In July 2020, the CW renewed the show for a second season which will air in 2021 on the network as an original series.  The TV show has received positive approval ratings in its first season on the air.  Stargirl will have a featured appearance in the upcoming Black Adam film which is in pre-production currently.   So recently, Stargirl is getting more and more visible in the comic market.

Speaking of comics, where did Stargirl first appear, in comic books, and what are the key issues?

Stargirl (TV Series)

Who is Stargirl and why does she have a TV show?  Stargirl is a teenage superhero, created by Lee Moder and Geoff Johns, who appears in DC Comics.  Stargirl's identity is Courtney Elizabeth Whitmore.  On and off through the years. Stargirl made brief appearances in several live-action shows and comics since her creation in 1999.  Things recently went to a new level with the television show Stargirl which debuted on DC Universe streaming in May 2020 with 13 episodes.  Brec Bassinger portrays Stargirl in the title role.

First And Second Appearance of Courtney Whitmore

The first appearance of Courtney Elizabeth Whitmore was in Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0 (July 1999).  Geoff John's own sister, Courtney, inspired the character of Courtney Whitmore.  Tragically, John's sister died in the TWA Flight 800 explosion near New York City in 1996.  I

In this issue, Courtney accidentally finds the original Star-Spangled Kid's suit and gear in her stepfather's possessions.  (The Star-Spangled Kid was originally a Golden Age DC character from the 1940s).  She wears the costume to irritate her stepfather (Pat Dugan) because she is upset about her mother remarrying Dugan and moving the family from Los Angeles to Blue Valley, Nebraska. A talented mechanic, Dugan, builds S.T.R.I.P.E., an armored powered robotic suit that protects her.   

The next issue, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #1 (August 1999) recounts the origin of Courtney Whitmore becoming a super-hero after her family's move to Blue Valley, Nebraska.  She enlists her new step-dad to be her sidekick in her first adventure.  This issue is Courtney Whitmore's second appearance.  

First Appearance of Stargirl

The first appearance of Courtney as Stargirl was in JSA: All-Stars #4  (October 2003).  In this issue, she partners with her stepfather and begins the search for her biological father.   

Along the way, she joins the Justice Society of America.  She is given Starman Jack Knight's powerful cosmic staff (Jack Knight is the son of the original Starman, a Golden Age superhero), and permanently changes her identity to Stargirl.  

Jack Knight as Starman first appeared in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #1 (September 1994).  

 

 

Conclusion

The character of Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl is definitely on the upswing!  Though not an A-list character or mainstream in the comic universe currently, what are the investment possibilities?  Here are the top three issues to consider: 

  • Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0--a 9.8 CGC grade has a $325 FMV (25+ sales) with 233 total issues graded on the CGC Census.
  • Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #1--a 9.8 grade has a $120 FMV (25+sales) with just 24 total graded issues on the CGC Census currently.
  • JSA: All-Stars #4--a 9.8 grade has a $160 FMV (7 sales) with a low 39 total graded issues on the CGC Census.   

With a second season of Stargirl in the works, an upcoming appearance in a DC movie, rising values (along with many others in the current sizzling market), and a character with bright, youthful optimism, Stargirl is worthy to be on your investing radar.