Luke finds help in the arena.
By Jesse Schedeen
This issue caps off Jason Aaron’s second major story arc, as Luke Skywalker fights for his life in a gladiator arena while Han and Leia intervene in the battle between Chewbacca and Dengar. Everything eventually comes together in a glorious, over-the-top display of action that reads like it could have been the brainchild of a couple kids playing with action figures. That’s meant as a compliment, mind you. This book never loses sight of the fun and adventure that defined the original Star Wars, and it’s not afraid to take chances or break away from what readers might expect of a project sandwiched in between two films. Aaron’s storytelling philosophy seems to be “As long as it doesn’t actually contradict the movies, it’s fair game,” and that’s a huge reason for why this series has been so enjoyable.
Amid all the fun and spectacle and cool moments, this issue does set a few wheels in motion for future stories. More compelling than the loose build-up to the Vader Down crossover is the focus on a new player from Darth Vader’s faction. Sergeant Kreel shows plenty of potential as a recurring antagonist to Luke, one who can carry the specter of Vader with him without the Sith Lord necessarily being the main villain of every arc. In a general sense, this issue is great at exploring Luke’s growing sense of frustration about his slow progress in becoming a Jedi. He’s grown into a swashbuckling hero, but the knowledge of his heritage and the death of Obi-Wan still weigh heavily upon him.
There is one area where this issue takes a disappointing step backwards. Aaron builds on revelations from issue #11 and sheds full light on the nature of Sana and Han’s relationship, and the truth is rather underwhelming. More so because it’s not easy to see why the series needed to backpedal on that front. Why couldn’t Han have had a long-lost wife no one brought up in the movies? Why deliver a twist that huge and then backpedal a few months later?
This issue is bittersweet in the sense that it’s the last we’ll see of Stuart Immonen on the series for the foreseeable future (especially in light of the recent announcement that Immonen is working with Mark Millar on a creator-owned comic). There’s a slight dip in the consistency and level of detail here that’s to be expected at the end of a story arc. That said, Immonen’s pages are still gorgeous. He expertly captures the look and feel of the Star Wars universe while still bringing his own dynamic sense of style. It looks authentic without simply aping the films or relying on stilted photo-reference. And as the final, silent panel shows, Immonen’s art alone is enough to convey all the emotion necessary to end this arc on the right note.
Marvel’s flagship Star Wars comic continues to fire on all cylinders. It’s over-the-top in the best way possible, as Aaron is never afraid to take chances and make the most of this pivotal point in the Star Wars timeline. Meanwhile, Immonen continues to deliver page after page of top-notch action and adventure. It’ll be sad to see him move on, but like John Cassaday, there’s always hope we’ll see more from the artist in this franchise.
