STAR WARS #1 / WRITER: CHARLES SOULE / ARTIST: JESUS SAIZ / COLOURIST: ARIF PRIANTO, JESUS SAIZ / PUBLISHER: MARVEL COMICS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Picking up in the direct aftermath of The Empire Strikes Back, Marvel Comics’ latest Star Wars title begins with a bang for long-standing fans of the greatest franchise in cinema (yes, we said it!).
From writer Charlie Soule and artists Jesus Saiz, complete with colours from Saiz and Arif Prianto, Star Wars #1 grabs your attention with its very first panel. Once the obligatory crawl is out of the way, readers are hit around the chops with a close-up of Luke Skywalker’s hand being severed courtesy of Darth Vader. Not just that, but there’s that famed revelation of Vader being Luke’s father. It’s heavy stuff from the get-go, and it’s something that will instantly appeal to a certain corner of Star Wars fandom.
After that startling opening, the story within the greater story begins to breathe as we get a lay of the land. We all know that this post-Empire tale is going to be hurtling towards the opening moments of Return of the Jedi, but this is where this new Star Wars title has the chance to come into its own.
While Luke is in an almost PTSD-type state at Vader’s revelation, the loss of his hand, and the fact that neither Obi-Wan nor Yoda are reaching out to him to offer solace and explanation via the Force, the rest of the Millennium Falcon is filled up by Leia, Chewbacca, and Lando, and we then meet some new Rebel characters who will surely become fleshed out as the title powers forward. And remember, this is a Lando who double-crossed our heroes and sold out Han Solo to Darth Vader in Empire, and so tensions are high and trust is minimal. Elsewhere, the Empire’s charge on the Rebel Alliance is being immediately led by a new clinical, unflinching villain known as Commander Zahra.
As an opening issue, there’s only so much Star Wars #1 can really do. New characters have been briefly introduced, the presence of Lando on the Falcon is creating a tough atmosphere, and we’re beginning to see the continuing war up amongst the stars. But the stars of the show for now are the emotional rollercoaster Luke Skywalker is in the middle of, and the utterly glorious art and colours from Saiz and Prianto. Some of the dialogue may feel just a tad too knowing at this stage, although that’s only a minor quibble right now – and is easily overlooked thanks to the strong emotional beats hit by Charles Soule.
The characters are ready and primed to be explored, the look of the book is phenomenal, and now it just remains to be seen how Soule can weave the narrative so that this new title can be its own beast whilst still being loosely tied to the accepted canon that we know exists. A hugely promising start!
