Star #3 kicks things up a notch with very real consequences pushing Ripley to the edge of becoming the villain we’ve all feared she could be. This book is packed with powerful angst as we inch closer to what is sure to be a true revelation with Star’s own acceptance of who she needs to be.

Kelly Thompson is doing a lot right now with Marvel, but that hasn’t stopped them from pulling off a remarkably engaging story with this spin off series, Star. Now over halfway through her miniseries, Star is a character that I can see taking root in the Marvel universe, capable of serving as the catalyst for many stories to come. The drama that we explore in Star #3 is heavily founded on her own journey of self discovery, but being set in the much larger Marvel universe, it’s able to derive much more consequential impacts.

Ripley is a character you can’t help but feel for. Her powers quickly rank her among the strongest at Marvel today, but her own inability to wield them effectively has proven difficult. As we see her confront Captain Marvel once more despite Scarlett Witch’s best attempts to help, we see a character that is on the verge of either something remarkably amazing or downright evil.

This unease that is created from just not knowing which path Star will take is the true success of the series so far. Star #3 captures this essence quite well, and helps to push the story forward without feeling like it’s spinning its wheels. The visuals help with this too. The palpable emotion pouring from every character translates to everything from facial expressions to dialogue and help to pull the story together with a sense of heart. The artists can bring the spectacle if needed, as they proved last issue, but this one is much more character driven and they pull it off magnificently.

Star is a series that could have easily been a generic spin-off, but instead, this team has captured something unique with this character. While I am worried about how much she has depended, and still depends, on the characters tied to a larger Marvel Universe, the series seems poised to finish strongly. This is one that any fan of well-executed superhero comics will want to check out.