Don’t count out the Empire just yet.
By Joshua Yehl
While Star Wars: Shattered Empire started off with an impressive opening issue, the follow-up leaves a lot to be desired. The story has two strange time-jumps, which throws off the momentum generated by the cliffhanger from Issue #1. More troublesome is the sudden focus on Princess Leia, leaving protagonist Shara Bey without anything meaningful to do. The first chapter skillfully avoided focusing too much on the original cast, but this time it’s tipped too much in their favor. With Shattered Empire only being a four-issue mini-series, one underwhelming issue is too much.
The issue begins on a high note, that’s for sure. A mysterious Messenger from the Emperor makes a strong, unsettling entrance, demanding blood from a Star Destroyer captain and delivering an Order 66-esque codeword that triggers yet another evil master plan. This setup is foreboding and creepy as can be, from the strange lettering of the Messenger’s dialogue to his red robes resembling the Emperor’s personal guards. Unfortunately, the result of that codeword comes way too quick and feels a little too much like the scheme of a Captain Planet villain.
Shara’s gutsy flying skills and confident attitude made her the reason to read Shattered Empire — aside from learning more about what happens after Return of the Jedi, of course — yet she’s given little to do once she’s gets her orders to fly Princess Leia to Naboo. Her husband Kes Dameron doesn’t even make an appearance, with only one line referencing his whereabouts. The character-focused approach from the first issue feels lost in the desire to set up a big threat and show what the original cast it up to.
Where writer Greg Rucka does shine is making the reader feel what this war is like for the characters. It’s unending and unmerciful and they’re always unsure if their loved ones are alive or dead. Even though the Rebel Alliance won, they couldn’t look more downtrodden as they struggle to capitalize on their victory and make it mean something before it slips away.
The art is a mixed bag.
The dogfights between A-Wings and TIE Fighters are glorious to behold. Energy flows through the pages as the ships turn and dive, crash and burn. Marco Checchetto impressed beyond belief in the first issue and he delivers another round of astonishing spaceship battles this time.
The art encounters some trouble when it comes to the coloring and inking. Princess Leia, for example, is colored more like a porcelain doll than a true human, with pale white skin and rosy red cheeks. Several pages are over-inked, with thick blacks creating an unintentional outline that clashes with the rest of the book.
Star Wars: Shattered Empire takes a nosedive in its second issue. While the spaceship battles are still glorious to behold and the dread of war is felt throughout, focusing too much on Princess Leia, introducing a cartoonish doomsday scheme, and a few stumbles with the art stop it from maintaining the high quality of the first issue.
