimated in the fight ahead. Pérez’s distinct looks for each member of the Starros clan is also a damn delight, as each one seems to celebrate the characters’ Blackness with unique and impressive hairstyles while giving them all vibrant outfits which fit in the universe, a successful way to marry how they are coded in our world with their fictional settings, like the Black Panther films have done to outstanding success. The range of emotion Pérez can deliver helps us see the strength of Aryssha’s fake-demurness to Cerasus, the Captain’s own over confidence, Sana’s often annoyed reaction to the increasing reveals of what’s going on with the family, or even Mevera’s guardedness over their plans. This also lets many of Ireland’s humorous lines land, like when Ramos forces the colors even darker, accentuating shadows, as Sana crawls through the air-flow vents, Pérez putting on a thousand yard scowl on her face and showing even more vines around her, while Lanham’s scratchy “skitter skitter” is the perfect final piece to back up Sana’s statement her family is anything but normal and hence why she doesn’t come back. The action scenes are hectic and chaotic, Lanham throwing around tons of SFX, almost like you’d expect if this was kids pointing finger guns around and shouting “pew pew,” but it gives the scenes of sense of levity and fun that helps keep the issue’s pace and tells us the focus isn’t on this scenes but those wonderfully written interactions in between. But at least the action scenes are so arrestingly drawn by Pérez, voluminous clouds of explosions, one-page focuses on Sana diving out of trouble’s way (or right into it), with a good sense of speed and movement they feel kinetic. In the end, one of my favorite panels is the one of Sana touching Aryssha’s stomach, feeling the kicking Starros twins. There’s a tenderness to Sana’s hand placement and Aryssha’s bowing head, proud, big smiles on both of them, while Ramos allows some light into the compound to highlight the special moment shared between them, plus Lanham’s lettering lets the cute moment stay in focus, drawing us down to Sana’s hand on Aryssha’s belly.
Here are a few other things:
- *Can’t think of a more fitting series to launch on the start of Black History Month! In fact, Marvel is celebrating the month with a flock of variant covers, which I included this issue’s above, but make sure to check out all the other amazing ones to come throughout February. Sana will even make the variant cover for the next Aphra issue!
- But Sana and her brother Phel aren’t the only two Starroses to make it on variant covers, as Grammy Thea will star on one for Women’s History Month in March on this series’ second issue, as part of Peach Momoko’s variant covers!
- Sana hasn’t just been restrained to the comics, as she starred in sections of Last Shot and made a memorable appearance in flashbacks detailing the quick and fast relationship between Aphra and her in the Doctor Aphra audiobook. I still hear her dialogue in Nicole Lewis’ voice to this day!
- There were some little High Republic references, like the opening planet was E’ronoh, one of a pair of planets whose war has sparked much of Phase II’s story, while Dalna has been in both Phases and will be crucial to the finale of Phase II. Upcoming issue of the miniseries will include Deva Lompop, a character Ireland created for the era that’s directly interacted with Avon Starros back then, and starred in the Jabba the Hutt one-shot.
- Both Ireland and Pérez were interviewed on the official site before the issue’s release, talking about their goals with the series, love of the franchise, and teases of what’s to come.
Sana Starros #1 is wildly fun start to the character’s solo appearance, making me intrigued for the rest of the miniseries and hoping it’s just the start of more for her.
+ Starros Family Writing
+ Energetic fun
+ Loving the smaller scale and unconnected nature of it
+ Pérez and team dazzle
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.