Star-Crossed #1 Review
Last week I picked up Star-Crossed #1 by Mark Millar (W) and Corrado Mastantuono (A). A science fiction comic book filled with action and cyberpunk-light tones that sits somewhere in a Venn diagram of Blade Runner, Saga and pretty much any heist film you’ve ever laid eyes on. What drew me initially to this comic book is the Mastantuono’s main cover. Featuring main characters Khole, Cody and their pet lizard, posing against the backdrop of a city similar to what we’ve seen in films like The Fifth Element.
The story takes place after the events of Cody and Khole robbing the Queen of Enough, aka the richest woman in the universe. While this might normally set you up for life, unfortunately for them, she’s a vengeful, evil woman who is more worried about her family’s reputation than the actual money that’s been stolen. She’ll do anything to teach them a lesson. Which includes having her best bounty hunters hunt them down. And if you think that’s standard maniacal bad-girl speak, there’s also a scene where she instructs her own daughter to cut off some flesh from her body once a day until Cody and Khole are found. Evil bitch! Am I right?
MORE COMICS: An Interview with Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz about Michael Turner’s Legacy and ‘The DC Art Of’
The next scene takes place on the planet Moorn where we’re introduced to Cody and Khole for the first time. They both have different ideas on how they should spend their new-found wealth. Cody wants to live large and party while Khole thinks it’s best to lay-low for a while. They head to a club filled with 90s pop culture obsessed mean girls and before they can enjoy a drink – they’re attacked by a gang bounty hunters led by Lux Gaston, who use gas as their weapon of choice. While the gas knocks everyone in the club unconscious, Khole is able to find an air supply and using her street smarts, take out the bounty hunters.
It’s a fast paced action sequence which made me think of The Long Kiss Goodnight or even Firefly – if it were set in a bizarre future on the planet Moorn. Maybe because of the comedy that runs just beneath the surface. Maybe also because who doesn’t love adventurous hot women beating up the bad guys?
MORE COMICS: Review – Speed Racer #10
One thing is for certain, Mark Millar has set the characters up as Khole being the wisest and the most logical. Which is smart when pairing her with Cody, a passionate arse-kicker who would rather party first and ask questions later. Some other aspects of this comic book that I liked was Mastantuono’s art. The way he draws the cars, buildings and what we’ve seen of Moorn so far, feels like a head-on colission of retro-futurism and blaxploitation.
During my second read of Star-Crossed, I felt the art drew passing similarities to what Eduardo Risso did with 100 Bullets, or even like what the animation team did in the Batman Beyond cartoon. His coloring certainly echoes both of those sentiments. From the ambient lights bouncing off the floors to the shading that bleeds from one panel and into the next.
MORE COMICS: An Interview with ‘The Forever Home’ Writer: Christian Ward
Predictions for Star-Crossed #2
I’m really curious what Mark Millar and Corrado Mastantuono are going to do with Star-Crossed #2. Obviously the end of the comic book teases the same two bounty hunters which you see on the cover. But how will their personalities evolve over the course of the series? What abilities do they possess that will be a test for Khole’s fast-thinking gun skills? Will we get more alien races? These are just some of my early thoughts.
Star-Crossed #1 Closing Argument
With Star-Crossed #1, Millar has setup a bizarre universe filled with strange and exciting characters that tap into what makes science fiction so goddamn fun. It’s like Saga without the race issues or Fifth Element without the end-of-the-universe spectacle hanging over our character’s heads. It’s strange when it needs to be. It re-engages with the action when the pacing slows. Definitely sign me up for more comic book issues of this reverse-heist retro-futurist space bonanza! I just can’t wait to see what Millar and Mastantuono do next!
Score: 9/10
About Star-Crossed #1
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Corrado Mastantuono
Colorist: Corrado Mastantuono
Letterer: Clem Robins
Editor: Daniel Chabon
Assisting Editor: Chuck Howitt-Lease
Cover Artists
Cover A (Main): Corrado Mastantuono
Cover B (Black & White Variant): Corrado Mastantuono
Cover C (Variant): Stuart Immonen (with colors by Giovanna Niro)
Cover D (Black & White Variant): Stuart Immonen
Cover E (Premium Ratio Variant): Jae Lee (with colors by June Chung)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Release date: July 8, 2026
Read Star-Crossed #1
More in Comics
