The previous review of Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith #17 leads directly into this issue. The former writer was Jason Aaron who introduced the Journals of Obi-Wan Kenobi and finished his run with issue #37 (2017) and new writer, Kieron Gillen, continued the series. He worked on the first Darth Vader series introducing the serial killer robots and the space vampires to the Star Wars universe. The problem with this title is that there is a great fear of taking a single character into an adventure, it is three or more of the Star Wars characters, all together for some reason. The best part of the first Marvel comic books was Luke going on his own or Han and Chewie on their adventures. This is done in IDW’s Star Wars Adventures title, but not in the current Marvel title. The cover by Travis Charest has Leia standing with her blaster as her cape has a star field with blueprints of the X-Wing fighter, TIE fighter, and a Star Destroyer, all washed in blue.
The artwork is by Salvador Larroca. The previous story was “Mutiny at Mon Cala” from #44 to 49. Again, to throw Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and other Rebels to one planet, would send all of the Imperial forces to attack them. Again, I wouldn’t count any part of this in the story, but it does bring in Queen Trios who first appeared in Darth Vader Annual #1 (2015) by Kieron Gillen and Leinil Francis Yu. She becomes an ally to the Rebels during the “The Ashes of Jedha” story from #38 - 43. Her sudden appearance shows how each writer is caught up with their own original characters so all of these titles are not one story. Also, it seems like Marvel is stuck on five issue arcs to be collected into trade paperbacks, this makes picking up individual issues a waste. Again, the original Marvel Star Wars had some two parters and ongoing stories, but they were for the most part self contained, here, if you miss an issue, you are lost.
It begins with the chromosphere of a sun, then an extreme closeup that resolves to two wine glasses klinking together, stylish, but not too Star Wars. We get a medium shot of Mon Mothma and Leia Organa celebrating on the Rebel base at Mako-Ta which first appeared in Star Wars #44. Queen Trios joins them, Leia mentions that the Shu-Torun have refitted the ships, and reveals… the two page spread of the Mako-Ta Space Docks with Mon Calamari cruisers and X-Wing fighters circling it, cinematic! Meanwhile, Han Solo and C-3PO are bargaining at a cantina in the Ring of Kafrene, the planet seen in Rogue One (2016). They are conversing with an insect-like Alaphani. Chewbacca interrupts them to warn about bounty hunters. Han and Chewie get the drop on the bounty hunters and Han has made a deal for transponder codes from the Alaphani. Then, we get Luke flying in his X-Wing with R2, they get into some complicated maneuvers that look like birthday party ribbons, not a great effect at least color wise. The display was for the party.
General Dodonna talks to Wedge and Luke. Then, Leia contacts the sub-groups; Alpha Group with Admiral Ackbar, Beta Group with a leader I haven’t seen before, Gamma Group, it seems led by Hera Syndulla, and Delta Group with General Willard, he is the commander who greets Leia at Yavin IV, now promoted. The party is ready to send off the fleet, Leia gives the signal to General Dodonna and he gives the command to the sub-groups to jump to hyperspace. Nothing happens. Of course they find that Queen Trios is missing. Leia wants to send General Draven, from Rogue One, over to the ships. A Mon Calamari officer detects ships arriving from hyperspace. It’s Leia who says it’s a trap! Then, we get another two page spread with the engines of a Star Destroyer group, the Death Squadron!, including the Executor looming over the Mako-Ta Space Docks. Darth Vader wants to wait until he can feel the fear from the Rebels! Luke is about to take off with the X-Wings, but they find that the bay doors are closed.
This betrayal will cost lives, but I’m thinking that the Mon Calamari ships are unique, and would not be compatible with other technologies. Darth Vader says at the end, “Hope dies”, which of course plays on A New Hope. There is another story, “Shu-Torun Lives”, by Kerion Gillen and Guiuseppe Camuncoli, at Vader’s castle on Mustafar, Admiral Ozzel debriefs Darth Vader. He mentions that the Rebels are spread out so the Imperial forces would have to do so to take them out. He wants the Death Squadron to hunt them. On the volcanic planet, Shu-Torun, Queen Trios meets with Darth Vader who gives her the order to infiltrate the Rebels. Queen Trios is complicit in war crimes and will most likely not survive this storyline. A very important part of the formation of the Rebel fleet by the time of Return of the Jedi (1983). I think the Rebels are able to escape, Admiral Ackbar is very clever, possibly with the help of Han’s transponder codes maybe they make the Imperial ships vulnerable enough for the Rebel fleet to escape, and Leia may be able to force Queen Trios to release the locks on the ships.
Four Lightsabers out of Five!
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