Mystery in Space # 8 (of 8)
DC COMICS
WRITER: Jim Starlin
ARTISTS: Jim Starlin, Ron Lim, Rob Hunter, Al Milgrom
COVER: Ron Lim, Rob Hunter

After both returning to life in the same cosmic event eight issues ago, Captain Comet and Weird finally face off in a fight that will determine the fate of the giant space station that they both call home. It is a fast-moving story but it is also a rather convoluted one, following the intersecting plotlines of its two main characters. Both heroes get a chance to show their stuff, against each other and against a series of bad guys. While the tale is engaging enough, some details are irksome-- like the way Captain Comet just happens to have bombs planted in strategic places, just at the right time. Comet's dialogue (and his internal monologue) also sound rather immature for a guy who is almost a century old. Yes, he is in a new, youthful body but does he have to sound like a sarcastic teenager? There is also no attempt to re-cap the story and to tell newcomers what is going on and who these characters are. Of course, that is pretty much SOP in both DC and Marvel nowadays. The art is a strange mix of Starlin and Lim, each doing some pages of the same story. It can be rather inconsistent. Some pages are well-drafted and dynamic, others are cluttered and difficult to understand. Additionally, that high collar that Captain Comet is now sporting often makes him look like Giraffe-man in some panels. Three out of five stars.
P.S. Although this miniseries has taken pains to tell us that Adam Blake is now just plain "Comet" without the Captain, both DC advertisements and comic book readers refer to him universally by his old name of "Captain Comet." That name may sound childish to Starlin's ears but clearly, the comic book community is telling him something.