It’s An All-Out War On A Spaceship In Zodiac Starforce: Cries Of The Fire Prince #4

The demon Pavos has taken the fight directly to the Zodiac Starforce, attacking their airship. The US and UK teams must work together to stop this immense threat. Although they have numbers on their side, they are outgunned so it will take their combined efforts to put this monster down. Since they only recently met each other and tensions have been riding high, this is no easy task.

This is the final issue of Zodiac Starforce: Cries of the Fire Prince and it is packed with action. The battle spreads out across the entire ship as Davos’ minions attack different areas to break up the teams. There are some interesting pairings as the entire Zodiac Starforce is united for this.
Artist Paulina Ganucheau delivers some excellent fight choreography. Each character gets some time to shine, showing off their unique abilities as part of the Zodiac Starforce. Although they’re up against some nasty monsters, they still approach the battle with a fun flair. They’re super heroes in brightly colored costumes! That is pretty cool for a teenager.

There’s a tinge of horror in Ganucheau’s monsters, such as the golem made from a car. The automobile is in its center with a large body growing around it. This creates a faceless abomination that lumbers ever forward towards the Zodiac Starforce. Davos’ disciples were once human, but have been corrupted by his energy. Darkness crawls up their veins, sending spidery lines along their face. It’s a creepy look that makes this a more serious threat than your average cartoon enemy.
Sarah Stern’s colors bring a nice balance to this battle. The Zodiac Starforce are these vibrant forces of good, fighting back the darkness at every turn. Their attacks are made of light itself, cutting through the shadows with bright energy. The monsters are these muck-covered beasts that do not belong in this space. They feel unnatural and wrong, like they could suck the very life essence out of these characters.

The ending feels a bit rushed, like the creators are trying to cram a lot into this last chapter. There are some items that aren’t fully explored and left with a lot of mystery, such as the origins of the other team or why they were holding another member captive. I hope to see this expanded upon with a future series. Writer Kevin Panetta definitely leaves things open for the story to continue. There are so many story possibilities with these characters and the mythos surrounding their powers.
Zodiac Starforce is the kind of comic we need more of. It features a group of strong diverse women (and one guy) that overcome adversity with positivity and teamwork. This isn’t handled in an after school special way. Instead, it’s done with solid storytelling and strong character development.
Zodiac Starforce: Cries of the Fire Prince #4 is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.