Galaxy: The Prettiest Star

Jadzia Axelrod first pitched several ideas to DC Comics when she was approached by the company through her agent. According to Axelrod, they were looking for "writers who are familiar with the DC stable of characters, but who have an unusual point of view", and one of the concepts she pitched was about the character that would later become Galaxy.^[4]

DC Comics liked Axelrod's idea and had her work on a script with Sara Miller, their editor of young adult content. After the script was finalized, Miller showed it to Jess Taylor who "instantly fell in love" for it.^[5]

Axelrod's idea for Galaxy came from her desire to tell a story in which the character was not "metaphorically queer or metaphorically trans", but openly queer and transgender.^[5] Since she transitioned later in life, Axelrod had to research stories and narratives of trans teenagers.^[4]

Publishers Weekly gave the novel a starred review, in which they call it a "vulnerable and thought-provoking graphic novel about gender identity". They also commented on Taylor's illustration, noting their use of "sharp lines and flowing, vivid colors" as matching the atmosphere of the story and its characters. The reviewer also praised Axelrod's writing when describing the experience of being transgender.^[6] Kirkus Reviews also praised the art, saying it "features expressive figures highlighted against abstract backgrounds" and ended by calling Galaxy a "fantastical allegory that lends itself well to the graphic novel medium".^[7]

Writing for Booklist, Peter Blenski says that, although the novel initially "follows a classic YA format", Galaxy's allegory "serves as a fresh and thoughtful spin on trans stories". Blenski noted the art added "some humor" to the novel, which helped during moments that deal with heavier themes, such as suicidal ideation.^[8] In a review published on Comic Book Resources, Ben Bishop talked about how using the power to shapeshift is now a common trope for stories about transgender people, but praised Axelrod's take on it, saying that "Galaxy is a completely different trans allegory and one which is far more accurate to the trans experience than similar stories".^[9]