Star Runner: Dark Star is second chapter of a sci-fi saga that channels going into the unknown. After such a strong start, where does the Star Runner Chronicles go? When everything seems just fine, it’s easy to see where things can go wrong. Especially since teenage years are still a time of facing a cosmic indifference.
Star Runner Chronicles Summary
The Star Runner Chronicles follows Aurora Palmer, an orphan who finds herself at the center of groundbreaking discoveries. After a life of foster homes, stunted social development, and a controlling corporate operative, she seems to get an understanding. Or at the very least know where it all comes from, being a space princess with quantum powers. Oh and she gets friends, a boyfriend, and a place to belong.
Star Runner: Dark Star Of Adolescence
When it comes to follow ups and trying to maintain a good relationship, writer/editor James Watson hits those feelings. Aurora feels like she settling in with her life, as well as a teenager can anyway. She settles in with her social worker and other foster kids and tries to get through high school. But who would’ve thought that having physics powers meant you could do well in physics? I’m still surprised that I couldn’t pass some of my college chemistry tests despite being made and driven by chemicals.
Sarcasm aside, it’s not hard to see what Aurora is going through. Just because she has a few answers to her how’s, Aurora still has to deal with some baggage. Just look at how it affects Aurora’s relationship with her boyfriend Scott. She wants to move forward into it but she’s still socially stunted from her life as an outcast. So it’s not a huge surprise that Aurora buries herself in her parents’ past and her part-time job. If you can call trying to study and rebuild a spaceship a job. But then there’s the foreshadowed element that epitomizes a central conflict.
Speaking Of Which…
The Dark Star in the title refers to dark matter and energy as well as the title character Monica Dark. Monica is well presented as an antithesis to Aurora, she fits in enough to be popular and causes subtle disruptions. She comes across as intrusive to Aurora’s life, especially in how she tries to get between her and Scott. But on closer look, despite her achievements and wits, Monica feels isolated.
When looking at her situation with her keeper, Nigel/N’Ghul, it’s like seeing what Aurora would’ve ended up. Remember the Cunningham’s or corporate invader Melanie Pinkerton from last chapter; N’Ghul only makes one of them look nice in comparison. But also how Monica’s life under N’Ghul’s thumb twists makes her feel like an object. Despite her popularity and attempts to get close to certain people for tasks, it all feels inauthentic. At least that’s what I take away from Monica getting between Scott and Aurora. This push/pull effect she has makes her feel both alienating and lonely. So it succeeds in making Monica sympathetic enough for more developments.
What’s Everybody Else’s Excuse?
As for the other characters… most of them are more like accessories to Aurora. One of the problems I had with Scott in Fallen Star is how he’s pretty much a Boy Next Door. Dark Star has a few of the same problems; despite apparently having talks with his dad about college and worries, they’re never really shown. Scott spends so much time on panel going over his relationship with Aurora he’d fail the Bechdel Test if he and Aurora gender-swapped.
Then there’s Aurora’s new family unit, a special group home full of orphans and her counselor Pamela Jordan. But other than Pamela who serves as a positive maternal figure, the only person Aurora is interacting with there is newcomer Gus; at least I think Gus is part of the unit. It would’ve been good to see Aurora help out around the house and interact with others, even subtly. Instead it’s a place to hang a hat unless Pamela acts in relation to Aurora.
Gus meanwhile has a little more character in how he acts around Aurora’s best friend Kristine. Kristine in the meantime at least focuses on developing herself more. Along with her cheerleading and good grades, she feels like she’s making plans for her own future. It’s what makes them good material for interpretation without the plot going off on a tangent.
Dark Stellar Art
Returning to Star Runner: Dark Star is Leo Cordeiro’s pencils and Carlos Eduardo’s inking.
The detail and expressive faces characters make remains a huge highlight of this franchise. The characters come across as a little more with how they react to certain events. Like how Gus acts a little nervous arounds Kristine while showing off news of a meteor shower he shows interest in. That’s all to say nothing of the layers of color by Mohan Sivakami that give off naturalistic details. The characters, settings, and powers feel like they’re communicating with the reader in this fashion. Just the Kirby Krackle of Aurora and Monica’s powers are showcased in a way that each feel unique; it saves time on exposition on how their powers work anyway. Not that Wilson Ramos Jr.’s lettering isn’t appreciated, especially when it comes to captions and SFX that took dedication to make.
Star Runner: Dark Star Is A Decent Sequel
Star Runner: Dark Star builds up a more than intriguing interstellar saga as characters come of age. But as much as Aurora Palmer makes good character development, it would help if the others didn’t orbit around her. There’s much potential now that Monica Dark makes her debut, the way hers and Aurora’s powers work could lead to something interesting. Also the ending leaves me at edge of my seat with another surprise appearance; no spoilers but she was one of the best parts of the last chapter. In any case, Dark Star gets 8.5/10 as a decent followup with continuously good art and a story ready to expand.
Thanks, Jake for the read and the review. Yes, book 2 is the one where the series begins to “take off” 🙂