SPOILER REVIEW: Marvel's Star Wars: Princess Leia #2

This series is killing it! In a good way. The series writer, Mark Waid, is taking Leia through a maze of events that tell us where her future is heading as well as the past she is haunted by. I'm so impressed by the build up of this story, and it is only the second book.

We last saw Leia after her less than amicable separation from the Rebel Alliance, jumping into hyperspace on her way to Naboo. When we rejoin her in this issue, we learn her motives for traveling to Naboo are to round up and protect a commune of Alderaan artists and musicians that have established themselves there.



Remember, the Empire doesn't know who the hell Luke Skywalker is at this point, and they blame the destruction of the Death Star on Leia. She is the most wanted person in the galaxy, and she's terrified the Empire will use any survivors of Alderaan against her. Hence the hasty departure and running the risk of traveling to the Emperor's home world. The stakes are high.

We have never really seen Leia in a royal capacity and know very little about her actual upbringing in aristocracy. Some flashbacks give us our first canonical look at Leia's life as a princess on Alderaan, as well as the expectations and hopes. It gives much heavier weight to the destruction of her home and people she was forced to watch, merely for Tarkin's amusement. This issue exposes us to the trauma felt by the survivors of Alderaan, a planet that was never again mentioned after A New Hope in the original trilogy.



It's interesting to see Naboo again. The Dodson team of artists have provided enough familiarity to make the little bits of Imperial contrast stand out. One of the more iconic shots of the prequel trilogy, to me, were the long establishing shots of Theed in The Phantom Menace. Those shots were the first glimpses we had of the prequels, and they are revisited, only now we have the Imperial impressions. When Leia first arrives on Naboo she is greeted by a mural that will give you chills; you will know what I'm talking about when you see it.

Once Leia locates her group of survivors, it is time to get off Naboo and on to Sullust. Rounding up her survivors is not quite as straightforward as her approach to it. Some of her loyal followers might not be quite as loyal as she thought. And as one of them reaches out to another survivor across the galaxy, we learn there might be a bumpy road ahead of them.



The momentum of this story is great. There are a lot of things I am leaving out for you, dear reader, to discover yourself. This issue is more than worth the price and I urge you to follow this series as it unfolds.

Just so we can keep the timeline straight, this story takes place literally hours after A New Hope ends. So Leia just finished kicking ass in the Death Star, helping coordinate its destruction, and now she's out on the lam. Leia Organa doesn't mess around.



If there are any complaints I have about this issue, it's the art. Terry and Rachel Dodson are fine artists, but I think some of their frames tread on the whimsical side. I think this series deserves some more art with more depth, as the expressions on most of the characters here are pretty one-dimensional. Again, the artwork is fine, it's just me finding something to critique on an otherwise stellar book.

Head on down to your local comic shop and give them your hard earned money. You won't be let down.

 

Thank you, kindly

 

To each their own. Totally respect your opinion, just curious what aspects you find dull. I understand this series might not be for everyone.

 

Fair enough. One of the things I believe the arc is trying to dispell is Leia as an ice queen, but I hear you

 

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