The porch scene from Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Issue #14, in which Sam asks for Courtney's locket so he could make a quick buck, is recreated nearly shot-for-shot in this episode, right down to the leaf falling above a heartbroken Courtney.
In the comics, Samuel "Sam" Kurtis grew up an ambitious man looking to score big, but only ever amounted to a drifter and gambler by the time he married Barbara Whitmore and fathered Courtney. Eventually, Barbara has enough and left him - he gave Courtney a locket with a picture of his face on it as he took an identical one with their faces on it. Over time he moved from place to place and became a petty criminal, so much so that he succumbed a debt, one that could only be paid with the price of both lockets. Thus, he tracked his daughter down and heartlessly conned her out of it. Eventually, his crimes landed him in jail, where he was found by the Royal Flush Gang and made the low-ranking member, the Two of Clubs. He would have a confrontation with Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. and recognized his daughter, but still attacked her nonetheless. He would plead for her to let him go, but she sent him back in jail.
The image used in Courtney's locket is a photoshopped image of Joel McHale (Sylvester Pemberton). Geoff's casting took place after the locket image was created and production rolled with the image being a bad one of Geoff since the photoshopped image of Joel resembled Geoff enough.
Sam Kurtis is walking through downtown Blue Valley, the marquee on the movie theater is advertising a film called The Haunted Tank. "The Haunted Tank" is an old DC war feature that ran in the G.I. Combat title. The premise is the ghost of the Civil War General Jeb Stuart has possessed a tank, and is using the war machine to watch over a group of modern soldiers. In Hawk and Dove Annual #1, the Haunted Tank helps a group of former Teen Titans battle their way through Hell, and also appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Menace of the Madniks."
In the comics, Shining Knight wields an enchanted sword but he doesn't possess Excalibur. Also, in the Seven Soldiers' photo Shining Knight is wearing an armored helm with a visor, which he never wore in the comics.