Since superheroes are everywhere in TV and film, we’re now able to do more and more shows about legacy characters, even if we never really get to see much of who they are following in the footsteps of. Stargirl is all about taking on a mantle of those before you and finding your own place in it. So how does Stargirl’s first episode live up to that legacy? Let’s find out!
The first few minutes of this episode get right into it. It’s the Golden Age of heroes… 10 years ago. That’s wild to think about. That the golden age, which is frequently tied to the 1940s in comics, is now pushed to 2010. These first 6 minutes of the show are a lot of fun cameos, we see all sorts of heroes and villains and if you liked the JSA comics from Geoff Johns (who is also one of the showrunners) in the early 2000s, you’ll probably love this part.
This is changing things up a bit as to who the Starman of yesterday is that is responsible for our hero, Courtney Whitmore, (played by Brec Bassinger) to inherit the Cosmic Rod. Thankfully, we don’t lose anything from the change and if you’re not familiar with the characters involved, you get these fun, new takes on some very old characters along with new ones.
As for the plot, loosely based off the original Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. series, also by Johns, we learn that in the present day, the Justice Society of America is long gone, for 10 years. Courtney Whitmore is a teenager dealing with a big move to Nebraska thanks to her mom (played by Amy Smart) and dealing with her step-dad, Pat Dugan (played by Luke Wilson). What Courtney doesn’t know is that Pat was Stripesy, the former sidekick to Starman (played by Joel McHale) and is in possession of Starman’s weapon, the Cosmic Rod, which has a life of its own when it finds the right person to wield it.
Soon enough, Courtney is in possession of the Cosmic Rod, working together with it to have some fun going out on the town. Of course nothing goes as planned and would you believe some heroics are needed? That’s the first episode, giving us the Dugan/Whitmore family dynamic, the past of heroes and villains, and how things are likely going to get more complicated for Courtney and Pat as they deal with a fully active Cosmic Rod.
If you are a big fan of DC’s comics with these characters, a fan of the DC TV shows, or teen heroes in general, this is definitely a fun intro for that. If the rest of the show can keep this up, we’re in for a good time. There’s supposed to be more heroes and villains on the horizon that Courtney and Pat will encounter and so that alone will keep me tuned in. The show arrives on the DC Universe streaming service May 18th and the following night, will premiere on the CW and the day after that on the CW app, so you’ll have three different ways to watch. Check it out.
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
