Rating: 4 / 5 – Recommended reading
Another Star Wars comic, this time set in the time immediately after Episode IV, A New Hope. This issue continues following plotlines from the movie and the previous two issues. Princess Lei has been tasked with ferretting out a double agent in the rebel alliance. To this end she has assembled a black ops team including Luke and C3PO but tensions are mounting on the team. Meanwhile Han and Chewbacca are attempting to set up a large transaction at the Imperial center to benefit the rebel alliance. Darth Vader has suffered demotion due to his failure with the Death Star, replaced by Colonel Bircher.
This is a series that has gotten better with each issue. Licensed properties present certain challenges ably met by the art team of Carlos D’Anda with colors by Gabe Eltaeb. They do an excellent job of evoking the familiar faces from the movies without slavishly mimicking the likenesses. Writer Brian Wood taps into the characters we know but by this issue has given us new characters of his own (or at least unfamiliar to me). I would think a passing familiarity with the film would be all that is needed to enjoy this. The series so far has really highlighting Princess Lei as she mourns the destruction of her home planet and struggles with asserting command.
I’m fully on board with this series and would advise those that felt so-so after the first issue to try it again. I also appreciate the free digital copy Dark Horse provides with each paper copy.
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