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SPOILER Jelena’s Review of Marvel’s Star Wars #22

Discussion in 'Star Wars: Books & Comics + Legends' started by LadyMusashi, Aug 24, 2016.

  1. LadyMusashi

    LadyMusashi Archwizard Woo-Woo-in-Chief
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    StarWars22-Cover.jpg


    Story by Jason Aaron
    Art by Jorge Molina
    Colors by Matt Milla

    • The Star Destroyer Harbinger, a massive weapon of Imperial war.
    • Also the target of the rebels’ new top-secret plan.
    • Join Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa for “The Last Flight of the Harbinger”!

    We haven’t seen our main heroes – Luke, Han and Leia – since issue #19 when they managed to stop the incursion into the Sunspot Prison. After a break that took us to Tatooine and Ben Kenobi (issue #20) and into the heart of elite stormtrooper unit (issue #21), we are now back with our favorite Rebels.

    StarWars22-1.jpg

    The story opens with a massive space battle – Rebel’s attempt to take over the Star Destroyer Harbinger. Luke is flying his X-Wing, while Han and Leia are attempting to bomb the Destroyer. It’s a ballsy plan at the very least and probably idiotic as the Imperials think. If this scene proves anything, that is that Han and Leia can bicker even in the direst of situations.

    StarWars22-2.jpg

    Leia manages to hit the engine reactor making the opening for the Rebel fighters. But, Luke takes it one step further. He takes his X-Wing into the Star Destroyer.

    The crew of the Millennium Falcon – Han, Leia, Sana and Chewbacca – follows his example and board the Harbinger. It seems that they are trying to secure the reactor while the Imperials are evacuating. It appears that they have failed and that Harbinger exploded.

    StarWars22-4.jpg

    StarWars22-5.jpg

    The Admiral who has abandoned the ship gets the dreaded call – from Vader himself.

    StarWars22-6.jpg

    The story moves to a week later. The Imperial patrol is looking for some ships and pilots that disappeared, but they are taken out themselves – by Harbinger. The Rebels had jettisoned the failing reactor into the space. The explosion covered up their escape – with the Star Destroyer.

    The ship is running on backup engine and skeleton crew. They are trying to repair hyperdrive to take the ship somewhere that, according to Luke, might be Harbinger’s last flight. Wherever they are taking it and whatever they are planning, it’s very likely, if not certain, that they will encounter Sargent Kreel and his elite stormtroopers.

    StarWars22-8.jpg

    StarWars22-9.jpg

    More than previous issue which is actually first in this arc, this one feels like a set-up issue. The action dominates the single story point – the stealing of the Star Destroyer. It is still refreshing, because we don’t see much of the Rebellion’s initiative – in the movies, they are pretty much always reactionary. This time, they have a daring plan and a major goal, but the faith of the galaxy does not depend on it, like in A New Hope or Return of the Jedi. And they manage to pull it out.

    We also get a few interesting character beats. As I already mentioned, Han and Leia are firmly moving towards the level of banter and bickering we will see in The Empire Strikes Back. Luke’s confidence has visibly grown and he proved once again that his piloting skills are growing as well. He also seems to act as a piece maker between Han and Leia. Sana is still hanging out with our heroes. Perhaps their past isn’t the only thing she has in common with Han. Maybe there is a room for cause under her tough exterior.

    Molina has a flair for drawing space battles, but I didn’t like how he draws faces. I am not one of those people who need hyper-realistic drawing, but I want my characters to at least look like themselves. If it wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the issue, I wouldn’t have even connected the pilot that got a couple of close-ups with Wedge.

    All in all, this was a solid issue that might take us down some interesting paths, but, as I said, it was more of an introduction to the main story line. If you are following the comic regularly, you will enjoy it, but this is not a good point to start reading if you are a newcomer. Pick up the previous one as it can be read as a standalone or wait for a couple more issues. In any case, we are bound to find out more in…


    THE NEXT ISSUE:

    Star Wars 23-Cover.jpg

    • The rebels have pulled off the impossible…they’ve stolen a Star Destroyer.
    • But why? To what end? Can they hold her together?
    • And who’s in charge of this madness, anyway – Han or Leia?
     
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  2. Lord of the Rens

    Lord of the Rens Gatekeeper & Avatar Maker

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    Haven't purchased a single issue in this series, so thanks @LadyMusashi for the great reviews that keep me in the know!
     
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  3. PrincessLeiaCB3

    PrincessLeiaCB3 The Princess that was Promised
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    Great post, @LadyMusashi !!! As you said, it was nice to see the Princess, the Scoundrel, the Wookie and the Farm Boy again after a short hiatus.

    Interesting to see Leia does not understand yet Shyriiwook and Sana still hanging around.

    At least we can guess Artoo is with Luke on his X-wing, but no Threepio to be seen. Interesting.

    Gotta love these two. And yeah, their bickering is getting to the ESB levels.

    The Skywalker twins, strong with the Force and with good aim too.

    Though we don't see it, from his last line we know he did it the Roman way of "falling on his sword" (or borrow a blaster LOL).

    Somehow I see her a some kind of pre-ROTJ Jas Emari, especially from Jas interactions with Han in "Aftermath: Life Debt".

    Agree with you on that. Didn't like the faces that much, and yeah if they don't tell me it's Wedge I would have not guessed.
     
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  4. Boushhdisguise

    Boushhdisguise Jedi General

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    I absolutely loved this issue!!!! And the ties it up with Aftermath Life Debt. Han saying he was involved with taking one out prior, and this has to be it!
     
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  5. LadyMusashi

    LadyMusashi Archwizard Woo-Woo-in-Chief
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    Apparently, some people think that this and Star Destroyer in Life Debt represent a "plot hole" in the canon, because Lost Stars says that Star Destroyer was never captured. I have yet to reread Lost Stars, so I don't remember it, but I doubt that the Empire would admit such a thing publicly.
     
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  6. Boushhdisguise

    Boushhdisguise Jedi General

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    In the comic, they imply they did it without the Empire knowing? I think that might be it though. Never admitting, PR and all that.
     
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  7. PrincessLeiaCB3

    PrincessLeiaCB3 The Princess that was Promised
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    I know, right?? Like how they are tying all together.

    In Lost Stars, it is actually Thane who says that right before the Battle of Jakku:

    My guess is that Thane was not aware of the Harbinger deal because maybe he had not joined the Rebellion yet - maybe he was still working in the Mighty Oak Apocalypse with Lohgarra - and by the time he joined, maybe it was a undisclosed mission for the rest of the Rebels. Maybe the official version was that the Star Destroyer exploded in space, even for the Rebels. (We don't know yet what will be the outcome of that mission).
     
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  8. Boushhdisguise

    Boushhdisguise Jedi General

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    Thane didn't seem to know Luke (and wasn't impressed at all with him) and Han (didn't know who he was when he showed at Sullust) even by reputation. I am sure we will find out why it was a mysterious happening. Sounds like they are going to have fun on it. I love Luke in the middle of that bickering.
     
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  9. PrincessLeiaCB3

    PrincessLeiaCB3 The Princess that was Promised
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    Lol I know. It was funny how he pictured the team bombing the Endor shield as Leia and the rest LOL.
     
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  10. Admiral Petty

    Admiral Petty Force Sensitive

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    I found this issue enjoyable enough, but as @LadyMusashi said, it seems to be more of a setup issue than anything else, so it wasn't particularly meaty on the story points. I'm not sold on this new story arc quite yet, but I'm willing to see what is in store next, while the quality of this series has fluctuated sometimes, I always find it worth reading. I also agree with everyone else on the faces, especially Wedge, they don't look much like the characters at all.
     
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