'Stargirl' Episode 1: Breezy teenage superhero tale is a break from other DC shows
There's something undoubtedly refreshing about teenage superhero stories. They really want to be 'normal', be popular at school, have their normal crushes, but oh heck, they have powers and that gets in the way most of the time. While even the adults struggle to deal with newfound powers, it's more intriguing and perhaps entertaining as well, to see the teens grapple with this reality, along with battling other adolescent issues. While Marvel's foundering television division took these teenage stories forward with 'Marvel's Runaways' and 'Cloak And Daggers', DC decided to dismiss it altogether and plunge into the legacies of figures like 'Arrow', 'Supergirl' and 'The Flash'.
With the Arrowverse shows, we saw similar ideas of love, friendship in an ever-changing world, but with heroes in the early twenties. The journey was taken by adults, who had already seen their fair share of life and toxic home dynamics.
And that's where 'Stargirl' makes a difference. It's a breath of fresh air to see a young scowling teenager being told that the world's fate now rests in her hands. Courtney Whitmore's (Brec Bassinger) life changes dramatically when her step-father Pat (Luke Wilson) bequeaths the Cosmic Staff to her. Fans of the comic books know that it had once belonged to Starman and it had traveled through generations to be handed down to her. So, she will continue the Justice Society Of America. But here's a note, this isn't the Justice League and she is not a new-age Wonder Woman.
Stargirl has her own distinct personality, history and place in DC superhero lore. What's more intriguing is that the show is more, or well at least seems a tad more breezy than other DC shows currently. While it walks the fine line of comedy and seriousness, it is definitely less dark than 'The Flash, 'Arrow', or even 'Supergirl' for that matter. For those of us, who just finishing watching the seasons of all the shows have been through emotional turmoil as wives have been abducted and placed in a Mirrorverse, or a well-loved hero sacrificing himself to save the world from the Crisis, or bringing down god-like aliens.
'Stargirl' sets itself apart from the rest of the DC universe and is the breath of fresh air that we needed. Let's see where the show goes. It airs on Tuesdays, CW at 8 pm.