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Galaxy: The Prettiest Star
It takes strength to live as your true self, and one alien princess disguised as a human boy is about to test her power. A vibrant story about gender identity, romance, and shining as bright as the stars.
Taylor Barzelay has the perfect life. Good looks, good grades, a starting position on the basketball team, a loving family, even an adorable corgi. Every day in Taylor’s life is perfect. And every day is torture.
Taylor is actually the Galaxy Crowned, an alien princess from the planet Cyandii, and one of the few survivors of an intergalactic war. For six long, painful years, Taylor has accepted her duty to remain in hiding as a boy on Earth.
That all changes when Taylor meets Metropolis girl Katherine “call me Kat” Silverberg, whose confidence is electrifying. Suddenly, Taylor no longer wants to hide, even if exposing her true identity could attract her greatest enemies. From the charming and brilliant mind behind the popular podcast The Voice of Free Planet X, Jadzia Axelrod, and with stunningly colorful artwork by Jess Taylor comes the story of a girl in hiding who must face her fears to see herself as others see her: the prettiest star.
Taylor Barzelay has the perfect life. Good looks, good grades, a starting position on the basketball team, a loving family, even an adorable corgi. Every day in Taylor’s life is perfect. And every day is torture.
Taylor is actually the Galaxy Crowned, an alien princess from the planet Cyandii, and one of the few survivors of an intergalactic war. For six long, painful years, Taylor has accepted her duty to remain in hiding as a boy on Earth.
That all changes when Taylor meets Metropolis girl Katherine “call me Kat” Silverberg, whose confidence is electrifying. Suddenly, Taylor no longer wants to hide, even if exposing her true identity could attract her greatest enemies. From the charming and brilliant mind behind the popular podcast The Voice of Free Planet X, Jadzia Axelrod, and with stunningly colorful artwork by Jess Taylor comes the story of a girl in hiding who must face her fears to see herself as others see her: the prettiest star.
208 pages, Paperback
First published May 17, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 396 reviews
April 1, 2023
DC Comics has introduced a new superhero in Galaxy: The Prettiest Star, a wonderfully inclusive story that follows a trans narrative and told through such gorgeous art you’ll feel your eyes pop out of your head. It follows Taylor, the good looking basketball star in a rural school that seems like the all-american boy. Except Taylor is from outer space. And Taylor is actually a princess. Created through a team with a trans author and nonbinary artist, Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor respectively, it is so wonderful to see DC giving space to a story and creators like this. While it takes place in the DC universe, readers won’t need any familiarity with it to enjoy. I mean, I know next to nothing and had a blast with this. The colorful art and the emotionally charged narrative make this a really wonderful read that explore issues around being trans and the hardships society dumps on them but also includes an inclusive cast to address issues of race and disability that all culminates for a rather amazing little graphic novel.
This book is worth reading for the art alone. I mean look at how pretty it is. It is super stylized with bright colors like a cosmic neon palette and everything just looks so cool. The character designs are great, the pacing is crisp and allows space for emotional scenes to breathe and the characters are well done. Also there is a sidekick talking corgi, so how could you not love that?
I LOVE this corgi
The story involves characters that fled their homeworld when it was destroyed by a vague enemy called The Vale and have been hiding on Earth disguised as humans. The general, who plays the role of the father/basketball coach, has hid the space princess as Taylor, a young boy, but Taylor begins developing feelings for the hip girl from the city, Kat, who has also moved to this small town with her mother to hide out from her abusive father. The princess finds she can switch back and forth between Taylor the boy and her true self, which makes her feel free but also brings the threats from society for not being “normal”.
The trans narrative is all right there embedded in the story of aliens disguised as humans and its all pretty emotional and effective. We watch very difficult and tragic interactions, such as a best friend rejecting her and a school assuming her presence as an alien girl after living as a boy will be too disruptive and damaging to other students.There are issues of fears around her for being different, her feeling invisible to others, and general abuse she gets once she is who she really it. It’s all fairly on-the-nose, but in an effective way that works for both the messaging and the story itself. I did enjoy the way the Vale (no idea if they are in the DC universe already or not) are sort of just a vague concept here of hatred that comes after anything different from them.
As mentioned earlier, this exists in the DC universe but one need not have any familiarity to enjoy Galaxy. Superman comes up a few times, and I found it clever the way he is used in a way that addresses issues of the model minority myth. I enjoy how at first the presence of Superman in the news is threatening to the family as human’s knowledge of one alien on the planet might lead people to be wary of other aliens hiding out. Though later we see how Superman is accepted because he is overtly doing good deeds and saving the planet and the principal tells her ‘Taylor isn’t a superhero,’ as if Superman’s…well superness is some sort of metric any other intergalactic person on the planet must meet or be rejected. Being in the DC universe, there is also implications that she will eventually gain superpowers, though she has not reached this yet so I’m guessing this character will appear in other stories later on and that’s cool.
So, superhero fan or not, Galaxy: The Prettiest Star is a fun story with a lot of heart. I love the artwork in this so much and I quite enjoyed seeing a large entity like DC addressing trans identities so openly and productively. I could have used a little more, this is fairly quick, but it also works that they didn't shoehorn in galactic conflict abruptly at the end and focused more on the story of Taylor becoming who they are. There will be time later to fight the Vale. This is certainly worth a read and I hope there will be more.
⅘
This book is worth reading for the art alone. I mean look at how pretty it is. It is super stylized with bright colors like a cosmic neon palette and everything just looks so cool. The character designs are great, the pacing is crisp and allows space for emotional scenes to breathe and the characters are well done. Also there is a sidekick talking corgi, so how could you not love that?
I LOVE this corgi
The story involves characters that fled their homeworld when it was destroyed by a vague enemy called The Vale and have been hiding on Earth disguised as humans. The general, who plays the role of the father/basketball coach, has hid the space princess as Taylor, a young boy, but Taylor begins developing feelings for the hip girl from the city, Kat, who has also moved to this small town with her mother to hide out from her abusive father. The princess finds she can switch back and forth between Taylor the boy and her true self, which makes her feel free but also brings the threats from society for not being “normal”.
The trans narrative is all right there embedded in the story of aliens disguised as humans and its all pretty emotional and effective. We watch very difficult and tragic interactions, such as a best friend rejecting her and a school assuming her presence as an alien girl after living as a boy will be too disruptive and damaging to other students.There are issues of fears around her for being different, her feeling invisible to others, and general abuse she gets once she is who she really it. It’s all fairly on-the-nose, but in an effective way that works for both the messaging and the story itself. I did enjoy the way the Vale (no idea if they are in the DC universe already or not) are sort of just a vague concept here of hatred that comes after anything different from them.
As mentioned earlier, this exists in the DC universe but one need not have any familiarity to enjoy Galaxy. Superman comes up a few times, and I found it clever the way he is used in a way that addresses issues of the model minority myth. I enjoy how at first the presence of Superman in the news is threatening to the family as human’s knowledge of one alien on the planet might lead people to be wary of other aliens hiding out. Though later we see how Superman is accepted because he is overtly doing good deeds and saving the planet and the principal tells her ‘Taylor isn’t a superhero,’ as if Superman’s…well superness is some sort of metric any other intergalactic person on the planet must meet or be rejected. Being in the DC universe, there is also implications that she will eventually gain superpowers, though she has not reached this yet so I’m guessing this character will appear in other stories later on and that’s cool.
So, superhero fan or not, Galaxy: The Prettiest Star is a fun story with a lot of heart. I love the artwork in this so much and I quite enjoyed seeing a large entity like DC addressing trans identities so openly and productively. I could have used a little more, this is fairly quick, but it also works that they didn't shoehorn in galactic conflict abruptly at the end and focused more on the story of Taylor becoming who they are. There will be time later to fight the Vale. This is certainly worth a read and I hope there will be more.
⅘
July 31, 2022
Taylor looks like an ordinary teen boy (two siblings, single father, member of the high school basketball team) but she is actually a princess from an alien planet, hiding in disguise on Earth. She's feeling increasingly trapped in the gender and human body that confine her, but when she meets a sexy and confident girl from Metropolis she finally gets the courage to start letting her real self show. The story is simple, but it's cool to see an explicitly trans book come out from DC Comics from a trans writer and nonbinary artist. The artwork, the colors in particular, are gorgeous and I've loved seeing the success and warm welcome that has met this book!
June 5, 2022
I really loved the artsyle, the colours were really pretty too, but I must admit this graphic novel didn't land on me as much as I hoped for. I found some cuts in action a bit weird and the endings unsatisfactory (they focus a lot on the love story, which is great of course because they are very cute, but it didn't really have drama; the relationship with the "brother", "father" and best friend were, in my opinion, highly underdeveloped, and the fact that the Neva never appeared... I don't know). I feel like they kept the story quite plain, the scifi elements didn't add that much to the story I feel (if they had explored the brother or the invasion further... I'll shut up about it now). I don't know, I do think it's a nice way to introduce trans identities to young people and it reads really easily but I do wish it had gone that extra mile.
May 17, 2022
I liked the part where every page of this book looks really hecking pretty, the colours especially. The story itself plays out more like a romance than any sort of action book I'd expect from DC, with the primary arc being our heroine's confidence in sticking up for herself and what she wants. It's a great journey with an adorable talking dog/robot, cool basketball moves, and lots of pretty dresses.
April 22, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley, DC Entertainment, DC Comics, and Jadzia Axelrod for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Taylor is the Galaxy Crowned of her planet (basically the equivalent of a princess). She must hide on earth with a human disguise in order to remain safe from an enemy alien race.
When she meets Kat, she finds that being her true form and female self is what is meant to be. She doesn't want to hide as a human boy any more. With the exploration of love, self, and finding what's truly important in life, Taylor broves to be a dynamic character through which the reader can really see how others may struggle with self-identity.
Also, their technology is grown in the ground, and there is a talking dog that is rather cute, but also creepily annoying.
An excellent stand-alone graphic novel (with potential for more, though unnecessary), featuring core values and importances that young people struggle with every day. An exquisite color pallate with gorgeous illustrations. A highly recomended read for LGBTQ+ teens, but anyone interetsted in reading a phenomenally well-written story.
Taylor is the Galaxy Crowned of her planet (basically the equivalent of a princess). She must hide on earth with a human disguise in order to remain safe from an enemy alien race.
When she meets Kat, she finds that being her true form and female self is what is meant to be. She doesn't want to hide as a human boy any more. With the exploration of love, self, and finding what's truly important in life, Taylor broves to be a dynamic character through which the reader can really see how others may struggle with self-identity.
Also, their technology is grown in the ground, and there is a talking dog that is rather cute, but also creepily annoying.
An excellent stand-alone graphic novel (with potential for more, though unnecessary), featuring core values and importances that young people struggle with every day. An exquisite color pallate with gorgeous illustrations. A highly recomended read for LGBTQ+ teens, but anyone interetsted in reading a phenomenally well-written story.
May 26, 2022
This might easily be my favorite book of the year.
I didn’t know just how much I could love and get attached to a new character but Jadzia and Jess have done an outstanding job with her heartfelt writing and their stunning art. Taylor is such a beautiful princess inside and out.
I feel like there’s so much more to say but this story made me feel every emotion there is, which is why I need a moment. You can truly feel the honesty that has poured from Jadzia’s heart. She’s been so incredibly generous sharing this with the world, with kids and adults alike who’ll read this story, and I’m nothing but delighted to have been able to join in on this adventure.
So excited for what the future will bring for Taylor and Kat.
I didn’t know just how much I could love and get attached to a new character but Jadzia and Jess have done an outstanding job with her heartfelt writing and their stunning art. Taylor is such a beautiful princess inside and out.
I feel like there’s so much more to say but this story made me feel every emotion there is, which is why I need a moment. You can truly feel the honesty that has poured from Jadzia’s heart. She’s been so incredibly generous sharing this with the world, with kids and adults alike who’ll read this story, and I’m nothing but delighted to have been able to join in on this adventure.
So excited for what the future will bring for Taylor and Kat.
May 27, 2022
this book was very pretty and i loved the plot! the only thing i wasn't into was the trans rep...cause it seemed kinda fake? like, for years trans/nonbinary characters have been forced into only "alien" or "shapeshifting" roles, so that felt a little cliche. it also seemed like since taylor was a girl to begin with she was just tired of hiding for those 6 years - she felt like the gender she was assigned at birth, right?? i am looking wAY too much into this story, which i thought was cute, but idk...it just didn't feel like it gave all it could give, ya know?
January 29, 2023
A gorgeous graphic novel about an alien in hiding from another alien race on planet earth. Forced to live in a boys body when she is really a girl Galaxy must hide in plain sight with her family of refuges.
This was such an amazing graphic novel with wonderful trans, black and sapphic rep. It was throughly enjoyable with fantastic artwork to compliment the profound storyline.
Cw
Homophobia
Mild sexual content
This was such an amazing graphic novel with wonderful trans, black and sapphic rep. It was throughly enjoyable with fantastic artwork to compliment the profound storyline.
Cw
Homophobia
Mild sexual content
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December 17, 2022
So...this is supposed to be (as the cover blurb notes) "a metaphor for trans-ness." But if anything it's a metaphor for "desisting."
See, the protag is an alien girl who was convinced to transform into a human boy by her guardian (for plot reasons), but she secretly longs to transform back into her original biological self. The transformation is purely cosmetic, you see, and she realizes she is living a lie by pretending to be anything other than her original biological self. Meanwhile her ersatz family is constantly browbeating her into maintaining the lie lest they face danger or social censure because they have apparently been accepted based on her having transitioned.
But unlike real desisters, this alien girl is able to easily reverse her cosmetic alteration...so she can win the heart of the plucky overweight disabled black lesbian girl who just moved into town. Yep, it's a DC YA book, all right.
It's not helped by the jumbled, inconsistent art, the coloring that is somehow so garish it all winds up blurring together, the weird sexualization of the alien protagonist's male form, the nonsensical justification for WHY the alien girl had to "transition," and the "meta" dialogue which feels like it's about 20 years out of fashion.
But y'know, I have to give them points for originality and courage. Creating such a profound story of trans desisting in this day and age is tantamount to shouting "WORKERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!" at the McCarthy hearings.
See, the protag is an alien girl who was convinced to transform into a human boy by her guardian (for plot reasons), but she secretly longs to transform back into her original biological self. The transformation is purely cosmetic, you see, and she realizes she is living a lie by pretending to be anything other than her original biological self. Meanwhile her ersatz family is constantly browbeating her into maintaining the lie lest they face danger or social censure because they have apparently been accepted based on her having transitioned.
But unlike real desisters, this alien girl is able to easily reverse her cosmetic alteration...so she can win the heart of the plucky overweight disabled black lesbian girl who just moved into town. Yep, it's a DC YA book, all right.
It's not helped by the jumbled, inconsistent art, the coloring that is somehow so garish it all winds up blurring together, the weird sexualization of the alien protagonist's male form, the nonsensical justification for WHY the alien girl had to "transition," and the "meta" dialogue which feels like it's about 20 years out of fashion.
But y'know, I have to give them points for originality and courage. Creating such a profound story of trans desisting in this day and age is tantamount to shouting "WORKERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!" at the McCarthy hearings.
January 19, 2023
It’s so great that stories like this are coming out and exist within the DC continuity. It’s not a typical super hero plot, more of a pretty quiet story, which wasn’t what I expected. I thought maybe it would be a new hero origin story and going to school and crime fighting to boot. I didn’t have any problems with the change in expectations though. It’s a nice change of pace to have the conflicts not be what you expected, and I thought how each are resolved were also great. It’s charming, genuinely funny and earnest, and a quick read. Great stuff. It’s about time expressly queer, trans narratives were incorporated into DC and Marvel in just this type of way.
May 18, 2022
What a beautiful book! Easily, easily the best YA DC Comics graphic novel they've put out. The metaphors and trans rep intertwine magically. If this story doesn't make you feel something, I don't know what will. And there's a talking corgi! I can't recommend this enough for anyone looking for a fantastical coming of age story with trans representation. 5/5 stars.
July 30, 2022
Well this was entirely wonderful! This cover image doesn't show it, but the little DC in the corner is the progressive flag on the physical book. Trans alien tiefling! Perfect!
August 24, 2022
First off, beautiful art.
Second, this was really cute!! I really loved the relationship between Taelyr and Kat, and Taelyr's "dog" was adorable. I think that overall the allegory was pretty solid--I do feel like it's kind of hard to do queer allegory well in modern day since a lot of times my mind just jumps to "why not just make a canonically queer character? you could probably get away with that today in a way you couldn't in the past" but in the case of Taelyr it works pretty well. I do wish we had some context as for why her adoptive father put her into an AMAB body as opposed to an AFAB one when he brought them to Earth since like...you'd think he'd be aware that this would cause Taelyr dysphoria. It's especially odd since he put Sally into an AFAB one so it wasn't like AMAB was the only option. I'd assume that it was to fly under the radar but we find out via Taelyr herself that the Vane can essentially find her wherever she is so the choice didn't make much sense. Likewise, some of the anti-alien bigotry that Taelyr experiences is clearly meant to mirror transphobia but sometimes it comes off as a bit too on-the-nose--for example, there's a scene where a group of teen girls tell Taelyr to get out of their bathroom since she's an alien, which makes sense as bullying. But then they tell her to go to the men's room since that's where she went before and that bit felt more out of place since Taelyr's situation is not one-to-one that of a trans girl. Also, I think that it's a cop-out to market this as "DC's first transgender superhero!" since Taelyr is...not really either? The book ends with the implication that she'll be a superhero someday, but there is no superhero-ing in the book. It's a slice of life story, except the MC is an alien princess. And on that note, I don't really know if I'd label Taelyr as a "transgender character" since again, she is an alien princess who was put into the body of an AMAB high schooler for her own safety so she wouldn't be caught by evil aliens. I think that the story works a lot better as an allegory for what it's like to be transgender than it does as an explicit representation of a transgender character, and also I'd like it for the first transgender DC hero to be. you know. a human and not an alien, as fun as aliens are.
Nevertheless, I found this a good read. Kat was probably my favorite character and Taelyr herself was a good lead to follow. And the art, of course, is lovely. I hope Taelyr shows up in some other comics!
Second, this was really cute!! I really loved the relationship between Taelyr and Kat, and Taelyr's "dog" was adorable. I think that overall the allegory was pretty solid--I do feel like it's kind of hard to do queer allegory well in modern day since a lot of times my mind just jumps to "why not just make a canonically queer character? you could probably get away with that today in a way you couldn't in the past" but in the case of Taelyr it works pretty well. I do wish we had some context as for why her adoptive father put her into an AMAB body as opposed to an AFAB one when he brought them to Earth since like...you'd think he'd be aware that this would cause Taelyr dysphoria. It's especially odd since he put Sally into an AFAB one so it wasn't like AMAB was the only option. I'd assume that it was to fly under the radar but we find out via Taelyr herself that the Vane can essentially find her wherever she is so the choice didn't make much sense. Likewise, some of the anti-alien bigotry that Taelyr experiences is clearly meant to mirror transphobia but sometimes it comes off as a bit too on-the-nose--for example, there's a scene where a group of teen girls tell Taelyr to get out of their bathroom since she's an alien, which makes sense as bullying. But then they tell her to go to the men's room since that's where she went before and that bit felt more out of place since Taelyr's situation is not one-to-one that of a trans girl. Also, I think that it's a cop-out to market this as "DC's first transgender superhero!" since Taelyr is...not really either? The book ends with the implication that she'll be a superhero someday, but there is no superhero-ing in the book. It's a slice of life story, except the MC is an alien princess. And on that note, I don't really know if I'd label Taelyr as a "transgender character" since again, she is an alien princess who was put into the body of an AMAB high schooler for her own safety so she wouldn't be caught by evil aliens. I think that the story works a lot better as an allegory for what it's like to be transgender than it does as an explicit representation of a transgender character, and also I'd like it for the first transgender DC hero to be. you know. a human and not an alien, as fun as aliens are.
Nevertheless, I found this a good read. Kat was probably my favorite character and Taelyr herself was a good lead to follow. And the art, of course, is lovely. I hope Taelyr shows up in some other comics!
June 2, 2022
Explicitly trans comic from DC with a trans author and nonbinary artist? SIGN ME UP. This was very sweet, and the art was absolutely gorgeous.
June 23, 2022
the art is gorgeous, the characters are so real, and the trans metaphor was perfect. I was actually worried I wouldn't get as much out of a story about a space princess literally trapped in a boy's body, since I'm not a trans woman, but it was metaphorical enough that I think this story can speak to anyone who fears the consequences of being truly themselves.
recommended for: trans people, non-binary people, gender nonconforming people, and anyone who feels they have to hide some aspect of their self in exchange for some kind of safety.
recommended for: trans people, non-binary people, gender nonconforming people, and anyone who feels they have to hide some aspect of their self in exchange for some kind of safety.
September 1, 2022
Lovely art, a simple, effective story with plot beats that are obvious but straightforward, and great trans representation. For the younger audience this is trying to reach, it's quite perfect.
August 30, 2022
Absolutely amazing. It’s books like these that we need published in the world, especially for the queer youth. Galaxy the Prettiest Star follows young Alien, Taylor as they live life on the run from evil forces which took their home planet. We get to grow and change with Taylor as they fall in love and rediscover their true identity as a woman. The story and art is stunning, but the world building does fall flat a bit. I would have liked some flashbacks possibly into their life in outer space. I absolutely adored how there was a disabled character, and how it wasn’t a big deal👏👏. ( take notes people ). Throughout the whole book I was hooked and each and every topic was brought up in suck a raw and emotional way I practically read the entire thing in one sitting. I 100% recommended this book and I hope yoh fall in love with every aspect :3
June 27, 2023
beautiful metaphor for (sapphic) transfemme experience <3
the only complaint i have is that there’s a lot of dysphoria, as the MC is at the beginning of showing her true self, and it might be quite overwhelming for those who relate.
but overall it is wonderful! reading takes little time (only 190 pages) and you can gaze at the beautiful art, plus there are references to David Bowie songs <33
the only complaint i have is that there’s a lot of dysphoria, as the MC is at the beginning of showing her true self, and it might be quite overwhelming for those who relate.
but overall it is wonderful! reading takes little time (only 190 pages) and you can gaze at the beautiful art, plus there are references to David Bowie songs <33
July 6, 2022
Okay, I'm gonna say it. Biggest disappointment of 2022.
Any time I see that Pride symbol on something DC is doing, I immediately pay attention. This one in particular, received a lot of attention by getting its own FCBD release. I've seen it advertised in numerous places as "DC's First Trans Superhero!" Woohoo for representation!
Gosh...this was lame.
The art is absolutely gorgeous. What you see on the cover is a great representation of what you see inside. But here's the thing. Just because it's gorgeous art doesn't mean it will translate well into comic art. In fact, art that works well for one story may be awful for another. The art should be doing the heavy lifting; this is a visual medium after all. I had a hard time figuring out what was happening on some panels. For example, when I finally met Kat and she mentions her prosthetic limb, I had to go back and look for it. Sure enough, there was 1 panel with it. But you don't realize it unless you look closely. The following panels barely show it.
The story itself is lackluster. While I don't expect a book to cover new ground, this has been done before in far better ways. The supporting characters are not developed in a way that I care about them. The first 2/3 of the story has a very decompressed story. The final 1/3 becomes a bit intense, darker, and just felt rushed. It kind of just...ends. I don't even care what comes next.
Here's the part that really bothered me. I don't even really want to call this a trans-superhero story. It fails on both parts.
We do not see Galaxy at any point really use superpowers. There's some mention of her being a bit stronger and she has access to alien technology which allows her to instantly transform into a princess. It's also said that she can feel energy. So if you're here for any super heroics, you are going to be disappointed. Now you might say, "But coming out is heroic!" Yeah, sure, but that doesn't make for a superhero story. This is DC we are talking about. Additionally, I strongly feel this fails in one other major aspect and that's the trans story. I'm really struggling to tout this as a trans character when it's an alien who is on Earth in disguise as a male. Galaxy living on Earth as a female in her princess alien form is a supposed danger to her and her family (which I never felt that danger). But Galaxy states that they are tired of living as a male for 6 years and wants to return to their original state. Never mind that our "trans" character is also an alien which is apparently something the trans community takes issue with.
What I want DC to do is give me an actual trans superhero. Not a metaphor.
Any time I see that Pride symbol on something DC is doing, I immediately pay attention. This one in particular, received a lot of attention by getting its own FCBD release. I've seen it advertised in numerous places as "DC's First Trans Superhero!" Woohoo for representation!
Gosh...this was lame.
The art is absolutely gorgeous. What you see on the cover is a great representation of what you see inside. But here's the thing. Just because it's gorgeous art doesn't mean it will translate well into comic art. In fact, art that works well for one story may be awful for another. The art should be doing the heavy lifting; this is a visual medium after all. I had a hard time figuring out what was happening on some panels. For example, when I finally met Kat and she mentions her prosthetic limb, I had to go back and look for it. Sure enough, there was 1 panel with it. But you don't realize it unless you look closely. The following panels barely show it.
The story itself is lackluster. While I don't expect a book to cover new ground, this has been done before in far better ways. The supporting characters are not developed in a way that I care about them. The first 2/3 of the story has a very decompressed story. The final 1/3 becomes a bit intense, darker, and just felt rushed. It kind of just...ends. I don't even care what comes next.
Here's the part that really bothered me. I don't even really want to call this a trans-superhero story. It fails on both parts.
We do not see Galaxy at any point really use superpowers. There's some mention of her being a bit stronger and she has access to alien technology which allows her to instantly transform into a princess. It's also said that she can feel energy. So if you're here for any super heroics, you are going to be disappointed. Now you might say, "But coming out is heroic!" Yeah, sure, but that doesn't make for a superhero story. This is DC we are talking about. Additionally, I strongly feel this fails in one other major aspect and that's the trans story. I'm really struggling to tout this as a trans character when it's an alien who is on Earth in disguise as a male. Galaxy living on Earth as a female in her princess alien form is a supposed danger to her and her family (which I never felt that danger). But Galaxy states that they are tired of living as a male for 6 years and wants to return to their original state. Never mind that our "trans" character is also an alien which is apparently something the trans community takes issue with.
What I want DC to do is give me an actual trans superhero. Not a metaphor.
June 5, 2022
Let’s start with the fact that I’m so happy this comic exist for trans youth today. How incredible is it that we finally have a DC comic featuring a transgender main character??
Now, let’s talk about what worked and didn’t work for me with this graphic novel. Starting with what worked, the art is the biggest standout for me. Jess Taylor did such a phenomenal job for this novel and I’ve never seen anything quite like it. They were also intentional it seemed about the chosen color palette at times, displaying pride, which I loved. I also really loved the coming of age aspects of this story and Argus, the robot (kind of) corgi who was just the best. Plus the sheer brilliance of Jadzia in the craft of this story full of metaphors for the trans experience is just incredible. PS reading some interviews with Jadzia made me have an even deeper appreciation for what she did here.
As for what didn’t work, it was simply the story and the pacing. There were a few jumps in time that felt a bit out of place and everything seemed to pick up speed rapidly towards the end and then it just ended. It just didn’t feel like a concluding moment for me and perhaps it would have benefited from being a bit longer.
Also, I kind of went into this expecting superhero action and whatnots which is not what this book is. This isn’t a negative point just something I wanted to mention in case you have similar expectations.
Here is a review from Carol on Comics Unmasked, an own voices review: https://comicsunmasked.com/the-stars-...
Now, let’s talk about what worked and didn’t work for me with this graphic novel. Starting with what worked, the art is the biggest standout for me. Jess Taylor did such a phenomenal job for this novel and I’ve never seen anything quite like it. They were also intentional it seemed about the chosen color palette at times, displaying pride, which I loved. I also really loved the coming of age aspects of this story and Argus, the robot (kind of) corgi who was just the best. Plus the sheer brilliance of Jadzia in the craft of this story full of metaphors for the trans experience is just incredible. PS reading some interviews with Jadzia made me have an even deeper appreciation for what she did here.
As for what didn’t work, it was simply the story and the pacing. There were a few jumps in time that felt a bit out of place and everything seemed to pick up speed rapidly towards the end and then it just ended. It just didn’t feel like a concluding moment for me and perhaps it would have benefited from being a bit longer.
Also, I kind of went into this expecting superhero action and whatnots which is not what this book is. This isn’t a negative point just something I wanted to mention in case you have similar expectations.
Here is a review from Carol on Comics Unmasked, an own voices review: https://comicsunmasked.com/the-stars-...
April 15, 2022
A secret identity, a new romance, and finding the strength to be yourself. The story follows an alien princess who is disguised as a human boy to not only test her powers but to keep herself hidden. Taylor Barzelay has the perfect life, he’s good looking, has great grades, and is a starting position on the basketball family. He’s got a loving family and a cute corgi.... but this is all just a cover. In reality Taylor is actually the Galaxy Crowned, an alience princess from the planet Cyandii who is in hiding as a survivor of an intergalatic war. For six years Taylor has been doing her duty and hiding as a boy on earth but all of that changes when she meets Metropolis girl Katherine aka Kat Silverberg. Kat is confident, beautiful, and fun and Taylor finds herself falling for her. Now she’ll have to find out if she is willing to risk it all to finally be herself and reveal herself to the one girl she is falling in love with. But revealing herself means opening up to new enemies and danger... but maybe it will be worth it all. This was such a charming and sweet story about gender identity and the romance was just so cute. I absolutely adored the artwork! IT WAS STUNNING! Definitely give this one a read!
*Thanks Netgalley and DC Entertainment, DC Comics for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
*Thanks Netgalley and DC Entertainment, DC Comics for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
June 28, 2022
This story is just wow. Taylor is a teenage boy who is not a teenage boy. Taylor is an alien named Galaxy hidden in a teenage boy’s body. And they know they’re not themselves as Taylor the human. They may play basketball, but they do not really fit in. They get picked on, they feel different, they are just not like everyone else. After a first glance of Galaxy, they want to be themselves more and more and more. What they are is a female purple alien princess. This story is amazing, the illustrations are powerful; they are colorful, they stand out, and they suck the reader in. When you think of DC you are usually thinking of superheroes, and yes galaxy is a superhero. She’s a superhero some kids need as they grow up not feeling like themselves in their own body. She is a superhero they want, someone to represent them and say it’s OK to be you even if it may be dangerous. Galaxy knows that if trouble wants to find you it will, but that you need to stand up to it and be who you are born to be. I loved absolutely everything about this.
April 17, 2022
This was an awesome read. Loved the queer representation and the story line lended well to the themes that the comic explored. Extra star points for adorable talking Corgi companion. I loved the art work and l know it'll resonate well with YA readers. The colouring was aesthetically pleasing and the art style was really cool. So often YA is put through an adult lense, and this seemed to be written for the age group it's intended for which is refreshing. Also the feelings of hopelessness were really spot on and we love to see realistic rep especially when it comes to feelings. Screw Buck though.
DC Pride offerings this year are already awesome and I am so happy we are getting this juicy queer rep.
Thank you to NetGalley and DC Entertainment for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
DC Pride offerings this year are already awesome and I am so happy we are getting this juicy queer rep.
Thank you to NetGalley and DC Entertainment for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2022
Gorgeous, visceral, heartwarming
I adored this book. Axelrod and Taylor have created a lush and vibrant coming-of-age story that is also a clever allegory for growing up trans. The artwork is bold and impressionistic, and does a wonderful job of drawing us into Taylor’s world and the larger-than-life emotions that surround the teenage years. For anyone who has ever felt out-of-place in their own body, anyone who has ever felt like an outsider who had to hide their real self, anyone who has ever felt the joy and terror that comes from stepping outside their family’s/community’s expectations to embrace their authentic self, GALAXY: THE PRETTIEST STAR will feel achingly familiar … and it will also offer hope, that the benefits of being yourself will far outweigh the cost.
I adored this book. Axelrod and Taylor have created a lush and vibrant coming-of-age story that is also a clever allegory for growing up trans. The artwork is bold and impressionistic, and does a wonderful job of drawing us into Taylor’s world and the larger-than-life emotions that surround the teenage years. For anyone who has ever felt out-of-place in their own body, anyone who has ever felt like an outsider who had to hide their real self, anyone who has ever felt the joy and terror that comes from stepping outside their family’s/community’s expectations to embrace their authentic self, GALAXY: THE PRETTIEST STAR will feel achingly familiar … and it will also offer hope, that the benefits of being yourself will far outweigh the cost.
May 19, 2022
Just a tremendous piece of storytelling. Well balanced characters, beautifully drawn scenes, and enough emotions to completely destroy me. I'm currently sobbing. Incredible stuff.
February 21, 2023
I received a copy from DC Comics through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Taylor Barzelay is just your average teenager. They have their loving family, best friend, and life as a basketball star in a small town high school. The only problem is that Taylor is actually the Galaxy Crowned, and has been forced to live in disguise as a teenage human boy with a fake family. She lives in fear of being discovered by the people searching the galaxy for her, but she’s far more miserable being forced to live as a boy and not recognize any part of herself every single day. Everything changes when Kat enters the picture, making Taylor feel daring enough to reveal who she really is and start to live for the first time in years.
I absolutely loved reading this. We follow Taylor, the Galaxy Crowned from Cyandii, as they are forced to live in hiding. Every single day is one long and miserable adventure where she doesn’t recognize any part of herself or who she is because she’s been forced to live in disguise as a teenage boy or risk being found. Everything is perfect on the surface while a big chunk of misery behind the mask she’s forced to wear.
Watching Taylor find herself and the confidence to risk it all to at least recognize the person she is behind the disguise she’s been forced to live was absolutely wonderful. While it was hard to watch the fallout she experiences from the town, I loved the story and the characters, especially Taylor and Kat. I hope to see more come out from this story because I don’t think this is the end of Taylor, so it’d be very exciting to see how her story continues to develop in the event the story gets a chance to expand. It would also be interesting to learn more about Cyandii, especially since what we learn throughout the story is rather interesting as it is.
Taylor Barzelay is just your average teenager. They have their loving family, best friend, and life as a basketball star in a small town high school. The only problem is that Taylor is actually the Galaxy Crowned, and has been forced to live in disguise as a teenage human boy with a fake family. She lives in fear of being discovered by the people searching the galaxy for her, but she’s far more miserable being forced to live as a boy and not recognize any part of herself every single day. Everything changes when Kat enters the picture, making Taylor feel daring enough to reveal who she really is and start to live for the first time in years.
I absolutely loved reading this. We follow Taylor, the Galaxy Crowned from Cyandii, as they are forced to live in hiding. Every single day is one long and miserable adventure where she doesn’t recognize any part of herself or who she is because she’s been forced to live in disguise as a teenage boy or risk being found. Everything is perfect on the surface while a big chunk of misery behind the mask she’s forced to wear.
Watching Taylor find herself and the confidence to risk it all to at least recognize the person she is behind the disguise she’s been forced to live was absolutely wonderful. While it was hard to watch the fallout she experiences from the town, I loved the story and the characters, especially Taylor and Kat. I hope to see more come out from this story because I don’t think this is the end of Taylor, so it’d be very exciting to see how her story continues to develop in the event the story gets a chance to expand. It would also be interesting to learn more about Cyandii, especially since what we learn throughout the story is rather interesting as it is.
March 10, 2023
Overview:
On the outside, Taylor has a great life. But on the inside everyday is torture. Taylor is a alien princess hiding in a boy's body on Earth after being one of the few survivors of a intergalactic war. Everything changes when Taylor meets a girl named Kat and Taylor no longer wants to hide.
Thoughts:
This book hit home. And really resonated with me. I actually didn't realize until mid way into the book, the cover of the book has a transgender flag on her shirt!
I really loved this book, and I am actually going to put it on my list of books to buy because it was that good.
This book had a lot of messages that resonated with trans people. One of the things she said was (I will put a spoiler on it just in case)
And I enjoyed this book! And I recommend it!
I will be adding some additional words that doesn't need to be read in order to understand my review.
On the outside, Taylor has a great life. But on the inside everyday is torture. Taylor is a alien princess hiding in a boy's body on Earth after being one of the few survivors of a intergalactic war. Everything changes when Taylor meets a girl named Kat and Taylor no longer wants to hide.
Thoughts:
This book hit home. And really resonated with me. I actually didn't realize until mid way into the book, the cover of the book has a transgender flag on her shirt!
I really loved this book, and I am actually going to put it on my list of books to buy because it was that good.
This book had a lot of messages that resonated with trans people. One of the things she said was (I will put a spoiler on it just in case)
And I enjoyed this book! And I recommend it!
I will be adding some additional words that doesn't need to be read in order to understand my review.
April 12, 2024
So the art in this is beautiful and the idea is there, but it falls a little bit flat for me. I should say that if there's going to be a second volume that I'm fine but if this is supposed to be a standalone that I am a little bit let down.
I love the idea of a trans alien superhero who is in disguise on earth hiding from these other aliens that want to kill her and she falls for the badass hot new lesbian girl but it didn't always come through for me. The romance was stellar as was the trans rep, But the alien story is where it lost me a little bit. I think a lot of that has to do with the ending that felt very abrupt for me and I'm not a fan. I felt like there was no purpose to the whole story because of the way it ends and that was frustrating but in terms of trans rep and a cutesy dootsy gorgeously illustrated trans queer love story, it's a win.
Trans alien MC, midsize Black disabled lesbian LI.
I love the idea of a trans alien superhero who is in disguise on earth hiding from these other aliens that want to kill her and she falls for the badass hot new lesbian girl but it didn't always come through for me. The romance was stellar as was the trans rep, But the alien story is where it lost me a little bit. I think a lot of that has to do with the ending that felt very abrupt for me and I'm not a fan. I felt like there was no purpose to the whole story because of the way it ends and that was frustrating but in terms of trans rep and a cutesy dootsy gorgeously illustrated trans queer love story, it's a win.
Trans alien MC, midsize Black disabled lesbian LI.
June 24, 2022
Super cute, colorful, and heartwarming story about being yourself at all costs.
Taylor is an alien princess being forced to live undercover as a human boy on Earth. Oddly enough, this apparently takes place in the same world as Superman? This is published by DC Comics so I shouldn't be too surprised (and he never makes an actual appearance). Taylor just wants to start living as herself and throw away the mask she's forced to wear. She starts to gain the confidence to do that when she meets Kat, the new girl in town. Kat shows her that being herself is the most beautiful thing to be.
I think this is a super important comic; for trans girls to see themselves being represented as the beautiful stars they are. About not hiding, and facing your fears. Beautiful story that I'm glad I ordered for my library's collection.
Taylor is an alien princess being forced to live undercover as a human boy on Earth. Oddly enough, this apparently takes place in the same world as Superman? This is published by DC Comics so I shouldn't be too surprised (and he never makes an actual appearance). Taylor just wants to start living as herself and throw away the mask she's forced to wear. She starts to gain the confidence to do that when she meets Kat, the new girl in town. Kat shows her that being herself is the most beautiful thing to be.
I think this is a super important comic; for trans girls to see themselves being represented as the beautiful stars they are. About not hiding, and facing your fears. Beautiful story that I'm glad I ordered for my library's collection.
September 18, 2022
So wholesome, a tale of an alien princess forced to be disguised as a human boy, it is a good parallel for how transphobia manifests when someone comes out later in life (in this case, high school).
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