Star Power VI: Shooting Stars (VORP VORP VORP)

[Traab]

Yeah I took the hair as momentum, she moved, her hair gets dragged along for the ride, she stopped suddenly, her hair tried to float past. As for the ear.... yeah, thats a muppet ear.

Spoiler: closest I could find

Show

[Vinyadan]

They have a Psy-Cop t-shirt for sale! https://sharkrobot.com/products/psi-cop-badge

[Kato]

An echo? Ah, yes. The sound could be bouncing off the nearby...wait. No matter how it's explained, I don't think that fourth panel works.

She's hearing a sound in space and you argue about an echo?

[Celestia]

Why does Danica have a horn in panels one and three? And why does Mitch have a crotch bulge?

[PraetorDragoon]

And why does Mitch have a crotch bulge?

You know why.

[Celestia]

You know why.

He has a thing for chicks with horns?

[Traab]

Bad case of tusk skull? The troubling cases tend to vanish and reappear.

[faustin]

Plot twist: is actually Clonica!

[Celestia]

"Is this the place the transmission was sent from?"
"Yup."
"Cool. Hey, what's that tower-looking thing with the antenna on top?"

Classic Mookie writing.

[Kato]

"Is this the place the transmission was sent from?"
"Yup."
"Cool. Hey, what's that tower-looking thing with the antenna on top?"

Classic Mookie writing.

Even better, that last panel might be the worst / cheapest kind of cliffhanger I have witnessed in recent memory / ever. It's so unashamed and obvious, I'm pretty sure the next panel is not worth looking at. Maybe we'll be lucky and never have to see it.

[Zaq]

Has his art gotten worse, or have I just lost my acclimation to it?

I mean, okay, he hasn’t drawn a daily strip for a few years, but we’re reaching a level where the art impedes comprehension of the strip. I really don’t see what’s so blasted and broken about an area that appears, at a minimum, to have slightly more terrain features than Maltak, but I guess at least he mentioned that we’re supposed to think that Danica arrived at some kind of hellscape?

Is Danica supposed to be reacting to the fact that the big(?) antenna is big? It seems to get smaller as she gets close to it, but...

[Traab]

Has his art gotten worse, or have I just lost my acclimation to it?

I mean, okay, he hasn’t drawn a daily strip for a few years, but we’re reaching a level where the art impedes comprehension of the strip. I really don’t see what’s so blasted and broken about an area that appears, at a minimum, to have slightly more terrain features than Maltak, but I guess at least he mentioned that we’re supposed to think that Danica arrived at some kind of hellscape?

Is Danica supposed to be reacting to the fact that the big(?) antenna is big? It seems to get smaller as she gets close to it, but...

To me the problem is.... unless the world has obvious signs of former habitation like ruins or some such, it might as well be the surface of mars. So unless she has some sort of hatred for natural planetary development, it seems an odd place to talk about how terrible it is outside the federation.

[Onyavar]

To me the problem is.... unless the world has obvious signs of former habitation like ruins or some such, it might as well be the surface of mars. So unless she has some sort of hatred for natural planetary development, it seems an odd place to talk about how terrible it is outside the federation.

Oh, but all the planets and planetoids in the MillFed are beautiful gardens. Well, at least the garden planets. Water planets are covered in water instead, and forests planets in forests. That said, desert planets and barren rocky hills planets are of no use and were excluded from the MillFed.

[Kwatsu]

I know this is a minor point but Mookie, please, if you do nothing else: USE A RULER. It’s literally the least you can do. Those wobbly panel edges were infuriating in Dominic Deegan, they make your art look half-assed, and it’s worse when the rest of Star Power can at least make that much effort.

[Vinyadan]

This page already creates two problems in exposition. It tells us that most worlds outside the federation are like this, but it doesn't tell us whether we are outside the federation. It then says that Danica should investigate whether this was the result of the eight wormhole, but it doesn't tell us why that should be the case, and whether that's the reason why Danica was out there in the first place.

[Oracle_Hunter]

You did forget something major-

He didn't need the people for flash-clones, he used them to experiment with mixing his DNA with others- that's where his assistant came from. He hasn't used the smuggled people in some time. This in turn ties into what he's planning to do with Danica/Star Power, he has experience with less cosmically-powered clone/dna work other than his own, "He did before what he's trying to do right now, and that did-before ties in with Burke's backstory."

Ah, thank you for reading the archives for that. I'm beside myself in frustration with trying to navigate the damn thing, so I bow to your actual research.

Still, Mookie never did explain whether he made multiple assistant clones or if she just did a lot of costume changes.

Anyhoo, onwards to PLANET OF THE MALTAKS!

[Gez]

Oh, but all the planets and planetoids in the MillFed are beautiful gardens. Well, at least the garden planets. Water planets are covered in water instead, and forests planets in forests. That said, desert planets and barren rocky hills planets are of no use and were excluded from the MillFed.

Every planet gotta be terraformed repeatedly until they become Gaia-class. For variety, a select few planets may instead be upgraded to grassland, cavernous or tropical, depending on whether there are Mrrshans, Klackons, or Sakkras who would appreciate them.

Volcanic planets, though, those are useless. Nobody likes the Silicoids; and that's intensely reciprocal.

[Celestia]

I love the implicit chauvinism that only MillFed planets are fertile and green and pretty while all the outer planets are drab and lifeless and war torn.

[Traab]

I love the implicit chauvinism that only MillFed planets are fertile and green and pretty while all the outer planets are drab and lifeless and war torn.

Its the MillFeds burden to bring their perfection to the savages and show them the proper way. I wonder if they have a book that contains their teachings? It might be the Holistic Operational Landmarks Yield Better Integrational Balance and Luxury for Everyone. Most just call it by its acronym for short.

[Zaq]

We never left Maltak.

How long until this Karudak bloke initiates a facemeld?

[Celestia]

Oh jeez, it really is Maltak!

Why would he call her an angel? I can only think of two possibilities. One: because she came from space, but he wouldn't have seen that since she landed too far away from him. Or two: because she's beautiful, but, due to the inherent biological and cultural differences in his species, he would have an entirely unique sense of beauty that wouldn't accommodate a weird alien creature. So, either way, it doesn't work.

[Elanasaurus]

Oh jeez, it really is Maltak!

Why would he call her an angel? I can only think of two possibilities. One: because she came from space, but he wouldn't have seen that since she landed too far away from him. Or two: because she's beautiful, but, due to the inherent biological and cultural differences in his species, he would have an entirely unique sense of beauty that wouldn't accommodate a weird alien creature. So, either way, it doesn't work.

I think the second one could work. There could be a third option: he saw her flying?

[Traab]

Oh jeez, it really is Maltak!

Why would he call her an angel? I can only think of two possibilities. One: because she came from space, but he wouldn't have seen that since she landed too far away from him. Or two: because she's beautiful, but, due to the inherent biological and cultural differences in his species, he would have an entirely unique sense of beauty that wouldn't accommodate a weird alien creature. So, either way, it doesn't work.

Oh stop it, everyone knows that beauty is a firmly quantifiable feature based on cultural history of 20th century white american males. It doesnt matter if you are white, black, asian, 14th century egyptian, or alien from the 4th galactic cluster of Qumeruntuontian, we all find the exact same things beautiful. And to all of us a glowing white woman with solid knockers descending from the sky is objectively angelic. Geez, its like you are just LOOKING for reasons to attack the comic!

[Celestia]

I think the second one could work. There could be a third option: he saw her flying?

There are a lot of things that can fly that aren't angels.

Oh stop it, everyone knows that beauty is a firmly quantifiable feature based on cultural history of 20th century white american males. It doesnt matter if you are white, black, asian, 14th century egyptian, or alien from the 4th galactic cluster of Qumeruntuontian, we all find the exact same things beautiful. And to all of us a glowing white woman with solid knockers descending from the sky is objectively angelic. Geez, its like you are just LOOKING for reasons to attack the comic!

You're right, I'm being completely unfair to Mookie and this comic. I should be a responsible audience member and beat my head with a brick until the comic makes sense. *nod*


Actually, now that I think about it, how would the orc alien even know what angels are? That's a concept unique to one particular planet's culture. Unless this is a subtle hint. Perhaps he's indicating that sin e if is otherwise impossible for two isolated cultures to develop the same concept, that in this universe, angels are real. Are we heading towards a scene where Danica meets God, and he tells her that he's her biggest fan?

[Traab]

There are a lot of things that can fly that aren't angels.


You're right, I'm being completely unfair to Mookie and this comic. I should be a responsible audience member and beat my head with a brick until the comic makes sense. *nod*


Actually, now that I think about it, how would the orc alien even know what angels are? That's a concept unique to one particular planet's culture. Unless this is a subtle hint. Perhaps he's indicating that sin e if is otherwise impossible for two isolated cultures to develop the same concept, that in this universe, angels are real. Are we heading towards a scene where Danica meets God, and he tells her that he's her biggest fan?

Or its an effect of universal translators. Even in star trek most alien races seen to have a concept of heaven or hell. They may call it by different names, and have different rules for getting there, but the fundamentals remain. "If you live a "good" life as determined by my culture, you get rewarded after you die. If you led a "bad" life you face eternal damnation." The babelfish likely just translated stovokor into heaven. And yes, this is a bit more serious of a defense than before, as once again, its a fairly common thing in sci fi. Even if its patently ludicrous to give mookie any benefit of the doubt as he has repeatedly proven to not be a secret genius trolling us all and is in fact a terrible comic writer and artist.

[Vinyadan]

Oh jeez, it really is Maltak!

Why would he call her an angel?

I mean, she isn't even blue.

[Celestia]

Or its an effect of universal translators. Even in star trek most alien races seen to have a concept of heaven or hell. They may call it by different names, and have different rules for getting there, but the fundamentals remain. "If you live a "good" life as determined by my culture, you get rewarded after you die. If you led a "bad" life you face eternal damnation." The babelfish likely just translated stovokor into heaven. And yes, this is a bit more serious of a defense than before, as once again, its a fairly common thing in sci fi. Even if its patently ludicrous to give mookie any benefit of the doubt as he has repeatedly proven to not be a secret genius trolling us all and is in fact a terrible comic writer and artist.

That sounds like a lazy cop out answer to excuse lazy writing. Though, pointing that out in sci-fi is just shooting fish in a barrel.

[PraetorDragoon]

That sounds like a lazy cop out answer to excuse lazy writing. Though, pointing that out in sci-fi is just shooting fish in a barrel.

Universal translators are so common I didn't even think about it.

[Kwatsu]

Hmmmm. Stellar-powered laser beams and hard light constructs vs Dude With Hammer.

Please please please let this be like the Indiana Jones scene where he just shoots the guy and moves on 😀

[PraetorDragoon]

Hmmmm. Stellar-powered laser beams and hard light constructs vs Dude With Hammer.

Please please please let this be like the Indiana Jones scene where he just shoots the guy and moves on 😀

The hammer guy will have eye beams. You know he will.